I think it’s safe to say, our horses don’t like going off to training.
But they sure do appreciate their owners after a little time at boot camp.
Epona is going into her second month soon. Today is her 4th birthday! Can you believe it?
Happy birthday, sweet sad Epona!
The second month is their big month, where she will get exposure to trails. If you want them to be finished on trails, you’d probably need double the amount of time she will be there. Maybe more. But that is something we tend do ourselves because you have to figure it out yourself at some point. Sink or swim as they say.
My daughter went down and rode her and found out she is a lot like her mama, a bit slow and on the lazier side. That has its pluses and minuses for a trail horse. It can be a lot of work for the rider to keep them going. You can’t just sit back and drink a beer or the rest of your group will be done and gone before you even get started. On the plus side, they probably aren’t going to be running away with you. I appreciated that about her mama. (Who will be accompanying Tweed and I tomorrow on the trail.)
Epona had a rough adjustment for the first two weeks. As we figured, she was stressed in her new environment. She was given something to help her tummy, and then seeing my daughter and realizing she wasn’t abandoned after all, and she is doing much better now.
If she was closer, my daughter would be helping with the training. It is the best way to do it because you’re growing with your horse AND it takes the stress off of them from separation anxiety. In fact, she did do that with Cowgirl. She was there by our trainer everyday, learning to start her and putting on the first rides.
So, it was kind of like going home again, and the two of them, daughter and trainer, got to spend the weekend catching up.
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It smelled like summer for the first time, yesterday. We found ourselves alone again, and so rode our bikes in the evening to a nearby lake with a bottle of wine.
There are moments when you think, it just can’t get better than this.
That separation anxiety is powerful in horses. I know it really affects Gussie. Another month to go through, Epona! You can do it!
ReplyDeleteA bottle of wine and time at the lake sounds perfect!
It takes them a minute to adjust to a new place and new work schedule. A lot is thrown at them from the first week. She was being ridden out for the first time yesterday. Woot woot.
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