In the Arena #63 - Every little bit helps...

Thursday afternoon we took another walk around the property. There's a loop / trailer turnaround adjacent to my place, that connects up to the new mini trail next door. (the turnaround would make a great galloping track at some point) I grazed Val around the loop a few times, and then ventured onto the trail.

We investigated up and down. It's uneven and needs grooming. Lots of roots, downed branches and holes. I'm really glad we didn't try it under saddle the first time. The only problem we had was when a bird flew up out of the brush right beside us. We both startled, and Val did his stamp all four feet really hard spook. His left front landed on my right front. Once again living on a sandy island has it's benefits... no mud, easy to scoop poop and my foot sank down and didn't get too smashed up. Val took his foot off my foot immediately, and looked at me like - so sorry mom - did I do bad? I was super happy that he didn't rear, spin and bolt, or even pull on the lead at all, and told him so. I thought it was real progress. Very proud of my guy :)

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

Friday was absolutely gorgeous weather. Sunny, 70's and a warm breeze. The tractor repair work my dad and I were doing that morning seemed to drag on and on and on. I suppressed the urge to repeatedly check the time. And to act impatient. The job that pays the bills is more important than riding after all...

The minute I could slip away I headed to the barn, groomed and tacked Val up. He wasn't particularly calm during the process, and seemed to be preoccupied with what goes on through the woods next door... cue extra scary soundtrack. I mounted, and we spent the first ten minutes arguing about the usability of about thirty percent of the arena. It got to the point that Val was popping up a little bit and wheeled around to avoid the area.

Now, I know that our steering issues are generally almost always related to me, blocking, being stiff and/or unclear in my aids. I also know that yesterday the issue was Val's and geographical in nature. I found myself starting to get impatient and frustrated (hormonally challenged) so I dismounted. I led Val to the area where we proceeded to walk, halt, and soften, with some backing and standing practice thrown in. He was very nervous. It took some work to get his attention on me and away from next door, the source of all scary stuff. I focused on my breathing as well. After a few minutes, I remounted and we continued with our session. 

Vast improvement. We used the whole arena. We got our biggest big walk yet. We had some lovely trot work with reaching, picking up of back and taking rein from me. Only on the long side away from the area of course, still a giraffe on the scary side, but I'll take it. I focused on supporting him through the turns with my legs and half halts. Still lacking coordination (me) on this, but there is improvement. To finish up we weaved through the cones trotting on loose rein - steering with my legs. We even made some foam :)

We meandered around on the buckle a bit to cool off. Then on a total whim, and because I have been obsessing about not boring Val with tedious drilling, we rode over to the gate, and opened it. Our second try. I still wouldn't quite call it side passing but he was great about moving exactly where I asked him to.  Then we rode though the gate and out for another little solo trail ride. 

I let him decide where he wanted to go... to the back of the property, not into the smaller arena, back up front along side Cowboy who was being a bit of a pita, and out the front gate. Totally his idea. At this point steering got sticky. He really wanted to graze in the neighbors yard, which I didn't think was a great idea. He went anyway. I (patiently) got him turned around and heading towards our place again. Then my camera bag fell off, so I dismounted to retrieve it, and figured it was time to call it a day. No place to remount from anyway... What a good boy!!

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

The rest of the day in pictures...

 

In the Arena #48 - Back in the saddle again

There are some days when I think I am going to die from an overdose of satisfaction. Salvador Dali

After nearly a month of bareback only, (have I mentioned how much I love riding bareback?!) I decided to try the saddle again. I think my hips have really benefited from the bareback work as I was able to let my stirrups down a notch. (jumping up and down + clapping!)

The back end of the arena presented our first challenge. It was still one giant puddle /  mud slick due to last weekend's snowstorm melting away. Val showed zero desire to work in that area. I figured this was a great faux trail ride training opportunity. I quietly persisted in asking him to go forward while not allowing him to evade with my legs, and maintaining loose but steady contact through the reins. It took a couple of minutes, but he relented and walked through very calmly and quietly.

Next, we tackled the scary side of the arena near the loud and disturbing neighbors property. The loud disturbing neighbor was in full force, banging and clanging tools, punctuated by hollering at his dog (or maybe his grandchild?)

For our last several rides, Val has been reluctant to ride on the rail in this area. Same strategy here. Quiet persistence and making the desired action easier than the evasion. I caught myself coming of off my seat and twisting in the saddle a few times... my aids were much more effective after I corrected myself. Success. I could feel how my leadership was relaxing and calming to Val - as opposed to my tendency to become frustrated, which always escalates the issues.

I can honestly say that while I intellectually understand why I must refrain from being emotional in the saddle, being in control of my emotions is one of the most challenging aspects of riding for me. I hope that someday practice will make perfect :)

The rest of the ride was a piece of cake. I've been trying to choose one item to focus on for each ride, and today's was keeping my eyes up and softly looking at my desired destination. So often I find myself staring down at Val's neck. When I can achieve this, it is almost like Val knows where I want to go before I even give him a directional aid. We finished up with some nice trot work, weaving through the cones on the buckle and some snappy transitions. We both enjoyed our work today.

After an under saddle rubdown + cookies, we went for a little walkabout - wait for it - out the front gate and off of the property!! I've been thinking Val needs to spend some time on harder surfaces to help toughen up his soles. Today was the day. We mosied down the sandy gravel road, around the bend at the graveyard, and right up to the death dealing corner of knocked over black trash cans. Val hesitated just a bit... I let him approach the cans slowly. With patience and judicious rewards, he dealt with the horse eating wall o' cans like a rock star. We proceeded down the asphalt road a good ways, found some edible grass (!), and turned around for home. On the way back, he even sniffed the trash cans :)

Scary cans are boring now

Since things were going so well, as we headed back past the gate to home, I decided to walk into the woods toward the trail head. A family of deer passed by not ten yards to our left, eliciting some heavy sniffing and a few dance-y steps. We proceeded to the trail head, and onto the trail just a bit. Since all the while Cowboy had been screaming his fool head off, we went back home so he could settle down. I have never been so proud of my horse. What a good boy!!

,

In the Arena #46 - Never let 'em see you sweat

We getting quite the bareback habit... it's been weeks since we've saddled up.

Monday's ride started off on a surprising note. Val bolted away from the mounting block - not once but twice. Strange. He has always been a perfect gentleman for mounting, other than trying to get away with chewing his reins... or sometimes refusing to walk on until he gets his cookie ;) I got his attention back on me, and mounted up. I must admit that he was very "alert", so most of the ride was spent relaxing, breathing and staying calm.

I kept him busy with lots of transitions, and was heavy with the praise. By the end of the ride Val was focused on me and we did some nice work. I tried not to think about it while riding, but I believe something is happening / has happened next door that is frightening or worrisome to him. There have been signs of an unusual amount of activity in the adjacent part of the arena for a few mornings in a row...

no helmet

On Wednesday, after a head to toe grooming session, we spent some time outside the arena, doing trail riding prep. Upon further consideration, I'm seeing the very destructive clearing next door (the other next door) in a different light. It has actually left us a 10 - 15 minute baby trail loop that is not super overgrown like our original trail. My plan is to continue hand walking, gradually venturing a bit further each time. Once we can hand walk calmly, we'll start riding it. (This will likely not be bareback)

After trail prep, I cold hosed Val's left hind, which is a tad swollen and filled in above his pastern. Cold hosing gave us the opportunity to work on standing still and ground tying. Val did beautifully (once he realized there was no grazing to be had). A productive day!

******************************************

Yesterday the weather was perfect for riding. (I'll spare the details because I feel for you folks with the frigid weather!) Although there was a bit of tension at the start, we got over it quickly. We did some lovely figure eights, and leg yielded through the cones, connecting the exercises smoothly, flowing from one to another with no breaks in between.This helped Val keep his mind on business. I guess my mind was on business too. It felt great... organic. The sum greater than it's parts.

I decided to pay attention to my posture, specifically to sitting up straight, which is always further back than I think it should be. While I was in posture mode, I caught myself coming off of my seat a couple of times - "opening the back door" as my trainer would say. I capitalized on the moment by asking for the rein back. I suddenly thought about how many times my trainer has told me that you don't have to let on to your horse, that he's not doing what you intended, or that you're not where you want to be in the arena... basically don't let on that what's happening isn't your idea. Val and I struggle with leadership issues from time to time, so this is pertinent advice. And since I don't know exactly when we'll be able to get out of town for lessons again, (hopefully in February), the fact that on occasion my trainers words come to me at just the right time seems miraculous. I even asked for the trot, and did a bit of sitting - my first bareback trotting in a long time. A very satisfying ride.

*************************************

Val's left hind was swollen (no heat) again today, so I gave him some bute and cold hosed. He took his medicine like a champ, but there were some rather dra-matic treat refusals later. Oh - I guess I could take it in my mouth... wait - no, it's just too horrible - wait, I might be able to chew it with my very front teeth... I.just.can't... ptooooey! I know bute tastes terrible, I've put some in my mouth to see, but Val got over the histrionics pretty quick when the beet pulp mash showed up. I'm just sayin'...

new helmet

In the Arena #31 - The only thing we have to fear...

I rode Val in the "new" arena on Sunday. A milestone. The not fenced arena surrounded by woods at the back of the property. The scary, scary woods. The arena that so far we're only ever grazed (sometimes nervously) in.

We worked in our "real" ring for about an hour... focusing on leg yields, circles and energy. Also breathing. In fact I did a bit of singing for Val. If his swiveling ears were any indication, he enjoyed my Sunday songs. I enjoyed how singing regulated my breath.  It was a very productive ride, and my seat felt great.

I had asked my friend to come to the barn and stand by for me when I made the switch to the other arena... thinking I'd be more confident with someone else there, but at the last minute she called to say she couldn't make it. I said f*#@ it and off we went. My plan was to mount and just stand, which would have been enough for me. However Val was falling asleep with his lip hanging down - no nervous blow up in the works - so we spent 10 or 15 minutes walking around in both directions. Success!

                            ***********************************

When I brought Val home last fall, he was the mellowest, calmest horse. Very steady. Our first week together we rode through the woods and straight out to the beach. It was blowing 25 mph, he'd never seen the ocean before, yet he behaved beautifully.

Fast forward a few months. Due to my bad judgment, Val and I had a disastrous trail ride. I shouldn't have ridden that day at all... there were people hunting all around us in the woods and my companions were not supportive of or patient with us. Plus Val was high as a kite due to indiscriminate supplement use.

There was bolting - the others cantered off leaving us behind while we were fertilizing - then an emergency dismount - so not popular with Val. Things went further downhill, culminating in a sky high buck and me hitting the dirt. Hard. My insides felt disconnected. And I didn't have a helmet on. In the matter of a few minutes I had done serious damage to our relationship...

Ever since then,  I've been struggling with fear and confidence issues. And trying to earn Val's trust back. The difficult thing about fear is that it can create the thing you are afraid of. Kind of a which came first, the chicken or the egg situation. Also, you can't really pretend you aren't afraid.
   
                            ***********************************

My goal is to gradually spend more time in the new arena, until we're working there exclusively. I also have plans to make our way off the property and down the road to the trail, incrementally, until we're back trail riding again. When I got Val, I wanted to spend as much time trail riding as riding in the arena, and eventually to trail ride solo to the beach. Our setbacks have been disappointing, but character building as well. That's the thing about horsemanship. If you stick with it, you must face up to your shortcomings. If you want to become a better horseman, you have to become a better human.