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kirkcudbrightIn the morning, Kylie and I went for an 11-mile ride with the tag-along bike, through the fabulous Harold Parker State Forest. She's still a bit too active back there, and I spend a lot of time stabilizing the bike, but that control will come, especially when she starts riding her own bike. It's not implausible that we'll be doing half-centuries or longer in the next year or so.
In the afternoon, I rode Cheyenne for the first time since the disastrous trail ride a couple weeks ago. I really should have mentioned that in the "weekend of horses" post, but it went something like this: We returned from Newport early on Sunday, so I could go trail-riding with 3 or 4 other folk. I usually use Spark's bridle, but Laine was riding him that day, but she had coincidentally found Cheyenne's actual bridle. Great, except it was brand new before it went missing, and he wasn't used to it. Plus, it has a flash band to keep the mouth shut, and I put a martingale on to keep him from throwing his head up, so he started out in a bad mood. I should have taken him out in the woods while we were milling around and warming up, but I didn't. When get went to leave the ring en masse, he planted his feet, and went into mule mode. Nothing was moving that horse, and believe me, I tried everything I had. So we did ring work that day, with him throwing his head down and sideways, and everywhere the martingale would allow.
Anyway, today we had a much better ride. I used the martingale, but left off the flash band, in case that's what was pissing him off. He had thrown both his front shoes (he was previously barefoot in back), so he was a bit sensitive, but the ring is lined with sand, and it rained last night, so it wasn't too bad on him.
As I was walking him out, Wendy asked (jokingly) if I'd like to ride her horse Max. He's a nice horse, but apparently has this tendency to blow up at random, bucking and stuff. Laine noticed that it tends to be for about 8 seconds, and guesses Max was trained as a bucking bronco. OTOH, he most recently came from Bobby's Ranch, so we know he's also been a trail horse, and can be again with some work.
So Wendy mounted, and I led him around, first on the lead, then just walking next to him. Then I mounted, and walked him through some schooling stuff, got on and off him a couple times, and generally acted as though he was perfectly reasonable. He tried to break into a trot-or-whatever a few times, but I told him I hadn't asked for that, and brought him back to a walk. It wasn't a big deal, not horse-whisperer magic hoo-hah, just a matter of talking to and listening to the horse, but it was apparently a breakthrough in Wendy's relationship with Max. He needs steady work and a steady hand.
(For that matter, so does Cheyenne, who also came from Bobby's Ranch, and who also can be unpredictable. From what I've heard, Cindy fell in love with him (he's got a really pretty face, and he moves well), and bought him without riding him, or at least without riding him much. Come to find out that he's stronger horse than she is a rider, and he tests. She's intimidated by him, and he can sense it, so he gets away with everything. I'm helping re-socialize him to the norms of a riding horse. (I can't claim to be re-training him, because I'm not a trainer, and never will be.) But I've been riding him when I can, and I'm trying to get him to the point where Cindy can ride him. If she ever decides to sell him, either because she can't ride him, or because he's finally well-enough behaved to fetch more than knacker price, I'll have a hard decision to make. I like riding, but I like not owning a horse. I don't have the time, and I don't need the hassle. Right?)
In the afternoon, I rode Cheyenne for the first time since the disastrous trail ride a couple weeks ago. I really should have mentioned that in the "weekend of horses" post, but it went something like this: We returned from Newport early on Sunday, so I could go trail-riding with 3 or 4 other folk. I usually use Spark's bridle, but Laine was riding him that day, but she had coincidentally found Cheyenne's actual bridle. Great, except it was brand new before it went missing, and he wasn't used to it. Plus, it has a flash band to keep the mouth shut, and I put a martingale on to keep him from throwing his head up, so he started out in a bad mood. I should have taken him out in the woods while we were milling around and warming up, but I didn't. When get went to leave the ring en masse, he planted his feet, and went into mule mode. Nothing was moving that horse, and believe me, I tried everything I had. So we did ring work that day, with him throwing his head down and sideways, and everywhere the martingale would allow.
Anyway, today we had a much better ride. I used the martingale, but left off the flash band, in case that's what was pissing him off. He had thrown both his front shoes (he was previously barefoot in back), so he was a bit sensitive, but the ring is lined with sand, and it rained last night, so it wasn't too bad on him.
As I was walking him out, Wendy asked (jokingly) if I'd like to ride her horse Max. He's a nice horse, but apparently has this tendency to blow up at random, bucking and stuff. Laine noticed that it tends to be for about 8 seconds, and guesses Max was trained as a bucking bronco. OTOH, he most recently came from Bobby's Ranch, so we know he's also been a trail horse, and can be again with some work.
So Wendy mounted, and I led him around, first on the lead, then just walking next to him. Then I mounted, and walked him through some schooling stuff, got on and off him a couple times, and generally acted as though he was perfectly reasonable. He tried to break into a trot-or-whatever a few times, but I told him I hadn't asked for that, and brought him back to a walk. It wasn't a big deal, not horse-whisperer magic hoo-hah, just a matter of talking to and listening to the horse, but it was apparently a breakthrough in Wendy's relationship with Max. He needs steady work and a steady hand.
(For that matter, so does Cheyenne, who also came from Bobby's Ranch, and who also can be unpredictable. From what I've heard, Cindy fell in love with him (he's got a really pretty face, and he moves well), and bought him without riding him, or at least without riding him much. Come to find out that he's stronger horse than she is a rider, and he tests. She's intimidated by him, and he can sense it, so he gets away with everything. I'm helping re-socialize him to the norms of a riding horse. (I can't claim to be re-training him, because I'm not a trainer, and never will be.) But I've been riding him when I can, and I'm trying to get him to the point where Cindy can ride him. If she ever decides to sell him, either because she can't ride him, or because he's finally well-enough behaved to fetch more than knacker price, I'll have a hard decision to make. I like riding, but I like not owning a horse. I don't have the time, and I don't need the hassle. Right?)
