I'm serious. The past two weeks have been ridiculously miserable as far as wind is concerned. 40 mph gusts every day. It sucks. The dumbest part is that Izzy really doesn't mind the wind at all. She's no spookier than usual, which isn't very spooky to begin with. It's me. I HATE WIND. It just sucks all the joy out of life.
We have ridden every day, regardless.
Yesterday it was so windy that a massive tarp blew up against the arena fence. When I got Izzy out, she about fell down because something had changed. PANIC!! WE HATE CHANGE!! (At least, she does. I'm ok with change, not ok with wind). I made her walk up to the tarp and sniff it. Then I threw it up in the air and kicked it around a bit. She got over it pretty quickly.
I put her on the lunge line more on a whim than anything. I didn't think she'd need it, since I just rode the day before. I was right... mostly. Then the wind kicked up. PANIC!! THE TARP MOVED!!! Izzy galloped and galloped and snorted and bucked and spooked and spun around and had a meltdown... and then settled down and was fine.
In fact, when I got on her, she was ridiculously quiet. We even had some of our best canter work ever. The wind blew, the tarp moved, whatever. Nothing bothered her.
Today, she was really quiet on the lunge, but when I got on, she realized that someone had picked up the tarp and it was no longer by the fence. Hm. More change. We avoided panic, but she gave the rail the stink eye and we avoided that spot.
PS Denali, the barn is moving from a totally land locked five acres in the middle of new development to a much more rural 40 acres with access to trails. I think it's a good thing.
Note to self: be grateful for elephant-like 3 year old who doesn't spook at anything.
ReplyDeletesigh...can I PUH LEASE have some of Izzy's confidence for Laz?! Wind + Tarp flying up = rope burned hands.
ReplyDeleteI hate the wind too. Around here, I worry about flying tree branches, so I'm not too keen about riding when it's really windy. Not sure Tucker and I would end up together if confronted by a TARP in the WIND!!! Eeeek!
ReplyDeleteI am the same way. L could care less about wind and even tarps but I get spooked easily. It's more the fact that I see the wind pick up and tense up, waiting to get launched, but it just never happens. Yay for brave mares :)
ReplyDeleteThere is wind everywhere! We had so much wind in such a short amount of time that part of our old maple tree fell over! And there are now pinecones in our yard from I don't even know where! Wind with horses is always very scary. Sometimes my mare freaks and other times she doesn't. But it always makes me edgy!
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