So, to put it bluntly, my horse was a little snot today.
I don't know what it was. Maybe he was thrilled because it was a tropical 33 degrees (with a 20 degree wind chill, of course) up from a 5 degree with a "real-feel" of -11 yesterday. Maybe he was stuck in his stall due to to the blizzard from the last couple of days. Maybe he's developing separation anxiety from his herd.
Whatever the reason, he was a snot.
While I was walking him around waiting for an aisle to open up so I could put him in the crossties, he was continuously bucking and spooking.
Once in the crossties, he would NOT stand still. He was continuously pawing, looking around, moving around so I couldn't put on his boots or take off his blankets (yes, blankets - plural).
But as soon as I walked him out into the arena, he pulled away and bucked. I was a little concerned for my ride because we were riding in the same arena as Ceasaro, a 4th level horse, multiple time Horse of the Year winner, and so forth. In other words, he was a really, really nice horse. I was a bit worried that Ringo would spook CC or accidentally injure him or something.
Not even completing our first circuit of the arena at a walk, Ringo jumped to one side and started crowhopping. Once I got him calmed down, we walked around a couple more laps before he did it again. And again.
At this point I chickened out and asked Lucretia if she wanted to ride him, hoping in a way that she would help him find Jesus. Instead, she rode me over to where the lunge lines were. I'm not sure if she thought I was asking where the lunge lines were, or whether she was telling me to "suck it up, princess."
In any case, I got off Ringo and gave him a good 10 minute lunge workout at a very active trot. He was throwing his head and crowhopping a little. After a while, he seemed to have it worked out of his system so I got back on.
He was significantly better, but as soon as Lucretia got off CC and led him into an aisle, Ringo did his best impersonation of a bucking bull.
(I'm proud to say that through all this, I stuck to the saddle like Velcro)
I'm just really frustrated. I love my horse to death, and on his good days, he's great. Usually on his bad days he's a little naughty - a crowhop here or some refusal to go forward there. Never has he gone all-out bucking. It wasn't like his tack was fitting incorrectly or hurting him. He was just... bucking. What I hate is that it was so unpredictable.
It actually brought back some flashbacks of my old mare, Seeker.
I don't usually talk about this, but I have huge trust issues with horses. I went from sweet, saintly Leo and Teddy to a hotheaded mare named Seeker. She was honestly a lovely mare, a wonderful mover and when she was good, she was amazing. However, she was flighty and hotheaded, and I wasn't that good of a rider to realize that I needed to adjust my riding to fit her preferences. As a result, I usually ended up on the ground at least every other ride, even with lunging.
After she effectively destroyed my confidence, I started earning back my trust with Ringo's older brother Bucky. He's a great match for me, and if I could I would take both Ringo and Bucky. They love each other, I love both boys, and when Ringo is bad I can trust Bucky to be a "steady Eddy."
I can say that I'm much better with horses when they're naughty now, compared to right after I stopped riding Seeker. But sometimes it just sucks because I love my horse, and on a day like today all I wanted to do was get off and walk away. I do not ever want to do that, ever.
Bucky and Ringo are so similar - they look alike. But while Bucky is a great all-around horse - he packs little kids and adults alike, and is always sweet and careful with them - Ringo is better at dressage. I was just thinking today that if Bucky could earn a statewide reserve championship two years in a row, what could Ringo do? Much more, probably. At the height of my training with Bucky, he was showing between 1st and 2nd levels, and had confirmed several elements from 3rd, 4th, and PSG levels. We were regularly schooling canter pirouettes and had started doing four tempi changes. This is from a horse that was not bred for dressage. His conformation is more that of a hunter.
Ringo's pedigree on his sire's side is pretty much all big-name dressage stars such as Rubenstein I and Rohdiamant. When I was lunging him, I could see his lovely natural uphill trot. He is a whole lot of potential.
I'm rambling here, but I hope that in the next few rides, Ringo will be significantly better and we won't see the bucking again for a long time.
I don't know what it was. Maybe he was thrilled because it was a tropical 33 degrees (with a 20 degree wind chill, of course) up from a 5 degree with a "real-feel" of -11 yesterday. Maybe he was stuck in his stall due to to the blizzard from the last couple of days. Maybe he's developing separation anxiety from his herd.
Whatever the reason, he was a snot.
While I was walking him around waiting for an aisle to open up so I could put him in the crossties, he was continuously bucking and spooking.
Once in the crossties, he would NOT stand still. He was continuously pawing, looking around, moving around so I couldn't put on his boots or take off his blankets (yes, blankets - plural).
But as soon as I walked him out into the arena, he pulled away and bucked. I was a little concerned for my ride because we were riding in the same arena as Ceasaro, a 4th level horse, multiple time Horse of the Year winner, and so forth. In other words, he was a really, really nice horse. I was a bit worried that Ringo would spook CC or accidentally injure him or something.
Not even completing our first circuit of the arena at a walk, Ringo jumped to one side and started crowhopping. Once I got him calmed down, we walked around a couple more laps before he did it again. And again.
At this point I chickened out and asked Lucretia if she wanted to ride him, hoping in a way that she would help him find Jesus. Instead, she rode me over to where the lunge lines were. I'm not sure if she thought I was asking where the lunge lines were, or whether she was telling me to "suck it up, princess."
In any case, I got off Ringo and gave him a good 10 minute lunge workout at a very active trot. He was throwing his head and crowhopping a little. After a while, he seemed to have it worked out of his system so I got back on.
He was significantly better, but as soon as Lucretia got off CC and led him into an aisle, Ringo did his best impersonation of a bucking bull.
(I'm proud to say that through all this, I stuck to the saddle like Velcro)
I'm just really frustrated. I love my horse to death, and on his good days, he's great. Usually on his bad days he's a little naughty - a crowhop here or some refusal to go forward there. Never has he gone all-out bucking. It wasn't like his tack was fitting incorrectly or hurting him. He was just... bucking. What I hate is that it was so unpredictable.
It actually brought back some flashbacks of my old mare, Seeker.
I don't usually talk about this, but I have huge trust issues with horses. I went from sweet, saintly Leo and Teddy to a hotheaded mare named Seeker. She was honestly a lovely mare, a wonderful mover and when she was good, she was amazing. However, she was flighty and hotheaded, and I wasn't that good of a rider to realize that I needed to adjust my riding to fit her preferences. As a result, I usually ended up on the ground at least every other ride, even with lunging.
After she effectively destroyed my confidence, I started earning back my trust with Ringo's older brother Bucky. He's a great match for me, and if I could I would take both Ringo and Bucky. They love each other, I love both boys, and when Ringo is bad I can trust Bucky to be a "steady Eddy."
I can say that I'm much better with horses when they're naughty now, compared to right after I stopped riding Seeker. But sometimes it just sucks because I love my horse, and on a day like today all I wanted to do was get off and walk away. I do not ever want to do that, ever.
Bucky and Ringo are so similar - they look alike. But while Bucky is a great all-around horse - he packs little kids and adults alike, and is always sweet and careful with them - Ringo is better at dressage. I was just thinking today that if Bucky could earn a statewide reserve championship two years in a row, what could Ringo do? Much more, probably. At the height of my training with Bucky, he was showing between 1st and 2nd levels, and had confirmed several elements from 3rd, 4th, and PSG levels. We were regularly schooling canter pirouettes and had started doing four tempi changes. This is from a horse that was not bred for dressage. His conformation is more that of a hunter.
Ringo's pedigree on his sire's side is pretty much all big-name dressage stars such as Rubenstein I and Rohdiamant. When I was lunging him, I could see his lovely natural uphill trot. He is a whole lot of potential.
I'm rambling here, but I hope that in the next few rides, Ringo will be significantly better and we won't see the bucking again for a long time.
:\ Great Blog! But disappointed with Ringo... Hope he'll behave shortly!
ReplyDeleteLove Daddy,