Dude and I made it to the show. We got there in time for me to ride around and introduce him to everyone and tell about E's broken arm.
In the Warmup: Dude picked up his left lead canter fine and loped with everyone going in circles. Right lead, not so good. He hopped and pulled me over almost onto the watering hose that we were not supposed to get on. He also pulled over almost onto another horse, but stopped in time. I almost came off at one point. I mean I was seriously coming out of the saddle. If I hadn't grabbed the thing that holds up the horn I'd have been gone. All I could think was I couldn't fall in front of everyone!! I stayed in the warmup, though and didn't quit.
Round 1: Quad poles: Oh, my god, was my heart pounding in my throat as we headed in. If you could die of being nervous, I would have died. Of course he picked up on that, although I don't think I was shaking, much. Beth had to walk us in on her little Paint. Everyone was pulling for me. So nice! Dude picked up the right lead canter fine and headed for the pole, rounded it okay and was rounding the second pole when I relaxed, thinking okay, he's going to do this! Wrong-o, after he rounded the second pole, he started pulling sideways. I made it back between the cones, barely, got him straight and thought okay, straight canter, no problem. He thought no problem, too and began to haul ass. Oo! As we approached the 3rd pole I first thought, "uh-oh, he's not going to turn," which rapidly turned into "uh-oh, he's not going to STOP!" He finally stopped almost at the fence - he freaking KNEW where the gate was and he was heading for it. Bastard. I was all discombobulated and let him quit. If I had to do it over again I would have made him finish, but I was so nervous and embarrassed I just wanted OUT of there!
Round 2: Stake race: Okay, we practiced this so no problem, right? I can't remember much about this one except we did canter, we did make it around the first pole and back through the cones and then he ran for the gate again. Bastard. This time I made him go back, though. Embarrassingly enough, the announcer told me, over the loud speaker that if I had turned him the other way I would have gotten a time. I smiled, but I was mortified!
Round 3: Pole Bending. Its a straight run down to the end of the arena before you turn back and start weaving poles. Here we go, not too fast canter, doing fine and HE DOES THE QUICK CUT TO THE LEFT trick on me right before the last pole. If only he had done it after the last pole! I didn't come off and I got him straight again. Rounded the last pole and trotted back through them, turned and trotted back again. Dude was snorting at the poles the whole time, but I tried to ignore it. We cantered home, but I don't remember it. I got a time, but I didn't hear what it was. I was disappointed because I thought we had that quick cut to the left trick behind us. I was preoccupied thinking about it for the rest of that run. But we did complete a pattern, so Yay.
Round 4: Novice Barrels. It was starting to get dark by then. Since I planned it as a practice run for senior barrels, I just planned to trot. Some man was standing by the fence kissing at my horse. I didn't like that. I didn't want to run. Just as we rounded the first barrel there was also the first big shadow of himself that Dude could see Dude snorted, hesitated and backed up a little, but went around the barrel. I tried to shush the kissing sound man by getting my hand up to make the SHHH signal. We got around the second and third barrels, I think I cantered to the third barrel, I'm not sure. I remember thinking, "You're going to have to canter home, you can't trot that, its too easy." So, I kissed for the canter and Dude started bucking to the left. I tried to pull up. I should have pushed him forward, but I didn't want to come unglued. I felt so exposed out in the middle with everyone watching! We got a time, 70 something seconds. LOL. My daughter's little friend said, "You're doing awful! That was more than a minute!" Which made me laugh! I told her I was just trying to let the other novices win, since I'm a grown-up. I GOT A RIBBON FOR 5TH (out of 6 people!).
The horse flies were bad so I took Dude back to the trailer to find the fly spray. It was pitch dark in the parking lot by then with all kinds of funky shadows. I didn't notice it, but all of a sudden, Dude started getting freaky. When I jumped off to go get fly spray, he started circling and snorting and showing the whites of his eyes. He had not been bothered by the tractor doing the dragging before, but this time he just about panicked when he heard it running in the darkness. He had his head up and looked like he wanted to jump into my arms. He restrained himself from running over me, but he scared me. I petted him and gave him some carrots and fly sprayed him. He was happier hiding between the trailers. I tried leading him back to the arena. We got there, but when another horse was acting up about going into the arena, Dude started panicking again. Earlier, he hadn't reacted to these kinds of things. So, I don't know if it was an act or he was really freaking out, but I surely didn't feel like taking a chance on riding him when he was like that. If he had suddenly started doing that in daylight, I would have called his bluff, but I think he really was afraid of the dark.
Thank goodness there is a light inside the new trailer. I got him in with feed and he was happily munching when I went to tell the judges I was a scratch for the rest of the event. Besides, I had thought the ones with a mostly straight run, like straight away barrels and the arena race, would be a piece of cake, but after the quick cut to the left and the bucking, I didn't want to do it.
My feelings today are mixed. I'm aggravated and disappointed that Dude doesn't behave any better than he did almost a year ago. I wonder if more work will ever change him. Then, I think, it was a new situation for him, so he tried all his tricks to see if they would work. He's like a child in that if it's a new situation, he will check to see if the same old rules apply or not. I want a horse I can trust. I'm too old for his tricks. But, I'll keep trying and see what happens. I will definitely have to take him to Ms. Dee's for a lesson or 2 and see how he does. I'm wearing my damn helmet for that, though!
In the Warmup: Dude picked up his left lead canter fine and loped with everyone going in circles. Right lead, not so good. He hopped and pulled me over almost onto the watering hose that we were not supposed to get on. He also pulled over almost onto another horse, but stopped in time. I almost came off at one point. I mean I was seriously coming out of the saddle. If I hadn't grabbed the thing that holds up the horn I'd have been gone. All I could think was I couldn't fall in front of everyone!! I stayed in the warmup, though and didn't quit.
Round 1: Quad poles: Oh, my god, was my heart pounding in my throat as we headed in. If you could die of being nervous, I would have died. Of course he picked up on that, although I don't think I was shaking, much. Beth had to walk us in on her little Paint. Everyone was pulling for me. So nice! Dude picked up the right lead canter fine and headed for the pole, rounded it okay and was rounding the second pole when I relaxed, thinking okay, he's going to do this! Wrong-o, after he rounded the second pole, he started pulling sideways. I made it back between the cones, barely, got him straight and thought okay, straight canter, no problem. He thought no problem, too and began to haul ass. Oo! As we approached the 3rd pole I first thought, "uh-oh, he's not going to turn," which rapidly turned into "uh-oh, he's not going to STOP!" He finally stopped almost at the fence - he freaking KNEW where the gate was and he was heading for it. Bastard. I was all discombobulated and let him quit. If I had to do it over again I would have made him finish, but I was so nervous and embarrassed I just wanted OUT of there!
Round 2: Stake race: Okay, we practiced this so no problem, right? I can't remember much about this one except we did canter, we did make it around the first pole and back through the cones and then he ran for the gate again. Bastard. This time I made him go back, though. Embarrassingly enough, the announcer told me, over the loud speaker that if I had turned him the other way I would have gotten a time. I smiled, but I was mortified!
Round 3: Pole Bending. Its a straight run down to the end of the arena before you turn back and start weaving poles. Here we go, not too fast canter, doing fine and HE DOES THE QUICK CUT TO THE LEFT trick on me right before the last pole. If only he had done it after the last pole! I didn't come off and I got him straight again. Rounded the last pole and trotted back through them, turned and trotted back again. Dude was snorting at the poles the whole time, but I tried to ignore it. We cantered home, but I don't remember it. I got a time, but I didn't hear what it was. I was disappointed because I thought we had that quick cut to the left trick behind us. I was preoccupied thinking about it for the rest of that run. But we did complete a pattern, so Yay.
Round 4: Novice Barrels. It was starting to get dark by then. Since I planned it as a practice run for senior barrels, I just planned to trot. Some man was standing by the fence kissing at my horse. I didn't like that. I didn't want to run. Just as we rounded the first barrel there was also the first big shadow of himself that Dude could see Dude snorted, hesitated and backed up a little, but went around the barrel. I tried to shush the kissing sound man by getting my hand up to make the SHHH signal. We got around the second and third barrels, I think I cantered to the third barrel, I'm not sure. I remember thinking, "You're going to have to canter home, you can't trot that, its too easy." So, I kissed for the canter and Dude started bucking to the left. I tried to pull up. I should have pushed him forward, but I didn't want to come unglued. I felt so exposed out in the middle with everyone watching! We got a time, 70 something seconds. LOL. My daughter's little friend said, "You're doing awful! That was more than a minute!" Which made me laugh! I told her I was just trying to let the other novices win, since I'm a grown-up. I GOT A RIBBON FOR 5TH (out of 6 people!).
The horse flies were bad so I took Dude back to the trailer to find the fly spray. It was pitch dark in the parking lot by then with all kinds of funky shadows. I didn't notice it, but all of a sudden, Dude started getting freaky. When I jumped off to go get fly spray, he started circling and snorting and showing the whites of his eyes. He had not been bothered by the tractor doing the dragging before, but this time he just about panicked when he heard it running in the darkness. He had his head up and looked like he wanted to jump into my arms. He restrained himself from running over me, but he scared me. I petted him and gave him some carrots and fly sprayed him. He was happier hiding between the trailers. I tried leading him back to the arena. We got there, but when another horse was acting up about going into the arena, Dude started panicking again. Earlier, he hadn't reacted to these kinds of things. So, I don't know if it was an act or he was really freaking out, but I surely didn't feel like taking a chance on riding him when he was like that. If he had suddenly started doing that in daylight, I would have called his bluff, but I think he really was afraid of the dark.
Thank goodness there is a light inside the new trailer. I got him in with feed and he was happily munching when I went to tell the judges I was a scratch for the rest of the event. Besides, I had thought the ones with a mostly straight run, like straight away barrels and the arena race, would be a piece of cake, but after the quick cut to the left and the bucking, I didn't want to do it.
My feelings today are mixed. I'm aggravated and disappointed that Dude doesn't behave any better than he did almost a year ago. I wonder if more work will ever change him. Then, I think, it was a new situation for him, so he tried all his tricks to see if they would work. He's like a child in that if it's a new situation, he will check to see if the same old rules apply or not. I want a horse I can trust. I'm too old for his tricks. But, I'll keep trying and see what happens. I will definitely have to take him to Ms. Dee's for a lesson or 2 and see how he does. I'm wearing my damn helmet for that, though!
6 comments:
My Friend 4H&H left this comment on the original blog:
Cheer up.
I think you may have expected too much out of both of you. You may want to look at the first few shows as total throw-aways, and just only walk-trot. Don't do a canter until you are both really comfortable. I think he was picking up on your nerves, judging from a few things you said.
One of the first evening shows I took my mare too, it was raining. Boy, you should have seen her spooking at the shadows in the arena, the puddles on the ground, the fact that stupid me decided to wear a flappy, plastic rain poncho on her for the very first time that evening. It will all come together, you just may need to lower your expectations for BOTH of you and take it slow!
My friend, Susan in Idaho left this comment on the original blog:
Redsmom, I think you both are still learning a lot with each other and the new environments you are working in. From one year ago to now, you and Red have some a long way. You are still learning to cue better, and he is still learning to respond to cues better. The only way to get good at anything is to practice the hardest things the most. That means you'll fail and struggle quite a bit, but in the end you'll have developed new skills. I'd say you were both doing very well!
4H, you're right about the nerves, for sure. I guess I was thinking I HAVE to canter, everybody is watching. I will go in exhibition next time and just trot him. I didn't think I would have a problem cantering as he has behaved pretty well the last 2 times we practiced, after he got the first little bucks out of his system. Last night he just kept on bucking, like more than the two of three strides that he usually does. I did get a ribbon! I actually went to the show and I actually rode in it. I must focus on these as achievements.
4H&H said: Re focusing on the acheivements,
Yes, you must. It was brave of you.
(Don't forget that we get in the most trouble when we are worried about impressing others. You've given birth - who the heck cares anymore what people think. )
My friend Masquerade said: LMAO so true............after having a baby there really isn't anything left..............
Congrats on your progress and don't ever let what others think impede your wishes. Life is just too bloody short not to do what you want
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