Like most of us I haven't been riding for weeks because of the weather, but the last couple of days have been ok.
Yesterday I tacked Jim up in the afternoon & we went for a trundle down the lane together. Stopped and chatted to a friend for 20 min or so then went a little bit further before turning round and coming home. He was a poppet, not a single threat or tense moment! The only "incident" was when I led him to the mounting block - he spotted the straw around the water trough (put there to stop it freezing) & marched off to touch it with his nose in exchange for a sweetie - teaching him to touch scary things is proving to have definate drawbacks :giggle:. He then pivoted so he was next to the mounting block & looked miffed when I moved him & put him back at the right side of it so I didn't have to try & get on from the wrong side.
Today was a very good demonstration of just how far he's come. We hacked out with a friend & came across some cones & tape blowing in the wind. He was genuinely scared - I could feel his heart pounding - yet all he did was back up before standing looking at it. We did stand for quite a while but eventally he went past, I was SO proud of him :cloud9:. He was rather tense & stressy for most of the rest of the ride, but he kept it together & never actually did anything wrong & I never felt like I was going to lose him. There was a slight issue in that he couldn't stand for most of the ride, but he'd slow down when asked & the reluctance to halt is just nerves - when he's that wound up he needs to move or explode. But the big thing was he never tried to run away or buck, there wasn't even an attempt to spin though he was thinking of that one.
So very very pleased with him :inlove:
Also very pleased with my companion because Jim's behaviour did wind her horse up & she managed beautifully without adding to my problems, easier said than done because when Jim's like that it doesn't take much to tip the balance & I know he can look worrying. The value of safe company, horse & rider, is never to be underestimated!
Yesterday I tacked Jim up in the afternoon & we went for a trundle down the lane together. Stopped and chatted to a friend for 20 min or so then went a little bit further before turning round and coming home. He was a poppet, not a single threat or tense moment! The only "incident" was when I led him to the mounting block - he spotted the straw around the water trough (put there to stop it freezing) & marched off to touch it with his nose in exchange for a sweetie - teaching him to touch scary things is proving to have definate drawbacks :giggle:. He then pivoted so he was next to the mounting block & looked miffed when I moved him & put him back at the right side of it so I didn't have to try & get on from the wrong side.
Today was a very good demonstration of just how far he's come. We hacked out with a friend & came across some cones & tape blowing in the wind. He was genuinely scared - I could feel his heart pounding - yet all he did was back up before standing looking at it. We did stand for quite a while but eventally he went past, I was SO proud of him :cloud9:. He was rather tense & stressy for most of the rest of the ride, but he kept it together & never actually did anything wrong & I never felt like I was going to lose him. There was a slight issue in that he couldn't stand for most of the ride, but he'd slow down when asked & the reluctance to halt is just nerves - when he's that wound up he needs to move or explode. But the big thing was he never tried to run away or buck, there wasn't even an attempt to spin though he was thinking of that one.
So very very pleased with him :inlove:
Also very pleased with my companion because Jim's behaviour did wind her horse up & she managed beautifully without adding to my problems, easier said than done because when Jim's like that it doesn't take much to tip the balance & I know he can look worrying. The value of safe company, horse & rider, is never to be underestimated!
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