Friday, January 22, 2010

Testing and being tested

Today I headed out to the barn to ride Lily, while the BO rode Cibolo. She wanted to recreate the
problem and evaluate it.

In the meantime I've back slid a bit.

But let's start at the beginning. Once again I arrived before anyone at the barn, so I went ahead and fed everyone. No sense in standing around.

Then I took Lily and Cibolo over for a round penning session. Lily hasn't been ridden in weeks and I figures I'd just check how she was doing.

She had gotten a little pushy on the ground and I noticed she was no longer low horse. Shiloh, our old and somewhat sickly arabian at the barn. I suspect he's weakened somehow and Lily, having been pushed around for some time, is now pushing him around. Usually she doesn't dare come out to be put in her stall for eating before Shiloh. Today, she did.

So I figured this rather dramatic change in her world would affect her sense of herself in the greater herd as well.

Sure enough, she bucked up a storm in the round pen. Remembering the advice I've been given here, at every evidence of ... insolence (that term seems a little harsh...) or disrespect, I turned her. A buck, an unasked for change in gait, an attempt to come in before invited, I turned her on her haunches.

It's something like when we first bought her, except this time she didn't seem nervous. She seemed... irritated to be put back down a rung.

Once I got licking and chewing in both directions, I invited her in. She was lovely and giving. Followed me perfectly.

Then it was Cibolo's turn. He did pretty well, no bucking, but there was some gait issues, some attempts to come in. Nothing compared to the Lily session. Ironically.

On the trail, though, it was as it has been. Lily, at most barn sour and turning for the barn twice, Cibolo showing the BO his testing behavior. I'll write a bit more about it tomorrow. It's been a long day.


6 comments:

Fantastyk Voyager said...

Ah the suspense...
I'll be tuned it tomorrow then.

Flying Lily said...

Very interesting how the herd position carries through under saddle etc. Curious how your ride went.

Leah Fry said...

I look forward to hearing the rest of the story, too.

jacksonsgrrl said...

Tell us already! :) Isn't it wonderful how once horses get away with something once and have your number they just keep on doing it?
Jackson has now decided he is afraid of cars and trucks! MY TOTALLY bomb proof road horse has my number. I'll post on it if he does it again, b/c I tremble in my boots when he does a 360 in the middle of a road. OH WHERE HAS THIS COME FROM? Sigh. Always, always something!

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Shirley said...

Gaah! You got spam in the comment before mine!
Good job in the round pen. I hope I can find one to use here this year as I want to start Chickory under saddle in a couple of months. Looking forward to the rest of the story.