Showing posts with label ground driving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ground driving. Show all posts

Friday, May 28, 2010

What a wonderful sucky day

Oh I am smiling as I write that, but at the same time my heart is breaking.

I had Abby in the round pen yesterday. She walked, trotted, cantered for me. She stopped, did inside turns in and in general just did everything I asked. Then I took her into the arena and again, followed me around, turned on the fore hand, turned on her hind quarters, back and followed me. She just did everything I asked. She was wonderful.

Damn it!

It makes it hard to keep her up for sale, but as I tried to gazed over her back, loved on her and almost got my foot stepped on, I know she it too big for me. Yet I really want to ride her. Maybe one last time? Am I crazy to want to try and ride the horse that is associated with the only broken bone in my entire family?



Today I had an asthma attack when I went out so I didn't do as much. I got the video. I also got a really low offer on Abby. Trade for a saddle. I honestly would like a western saddle. I honestly am not sure I want trade Abby for one. I think she is worth much more than that, but at the same time the woman sounded like a good match for Abby and the longer I keep her the longer I have to pay board on her.

* * *
Well all make mistakes, and there is a price to pay for those mistakes. Mine is more ground work. Now don't get me wrong, I know how important ground work is. I am just getting sick to death of doing ground work, I have been doing it for years. Now that I am getting so much more confident I want to ride and I want to drive.

I messed Ike up. I had him try to pull too much weight too soon and now he is getting balky. So it is back to almost square one. We we'll call it square two. He is pulling the empty sled. I started adding light things to it as I walked around the yard, but not the barrel that he used to pull. Which means that when I get the shafts it may still be awhile before I actually get to drive while sitting in it.

We also are working on driving by scary things, like the blue recycling bin and the little flags in the yard to mark where we have phone lines. Ya know those things from Diggers Hotline. Well we were getting pretty good at the bin and Ike figure out how to handle the flags, he bit them and pulled them out. I guess that works.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Driving Lesson #7

I didn't have a lesson last week because of Midwest Horse Fair. So I should have had a riding lesson, but since I missed my driving lesson I did that this week. Not that it matters all that much, but I wanted to drive.

Call me chicken, call me more interested in driving. I don't know for sure. I do know that driving is helping me more comfortable dealing with spooks. Really it does. It just tips my nerves up a notch, but not too much. If you remember from the video a few weeks back we need to move into the uncomfortable zone, but not so far in that we end up in the fear zone. For example, today I had to wait while R. did something outside the cart. Corrie wanted to back up. I felt that momentary nervousness because of a lack of control. I knew how to ask her to step forward. So I asked her. We had to do that a few time. She actually was fairly good, some issues, but R said I handled them well. It was little bit of nervousness, but that fact that I could it that helps me feel a little more in control.

I realized that is why I feel so afraid. I have that loss of control because I asked Abby to stop and she didn't. I don't know if I was not forceful enough, or she was just ignoring me or what. It is hard to think back to moments before I fell. I remember it all but analyzing exactly what when wrong is difficult. I do know remember feeling out of control.

R and I talked about Kinsey again. I swear I am starting to sound like Saturday morning breakfast with all my waffling. I think that maybe I should send her over to him for just a 2 week evaluation. He can get on her and see what she is really like and give me an honest evaluation of if she would be right for me or if I should sell her now. She is not a bad horse, she is actually a very good horse and probably has some hidden talent in there. But to be honest, I am not sure if she is still a good horse for me. If there is potential, then she can stay there for a little while, and she will be the next horse I start riding in lessons. If she just isn't going to be right for me, it is still early in the year and maybe I can find a nice home where she would be better used. If she is at R's then we have a round pen and a arena for people to try her in. The alternative is that she sit here for two years and becomes a 12 year old horse that has sat for two years and nobody wants. Honestly that is not fair to her or me. Meanwhile if the right horse did come around I could not get it because I have too many right now. Also working 3 horses a day, taking care of the house, working, and doing everything else that I have to do it really hard.

I will say that we have made some improvements. You can see in her picture, she is licking. Does a lot of thinking that one. (Ignore the rope around her neck, it is a long story and not very interesting) She is getting easier to catch, is doing really well with everything I am asking and I really enjoy working with her. It is just in the back of my mind I am thinking, "Is this a waste of time." Why put all the work into her when she is just not going to be a horse that I can ride when I could just take her to R. and find out. And when I could be putting that time into Ike or Madison. Ya know? To many horses not enough time.

After the lesson I came home and ground drove Ike. I had him pulling a little sled. We walked around and picked up branches and what not from around the yard so we had lots of "whoa" standing while I picked up sticks, scary sounds of dragging the sled across the driveway. All excellent stuff. He was nervous about the driveway, but after we went over it a few time he got much better. I have to order the shafts to fix my cart so I can actually drive whenever I want. That will be fun!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Those cute things horses do!

I stopped out to see Kinsey today. I have not gotten out in the past two days so it was really needed. It was a very nice day, bright, if not sunny. The temperatures are in that comfortable range, well comfortable if you are used to the Midwest.

I walked in to the barn as the stalls were being cleaned. The crew at the barn is very friendly and always up for a good chat. We greeted each other cheerily. "Oh look who's little ears just pricked up." I looked over to Kisney's stalls. Her little ears were just pricked and look very happy to see me. Those few words, those warm eyes, those furry little pricked ears; it just warmed my heart.

For some reason Kinsey's purple plaid halter looks really nice on her red dun face. Why? I don't know, I know that red heads don't normally look good in purple but I think she is stunning. Anyway I put her purple halter on, and lead her out into the not sunny, but very bright, day. One of the people who work at the barn, I'll call her Fran, was coiling up hose. It doesn't lay flat on the ground, I am always so nervous that Kinsey is going to snag a toe on it and spook. I have her step across it so carefully, one step at a time. Linda Tellington~Jones would be proud.

Fran was in a talkative mood and we chatted about horses, showing, Kinsey's conformation, and various stuff like that. We chatted it up for at least 5 minutes. What was Kinsey doing during all this time. Standing there. Just standing like an ol' cow horse after working a herd. She was doing me quite proud.

As we talked I reached over and pet Kinsey. Then the most miraculous thing happened. Some of Kinsey's hair came off. I grabbed a little and tugged, it pulled out with ease. "Look at this," I spoke to Fran, "she's shedding, spring is coming!" It was just a second happy surprise.

Finally I pulled Kinsey away and we headed to the indoor. I let the girl lose and she took off like a rocket. I mean, as soon as she was lose she took off bucking and a farting. I am not normally into bathroom humor but bucking farting horses just make me laugh. I guess it is because they are just so full of themselves they explode. She ripped around the arena like nobody's business, doing her best Arab impersonation with her tail stuck straight up in the air. That was the third cute thing she did. I was just so happy to watch her run and buck.

I came home and ground drive Ike. We have been working on steering, whoa, and stand. Ike is broke to drive but has not done it in awhile so we are just reviewing the basics.

Ike has to stand. It is so very important that a driving horse stands when he is told to stand. Don't want your horse running off as you are getting in the cart! So here is Ike standing, next to a lot of hay, his dinner actually. I was so proud that he was able to do this with out much fuss. I'm not saying that he didn't need some reminding to not eat the hay, but all in all he stood like he should.