Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Not in a happy place...

I'm not in a happy place today, even tho' I have TWO new bras I bought over the weekend! Family stuff. bleah. Wears me the f*#! out.

A rock hit my windshield on the way into work today so I called the auto glass place to fix the divot before it spreads and cracks all across my field o' vision. It is sunny and it will be low 70s today. At least I'll get out over lunch and get some sunshine on my shrivelled, pasty skin!

Also makes me think I will get to ride my horses tonight which always puts my funny little noggin back in the right place.

Oh - I almost forgot! Speakin' of....

Rosso? The young thoroughbred I brought home for free a couple years ago? He is a bit of a spaz. I've worked him through A LOT.

Now he will stand politely for the farrier vs. slamming his foot down and leaping 6' backwards. He can go out in the pasture to graze like a normal animal vs. running full speed through the fence - not once but twice. He loads in and out of the trailer without being a complete butthead. He stands tied vs. throwing himself backward, breaking the lead rope and falling ass over tea kettle. He lunges nicely now, fully tacked, in both directions vs. the picture over to the left. This winter I had him going really well under saddle too!

Only now that he is stronger and gaining weight, he thinks he is pretty hot shit. Too hot in fact to work. He thinks maybe he should have a fan club and groupies vs. the whole 'working for a living' concept. He's been a big pill under saddle this spring and he's been trying to bully me with some pretty naughty things. Bolting and bucking... not so much fun. I don't think I bounce so well anymore should I come off AND I don't want Rosso thinking he could dump me if he decides he wants to.

I know that I could get through it with a lot of work and help from my trainer. My trainer has much more faith in my seat than I do. She thinks I'd stay on just fine. I'm not so sure.

However, my mare is going really well and I'm getting her ready to show this summer. I don't want to take up lesson time working on the naughty things with the baby horse, I want to continue working on the cool, fun, new things I'm learning with my mare who isn't trying to unload me.

Not that I don't want to put time into my lovely, young butthead, however, I'd really rather skip the scary drama of his "I don't WANNA" antics.

I'm taking him to a trainer up the road for help. I'm really excited about this actually. Anthony comes recommended by the woman I ride and train with. (She can't take Rosso cuz she is up to her eyeballs in horses right now) I know other people that have taken their young horses to Anthony with nice results and the BEST part is that Anthony is all about hands on.

I talked to him and told him I'd really like to watch what he is doing, learn from him and have sort of an intensive "what to do with your naughty, naughty baby horse" camp. Anthony is all over that and says he has no problems with me watching, learning and being as hands on as I want. I hope it will really increase my knowledge, confidence and know how when it comes to Baby Rosso.

Since Rosso is already broke to ride, Anthony thinks 2 full weeks vs. 30 days will be enough to get a new and respectful attitude from Rosso. I can take over and begin having fun with him again vs. all the drama.

Oh.

That, and, errmmm, Anthony is built like a friggin' brick house (I know you know that song...)and is awfully easy on the eyes. Did I mention he's an Aussie with a lovely Aussie accent and he keeps calling me mate?

No. Really, Furry Husband. I'm going there to improve my HORSE skills.

Can I help it if the scenery doesn't suck?




14 comments:

Kelley said...

HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!!! Loved the bra story... and this one. HOpe things go well with Rosso and Anthony... I hear he is a hunk, and good with horses. Nice!! Can't wait to hear all about it.

DebH said...

well if he looks a bit like Hugh J. and does the Austrailia accent...I want photos and video and perhaps a sweaty hanky from wiping his brow!!!

Shanster said...

Kelley -- yeah, it should be really interesting I think. Rex says he is an excellent horseman so I stand to learn a lot I think!

DebH -- I'll have to send you the sweaty hankerchief cuz I'm sure Furry Husband will get a complex if I sleep with it under my pillow!

Heather said...

That is awesome! I don't know how many times I considered sending Boomer to a trainer over the past year. Not having a trailer was the main reason I kept him around, though I have realized that I do still bounce. :)

I can't wait to hear about the progress!

Heather said...

Oh, how did you fix the pulling back issue? Boomer came with that one as well. I tried a 'belly rope' ( a lasso around his belly, threaded through the halter, tied to something) and he just got more determined to pull back, using all four legs to plant himself, rather than rearing up and flailing wildly. I also tried leaving him tied to a tree all day. He was totally fine with that, unless you did something scary (spray bottle, etc) then he would pull back like crazy then settle down when he couldn't get away. Pretty much, I can tie him with a nylon halter to an immovable object and he still pulls back, if I tie him in his leather halter to something less substantial, he pulls back like crazy, convinced he WILL get away. I don't really tie him up anymore unless we are near our Blocker Tie Ring, which usually works. He has gotten better about stopping and 'coming back to this world' if I say woah, AND whatever he spooked at wasn't that scary. So, things are much more manageable, but I still live with a horse that can't be trusted when tied to not flip over backwards.

Shanster said...

Yeah - part of me was feeling like a weenie about taking him to someone but I don't anymore, I am more excited about it because I hope to learn a bunch!

The pulling back thing.. I did the rope thru the legs and if I was near and he began to pull back I'd growl at him to knock it off and he did?? Which I know is probably not ME or any big training idea. But if he began flailing I would have untied him vs. him breaking my trailer tie (again).

I cheated by having my old gelding near-by when leaving him tied. Which really worked wonders with Rosso relaxing and not being scared. He'd begin to freak out, see my old gelding was rock steady, reach out and touch the old gelding with his nose and then relax. I gradually weaned him off having my old gelding near...

BUT I'm not at all sure if I take him to a show or clinic I could leave him tied to the trailer to chill out while I did other stuff until he's more used to new things?

Oh - and he did pull back, break his lead and fell backwards out of the trailer once. sigh - what a goober.

That one I tried fixing by asking him back and then asking for "whoa" - if he got wild eyed and went backwards anyway, I knew I couldn't hold him so I'd load him again and ask again. If he stopped, he got lots of cookies and skritches. I'd ask him to go back again, if I said whoa and he didn't, I just loaded him again and we'd do it again.

Now I can tell him whoa and he'll stop 1/2 way out, 3/4 of the way out, one foot out, 3 feet out etc. And he looks unconcerned - now he snorffles around looking for cookies vs. being a panicky freak.

Not that I use cookies for training all the time but for this instance I did cuz I didn't know any other way to make him WANT to stop and stay IN the trailer on my own. I knew I couldn't stop him with brute force...

I'll talk to Anthony and see if he does anything for pulling back because it is another concern of mine if I take Rosso out and about - it'd be nice to not have to be at the trailer the entire time babysitting!

I've also heard the stretch ties can work because the horse doesn't feel anything support them? I worry those things will snap and the horse will loose an eye... but that is just me and my incredibly over active "what if" brain!!

Heather said...

It isn't just you with the stretch things. I just dont trust my idiot horse being attached to elastic with metal at either end...
Grain was about the only motivator that got Boomer into the trailer. I don't mind reinforcing with a positive food reward if it works!
I think part of what worked with Boomer was NOT untying him when he freaked. And he is fine most of the time, but I just wish I could tie him to something and fly spray him without having to deal with WW3 coming down on my head.
Though, we al have our quirks and I suppose I am OK with accommodating him on this one. We did get an open stall trailer so he wouldn't have to be tied.

Shanster said...

My trailer sort of sucks to tie to because if he pulls, the aluminum snap will break! When I ride, I tie to my trailer and I keep all my tack and grooming stuff in the trailer.

So I'd rather untie him if he's gonna get loose anyway by snapping the aluminum trailer tie and save me buying a new one! Besides, that way he doesn't get loose to run all around like a big twit. I still have him!

If I had a steel tie that I knew wouldn't break, I'd leave him tied and let him struggle!

I have a better tie in another place and I'd tie him there for hours using 2 leads so if he broke one, he'd still be tied. But like you, that spot is in a place that doesn't bother him and he WILL stand there all day...

Baby horses are SO incredibly rewarding but they can also be really frustrating can't they?

Cheryl said...

He sounds like a character from a romance novel, sigh...
is he looking for anyone?...

I say milk the training for all it's worth, maybe it's a good thing Rosso is an adolescent butthead.

PS, how's the gardening going?

Shanster said...

Hey Cheryl! I know, it's like some Fabio novel isn't it? Only better cuz Fabio is not my type.

Gardening is at a stand still... the instructions I had wanted me to rototill, wait for the disturbed weeds to begin growing, spray them to kill and THEN plant my grass seed... I'm hoping to spray weeds this weekend or the beginning of next week! :)

I'm so much more into instant gratification...

Foxxy said...

I definitely want to see pictures of the Hot Aussie. Good luck with your problem child.

Shanster said...

I sure hope he photographs well and doesn't make a liar outta me! :)

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Shanster,
Butthead horses and hottie Aussies? Whatta post ... but if he looks anything like Hugh J, whoa I'm on board. He's the only reason I see the X-Men movies! Fortunately both of us drool at his sight so no jealousies here. :-)

Shanster said...

IVG - Yes, that is a good thing! My poor Furry Husband has raised eyebrows over this post and is questioning my motives. Awww, he knows there is only room in my heart for him...