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| The best at a flash and his dressage bit |
Oh, and also Courage is on a challenging streak.
See, his race trainer always comes out to see him and says, "Hey Asshole," and they get along famously. But here's the rub: he's serious. Courage is not the sort of horse who just tries and tries and tries all day and bends over backwards to please you. He is the sort of horse that takes pride in being the best at things, but doesn't like to be wrong when he's learning and does like to push boundaries and find out what he really has to do.
It's not bad, per se, it's just who he is.
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| His innocent face |
Sigh.
Don't get me wrong. He's not being terrible. I'm riding through it. We're getting a lot of that boring "training" stuff done. He's getting more consistent in the contact and stronger driving from behind. He's learning to accept me as alpha all the time and pay attention even when the brain gerbils are going ALL THE DIRECTIONS.
I'd even like to say that I've been all super gung ho and like DO ALL THE THINGS COURAGE, but I haven't. I'm riding well because I need to ride well and I'm appreciating the progress we're making, but I'm tired and I kind of just want to go for a hack without losing half the marbles.
My problems are similar but not the same but still related, I am so totally with you on this. I just want left bend, not a massive overreaction to my leg aid because WHAT THE H- IS THAT!
ReplyDeleteYou could be describing Pig. Doesn't like to be wrong. Loves to push boundaries and buttons. Lazy as all get out.
ReplyDeleteYep. The bad moments are ugly. The good moments are magic. The hacking ability will come, if you keep at it. If you can't that day, don't worry about it. Not fighting with them is so much better than fighting because you "have to." At least, that's been my experience.
I think you're doing a great job with this little guy. He's clearly an independent pony, used to being at the top of the food chain. But, he's kind, and you're capable. You'll get there. :)
Going through something similar but it ended up being a tooth issue...hopefully we solve it...hopefully Courage grows up a bit for ya too!
ReplyDeleteLol no he isn't kidding when he calls him that...but at least Mr. Courage is reliable!
ReplyDeleteYou could have written exactly this and swapped out "Courage" for "Mo" and it would have been 100% accurate except the race trainer part. He's being a shit. That's baby horses. Two weeks from now he'll be back to being SuperHorse.
ReplyDeleteIt is really cool that his old race trainer comes out to see him! Sending good vibes for getting through this challenging patch with Mr Rage.
ReplyDeletebahahahaha! I could SO hear him saying that as I read this! Thank you for the giggle....
ReplyDeleteSometimes you make amazing leaps and bounds every ride, sometimes it's an uphill battle to be half as good as you were last week. Oh, the joys of horses. Sometimes. ;)
ReplyDeleteThose kind of horses are really challenging, but will make you a better rider!
ReplyDeleteBeen in that place before, the best thing about it... is how awesome it feels when you leave it behind! You guys will get there. :)
ReplyDeleteI think a few of us feel ya there! B and I are in a rut but it's mainly lack of knowledge in our case.
ReplyDelete**I pressed enter before I could finish** It's just a bump in the road! You'll get over it and be flying high again soon.
Deleteat least his 'innocent face' is super adorable! and still looks great in that bridle :)
ReplyDeleteAww! A good hack is great for clearing your mind and feeling refreshed and ready to get back to work..... but sadly not if the gerbils are loose. Sorry you're kind of stuck. You will work through it though so don't feel discouraged!
ReplyDeleteI've actually really enjoyed the cooler weather (but not the rain!!!!) because Chrome is so lazy, but the weather has him feeling more energetic. I love it. :D Thankfully his gerbils are staying on the wheel. He is slightly spookier than usual, but nothing we can't handle. I hope as you settle into a winter routine that Courage chills out again. Keep up the great work!
Brain gerbils!!! hahahah, that makes me laugh. And I know ECACTLY what you mean!
ReplyDeleteOh baby horses! You'll laugh about this period at some point (I too am wondering when I might start laughing)!
ReplyDeleteI sympathize, Fawkes is also not super interested in pleasing me. He doesn't object to making me happy but it is not his primary goal in life and some days he wants to push his own agenda. And why do they have to make us work All. The. Time??
ReplyDeleteAfter a year of riding my baby horse (now 5 and a half!), we are finally reaching a place where he trusts me and we are getting better and better and better. There are still lots of challenges in our way -- hind end throughness, balance, being an accordion -- but we have been making leaps and bounds lately. You will get there! I may have been sulky during, but I will never regret the time I took to build this pony right.
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