Ashe and I had a knock down drag out fight today while riding.
I think he did everything he could short of bucking/rearing...
Today was supposed to be an easy day. W/T warm up in the arena and then a trail ride as I was exhausted from work.
Ashe decided that was his invitation to protest that we were riding through dinner.
We refused to stand properly at the mounting block, we dropped our shoulder and ducked, we popped our shoulder and attempted to side pass out of the arena doors, we changed directions suddenly, we had a GORGEOUS canter departure which wasn't asked for and then refused to stop, every canter after that of course was mach 5 weight all in the front OH GOD WE AREN'T STOPPING/STEERING...
I rode him through all of it. I brought out the dressage whip (inside bend) and the crop (outside shoulder). Touched him with each twice to remind him that we behave.
In the end he relented, and I dropped the whip and crop. We trotted like a normal sane horse citizen and had a decent canter... after an hour and a half of fighting.
Then we had two meltdowns at the hose. One because I switched sides. One because the towel I was using to wipe off his muzzle suddenly wasn't in his view and became a terrifying monster. He also stepped on my foot.
Again I made him work through it. THEN I made him stand and wait for his grass. Which he, after a short lived protest, stood like a gentleman until I released him.
I have to wonder what it says about me that I'm more stubborn than he is.... And I'm sure he thinks that his mother is a monster now.
No comments:
Post a Comment