Redemption
I had seen the dragon appear in the last few rides with some subtlety. Q would accelerate within the gaits, would anticipate turns that take us back home, would be reluctant to slow down. All little signs. I usually achieved compliance, but with a bit more effort and time than I usually expect.
Our riding had gotten sloppy.
On Friday's trail ride with lovely intern C, Q showed me something completely new. He literally pulled out a fifth gait from his ass and gave me the most incredible flying trot. I wish I had a video of it, but it was impossible to sit. It felt like rockets exploded from behind, and C's horse was galloping to keep up. The first few seconds were amusing, and then I started holding the reins to keep him in check. By the 30th second I was literally hauling on him to slow down, which he didn't. The trot was also impossible to sit, so I was in a half seat most of the time.
Wow.
I was proud, and dismayed. I had some serious work to do to regain control in our partnership. I figured Q was feeling F.I.N.E. and he just needed some faster work to let out the yayas. So on Saturday I planned another arena ride. Canter circles were in our plan. Lots of them.
We did 10 minutes in the arena and Q was feeling light, responsive, and relaxed. Awesome! So we trotted off to the trail head and I checked him out for the same lightness and responsiveness. At the first trot on trail, he started accelerating again. So I figured he needed more speed work. We trotted, cantered, did simple lead changes. And then he decided to canter when I was asking to walk.
And I lost it.
I did an abrupt one-rein stop and held his head at my knee for a minute. Straightened him back up to walk down the trail and he did it again. I one-rein stopped him on the other side, and held his head again. He got jittery. So we did alternating one-rein circles. Then started to walk down the trail again. He started to trot of his own accord. I brought him back to a walk and did a shoulder-in on both sides for long stretches. Then we side passed. Then we circled. Then we did walk-trot-walk transitions. The boy was A.M.P.E.D. Every once in a while I would let him trot down the trail on a loose rein to just relax but then he would accelerate into this new fifth gear of a trot like the whole village was on fire and he needed to save us!
It was rough. We had some nice moments, and every once in a while I thought I had gotten through to him. But I did more one-rein stops in that one and a half hours on trail than I have done in the entire 3 years we have been riding.
Finally we started to head home. But he turned just a bit too excitedly (and at an unrequested trot!) on the last turn home, so I decided to see if he would respond to my neckrein and leg to do a turn on the haunches away from home. N.O.P.E.
He dragged me into the trees instead and lunged for a snack.
OMG
I pulled out the complete arsenal. I kept testing the turn on the haunches to see if he learned the lesson. It took me 30 minutes, which included lots of 5 metre trotting circles and changes in direction with as much direct rein contact as was required, and halt-trot-halt, and turn on haunches, and backing up. We backed uphills, sidepassed, rollbacks. Until I got a serious turn on the haunches away from home without dragging me into the trees. There were times I literally growled at him.
We got back to the barn. Q was upset. I was upset. He got his shower and his carrots.
I went home guilty. I should not have gotten angry. Anger has no place with horses. I was concerned that I had done major damage.
I took a day off and spent some quality time with my husband. I was sad and disappointed. I took some comfort in knowing that there was no moment where I felt unsafe. Q was obstinate, and impetuous, but he didn't show any dangerous behaviour. No spook, buck, rear or bolting.
I could have controlled him if I had chosen to ride with direct and strong contact. But I choose to ride with the freedom of a loose rein, which comes with consequences.
The next time at the barn, Q ran to the fence and I handed him a carrot. It was raining, so we weren't going to be doing the ringwork I had expected. I decided to just tack up and go for a trail ride, keeping it lowkey.
He was still amped, but in control. This horse has shown me so much potential for self regulation. I played the patience game with him while I took pictures of the forest in its magical state during a summer rain. He stood stock still while I took shot after shot of a leaf glistening with water. When I was done, he was extremely quick to walk off but he never walked off before I was done. That's progress.
At one point he got spooked by something behind us (I saw nothing) and did a semi-rear/bolt that lasted half a stride. He came back to a walk but it was a bouncy marching walk. I was happy that he came back to me so quickly.
After the rain, we put on the rope halter and did some trail obstacles. He was foot perfect. We sidepassed over the bridge, did 180 turns in the waterbox and on the teeter-totter. And I created a new exercise inspired by Teresa's trail clinic where I moved him from one drawn box to another drawn box without moving my feet. It was a good groundwork practice that I will be sharing with my boarding friends.
Q relaxed. I relaxed. We both found a little path back to our partnership.
Horses are so forgiving.
Horses are forgiving. Also, it is my experience that Andalusian's can be pretty strong willed so letting them know that they are not in charge sometimes is okay. I suspect that, even though you were pissed, you were fair and clear so be okay with yourself. Honestly, I have gotten more from Carmen in the insisting that we stand RIGHT HERE and putting her back every time she moves. It is like she takes the ability to make one small decision to a everything.
ReplyDeleteTeresa you are right! In fact a few days later, after some more thought, I realized that Q needed more firm direction. Managing those micro-transgressions is important and I sometimes get a bit lax.
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