Coffee Time

[liminal_space]

~~For the Record~~



the road to my horse has been a weird one. he never would have been my first choice to go see from photo alone, even though he really is a pretty animal. i just have never seen myself on a buckskin. when we went to see him the first time, he was a fucking meathead and gave me rope burn that hurt for two days solid. i never even rode him because the "arena" the people had was horrible. there was no round pen and no way for me to see what was what.

we got him anyway.

he is 10 years old; he didn't get under saddle until he was maybe 2ish; he spent six years trail riding and ranch riding and cowboy trained; then he spent two years in his lush and large pasture, not being used.

so we basically have a green horse.

since he's been home, i've been gone a week, my trainer has been gone a week, and it's just now we're starting to really work him.

he's pushy and doesn't know how large his big head really is. his size alone makes him intimidating. he has few manners on the ground.

so that's where we started: on the ground.

when he gets nervous or unsure about what's being asked of him, his initial reaction is to get away. he's got away from me a few times (and a few times he didn't), but it's disheartening. trying to stop a 1300lb animal when the 1300lb animal doesn't want to be stopped is challenging.

wednesday, i worked in the roundpen with him and my trainer. at one point, he pulled his run away shit and this time, i held him and turned him and got things under control. he was a different beast after that....at least for a little while. lol

today's issue had nothing to do with boo, but smitty the wonder pony bolted past me from behind as i was taking their alfalfa to the back feeder. he clocked me on my shoulder (if it had been boo, my ass would have been on the ground, i think) and it really pissed me off in a "motherfucker, i'm tired of this shit" way.

so i made both of the horses go to their feeder -- from now on, during feeding time, they have to always be in front of me. they circled me like a shark and i just stood there with the huge bucket full of delicious chewy deep green breakfast in tantalizing view. if they inched in, i popped them on the shoulder to get them out of my space without moving any closer toward the feeder. they both moved away and stopped and i took a step forward -- and they started moving again. fuck you, horses. i stood still and popped them if they got too close. FINALLY they gave me a lot of space and just stood there. i dropped their alfalfa in the appropriate spots and THEN they moved in after i had moved out.

easy peasy.

i will not be pushed around by bastard horses anymore. *fist shake of doom*

i was pretty damn proud of myself. =D

~~~

kid is in a 4th of july parade on wednesday. she will be leading a decorated mini horse through the route.

me=jealous lol

~~~

i broke my cricut out and am going to make a few things today. first on the list is a horse decal for kid's new dollar store money container. then, we're making labels for the horse's supplements. THEN, hopefully, i'll make a t-shirt for her. with something on it. probably a horse.

~~~

but before all of that, i may need lunch. o.O i just did a dozen eggs in the instapot and i think chef salad is on the menu. maybe.

I DO NOT KNOW. ;)

Comments

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

It has been decades since I have been on a horse (and my pelvic bones ache at even the thought right now), but when I was young, I spent a lot of summers with aunts and uncles in southern Idaho, which meant a lot of time in the saddle. Western, of course, I never did learn that fancy English stuff with all the purdy clothes. I have to admit, I prefer riding mules to horses, a little more sure-footed and don't spook so easily.

[bridgelene.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're gaining assertiveness. That's so needed! <3

Damn, you're making me miss horses and horseback riding. I'll be right out to visit you! :-p