Levels of Bad

Sometimes bad is really bad.  Sometimes bad is cheeky.  Sometimes bad is funny.  And, sometimes bad is outright nasty.  His antics around the barn lead me to believe that Gem falls into the "cheeky" and "funny" levels of bad.  :-) Sometimes, he's a mischievous clown getting into trouble.  Sometimes, he's like that annoying younger sibling that keeps poking or pulling at you because they know it gets a reaction from you.  Yep, sometimes you can ignore it, sometimes you can't, sometimes you shouldn't.

I was talking to LA earlier last week (we got another dump of snow and she was canceling lesson) and she mentioned that she didn't see my name down for the halter clinic on Sunday.  

Me:  Why would I want to participate in this clinic?
LA:  You have never really had any training on the ground with Gem.  I think it would help with your confidence and improve communication between the two of you.
Me:  Well........I don't know......
LA:  And if you really like it and want to compete in halter or showmanship, you get to wear sparkly clothing and Gem gets to wear coordinating rhinestone headstalls.
Me:  OK!  

So I arrived at the barn on Sunday at 9:30 a.m., greeted by 7 other riders, all around the age of 14, grooming their horses.  It was pandemonium.  And you know what?  Teenaged girls are really LOUD.  :-)  Anyway, Gem and I found a spot and I started my grooming routine.  LA was in the barn giving us little tidbits of information on what judges look for, etc. 

Our instructor for the clinic, SLT, is a breeder and trainer of competitive reining horses and winner of national championships in halter and reining.  I was actually excited about having my first ever clinic with someone carrying these credentials.   

We filed into the arena and were told to line up along the wall, facing into the middle.  Gem and I were at the end of the line.  SLT explained that in halter presentation was important; the horse had to look it's best and you have to be "on" all the time because even though the judge would be looking at one horse, they would also be looking at those waiting to be judged;  no slouching, no talking, no relaxed hind foot, no dozing.  Leads had to have a chain looped under the horse's chin.  He showed us how to hold the lead, step around our horse so the judge can see everything, how to square up the horse, and how to turn our horse so that the front feet cross.  It was meticulous work and took a while.  It's a lot harder than it looks! Then he started working with individual horses. 

While we waited for our turn with SLT, Gem stood like a statue, head level with his withers, ears up with an interested look on his face.  His hind feet weren't totally squared up, but he looked friggin' amazing; so majestic.   (As a side note, I asked why the hind feet have to be squared up when it wasn't a natural position for the horse, and I didn't get a clear answer.  Anyone out there know why??)   I stood tall beside him, smiling. I noticed a couple of boarders who were watching the clinic looking at us, talking amongst themselves.  They must be saying how great we looked, right?.... I could hardly wait for SLT to get to us!  :-)   However, after 45 MINUTES of standing still and waiting, poor Gem started to get bored.  He started to nibble on the lead chain; I tried to discretely get it out of his mouth. He was getting more cheeky.  He nudged me, I pushed back with my elbow.  He nudged again.  I told him to quit it.  Along with the nudging, he decided that he wanted to chew on the lead. Crap!  His oral fixation was taking over!  Within a few minutes, the majestic statue and I were having a full blown tug of war with his chain and lead.  It was at this moment that SLT came to give us our one-on-one.  Sigh. 

SLT:  What breed of horse is this?
Me:  Canadian.  They are a light draft-ish type breed.  Our national horse, in fact.
SLT:  How old?
Me (as Gem nudged me):  Twelve.
SLT:  This behaviour should have been nipped in the bud when he was young.  He's being rude.  You have let him get away with it and now your correction is a game to him.
Me:  I didn't have him when he was young and we have been waiting a long time for our turn.
SLT:  Doesn't matter.  You don't want a 1300 lb. animal pushing you around.

I understand where SLT is coming from, but I didn't appreciate his condescending tone and I sure didn't like his attitude towards my horse.   We were off to a "bad" start.  He took the lead from my hand and gave it a couple of short yanks.  Now, usually that's all it takes to get Gem refocused, but it was obvious that I didn't like how SLT took over and was in Gem's face.  It was at this point that LA tried to defuse the situation by saying that she and I had been working on his mouthiness.   We all took a moment and then I was told to walk across the arena, turn and walk back.  We didn't do too bad; our turn was pretty good, but Gem did sneak in a couple of nudges while we were walking. :-)

Our participation for the most part was positive. Of course, Gem would have the occasional display of mouthiness during the clinic and we were singled out a couple of times on how to "correct" behavior.  Sigh.  During one demonstration, SLT showed the class how aggressive stallions are sometimes managed....by putting the lead chain under the horse's top lip across their gums.  Great - now I have to worry about barn help thinking this is an acceptable way to handle Gem because a national champion showed this technique on him.   Now, for such a "bad" horse, Gem was standing and allowing all this man-handling. (If SLT had applied any pressure that caused Gem pain during this demonstration, I would have caused SLT pain....making me "bad" :-) )

Tasty helmet!

Two hours later, the clinic ended.  I was tired, but I was not going to let SLT perpetuate negativity towards my beautiful boy.  I saddled up Gem and took him back to the arena.  We made our way through the audience and went to the far end of the arena and worked on quarter turns, squares, side passes and backing up while SLT worked with some riders on games techniques in the front end.  He saw us working and so did LA and the audience.  I think Gem knew I was trying to make a point and he didn't disappoint.  My skills may not be perfect, but he was golden.  After 20 minutes, I dismounted, gave him a hug and as we walked calmly through the audience and back to the barn, I had a smile on my face.  Sometimes "bad" is "good"  :-)

Gem will always have an oral fixation.  LA and I will continue to try and manage it, but I don't think it will be eliminated completely.  Sunday night, I received a text from LA.  It read:  " I was proud of you today."   Nice.  But, I have to say I was proud of Gem because for a "bad" horse, he consistently came through for me.  :-)

Moment of Truth...continued

 Part 1

Gem and I stood in the middle of the arena and watched Jean get ready.  She put on my Confidence Vest ,(I am lending it to her for now) took lots of deep breaths and led Stu over to the mounting block.  He stood quietly while she fiddled and fussed with the position of the mounting block.  I knew she was stalling.  She stood on the mounting block for a bit, finally put her leg in the stirrup and swung her leg over.  Stu just stood there.  Yay! 

Deep breaths....

Up and over!

Touch down!

Jean took a moment to breathe and then asked him to walk on.  Stu flinched just a smidge when  she squeezed her legs, but he walked off nicely.  The anxiety that Jean was feeling was obvious, but I give Stu credit for not freaking out because of it.  They walked for about 10 minutes and then called it a day.  Not bad for the first time going solo!

 Jean won't ride alone (that's a good thing!), so she has been coordinating with other boarders or her husband comes with her to watch.  Her and I have coordinated to meet a couple of times.  Her usual routine is to lunge Stu at a walk, moving up to fast trot and canter until she feels he's tired.  

Now, I can understand the philosophy of using lunging as a training aid or to get out some of the P & V in some horses.  :-)  I don't know much about lunging, but I wonder if Stu needs much lunging.  He doesn't not have P & V and he understands his verbal commands beautifully.  He's pretty docile, really.  Yes he is spooky under saddle, but he's new at it.  I suspect that because lunging is an area where Jean is in control, it gives her confidence, so she does it for as long as she can. The Trainer believes in lunging before every single ride to set the tone.  LA thinks that lunging should only be used as a training aid for green horses learning ground manners. Lunging seems to be a very personal thing. 

Jean has been on Stu a number of times now and each time I see her, she's a little more confident.  When she was on him last Sunday, she asked for a trot.  Stu did a little bolt and scurry, but eventually got into a funky trot.  Jean didn't keep it up for long.  Frankly, I think she sort of scared herself when she realized how BIG the trot was.  :-) 

Jean is obviously exhilarated and happy about riding her boy.  The comments from others at the barn have been positive and she is definitely on a high. It is so exciting seeing someone recognize their dream and I am pleased for her.   I have broached the topic of getting back into lessons.  She does not see lessons in her future any time soon.  She believes that now that Stu has completed 60 days and she can sit on him, lessons are not a requirement because it's just a matter of her working him.   I do disagree with her on this, but she has to figure this out for herself; no one will be able to tell her otherwise at this point.  Jean hopes to ride Stu four times a week; three evenings and Sunday afternoons.  I admire her commitment and watching her relationship grow with Stu will be fun and educational.   Maybe next summer we will be hitting the trails together!!

Shaken and Stirred

Geez, the temps are up to 35C here, 40C with the humidex!  Yikes!  Makes for really big hair.  :-)

Jean has been doing amazing work with Stu.  When she lunges him, he now responds immediately to all of her verbal commands: easy, whoa, walk, trot.   She has been exposing him to different things to desensitize him.  Stu now wears a western saddle on his back while being lunged. Jean has done all of this on her own and her confidence has grown.  I know Jean pretty well, and I can tell she was getting bored with her routine with Stu.   So it wasn't a surprise when Jean asked LA if she could go to the next step.  With LA's help, she actually sat on Stu a couple of weeks ago, with LA holding Stu's headstall.  Very exciting.  He was skittish, understandably.  Jean was nervous, understandably.  Unfortunately, after Jean sat on Stu, he got the step ladder caught on his back foot , causing him to spook a bit.   LA continued to hang on and calm him, Jean gratefully got down and untangled him.  Now, apparently, white step stools are killer monsters to Stu.


The plan was to have someone sit on Stu every day, eventually working up to a walk.  The challenge was that Jean couldn't be out at the barn every day and LA could not risk injuring herself on a green horse because it would impact her training business.   The 2nd time Jean was scheduled to sit on him, she started working herself up to a tizzy with her nervousness.  Fortunately, she came clean and one of the other adult boarders, who has worked with green horses before, volunteered to "sit" on Stu with LA holding Stu's headstall.  Even though he routinely swung his hind end out, Stu did pretty well with the boarder on his back and LA actually led him around in a couple of small circle.  This boarder volunteered to sit on Stu when Jean was not there, but scheduling became an issue.  So, on Sunday, as I was untacking Gem, I overheard Jean explaining the situation to another boarder and how she was frustrated that it appeared that Stu was ready but the stars were not aligned.  At that point, I volunteered to be Jean's ground person if she wanted to try sitting on him.


Jean lunged Stu in the arena while I finished up with Gem.  I got my Confidence Vest out of the car and handed it to Jean as I entered the arena.  At first she said she didn't need it, but I asked her to wear it for me and she did.  We both had helmets on.  She handed Stu's reins to me and I walked him around the arena a couple of times, talking to him, getting him used to me and my voice.   Jean put the big black 3-step mounting block in the middle of the arena.  Initially, all Jean did was pull down on the stirrup, getting him re-acquainted with the feeling.  He kept swinging his hind end away from Jean.  She would reposition the mounting block and we would go through the same routine.  Eventually, we moved him to the 1/2 wall next the to gate; Jean didn't want him to feel claustrophobic, so she thought that standing parallel to the gate where he could see outside would be a good thing.  Positioning him there worked wonderfully.  He did not swing out his hind end and over a 10(?) minute period, she worked up from pulling down on the stirrup, to stepping up and leaning over him and dismounting.  All the while, I was stroking Stu's neck and telling him what a good boy he was.  His anxiety started to melt away, his head lowered, he sucked on the bit and his eyes were relaxed.  Jean was nervous because she knew the time had come.  I told her that if she didn't feel up to it to walk away now - in my mind it was already a very successful session.   She decided to give it a go.


She slowly swung her leg over him and gently sat down.  Stu, perked up and as usual, took a big step and started to swing his hind end out.  What happened next caught both of us off guard.  Stu became a whirling dervish, with me hanging on to his face for part of it.  Unfortunately for Jean, the momentum of Stu doing a really fast small circle whipped her out of the saddle.  She flew through the air coming down hard on her hip, then chest, finishing with a face plant in the new fluffy sand.  I was glad that she was wearing my vest.  :-)  Stu immediately stopped and stood about 15 feet away, looking at us.  I swear he was scared but concerned about what had just happened.  While Jean was trying to catch her breath, I went to Stu, spoke quietly to him and then looped the reins over the horn of the saddle, to keep them from sliding down his neck and over his head.  

LA's husband came in to the arena and while I moved the mounting block over the Jean so she could sit, he went over to Stu.  After a few minutes, LA's husband got on Stu (from the ground, for cripes sakes!) and sat on him for a few minutes while LA and I ascertained that Jean could walk, etc. 

I am certainly no expert, but here's my postmortem:

• Jean was nervous and Stu picked up on that.
• Perhaps 10(?) minutes was too long to be working up to Jean getting on him.
• Jean and I were lulled into a false sense of security when Stu became relaxed. 
• I did a good job of calming Stu, but perhaps it was too good.  If he was half asleep when Jean sat on him, he may have been startled.
• Jean was a bit too slow in getting into the saddle; it was not fluid, hence her foot was not secure in the other stirrup and she did not have a secure grasp on the reins.
• When Stu took that initial step when Jean sat in the saddle, swinging his hind end away from me, I believe he hit the bottom of the gate with one of his hind feet, causing him to jump forward (reminiscent of the killer monster stool).
• It happened so quickly, that neither of us had the sense to actually use any verbal commands, like "easy" or "whoa!" 

I know what it's like to fall from a large horse.  I fell from Gem while galloping (the galloping was not by choice!!) and once when he bucked at a horse that was too far up his butt on the trails, catapulting me out of the saddle to fall like a rag doll in the hard snow.  It's scary and it hurts.  A lot.  I was able to get right back on Gem both times, which was good for my confidence.  Jean was focused on herself after the fall and didn't have any contact with Stu, not even a reassuring pat while we were still in the arena.  :-(  Someone else took him to the barn, untacked him and put him out.  After I agreed to pick her up, she sent me a note saying she had decided not to come out to the barn on Tuesday because she was stiff and didn't think that it would be good for her to be traipsing around the fields looking for Stu..... 


I know her confidence has suffered with this fall and it has been a humbling from a "knowing her horse" and "horse trainer" perspective.  I just hope it doesn't take long for her to get over it and that I will see her out at the barn this weekend, working with her beautiful horse.   

Have a good weekend and stay cool!

Winter Can Stay....

The last couple of weeks have been crazy busy. My mother hosted a luncheon/reception for over 100 people for my father (he did not want a funeral, he wanted a party) the beginning of the month, which I coordinated for her. Funny stories, lots of food and an open bar - a good combination! Our yearly audit at work started February 6th and finished on the 17th. On Saturday, Jean and I went to get Stu! Whew.

Stu's arrival was pretty much uneventful. For a horse that has been living the life of Riley for the last year out in the fields, he loaded like a dream, was in the trailer for 1.5 hours without incident, and came off the trailer easily! There was quite a welcoming committee to greet Stu when he came off the trailer. It's quite a novelty to have a Clyde at a Quarter Horse barn. :-) Jean walked him around the immediate property and actually through the old barn. Gem had just been brought in and Stu and Gem had an opportunity to touch noses and sniff each other. It was cool to compare them side by side. Gem is no longer the largest horse in the barn, but in reality Stu is not that much taller than Gem. Gem's head looks quite refined compared to Stu's and of course Stu's feet are twice the size of Gem's.

Stu's feet will need a bit of work. He's got great frogs, but has hoof cracks. Jean is keeping him barefoot and it will take a few trims, coupled with regular maintenance, to improve his foot health and get rid of the cracks. Timing is actually great, because Jean won't be riding him for a few months so it will give Stu's feet a chance to get into tip top shape.

The weather here has been pretty mild and I have been able to get a couple of trail rides in and a lesson. After lesson last week, I am happy to report that LA is pleased with my confidence level and how I am responding quicker to correcting Gem when he starts giving me the business. I appreciated her comment as I was actually feeling a bit "behind" in lesson compared to my other classmates, due to the fact that I was not in lesson very often over the last few months. I believe this subtle change in my attitude and confidence is directly linked to the fact that I have been trail riding. I am getting more and more comfortable being out in the open and my heart isn't in my throat for the whole ride any more. :-)

These pictures were taken two weeks ago. On this particular day, it was -20C so it was too cold to ride but it was gloriously sunny. After grooming my beautiful boy, I ventured down a couple of the trails.

I was greeted by this mare as I started out. She was making her way to the watering tub. She is expecting and due in March. She stays out 24/7. Of course, LA checks on her (and the herd) a couple of times a day.

The snow is deep, so our rides are pretty much confined to the perimeter of the fields. We actually follow the paths made by the herd,

Here's some of the herd chowing down. The forest provides shelter for the herd. There are great trails in the forested area and it's one of my favourite places when we go out.

See...it can be quite cozy in there....

Being out on the trails this time of year is beautiful. The crunch of snow under horses' hooves coupled with conversation is wonderful. I feel so relaxed and satisfied afterwards. With the recent mild weather, there is now a crispy layer of ice on top of soft snow. The odd time I deviated from the path to come up beside DH's mom, Gem sank up to his knees. For the time being, we have to ride single file. I did have a couple of heart-in-my-throat instances yesterday when I went out. The milder weather has caused pools of water on some of the paths, which freezes overnight. To me they look like size of skating rinks but in reality they are just large puddles. DH's mom just told me to sit square to maintain balance, loosen my reins and let Gem navigate where he wanted to go. He put his head down to sniff and see where he was going. There were a couple of times that he slipped every so slightly, but we did it. Another confidence booster!! My horse is amazing.

Spring is in the air. Yesterday it was -5C and sunny. I actually started to undo some of my clothing because I was too warm! I rode without gloves. Strangely, in a way I hope the snow stays a little longer! Yikes! Did I just say that??? Once we have a big melt, everything will turn to mud and we won't be able to ride out on the trails. Arena riding just doesn't have the same appeal to me any longer.....did I just say that??!! :-)


Life Lesson: Always have cab fare tucked in your wallet. To this day, I always have a $20 bill folded away in my wallet…probably won’t get me far by today’s standards, but it does provide a certain amount of comfort knowing that it’s there.

When Dreams Come True

Weekend before last, my riding buddy Jean and I went on a road trip. We had an appointment to meet a guy named Stu. Although we had not met him, we had heard that Stu was a nice guy and we were looking forward to meeting him and talking horses. After an hour and a half, we found the long lane way to the farm we were looking for. We were greeted by two large dogs, announcing our arrival. A tall (very handsome) man emerged from the barn and carefully maneuvered over the icy open area to where we were parked. After we introduced ourselves, The Farmer told us we would find Stu in the barn with his daughter.

I chatted with The Farmer (did I mention he was handsome?) as we walked up to the barn, asking about his milking operation and his hobby of driving. He currently drives double and four hitches and competes in the regional fairs, if he can get someone to babysit his cows over the weekend. Which brings us to the reason we came in the first place. Meet Stu....

Isn't he handsome? Jean heard about Stu through a friend. He is trained to drive single, double and in a four-hitch. The only issue....he's too short! The Farmer bought him as a 3 year old, hoping he would finish at closer to 18hh. But, at 6 years of age, he pretty well finished at just 16.3hh and at 1400 lbs (we measure him), he's too small to drive in pairs or teams with The Farmer's other horses. As a comparison, Gem is around 16.0-16.1hh and weighs in at 1300 lbs. Although Jean did not have plans to buy a horse until the Fall, Stu was pretty much exactly what she was looking for; he is the right age, the right size, a gelding, has a gentle demeanor, he is an easy keeper, has never had any health issues, is outside 24/7, has good feet and reasonably priced.

It's not all roses though. The Farmer was honest with us and said that Stu had not been worked with for a year, was living the life of a prince out with the other horses, is in the upper section of the 10-horse herd hierarchy and was sometimes hard to catch in the field. Oh, and he's never had a rider on his back.

Stu let us touch him all over (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and we picked up his feet and held them up without issue. We couldn't trot him outside because of the ice. However, The Farmer's 13-year old daughter walked him up and down the aisle of the barn. He never pulled on the lead rope and was quite content following her. The Farmer did say that because he knew that Jean was looking to have a riding horse, he put his daughter up on Stu prior to our arrival to see what he would do! He said he wouldn't have done it if he wasn't confident that Stu wouldn't turn into a lunatic. He did it again for us. Stu sort of had a look of "hmmm...that feels different....", but he didn't twitch or freak out.

A date was agreed on for the vet check, a handshake sealed the deal and Jean and I said our good-byes to Stu, The Farmer and his daughter. We waited until we were driving down the lane way before we started whooping and hollering.

Jean excitedly told LA about Stu after our lesson last Tuesday. Instead of being excited for Jean, LA's response was guarded. She's concerned for Jean's safety. She thinks Jean is in for a lot of hurt and frustration. But what was hurtful was she doesn't quite get why Jean would want a Clyde in the first place. "You can't do anything with a Clyde." It was a bit of a letdown for Jean and when the two of us went for Burgers and Beers afterwards, I had to give her a little pep talk. However, LA's negativity and big horse prejudice has made Jean even more determined to prove her wrong. :-)

The vet check was done this past Wednesday and other than the vet wanting him to be a little heavier, he passed with flying colours. Unfortunately, because of icy conditions Stu couldn't be lunged in a circle, but the vet's examination did not lead him to believe there would be problems. All his vaccinations and a Coggins Test were done. His teeth will be floated in the spring.

Getting a Clyde or any horse that is +16.0hh brings on other challenges. Normal trailers can't handle a large horse comfortably. Most farriers won't work on drafts without the use of stocks. Getting a saddle may be a challenge. But you can always find a solution and it's amazing how horsey friends come together and help. I offered my English saddle to Jean just to get him used to having something on his back while she's working with him. A trailer was found and booked. Boarding arrangements, at the regular outside board rate (yipee!) with LA have been finalized. Stu will have his feet done before he's transferred to give Jean time to find local farrier that will work without stocks.

I am going to be Jean's ground person for the first while, and definitely when she's ready to start sitting on him. Her goal is to be riding him by the summer, eventually working towards taking him out in the small field to get him used to larger spaces with a rider on his back. I am excited for Jean - her dream has come true. I am looking forward to helping her; I think I will learn a lot. Stu will be here in 2 weeks....I can hardly wait!!! :-)

Help! I Need Somebody....

"Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone, help."
~John Lennon~

I have to admit I am more of Stones fan. :-) But, this lyric fits the bill of my experience after lesson on Tuesday.

I rode on Thursday and Friday of last week. On Friday's ride, Jean and I actually ventured out into the pastures for a very short trail ride.... by ourselves....!!! Yay!!

Lesson was so so on Tuesday evening. It was hot and humid. Horse and rider alike were sweating and huffing and puffing. After a long weekend of 30C temps and really big hair humidity, by the time lesson rolled around I had no energy. We didn't do anything too strenuous - walk, jog, a little loping in a figure 8 pattern. I am finding loping in small circles a challenge. It's difficult for me to maintain my balance while steering and pushing Gem on. This is one of the things I will be focused on over the next couple of months. The other is side-pass and, believe it or not, an active walk. Two Horses has been working on this with her horse Cassie. Gem will speed up his walk if I encourage him but as soon as I release pressure, he slows right down. We will keep working on it!

Anyway, after lesson I untacked my sweaty boy, gave him a brush and took him outside to graze a bit. After 10 minutes, I walked him back into the barn. As I opened his stall door and started to walk through into his stall (I make him wait until he's invited in), he started scratching his chin on the top of the door. He was really enjoying himself so I stopped mid-way through the door and let him scratch to his hearts content. His lead chain was banging up against the door, making quite a bit of noise.

Gem finished up his scratching session as CA walked into the barn with her lesson horse. He tried to pull his head up and couldn't. He tried again, and couldn't. He started to pull back while moving along the side of the stall, pulling the stall door tight and successfully pinning me. WTH?? Basically we were standing beside each other, our heads next to each other, with the wall of the stall separating us. I managed to look over the top of the door and could see that his scratching love-in had looped the lead chain around the latch and that some of the links in the chain were threaded through the sliding handle.

He was starting to back-pedal and I could hear his hooves smacking the concrete floor. There was a look of concern around his eyes. He started to pull, not in a jerking motion, more like a dog playing tug of war. I could hear the wrought iron hinges on his stall door protesting. I have to admit that when I heard the hinges starting to give, the possibility of an even bigger dangerous situation flashed across my mind...like horse-tearing-out-of-the-barn-dragging-a-stall-door-behind-him kind of situation. I didn't want to upset him any more than he already was. So, instead of yelling, I said in a loud but calm voice, "CA, I NEED YOUR HELP NOW!" Moving at the speed of paint drying, she responded "I'll be a sec. I just have to put my horse in her stall." WTH?! The reaction I was looking for was her moving with a sense of urgency and QUICKLY putting her horse in the stall and QUICKLY coming to my assistance. No such luck. Meanwhile, Gem was still back-pedaling, the stall door was still protesting while my body continued to endure the door being pressed up against it. I realized that I was going to have to defuse this situation myself.

I spoke quietly to Gem. "Easy....easy..." I reached over and started to stroke his neck. "Easy....there's a good boy..." He stopped back-pedaling and in doing so released some of the pressure on the door. I managed to squeeze the rest of my body into the stall and look over the door at the tangled chain. I thought I might be able to just undo the clasp, but it was tangled up too. It was sort of like getting a knot out of a necklace, but I managed to do it. No easy feat when you are looking at it from over a door. :-) I chatted with Gem while I worked and he stood like a gentleman. After I got the chain untangled, I asked him to back up, allowing me to open the stall door, exit the stall and walk up to him to give him a rub and tell him what a good boy he was.

How easily and quickly something so "normal" can become something dangerous! Holy crap! In reality, this whole situation with Gem probably only took 2 minutes max, start to finish. It seemed much longer. :-) I am thankful that Gem is not the panicking kind, and frankly neither am I. In a strange sort of way, I think this exercise was beneficial to both of us. It added to my confidence level. I can take care of Gem and he got to see that I helped him. I hope that translates into the level of trust that he has for me being elevated just a smidge. :-)

It was after I led him into his stall that CA walked up to us and asked what I needed (what took her so long??!!). I explained what had happened and that when I called for her I needed her help immediately. I showed her the hoof scrape marks on the concrete where Gem had been back-pedaling. She responded that she heard it but just thought he was giving me the business and didn't realize that it was an urgent situation. Sigh.

I don't believe I was over-reacting but obviously I failed in communicating that I needed help. So, my question to my blogger friends is this: Is there a particular way that "horse people" communicate an urgent situation to others, whether it's when you are in the barn or riding?? In other words, should I have asked for Help! differently (yelling?)??

What was I thinking.....?

Armed and...Confident

I went to the stables on Friday to groom my boy. I can’t remember him ever being so dirty! We had a lot of rain late last week and I believe most of the mud that was in front paddock ended up caked on Gem. I had to go over him three times to reach some semblance of clean. It took over an hour.

After the grooming marathon on Friday, I decided to take him for a walk up and down the lane way to stretch his legs. He got excited about being outside and started getting pushy. I regretted not having my crop with me. We have five new horse in for training, two in his barn and three in the arena stalls. The ones in the arena stalls started squealing as we walked past, which made him even more pushy. I had to stop and back him up numerous times. Small circles were also incorporated into the walk. He started pulling on the sleeve of my jacket, coming closer to nipping than I would obviously like. What was supposed to be a nice quiet walk turned into a wrestling match.

As much as I can sympathize with the new horses adding to his confinement grumpies, I am now officially tired of this bad behaviour. Enough already!! I don't want to be pushed or pulled or nipped!! I don't care if he is grumpy!! He's making me grumpy!!! I am not the enemy!! Whaaa! When my dogs would start exhibiting undesirable behaviour, I would simply grab them, flip them over on their back and tell them NO! It’s a little more difficult to do this with a 1300 lb animal! :-)

I thought long and hard about it on the drive home Friday night. I certainly don’t want to use my hand as a weapon to discipline him; my hands should be for love and softness. My elbows have been used to try and stop his mouthiness, but I think it turns into a game for him. I have growled at him, I have used backing him up. My voice does have some affect and he understands No! How can I reinforce my voice?? Then I remembered my water bottle!

When I arrived on Sunday morning, I dug out my pump water bottle. It's actually an old detangler product bottle that I cleaned out and put water in so I could spray Gem's hooves if I was having a hard time dislodging solidified mud. This water bottle is now going to be part of the disciplining program for Gem. I believe that there has to be a balance and if you discipline for unacceptable behaviour, you have to reward for good. Everyone at the stables has told me not to treat Gem because he's mouthy. Sigh. But, giving him scratches does not seem to be enough in certain circumstances. I am going to do what I think Gem will respond to. I know he likes treats (what horse doesn't!), so rewarding him with a couple of little kibbles for good behaviour seems like the right approach.

Armed with my water bottle and a pocket full of horse treat kibbles, I carried my saddle down to his rack. He has started biting the horn again, trying to pull the saddle from the rack. A well-aimed squirt from a distance of about 6 feet connecting with his nose followed by NO! got his attention. He flinched, backed away and thought about it. He tried biting the saddle again while I was arranging his grooming gear. Another well-aimed squirt followed by NO! He backed away. Now, he's wondering What the heck is going on?? When he stood quietly, I gave him a couple of kibbles and a Good boy!. He didn't touch the saddle again. Sometimes, when I walk in front of him while I am grooming, he will nudge me with his head. Recently, these nudges have been a little more assertive. The first time he nudged me on Sunday, I squirted and said NO!. He immediately backed up a couple of steps. I purposely walked in front of him a number of times and when he stood still, he got a reward and a Good boy! Towards the end of our grooming session, he did nudge me again and got the squirt routine. After letting that soak in for a minute (pardon the pun!), I allowed him to redeem himself and he got rewarded for standing respectfully while I walked back and forth in front of him. He's testing boundaries and I am trying to show that pushing them out is no longer an option.

Getting ready for lesson last night was calmer. He did not grab the saddle. I did have to squirt him once when he reached his head out of his stall to grab my arm as I walked by. He backed up immediately. After a few seconds, he came back to the door and put his head out. He stood quietly and he was rewarded. When I groomed him, he nudged me once and got the squirt routine. He stood quietly and respectfully for the rest of the grooming routine and was rewarded a number of times. He was calmer when we walked to the arena. Walking back from the arena and untacking after lesson were incident free. Have I finally found the magic combination??!

Using the water bottle as a tool to reinforce a verbal reprimand so far has been good. You don't have to be next to the horse to discipline; you can be 6-8 feet away. It's harmless and invisible. I don't hold the bottle out in front of me when I squirt him; I actually try to keep the bottle hidden as much as possible so that he doesn't associate the bottle with the squirt. I wouldn't want him to get shy about me spraying product on him. :-) I have used a squirt bottle to help with behaviour modification with one of my dogs who used to bark incessantly when outside and, coupled with rewarding for good behaviour, it works. I suspect that I am going to have to keep the water bottle handy for a little while yet. Consistency is key, but Gem is a quick study. Perhaps my new found confidence is having a positive impact, too. :-) Here's hoping for a quick resolution to the Spring Grumpies!

What was I thinking....?

Spring = Grumpy

Although we are still hovering around the -2C mark, they are predicting warmer weather as the week progresses. The Canada geese have started arriving in droves and I have seen robins at my bird feeders the last two weeks, so that means Spring is here. Yay!! :-)

With Spring, comes a change in routine at the stables. Recently, Gem has not been getting the same amount of turnout that he is used to. A week ago, LA brought in the herd from the pastures to allow the ground and grass to recover. The herd is now in the small field behind the barn. The gate leading to the field is right out the back door of the barn next to Gem's stall, so he can see and smell the herd when the door is open. The other horses that are not turned out with the herd (Gem included) are now taking turns with the paddock and round pen. This means that Gem is only getting a couple of hours of turnout each day. That, coupled with seeing the herd so close at hand, has made Gem a very grumpy boy. Can you spell B-R-A-T??

The last couple of times I have seen him, we have had some issues with him knocking me with his head and chewing the halter and pulling it out of my hands when I am trying to put it on him. He gets squirmy when I groom him. I have to remind him not to rush me when we are walking to the arena. He’s not only pushy, but his mouthiness has caused some problems. One of the ladies who takes care of the morning chores was sweeping in front of Gem’s stall. This woman loves Gem and they have a morning ritual. He started to mouth the back of her jacket….not an unusual thing for him to do to her apparently. But this time, when he didn’t get the attention he wanted, he bit her shoulder!! I was absolutely devastated when LA told me. I almost felt sick to my stomach. For the time being, Gem has to have the top part of his stall door closed. He has company in the barn when it comes to badly behaved horses, but I never thought he would be joining their ranks. :-(

It was extremely windy yesterday. After struggling with tacking up a jiggly horse, we stepped out into the sunshine, me first then Gem. As I started to walk Gem around me so I could turn and close the barn door, he spooked. I mean reared up a couple of times and backed away from me. Fortunately, I didn’t loose the reins and had the good sense to give him some length so that he didn’t pull me off balance. I suspect that it was LA’s daughter moving around near the old barn that caught him off guard. The swirling wind didn’t help. In any case, I talked softly to him and shortened the length of the reins to get closer to him and touch him. I walked him around the yard so he could see that there were no horse eating monsters about. His nostrils were big and he was snorting. I have never seen him do that. Once I thought he was calm enough, I opened the gate and led him down to the arena. I have to admit that I was quite pleased with myself with the way I was able to calm him. I am not a freaker-outer; you want me in your corner if there is an emergency. So, I was glad he responded to me even when I didn’t really know what I was doing.

Yesterday’s ride was a 2 on a scale of 10. He was hard to keep focused. He was full of beans for sure, but he just didn’t want to work! I had brought my dressage whip with me (everyone, including LA keeps telling me that it is my friend!), but I put it down 5 minutes after I got on him. In retrospect, that was probably a mistake. He did not respond to any of my cues the first or second time and I ended up kicking a lot, which I hate. If I had had the whip, he response time may have improved. He just has to see the whip and he has an attitude adjustment. We basically fought for over an hour. I know I caved on disciplining him on numerous occasions, but I was exhausted and I sensed that he recognized this weakness. He knows that through his physical strength and stubbornness, he can tire me out. It is times like these I do feel my age and wish that I had started riding 30 years ago!

So, Spring may be here but it also means that I will probably have to put up with Gem’s grumpiness for another month while the pastures dry out. Wish me luck. Sigh…..

What was I thinking….?

My Valentine

I had a makeup lesson on Saturday. I have to say, I was a bit nervous! My lessons and riding have been sporadic because of the weather and it seems like forever since I had a formal lesson. LA knew I was a wee bit anxious, but once I settled into the saddle it all came back to me. :-) Gem was excellent and responsive. The number of times I had to ask twice was minimal, and really it was just me refamiliarizing myself with where the buttons are. LA had ridden him on Friday, so he was loose and his mind was in the right place. Our loping was pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. The two other students, who were new to me, said that Gem was beautiful and we looked good loping :-)

I was actually a bit stiff yesterday from lesson on Saturday! Wow, it sure doesn't take long for your body to forget....well, at least my body anyway. I went out to the stables late yesterday morning. His stall is at the very back of the barn. We sort of have this little routine now when I arrive. As I walk down the aisle, I watch the top of the stall divider, I say "Where is my beautiful boy? Where is he?" I can see his head come up and with his ears erect. I repeat, "Where is my beautiful boy?" and he quickly sticks his head out the top half of the stall door. When I get there, we sniff and blow at each other. We have a little chat and then I start hauling his tack and grooming supplies out of the tack room.

The ride yesterday was a bit of a non-event. There are two riders - mother and daughter - that have no manners when it comes to riding with others. I dislike riding with them. They aren't nasty, just self-absorbed and thoughtless. It was just the 3 of us in the arena, but I was only able to get up to a decent trot a couple of times. They were either loping all over the place or changing diagonal or stopping on the track to chat. At one point, the mother was loping large and the daughter was in the middle doing spinning and aggressive back up while I was trying to eek out a spot to do ANYTHING. Both of their horses are spooky, so every time snow came off the roof, they would jump. Oh, and the daughter has some weird ring tone on her cell phone. When it rang, it made ME jump along with her horse. What is with that? Aren't you supposed to have your phones turned off when you are in an arena??

We all basically dismounted at the same time. They went out ahead of me - I had to stay and do a little poop clean up. After the door was shut, I loosely looped Gem's reins around the saddle horn. I looked him in the eye and asked him to "wait". I then went and got the poop scooper and wheelbarrow and started my chore. I kept peeking at him to see what he was up to. He was interested in what I was doing, but he didn't move. I went up and down the arena and was finally able to put the wheelbarrow back. He continued watching me. I went and got my coat on (yes, I usually ride without a winter coat - yes, I am a nut), put the mounting stand back, and then turned and looked at him. He raised his head a little, looking straight at me. At this point, he had been standing in the middle of the arena for about 5 minutes. I outstretched my arms, wiggled my fingers and asked him to "come". He walked straight into my arms. GOOD BOY!!! I wrapped my arms around him and gave him big scratches. It was perfect.

This simple exercise of asking him to wait and then come was validation that our bond is getting stronger. He did it because he wanted to and, I would like to think, because he knew it would please me. :-) There have been a number of posts over the last few days about loving your horse. I loved him the moment I saw him. Absolutely. My Husband accepts that there is another man in my life. Gem obviously doesn't fall that easily...his love has to be earned. I am patient. I suspect that it will take some time still. However, based on the last couple of months and in particular this past weekend, I think he's starting to reciprocate. :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

"My, what big teeth you have."

When I first started my lessons, I had set my expectations that I was going to fall at some point and I was probably going to get kicked. The two things sort of came with the territory when you are around horses. Well, I have fallen (twice), but haven't been kicked and I am OK with keeping it that way.

I was taught how to groom safely and I still follow the rules. But, I can see where you can be lulled into a false sense of security if you have been around horses for a long time. Perhaps a bit of complacency sets in. I see it all the time at the stables. No one thinks they will get kicked. Well, you know what? It can happen in a blink of an eye. It doesn't have to be an act of aggression either. Mrs. Mom at Oh Horsefeathers and Wiola at Riding Instructor's Diary have recently mentioned kicking incidents. I have seen Gem kick out once in self-defence and I hope I am never, ever within reach of his kick. His kick connected with the upper part of another horse's stall door, leaving behind two very distinct hoof impressions in the wood. Yikes!

While I can be aware and cautious regarding kicking, biting is another matter. I don't know what it is about a horse biting, but it terrifies me. The thought of those big teeth connecting with my flesh gives me the willies. I know that when a horse pins its ears flat, that's not a good sign. But, I have to say that there are a couple of horses in Gem's barn that pin their ears every time you walk by their stalls. Does that mean they are biters?? Are there any other signs to watch for that can be indicators?

There are a couple of horses that are identified as biters at our stables, including DH, Gem's paddock buddy. In fact, DH's previous owner had a chunk taken out of her forearm which sealed it for DH finding another home. He has a sign on his stall door indicating that he isn't a very sociable horse. DH came up behind me one time when I was trying to put Gem's halter on him. He came out of no where (note to self - always check to see where others horses are) and starting aggressively nibbling the collar of my winter jacket, near my face and ear. I was now pinned in between DH and Gem, with DH way too close for comfort. I had visions of Gem giving DH the business and my face baring the brunt of their scuffle. My heart was pounding outside of my chest, but I walked away as calmly as I could to the gate. DH continued to nibble on my collar all the way there. When I got on the other side of the gate, I was almost in tears and I was shaking. I had STA help me get Gem in. When I told her what happened, she said "Why didn't you swing the halter and lead in front of DH to move him off?" Didn't even think of it.

My first adult experience with horses was my school horse, GM. She tried to bite me from the time I arrived to the time I left. Imagine seeing a round, middle-aged person doing the Chicken Dance in the aisle of the barn next to a horse in cross-ties. That was me. Eventually, I got a reprieve on my humiliation when I had to start tacking up in GM's stall. I would find myself getting more and more anxious as it came time to bridle her though, because I felt that that was the time that it was going to happen.

Gem is mouthy. This is not a new thing. I don't think he will ever stop being mouthy. Part of it is curiosity, part of it is demanding, part of it is neediness. I can usually tell which it is and respond accordingly. Some days are worse than others. I rarely hand feed him because of his mouthiness.

Lesson was not great last night because we are both out of the routine and I really had to push him for everything I asked of him (yes, I am sore today). After I dismounted, I was chatting with one of my classmates. Gem was positioned just behind my right shoulder. In the middle of my conversation he pushed my shoulder - I didn't respond - then he carefully took a piece of the arm of my jacket and yanked the material!! He immediately looked up at the ceiling, looking all innocent. What? No, I didn't do anything. Must have been some other horse. I gave him a stern NO! I turned and continued my conversation and he did it AGAIN! What the heck??!

Technically, he didn't bite my person. But, his teeth did bite down on something that was part of me. A little too close for comfort. In a way, I have to admire his intelligence in getting my attention and reminding me that it was time to go. :-) Correcting his mouthiness while grooming is one thing, but having a sneak attack is a bit scary for me. I don't like the idea that his teeth are connecting, even if it is with fabric. I have visions of him turning into DH! Am I over-reacting? How would I correct this? My Chicken Dance skills are a bit rusty and I'd like to keep it that way!

What was I thinking....?

Dismounting when Mounting

It took me 10 minutes to mount Gem today. Yep, 10 minutes. As soon as I step on the mounting block, he moves a couple of steps, forcing me to get off the block and rearrange things.

He started doing this when I came back from my surgery. It wasn't too much of an issue when I first noticed it. I put it down to the flies bothering him. But then I started to noticed that taking a few steps was becoming the norm. I know, I know - I should have nipped it in the bud when I first noticed it. I started to move him into a corner when I got ready to mount, hoping that having walls on either side of him would help. It didn't. He just backed up.

Today, after 4 or 5 tries at getting on, I stopped trying and hand walked him around the arena - walk on, whoa, back up, wait.....good boy. A couple of times while we were standing, I grabbed the horn and pulled/leaned on the saddle, simulating that I was getting on him. He was fine. Didn't move at all.

I took him back to the mounting block and let him stand there for a minute. I was able to get on him, but as I was swinging my leg over him he shifted his weight a bit, enough to throw my balance off very so slightly.

So, I am really hating this. To me, he is being disrespectful. I asked LA about how to correct it. She had no corrective measures to offer. She has never had this problem and he's fine with her, but she doesn't use a mounting block. I don't want to have the kind of horse that needs to be held while someone is mounting them. I don't want to have a horse like my lesson horse, GM.

One possible solution I was thinking of was having Jean stand a couple of feet away from him on the other side of his back end with a crop. While he's quiet, I will continue telling him he's a good boy. But, when he starts to do his side step, he will basically swing his butt into the tip of the crop, while I say NO. I am hoping that poking himself with the crop will be enough of a deterrent. If anyone out there has any advice on how to correct this situation, I am all ears!!

What was I thinking...?

Bum’s Rush

When Gem first arrived at the stables last spring, the herd was in the process of being reintroduced to the other pastures, after a long winter. It wouldn't be long before he would be joining them out there. I tried to put myself in his shoes....uh, hooves. He was in a new place, with new people taking care of him and he was confined to a stall for part of the day. In reality, for a horse that was used to being outside 24/7, I thought he was handling his new situation pretty darn well. In the meantime, he was bored and he became a bit pushy.

He would push open the stall door when I unlocked it and start walking out before I was ready. Let's go! When exiting the barn, I would put on the brakes and lean back into his body as I tried to maneuver out the door. Have you ever tried to block an eager 1500 lb. horse? He would try to rush me through the gate on the way to the arena. Hurry up!! Come on!! As we walked down the lane, he would push me or get ahead of me and I would have to turn him into a circle. Again, and again, and again. By the time I arrived at the arena, I looked like I was coming off a bender....my helmet was askew, my clothing twisted and covered in slobber marks (from Gem, not me!) and I would be sweating.

The barn was generally busy but on this particular evening, there was no one. Not a solitary soul. As usual, he pushed out of his stall. There were plenty of vacant rubber mats at the front of the barn in front of hitching post thingies, but they were a little too close to the open barn door for my comfort - wouldn't want Gem to see outside and push his way out the door! I cross-tied him near the back of the barn. The early evening was lovely, but our walk to the arena was not pleasant. I was starting to feel incompetent. I couldn't even hand walk my horse for goodness sakes; I was a looser.

On this particular evening, when we arrived at the arena he started pushing to get inside. Who's in there? Hurry up! I walked him in yet another circle. Unfortunately, it was a very tight circle for his 18-wheeler body and he ended up STANDING on my foot. Of course, I let out a yell. Gem was oblivious and continued standing on my foot while admiring the scenery. I could not move!! I went into survival mode and I pushed Gem hard on his shoulder which caused him to have to shift his weight and I was able to move my foot away.

This was a turning point for me. I was alone and a little scared. My foot was throbbing. There was a split second when I thought of packing it in and heading back to the barn. But I knew if I did, I probably wouldn’t get back on Gem for a long time. I sucked it up. If the toes were broken, there was nothing I could do about it anyway. It was my right foot so I didn't have to worry about mounting or dismounting. Leaving my foot in my boot was probably the best thing. Deep breath. We entered the arena and I rode him.

The next time I was at the stables, I was prepared for our walk to the arena. Instead of holding the reins really close to me in an attempt to control him, I gave him a bit more rein so he could maneuver his 18-wheeler body better. I carried my crop in my right hand in addition to the reins. He couldn't see the crop as it was positioned under his head. When he started to rush me through the barn door, I firmly said "wait!", at the same time flipping my right wrist, making a light connection with the crop on his chest in between his front legs. He hesitated. I had his attention. What the heck was that?? I didn't move until he had been still for a few seconds. Then I told him to "walk on". When he started to rush me through the gate, I went through the same routine. We then proceeded down the lane. Every time he tried to rush ahead, I would flip my wrist, the crop would connect and I would say "wait!". We did the same routine on our way back to the barn after our ride.

I am not sure if what I did was "correct" in the horse training world, but it worked for Gem and it worked for me. I used the crop as a tool to get his attention, not a weapon. He just needed to focus. My confidence improved. I felt that he was listening to me. I was relieved that Gem responded so quickly to this exercise. He was smart!

Our walks to and from the arena became more and more civilized. He became a little more polite. After our rides, I would hand walk him around the arena and practice "whoa" and "wait" and "walk on". We continue to do this routine. He now follows me around the arena on a loose rein, his head just behind my shoulder. There is no more rushing through doors. He waits for me. When I open the door to his stall, I ask him to step "back" and "wait". He does and stands until I invite him to "walk on".

When Gem stood on my foot that fateful evening, I ended up with a bit of swelling and bruising on the top of my foot and my big toe nail went black. The swelling and bruising soon disappeared, but the black toe nail lingered. I didn't mind. Nothing that a little nail polish couldn't cover. It was a reminder of what was and what is. Really, getting that black toe nail was one of the best things to happen to Gem and I.

What was I thinking.....?

Pucker Up

I couldn’t wait to see Gem. I was absolutely smitten with him. I couldn't stop thinking about him. I couldn’t stop talking about him.

In general, Gem was pretty darn good when I was getting him ready. He stood patiently, lifted his feet nicely and had no issues with the bridle. But, he was not used to being in a stall. I could tell he was on edge. LA told me she would show me how to lunge him to help burn off some of the pent up energy he had. In the meantime, I was spending as much time as I could with him. I was working on “bonding”.

Gem's bottom lip is pink. If you look at him straight on, it looks like he is smiling. So cute. One day, while I was keeping him company, he lowered his head over the stall door and let me scratch behind his ear. I interpreted lowering his head as a sign of relaxation and acceptance. His eyes started to close a little and his pink lip quivered ever so slightly. Breakthrough?! Was he accepting my company? Were we becoming friends? I stepped a little closer as I continued scratching, thinking that this moment of connection may even include some sort of hug between us. As I leaned closer, someone walked into the barn. He snapped back his head (someone's here!), hitting me squarely on the nose. I stumbled back, holding my face. I staggered around, wiping away tears and waiting for the gush of blood. I did not have a nosebleed, but my nose felt “bruised” for days afterwards. My lip was a little sore from my teeth being driven into it by the impact. Who would have thought you could be hurt by your horse when he's in the stall and you are in the aisle???

During this bonding period, I discovered that Gem was a mouther. He was constantly moving his mouth over your clothing, your hands, blankets, anything within reach. I recalled his previous owner telling me that she would treat him all the time and that he could find stuff in her pockets. Oh, boy. He kissed the air as you walked by. And what the heck is this Flehmen response thingy??? I almost had a heart attack the first time he did that while I stood in front of him. Most times the mouthing was gentle, but irritating. Sometimes, if you were not paying attention to him, his teeth would connect with flesh – not hard, but a connection none the less. Look at me. LOOK AT ME! At first, I thought it was because he was scared and looking for reassurance. Both the vet and the farrier said it was a sign of intelligence and curiosity. But, enough is enough! I don’t mind curiosity – that’s one of the things I love about my terriers. But, if connecting with flesh was an outcome of this behaviour, it was not acceptable. I did not want to have to do the Chicken Dance for the next 20 years!

When his mouthing got annoying while grooming him, I started correcting him by either elbowing him or bopping him under the chin and saying “NO!” right in his face. His eyes would widen. I could almost hear him thinking “who the heck IS this crazy person?” Amazingly, his face would get a sad little kid look, making my heart melt. Be strong! He’s playing you!

He was a celebrity at the stables. He was big and riders would come over and visit. I was still trying to figure out barn etiquette and I was a little intimidated at first by “experts” stopping by. I would warn them about his mouthing and ask that they not touch his head. They would touch his head anyway and if he mouthed them, they smacked him. What the heck??!! I would put this behaviour in the same category as me smacking their child because I thought the child was being bad. On two separate occasions I had adults tell me, after I saw them smack my horse a number of times in head, that he had to be corrected when they touched him. I said, “There is a very simple solution. DON’T TOUCH HIM.” I made my point. I did not want him to become head shy. Having others assaulting my horse did not sit well with me. LA and STA were the only two I trusted to discipline Gem in a way I felt comfortable with.

I asked LA if she could ride and evaluate Gem so that my lessons could be geared towards what he needed and what I needed. She warned me that I might not like seeing her on him, because she was not going to let him get away with anything. I was absolutely OK with that.

LA got on Gem from the ground - yes, from the ground. I am sure my mouth dropped open. She's a little taller than me (I'm 5'7"), but I swear that her foot was up around her ear when she put it in the stirrup! Wow. She rode him for about ½ hour, pushing him, correcting him. She got him up to a canter. It was wonderful to see him working; he was getting into it. After her ride, she told me that she liked him, but that he was probably going to be a challenge for me over the next while because he was an 18-wheeler as opposed to a pick-up truck; it was probably going to take twice the effort on my part to get him moving. 18-wheeler, eh?

What was I thinking….?