Three questions. One day. That would be yesterday, Friday. It was the second-to-last day of school, and of all the questions running through my mind, only three stood out. They all popped into my head at the same time, at the same place. Amazing, huh?
Here goes the story of what I did at the barn yesterday:
Erica picked me up from home at about 3:15 pm. We drove from my house to the barn. Right when we passed this mini farm, Erica - right in the middle of her sentence - shouts out, "BABY PONIESSS!!" It was funny. Anyways, we got to the barn at about 3:30 pm. First, we went over to the house to hang out for a few minutes. After a little while, though, I ran over to the barn. By then, it was close to, oh, maybe 3:45 pm. Erica told me I was riding Sonny until Ann, his lesson student, got there. So I grabbed Sonny's halter and a peppermint and trekked out to the closest lot that's on the side of the driveway (the geldings were there) and grabbed Sonny.
That retarded horse wouldn't stop trying to knock me down! I had to jerk on him a few times, and he still wouldn't stop. So the next time he rubbed up against me - when I was trying to put him in the crossties - I reeled my fist back and jammed him in the nose. Don't worry, I didn't hurt him. No blood, no actual pain or noises of pain. It just startled him. And good thing, too, because I was loosing my temper.
I managed to get Sonny brushed, saddled, and bridled just as Isabel and Gracie were getting on (Isabel on Pete, Gracie on April). Walking and trotting, I got Sonny to behave. I attempted three figure-8's, but only one of them worked out. When we cantered, I was very pleased. I sat his canter well, and I think he's beginning to move forward more than up and down.
Then, Ann got there. So, it was time to go get Zan! I handed Sonny off to Ann, she got on, and I fetched Zan. My boy didn't run from me in the field this time! As we walked into the barn, I noticed that Ann was having trouble with Sonny. He seemed to be half-halting at points, and at other times he would speed up so much he looked like Zan. Sighing, I put Zan in the crossties before standing against the arena wall to help Ann.
"Squeeze with your legs when he slows down like that." I said once.
"Okay," said Ann slowly as she tried to get him to move forward and collect under her. She only got him to move forward once. So, I said,
"Cluck to him while squeezing your legs. If he still doesn't move forward, give him a kick or two. Be careful, though, don't jerk on the reins."
"Got it." Ann got it! Literally. She got him to move forward. =D I might be able to instruct people after all. ;)
During my ride on Zan, we got to ride with Kristen, on Mona. We had lots of conversation. One of them was on how far Zan has come, right after our first canter, when Zan picked up the correct lead on the first time, and wasn't too speedy.
"Whew!" I said. "That felt awesome! He's such a good boy."
"Wow..." says Kristen.
"What?" I say, afraid she's about to say that I did something wrong.
"I just can't believe how far he's come. Picks up the right leads, his steps aren't as choppy, he's slower than he used to be,..."
"I know! He's such a good, good boy. He listens so well."
While we were talking, I tried to calculate everything Zan and I have done in the past 6 months. But that's something for another post. ;)
Guess what else I got Zan to do? We JUMPED. A very, very small jump, but a jump nonetheless. Zan went over it three, four, maybe five times. The fourth and fifth time, he didn't even do his little prancy thing when he went over it. He just took it like a normal horse, and he did great! He went over the trot poles more than a few times.
I'm so proud of my boy!
Here goes the story of what I did at the barn yesterday:
Erica picked me up from home at about 3:15 pm. We drove from my house to the barn. Right when we passed this mini farm, Erica - right in the middle of her sentence - shouts out, "BABY PONIESSS!!" It was funny. Anyways, we got to the barn at about 3:30 pm. First, we went over to the house to hang out for a few minutes. After a little while, though, I ran over to the barn. By then, it was close to, oh, maybe 3:45 pm. Erica told me I was riding Sonny until Ann, his lesson student, got there. So I grabbed Sonny's halter and a peppermint and trekked out to the closest lot that's on the side of the driveway (the geldings were there) and grabbed Sonny.
That retarded horse wouldn't stop trying to knock me down! I had to jerk on him a few times, and he still wouldn't stop. So the next time he rubbed up against me - when I was trying to put him in the crossties - I reeled my fist back and jammed him in the nose. Don't worry, I didn't hurt him. No blood, no actual pain or noises of pain. It just startled him. And good thing, too, because I was loosing my temper.
I managed to get Sonny brushed, saddled, and bridled just as Isabel and Gracie were getting on (Isabel on Pete, Gracie on April). Walking and trotting, I got Sonny to behave. I attempted three figure-8's, but only one of them worked out. When we cantered, I was very pleased. I sat his canter well, and I think he's beginning to move forward more than up and down.
Then, Ann got there. So, it was time to go get Zan! I handed Sonny off to Ann, she got on, and I fetched Zan. My boy didn't run from me in the field this time! As we walked into the barn, I noticed that Ann was having trouble with Sonny. He seemed to be half-halting at points, and at other times he would speed up so much he looked like Zan. Sighing, I put Zan in the crossties before standing against the arena wall to help Ann.
"Squeeze with your legs when he slows down like that." I said once.
"Okay," said Ann slowly as she tried to get him to move forward and collect under her. She only got him to move forward once. So, I said,
"Cluck to him while squeezing your legs. If he still doesn't move forward, give him a kick or two. Be careful, though, don't jerk on the reins."
"Got it." Ann got it! Literally. She got him to move forward. =D I might be able to instruct people after all. ;)
During my ride on Zan, we got to ride with Kristen, on Mona. We had lots of conversation. One of them was on how far Zan has come, right after our first canter, when Zan picked up the correct lead on the first time, and wasn't too speedy.
"Whew!" I said. "That felt awesome! He's such a good boy."
"Wow..." says Kristen.
"What?" I say, afraid she's about to say that I did something wrong.
"I just can't believe how far he's come. Picks up the right leads, his steps aren't as choppy, he's slower than he used to be,..."
"I know! He's such a good, good boy. He listens so well."
While we were talking, I tried to calculate everything Zan and I have done in the past 6 months. But that's something for another post. ;)
Guess what else I got Zan to do? We JUMPED. A very, very small jump, but a jump nonetheless. Zan went over it three, four, maybe five times. The fourth and fifth time, he didn't even do his little prancy thing when he went over it. He just took it like a normal horse, and he did great! He went over the trot poles more than a few times.
I'm so proud of my boy!
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