We sort of expected it to be since Round 2 was up at my trainer's indoor arena and Rosso is much more behaved away from his homies.
I lunged him... he was a bit foot sore and it made me smile on the inside when Rex told me, "Too bad. I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for him when he's acting like such a shitbird. If he was being nice and he was foot sore? We'd be nice to him and put him away, but he isn't being nice at all right now, so too bad for him."
It sounded like someone else's blog I read who has a horse named Pete!
I attached the lunge line to his bit ring and I walked him to the middle of the arena. I made lots o' noise - slapping the stirrup leathers, patting his stomach, flank, neck, big, red butt.... I put my foot in the stirrup and I hopped up and down.... I laid my stomach across the saddle and slapped the other side of his belly.... I slowly brought my leg over and sat on him. I patted his neck and let him stand quietly.
I asked him to walk forward. And he did. And he did it nicely. There was no neck shaking, no jigging, no threats. He stayed calm and relaxed.
Rex asked, "Are you breathing?"
"Barely..." so I took a deep breath.
Rex asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Scared."
Rex laughed, "Well you are hiding it really well - you look relaxed! Your hands and seat are nicely following."
"Well my legs are shaking."
"It's o.k. - you look relaxed and you are doing a good job!"
Since Rosso was on Angel Mode, I walked, trotted and cantered in both directions for a wee bit of time. I moved him to the middle of the arena and let him stand on a loose rein while I chatted with Rex. He stayed relaxed and even cocked a hip to rest on 3 legs.
I asked him to walk forward again - which he did nicely. I halted, jumped down and loosened his girth. The whole ride lasted mebbe 20 minutes.
See you big, red, turd? When you are nice, things are EASY, EASY, EASY!
Rex will come to my place again this Sunday for my lesson on Rosso. I'm not sure he is convinced to be nice at home yet. I'll let y'all know...
2 comments:
Are you going to work with him any before Rex comes? Maybe you could just lunge him before dinner time so that he doesn't think he is getting free meals?
Oh yeah - every day I don't ride him, he is getting lunged. If he shakes his head or otherwise objects or is paying attention to anything other than me while he's on the lunge I chase him all around and make it hard on him. When he is nice and doing what I ask, I let up.
Don't worry - he's not getting any "free" days right now! :)
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