Saturday 10th April 2010
What a gorgeous, hot day! Unfortunately I got a bit hot under the collar with D too! My original plan was to take a walk up the road, come back and put the cones out in the field and repeat the same PTP exercise as the other day. I really wanted an easy day as, after an "incident", I usually need a few low-key sessions myself to feel more positive again (maybe D feels the same too!)
Anyway, God had other plans for me as, when I got past Pippas, the mare and youngster who were in the right hand woods were in the field opposite Joans ponies and the youngster wanted to play!
D went straight into tail kinked stallion stance - it's quite extraordinary to see. I've wondered if he were riggy except that he does calm down and I suspect that, if he had any seeds to sow, he would not! D has a tendency to want to stand on top of me when this happens which is my first clue that he's unconfident about the other horses. He doesn't try to drag me over to say hello. In fact, by the end of this session (it was a long one), I got the distinct impression that D is like an unsocialised dog who doesn't know quite what to do. His first reaction is to kink his tail, head up and go into an extreme brace - absolutely rigid - usually with one of those fearful snorts. After that, there's a lot of prancing but I'm not sure if he's just on adrenalin through excitement or fear or both!
So, to deal with the prancing, I decided I wanted to get D to go sideways but he had other ideas and kept squeezing between me and the fence or else trying to climb over the fence. I am not proud to say I got pretty mad at one point and made an "issue" out of sideways without going forwards. The fact that D was obviously footy didn't deter me either. Was I too hard on him. Yes probably but just as I was feeling repentant and wondering of I'd upset him, he grabbed at a bush to eat!
He was a bit confused that's for sure and it wasn't the greatest lesson - I was not a patient teacher - but when he got it right, I made a great fuss and rewarded him so that was something. Finally when it was good enough - or rather he was doing a crappy sideways but not trying to push forward - I went back towards home. Then I had the bright idea to go down the lane where all the horses are to seek out some new provocations! Oh boy, did we get some!
D was unconfident going down the path and very reluctant to go forward (worse than usual so I obviously had upset him) but I persevered - time will tell if this is a good thing or not I guess!
We got almost to the bottom of the path with the horses around us all remaining calm. On the way back, a field of 3 big TBs started cantering around snorting. D was away! I manged to get him to go sideways for a bit but after a while, as per a pattern I have noticed, he swings his bum towards me and does a protest buck (LB then?). Thinking about this as I write, I think I then feel too vulnerable to whack his arse to catch up to his head and his head's got too strong to bring back to match the bum.
Anyway, I reverted to a figure 8 (will watch this next time) and kept hold of him until the other horses calmed down. Further on by another field as a horse cantered over, I really noticed D's initial reaction and recognized seeing it before. In his extreme initial brace he looks at me for guidance!!
Now that is big. This time, described above, when I actually noticed AND thought about it (!), I cocked my leg and said "It's OK" and acted like there was "nothin doing". When I really concentrated on being casual, D didn't move, his adrenalin came down and he was much more malleable. Now I'm really wondering what the exact sequence was all those other times when he takes off prancing and whether I could have got him to stand still or rather - not caused him to move!
Interestingly, after this brief revelation, I walked past the 3 horses again with a more assertive body posture and then turned for home with a deliberate swagger! D visibly relaxed although he was still way more alert than normal! So....lots to chew on here. Goodness knows how swaggering translates to riding! But I'm starting to think.....!
Oh, tried my bridle on and it fits! I tried the myler on before and thought it was too big but, after trying my myler pelham, i could see the next size down would be too small. Then I also remembered that they look weird anyway as the rings stick out to the side. Just turning over that D may need more "hand-holding" when out on our own so the bridle may be more appropriate. He has absolutely no issues putting it on - he actually looked very happy about it! Good boy.
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