Under the Microscope

Aurora recently said she is an over-thinker, but I might have her beat. At any rate, this is the first meeting for Over-Thinkers Anonymous. 

I have been over-thinking good days and bad days, energy, expectations, visualizations, weather, and just plain showing up and doing the work. 

Today is day 5 “back to work,” and we woke up to snow. 

The weather is different, Katie isn’t coming, and I went out later in the day (yesterday was right after the horse’s had breakfast). New variables, different horse?

I started out in the barn room looking at old photos of Tumbleweed.

Here are some golden oldies. He is going to be eight this May.

The first thing that hit me was how his baby play with Foxy and Rosalee was comprised of the exact same moves he busted out on Day 1-3 in the sandbox. It was him feeling his oats.

But those are largely gone now.

Different day, same pose at the mounting block.

Still enjoying a good roll.

He was a little less connected, not in my pocket, but super chill and he performed all of his walk to trot to lope, to walk transitions without any excess emotions.

We also did some backing up, lowering the head, then backing nicely, and some all over body rubs, each side. A little pole work. 

That’s it, because my purpose was to recreate yesterday’s warmup as closely as I could and try to dissect what kind of energy and expectations I am bringing to the sessions under different circumstances. What do they call that? Catching lightning in a bottle?

For example, if I had gone out there with the desire to ride him, would I have brought nervous energy with me? 

That’s what I’m going to find out by adding one new thing to this routine everyday.

We’ve got some decent temperatures in the forecast this week, so I should be able to ride quite a bit.

And even on the darkest days, there can be a bit of sun.

Katie Day

Today was the day Katie came by, and I had told her not to expect much except groundwork, considering the energy Tumbleweed had the last few sessions. But that wasn’t the case today. 

When I went to get him he was just so mellow and fully connected, a totally different horse. We had twenty minutes to do some basic stuff before Katie arrived, and he was gentle as a kitten.  At liberty, he wouldn’t leave my side. On the lead, he was fully tuned in and respectful. 

Wild Dan came out to see us and entertained Tweed for a bit. 

Then Grady came out, too. 

We did light work over poles and coming to the mounting block. 

Then Katie arrived and I updated her. Yeah, you’re going to be riding today. He’s all there for you. 

She got to it. 

She was very happy with him and says we’re about 80-90% where he left off. 

When she was done with him, I got Epona. 

Epona hadn’t been worked with, so she had some stuff. She was about Tweed on Day 2, a little looky, running, bucking, and wanting to roll. Not bad, but she didn’t get a ride in. It was all groundwork, which made me happy I’d already done it with Tweed.

He watched Epona the entire time she was gone. 

I love this plan. We’re going to meet once a week for now, and it will really help me get him started right. If there are any holes or I reach a mental road block, Katie will help us past it. 

We are going to be so ready for spring!

Winter Horse Crazies

 

Third day working with Tumbleweed, and he still has a lot of pent up energy, so no rides. He has a case of the bucks, kicks, rolls, and spooks. 

All I’m really asking for right now is connection, and he gives that to me well when he’s near me. His emotions get bigger when I push him away and ask him to work on the long line. He picks up the trot on his own, and I try to get him back to the walk, then I have him face up and rest when he listens. 

Since it’s winter, he hasn’t had much turnout, and he has energy he needs to release.

To help him get that energy out safely, I’m going to start putting him in the arena with some buddy horses everyday. The sand is just too tempting for a horse who wants (and needs) to get the crazies out. 

I’m still waiting to get with Katie, but I’d like to have him quieter before she comes. We’re expecting a temperature climb next week, and that will probably be the best time to really work him. Right now, it’s in the teens at night and just above freezing during the day, so I hesitate to get him all sweaty where he needs a really long cool down period, and that’s what it’s going to take.

Update: Katie is coming tomorrow.

How about you all? Hunkering down, or trying to work your horses in winter?

Expect the Best, Be Prepared For the Worst

 

I made a mistake yesterday, but I don’t hold it against myself. After all, it is better to do something than nothing. Something, at least, gives you information. 

I went out expecting the best, and unprepared for the worst. That’s on me. 

I brought with us a bridle, a bareback pad, and lunge line. That’s it. And everything was fine, until we got to the scary side of the arena, the one I assume is scariest for every horse everywhere, because it’s opposite the main gate and furthest from the herd and barn. 

At that point, Tweed was sure he saw an imaginary cow with a plastic bag in its mouth running toward us. The one we saw two years ago, but now is only a memory. No cows. No bags. Just ghosts of the past. 

But that was enough that he was wanting to run, buck, pull back, cut in, kick, and roll. And all I had was the tail end of my lunge rope, my body language, energy, and resolve. All of which was enough to turn it around, but not at all what would have been best in that situation. (Word to the wise, NEVER wrap the rope around your hand. I didn’t, and never do, but that first pull back would have taken my hand off if I had. I was thanking the gods of good training LAWS, which are a step above mere rules.)

Anyway, I worked him until he could do walk and trot transitions with no drama. And that was it. No bareback riding. All that tack went back, tail between its legs, to the tack room. 

Fast Forward to today after I thought it through and came up with the title of this blog. All the good energy and intentions in the world are sometimes not enough for what you encounter, and certainly no substitute for time and training. It all goes hand-in-hand as much as heart-to-heart.

Tweed has been off for a couple months, as Katie got sick and couldn’t make it to our appointment, and he was feeling independent of me, a little herd bound, and excited to be in a big sand box where he wanted to LET LOOSE. 

But today I was prepared, flag in hand, and a woman with a plan: work him where he is comfortable, and rest him where’s he not. 

It made a big difference. He still had lots of energy, but I was able to more safely direct it over poles. He did try to roll again, but I got after him with the flag. He jumped up, pulled back, and I just told him to move right on along. When he realized he was outmatched, his respect re-emerged, along with his manners. 

I will say, when I visualize what I’m asking for first, say the walk to trot, it goes smoother…when we’re tuned into each other. 

When we were done, I took him into the round pen and released him for that long awaited roll in the sand.

Then I took him back to the barn where I’m going to rest him awhile. He looked a little off on his right front. 

Above his stall, Wild Thing Dan was walking the edge of the stall fronts. (Don’t jump down and scare my boy!!)

All is well that ends well, ..for the prepared. Tumbleweed will be much more ready by the time Katie does arrive. At least we will have dealt with the false-spring zoomies and ghosts of past curious cows.