Epiphany

I just had a big realization that I wanted to put in the blog: One of the reasons I have gotten bucking and head shaking and too fast cantering is based on my cuing too much/too hard! Now that I'm more confident and less spastic, I am getting a much better and less emotional response from Dude because I am cuing with more finesse and subtlety!! I'm so glad now I didn't crop him for bucking! It wasn't his fault!! He was just "ouching" in reaction to my kicking the crap out of him when I didn't need to give him any more than a slight indication of what I wanted!! Poor Dude continues to find his human to be slow on the uptake!!

Cantering Fun

First, the bad news. My daughter broke her arm Friday afternoon! She did it falling from her heelies (rollerskates built into tennis shoes). Poor baby, but not a complicated break and her left arm (radius) so should heal up okay. Thank God no worse than it was. Yesterday I thought there was a show at the park. We've had a lot of rain, but I didn't check the website. I was going to take E, my daughter up there to cheer on her barrel friends and, at the last minute, I decided to take Dude and see how he would be and maybe ride barrels. He loaded fine and I left him loose in the trailer since he breaks everything you tie him to, If he breaks his fool neck that's a risk I'll have to take. He turned around a few times, but mostly rode like a sensible 18 year old that he is. When we got to the park, no one was there. But it worked out fine. He bridled and saddled as per usual. I had the western saddle. I mounted in the arena. The sand was damp and deep. He seemed to recognize that he was in an arena and was comfortable with the situation. We trotted and practiced 20 meter circles, halting and such. He's so smart, you can tell him "20 meter circle" and he knows what is coming! He was calm and listening well. So, I kissed for the canter on the long side. Once he got his footing, he started to speed up and I said, "Easy lope" and he slowed right down! He did a little drifting to the inside, but no quick cut or balking or bucking at all! He didn't even shake his head! We cantered in each direction several times. He stayed calm and slow. E practiced yelling over his head from the judge's box. He looked up the first time and ignored her thereafter. He's going to be great in WP!!! I can't wait to beat the pants off Russ Mixon's robots!! Dude, as I have told all of you, is smart and understands English! So, I said "let's practice barrels, Dudie." Even though there were no actual barrels, you can see where they are supposed to be since this arena is used for barrels all the time. He started out on the correct lead at the lope, checked before the first phantom barrel, changed his lead and headed for the second imaginary barrel and checked before it! He faltered a little heading for invisible #3, but headed out there with guidance -- its where the arena was the worst/wettest. After we rounded #3 he loped home in a straight line, albeit on an angled trajectory and stopped when I asked him to. Dang, that was SWEET! I know I'm going to be able to take him to the next show and be confident that he will be fine. Oh, and I was so busy riding, I didn't even hold onto the horn! I credit all this "progress" to improvement in my riding and developing a relationship with Dude. Since it is obvious that he is extremely well-trained and intelligent, I think he just had to realize that I was not going to take "no" for an answer and that I was going to treat him well. I can't wait to canter on the trail. I'm trying not to be too depressed for my daughter since she will have to miss out on swimming all summer and won't be able to ride for a few weeks at the least. I'll have my work cut out for me exercising both horses. It'll be good for my chubby behind. Thanks for reading!!!

Dude the Western Horse

Saturday was a beautiful day, so after we got back from the feed store we got ready to saddle up. Naughty Dude was eating the new hay out from under the tarp on the trailer while we got Matt ready. It was all western day, and we had to rig up Matt's new Western saddle -- had to rob a billet from the show saddle, change to bigger stirrups, etc. The good news is the 5" gullet fits Matt perfectly!! He's such a TB throwback. Bridling went fine -- Dude tries to rub it off on me, but he doesn't try to sling it off anymore. Saddling went pretty well. A few circles, but more stopping than circling! It seems better to me. We got off to a good start and all was well until we got to the place on the trail where the other horses live. Dude started backing up toward that giant ditch again. I tried getting him to go on the trail into the woods one step at a time, ease off and try again, no go. Matt wouldn't go through either. So, I got off and led Dude through. Matt followed when we went. When I checked the girth he didn't hardly react. I got remounted and we struggled some to go away from the horses, but made it. Then, I dropped the pack I had not very secured to the horn. When I went to get off my BELT got caught on the horn! There I was dangling and praying, but Dude didn't move. Ever so slowly the saddle slid over to where I could touch the ground and get undone. Dude was, by then, intently munching the tall grass. I loosened the whole thing and resaddled him and he did not move. Bizarre. I took my belt off and finally got back on -- my knees were about to go with the after effects by then. We did some fine trotting on the edge of the pea gravel road with my daughter and Matt cantering to catch up at intervals. Posting in my new Western has a weird springy "give" but its not unpleasant. Did some sitting trots, too. The stirrup position doesn't feel as strange after putting in a good ride on it.

Sunday was barrel day. In the a.m., my daughter and I set up some funky looking things made of feed buckets and a couple of odd cones we have around and she practiced barrels with Matt. I was cleaning out all the old chaff from the hay shed. In the p.m., I was trying to burn the chaff. Note to self -- it doesn't burn very well and stinks to high heaven. I put Matt in the cross ties in view of the pen so Dude would think Matt was going to have to work also. Dude gets balky when Matt is loafing around eating while he works. Bridling went fine. Saddling is improving, although there is still circling. Dude didn't want to stand at the mounting block so I made him back up and then he stood fine. To my amazement, he walked right into the pen and toward the barrels as if he had seen Matt do it and he wanted to do it, too. He was so willing and responsive! Once he started trotting the barrels, he didn't want to stop. After doing it about 3 times, he seemed to either learn it or remember it. I think he's done it before because one time when we turned after the 3rd barrel he was waiting for me to ask for a lope. I could tell. But, I was too chicken, Things were going well and I didn't want to mess it up. I was doing all this with 2 handed contact on his mechanical hackamore. So, I tried it one- handed. He will usually neck rein with leg aids, but he didn't do so well on it with the barrels, so we need to work on that some more because at speed I'm going to need one hand to hold on to the horn! I might tighten his curb chain some. I've been thinking about trying a bosal on him, too. On optimistic days, I think about putting a bit on him. The funny part was when I was riding him he's so fat he was grunting! He's never grunted before. Heh. He's so fat my heels bounce when I kick him. I tried a new way to dismount -- leg over in front, so I won't get hung on the horn. I felt really proud that I rode both weekend days. Of course I got no laundry or dishes done and the stinky chaff fire is still smoldering in the front yard.

ETA the other stuff I did this weekend. I worked on fly abatement, weeny washing (Matt), mane pulling (Dude). Hopped over the dirty clothing mountain this a.m. I received my fly predators in the mail and they were ready to be spread out on Saturday. I also got fly strips at the store. Haven't dealt with those since I was about 10 years old. I promptly got my hair stuck in the one I hung in the hay shed -- duh! The fly trap that you add water to said it was "peppermint scented" Yes, that's true if peppermint were a 3 day dead carcass! I'd almost rather have the flies!! Matty tolerated weeny washing pretty well. I found and removed a tiny bean! I'm sorry but I have had no success with "gently pulling the penis out" as suggested on the Excaliber bottle. I'm not getting in any more of a tug of war with that thing than I've already tried. Plus, by the time you lube it up with the Excaliber, its too slippery to get a grip. I also had to wash Matt's rain rot spot and Dude's fetlocks with Fungasol. And the horseflies are really getting bad!!

ETA2: And I wormed Dude last night. I had to halter him, but once he was caught he stood for it. I put the tube on his nose and rubbed it and he realized it was not a twitch or anything. When I first tried to put it in his mouth he salivated, but shook his head up and down for awhile. But when I put my hand on top of his nose, he stopped going up and down and took it -- opening his lips at the side cause he knew what was coming. We stood for an eternity waiting for him to swallow, with my hand holding his cuty whiskered mouth shut. After I let go he hung out with me a long while letting me love on his head and pet him. He was really sweet yesterday!

Dude Wears a Western Saddle

I ordered an Abetta (sythetic) Western saddle so that I can start getting ready for barrel and pole lessons on Dude. Yesterday, I put it on him. At first, I thought I will never get a "Texas T" done with him going around in circles, but I also worked on communicating to him to stand still for the carrot, not circle for the carrot. Once I got the saddle where it wasn't slipping, I would just put my hand on the girth and say whoa and wait for him to stop. Then I would give the carrot reward. He's so funny snuffling my pocket. I couldn't believe I actually got the saddle on tight!. I used the mounting block to get on. Had a hell of a time getting my stirrups -- don't like those plastic ones as they don't fall into position like my English irons do. Also, the stirrups felt weirdly far back on the saddle. And they were too long, of course. I went around the block with my daughter barebacking on Matt, anyway. Of course, every dog in the neighborhood was on run out and bark in the horses's FACES mode. Sheesh! Thank goodness Dude's quirks don't include being spooky around dogs. He startled in place when a man yelled at the dogs in a mean voice. Poor Dudey wouldn't like it at the shows where that nasty Russ Mixon is yelling at horses in the warm-up. Luckliy the nasty man goes home after front end is over. That's when we arrive, these days. But, I digress. After a trip around the blockm I got off and adjusted the stirrups -- he thought I was taking the saddle off so had no reaction to all of that. LOL. I rode him around the yeard, some, but he is SO HERD BOUND to Matt, that he balked completely when he saw Matt getting to loaf around and eat. I had to get my daughter to put a halter and lead on Matt and trot him around the yard with us. I didn't feel confident having a confrontation with Dude in that Western saddle. I need a few more miles in it before I feel comfortable. It is a big change from my Wintec all purpose. My balance is all different. I didn't feel funny riding Matt in a Western, but I expect him to feel different. I've gotten comfortable on Dude in the English saddle. BTW, Matty and my daughter were in all the speed events Saturday night and it was a hoot. They got 6th place in novice barrels. My daughter was thrilled. I rode Matt around the grounds some and that was fun. I love riding Matt. He's the "smoothiest!" I trotted with no stirrups on him.

Jumping on the Trail and "Moar" English Words Dude Knows

I did it! I cleaned Dude's sheath yesterday. He did not mind. We will NOT discuss the look on his face... We also found out on the trail yesterday, that he fully understands the meaning and implications of the word "SNAKE!!" When I yelled it out he did the best halt ever. We jumped ditches and cantered a little and he didn't go too nuts, but he wanted to run. I'm comfortable now letting the reins way out so he's not shaking his head at all after jumps. He wears a hackamore, anyway, but I'm sure it smarts if it gets jerked. I want to take him to the arena so I can let him run without my worrying about him running all the way home. Its my fear that's the problem, now. I tell myself I'm doing a lot of trotting work that is the foundation. It really is, and when I'm ready to canter more I will be ready. My trotting is getting much better. I watch my shadow along the trail and check my posture.

I am the Alpha Mare

This morning, I sleepily assessed that Dude needed fly spray. Matt was out in the yard finishing breakfast. Dude was munching hay, so I went into the pen and didn't latch the gate. Dang, he's smart. He saw the gate was open, went over and pushed it open before I could react and trotted out to Matt's leftovers on the ground. When I tried to catch him, he ran away from me, turned and kicked in my direction and was sassy. I thought, "Better square up to him and be ready to face the consequences." I got right in front of him, and squealed at him when he started to turn. Thank goodness he dropped his head and submitted. Sassy little boy. I put a rope around his neck and put him in his pen. I turned him around before I let him go because he had been kicky earlier. Its a miracle that he submits to me. I wouldn't have known to do all this if it weren't for this board and Dude would probably be getting away with being bad. So thanks to all who read and post and teach me to be the pasture bitch.

I'm Regaining my Balance and Dude gets Leg Wraps

There were 2 incidents with Dude this weekend - he shied or something when I was mounting and my muscle memory put my butt in the saddle while my head was still saying, "There's the ground, you're going to FALL!!!" Second, a bee got in his face right after a jump and he hopped around a little bit, I lost a stirrup, but my butt stayed firmly in the saddle. I am starting to have a LOT more confidence that my balance is coming back!

More on what happened: When I first mounted Dude I was under a tree and his walking off got me into trouble. He caught me under a branch and it almost pulled me off. Luckily, Dude's reaction when he gets into trouble is back up. He backed me out of the tree limb and I stayed on. This was all my fault for not watching where I was going in the first place. Then, I had to get off to retrieve something (ok, my cigarettes) and when I got back on Dude did some kind of shy or freak-out. I'm still not sure what happened except I was going forward and when his head came up his neck knocked me back into the saddle. I figured this out later from the bruise on my collarbone. No harm, no foul, I guess. My daughter said "I can't believe you rode Dude after that!" I was like, what, not ride after going to all that trouble? It never occur ed to me.

I finally noticed that the raw spot on the inside of Dude's fetlock is not going away and gets worse after long rides. Duh! Sorry your mom is slow in the head, boy. I got the velcro and neoprene fetlock wraps in the mail on Saturday and tried them on on Sunday. He didn't protest my putting them on, but tried, gingerly, to shake them off. I put him in a halter and lead and walked and trotted him around the yard. He leads really well. I'm going to have to enter him in a halter class one day! He didn't freak out when trotting with the wraps on, so I left them on for the ride.

At one point on the ride, on which I took my 19 year old nephew on Matt, we started down a trail which has rapidly gotten overgrown with bad sticker bushes. It got too narrow and thorny and my nephew, behind me, couldn't get Matt to turn. My nephew has never had lessons, but he's been on a few horses. So, I got off Dude and turned him around, then turned Matt around. Dude was steadily trying to kick off his wraps then. I guess the briars had been pulling at them. Because God is gracious, my saddle didn't turn when I remounted and we got out of the briar patch almost unscathed. My heart didn't even pound after dealing with all of that.

I don't know why Dude freaked out on that jump. We had not jumped anything all day. I let him have plenty of rein. A bee was buzzing around his face right then or maybe it was because the jump brought us out of the woods onto the side of the road and he wasn't ready for that sudden change (we haven't come out from that exact direction before) or maybe he just likes to canter after he jumps. I didn't freak out, though even though we were having this little bucking episode on pavement! My balance is improving. I just got him over to the road side and then got my stirrup while my nephew caught up.

The VLC blog made me think, though, that I am a better rider now than I ever was because I am looking at myself and asking what am I doing that is causing these behaviors in Dude? I am trying to discern his stubborn moments from his real fear moments. I still feel it was very much the right thing to do for me to get Dude. My progress seems to be slow, but it is probably just the right speed for him. He is patient with my bad riding and I am patient with his quirks.

Dude does not Like the Bareback Pad or Raisins

I finally got my daughter the bareback pad she has been begging for. It came in the mail yesterday. We put it on Matt and she rode around on it for about 5 minutes before it had slipped completely back to his low spot and was soon going to turn into a bucking strap. So we removed it from Matt and I tried it on Dude. Matt is one of those slick horses that everything slips off of. Dude is not usually as slippery. I had already been riding Dude around bareback in the yard. He bridled really well and let me get on from a chair. My bareback riding has improved!

I had already taken Dude's bridle off and given him some raisins (out of carrots) and he was chomping on grass when I approached him with the new bareback pad. He paid little attention to it on his back and didn't notice I was getting the girth strap underneath. But as soon as I started tightening it he started fidgeting. I put his bridle back on so I could guide him to not fidget onto my foot. I got the bareback pad kinda tight and led him up to the mounting chair.

I can read him pretty well and I could tell he was slightly freaked out by the pad moving around. With visions of him bucking it and me off, I removed it. But I got on him and rode him bare bareback some more just so he wouldn't get away with avoidance. He still walks off as soon as I mount, but he seemed to enjoy going round and round the yard with Matt and eagerly circled with me clinging to his mane.

He is such a responsive horse to the reins and to leg pressure. I think that's why I love to ride him so much!

Oh, so while I was "saddling" him with the bareback pad I offered raisins again. He sorted through them in my hand, knocking them all away with his snout and coming down to bare hand. "Hey, there's no carrots under these sticky things!" This was the last stop for the raisins in our household before they get thrown out. No one will eat them, not even Dude. LOL.