Sunday, February 15, 2009
Takoda lost interest in the walk/halt exercises early on - about 5-7 minutes into it. I repeatedly had to correct him for getting distracted at the halt, despite the fact that my halts were not lasting more than a second or two, and it still didn't help. To make matters worse, he got spooked. As the lead line I was using was not long enough, the rope went right through my hands when he reared, and he got away. Thank goodness for gloves or my hands would have been shredded! He was so naughty after that, not letting me catch him. I resorted to asking my daughter for help, and he did let her approach him and catch him.
Lessons Learned: (1) a longe line is the only thing long enough to keep him from breaking completely away (I bought one tonight that came with a detachable chain).
(2) I should have made him go right back to work after my daughter caught him instead of giving him turnout time to work off his energy. He needs to learn to stop working when I say it's OK, not when he wants to.
(3) I forgot to breathe!
Something Cherie taught me is that running around with a line attached to a chain on his nose is actually going to punish him when he steps on it - which he deserved. I was so caught up in getting that chain OFF of him to protect him from himself that I neglected teaching him anything I wanted him to learn. I was also unaware he could not be badly hurt by it. Good to know! Thank you, Cherie!
Major "aha" moment happened today when I realized I have incredible fear on the ground of rearing and bucking and being kicked, but almost zero fear of anything in the saddle (and there have been some doozies!). When I examined why that is, I realized all my early training was done in the saddle. I took lessons some 25 years ago, and I guess ground work was not a part of riding programs back then (I did have a really experienced instructor, so I doubt it was her ineffectiveness but more what she had been taught), so I have zero experience working with horses on the ground aside from how to care for them (which is how I paid for those lessons). I also just wanted to ride so badly that later in life I just got on any horse I could get access to and rode. I am finding that with the things I have experience in, I have tremendous confidence in, and the area I have no experience, I have great fear and ZERO confidence! Go figure! (Duh, Beata lol)
I just hope Cherie is still willing to work with me now that I know just how "green" I am on ground work! My book knowledge combined with my lack of hands-on ground work is causing me to think too much and not listen to my instincts. I want to learn to shut off the thinking and the fear and go with my instincts. I trust my instincts. I feel safe when I listen to them. But when fear starts out louder than my instincts, I have a hard time hearing them.
Monday I will download a cute video that my daughter shot of Takoda playing in water. Stay tuned....
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