Well I found a new trainer and she is working out great, she is focussing right now on keeping Joey happy which is a good thing. When she first started she wasn't really making him work, just feeling him out. She noticed that he didn't like his mouth pulled or any leg and if you did he would get mad and she didn't want to make him angry she just wanted a happy horse. Well he's been doing excellent, when she first started as soon as you put your legs on him he would buck, so she is trying to get him to respond to voice command and it's working great, she just says walk on and he goes, to get him to trott it's Joey wanna trott and away he goes at a nice little trot. She cantered him yesterday but I warned her he bucks and kicks at the canter, not mean but he does it anyway. Sure enough as soon as she started bringing her leg back he kicked out and bucked a little , they are not high bucks but you can tell he doesn't want to do it. She finally got him to take 3 steps at the canter with no bucks so she was happy. He really doesn't look mean he looks more playfull when he's doing it, he just doesn't know how to do it with a rider on him.
So on that good note I can tell everyone about how he has been treating me. Two weeks ago he decided that he did not want me to get up on him, and he started cow kicking at me with his ears pinned, it got so bad that I couldn't even stand in the right position to mount and it made if more difficult. I know that I am nervous around him and that's probably why. I never was able to get up on him that day, so Kelly worked just on mounting and dismounting and getting him to stand, when she was done it was time for me to take the saddle off, well the minute I put my hand on the cinch he cow kicked and it was pretty close to my arm, I'm not quick enough to smack , I don't really believe in hitting a horse but that was really dangerous and it had to be fixed. Kelly stood behind me and her husband held the reigns, again as soon as I grabbed the cinch he cow kicked and kelly smacked him in the ass with the crop and he never did it again. So we fixed that problem. The next ride he stood quietly when I saddled him up and when I rode him, my husband watched the video and he said he looked like an old school horse and so happy , listening to everything and just doing what I asked.
My ride this week, ummmm not so good. Kelly rode him and he was just like the old school horse again, just doing what was asked of him and he was quit happy, When I got up on him, again he stood quietly and was just happy being ridden, we were working on voice commands and stopping and going, really light work. I trotted a little and we were fine I was relaxed, he was relaxed. In one corner of the riding ring about 10 feet away from the corner there is a hydro post and for some reason he seems to not want to go near that corner , that day he spooked a little for Kelly as she came around to the corner so she walked him into it , ever since we started riding him that corner is bad , so she makes it a point of going into the corner and showing him. there is nothing there that he should be afraid of. When we let him loose with no saddle and no bridle in there he'll go in the corner no problem but when there is a rider on him he's a little nervous. Well anyway, I finishes my trott and stopped to talk to kelly, his butt was facing the corner he doesn't like but we were no where near it when we stopped, so I was just talking to Kelly like I always do, loose reign, no leg everyone was relaxed including Joe , then all hell broke loose, he snorted swung around and Jumped all 4 feet off the ground about 3 times by that time we had reached the fence, but by this time I was sideways on the saddle, I saw the fence coming and we didn't think he was going to stop so I pulled the left reign to turn him , well he put the brakes on and turned left , that's when I flew off, It happened so fast , there was no time to react. After I came off I looked at Joe and he looked so concerned you could just see it in his eyes, What ever happened was not mean. Kelly thinks that it was either a bee or some kind of electric charge from the post , is it possible for Hydro posts to have a short and give off a charge that a horse can feel? I know that they are very sensitive and I think Joey is overly sensitive. I tape all my lessons but this happened just out of camera range so I wasn't able to see it but I do have the audio. I know that Joey really didn't want to hurt me because while I was down he was really careful not to step on me. I did get back up on him after about 20 minutes but I was scared to tears. Kelly walked me around and walked me back where I came off and Joey was fine, it was almost like he didn't want to move in case I fell off again. So now I had my first fall and it was a doozy, no broken bones but a sprained ankle, Dr said I might have had a slight concussion but my helmet saved me there, my butt, is really sore, my shoulder and a few bruises here and there, I survived the fall. Hopefully I can ride Joey again , but I think we are going to have to start all over again. I won't be riding again for at least 2 weeks but Kelly will keep riding him until I'm able again.
Wish me luck
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2 comments:
Hi, I know just how you feel. I fell off my horse that I lease a week ago. I had her about a year and she is very spookish. I ride maybe an 1/2 hour a week. or at least work with the horse. But it down right takes your confidence right away. I ended up swapping for a new horse. But now I have to build that relationship all over again. He is a wonderful paint horse and so gentle with my kids. But when you get on he wants to take off not bad and not fast but just excited. But not what I am use to. So I feel the same way here we go again. I have decided I need to go back to lessons for awhile to gain back all that I had learned in six years. I am still a beginner but I really enjoy it!! Good luck
It does take your confidence away, I wish I knew how those young riders fall off and get right back up again, not even thinking twice.
Sound like you have a good horse, he just likes to have fun.
Good luck with your riding, you should join our forum, lots of support there and you can keep us updated on your progress.
Thanks again for commenting, it helps to know I'm not the only one out there.
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