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Post by frenchie on May 19, 2012 13:18:54 GMT
:)All sounds good Beks, just remember not to hit yourself with that big old stick! that can be a difficult habit to break but necessary.  |
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Post by beksnjake on May 19, 2012 14:54:36 GMT
Ahh the big stick - a very important part of my psyche I fear, it gets used in other areas of my life frenchie too!!
Today ticked off two things on my "need to do" list - not that I realised I had one until today!
Firstly, riding a different route, did a hack I've not done since before Christmas, so quite a push on the old comfort zone - especially with the addition of tractors collecting silage.
Secondly I rode out with someone other than mum and/or L - a new livery at my old yard joined us - a lovely lady with a gorgeous ex-race horse Bailey, a total gentleman who funnily enough Polly (L's pony) is in love with.
So a different route AND a different horse/rider. Interestingly Bailey sends out good vibes, both Josh & Jake took to him immediately - he has long legs so had to be in-front with a love-sick Polly behind him ;D
The tractors proved to be a potential challenge, but like Jake, Bailey is OK with them, and although we ended up with one & a full trailer of silage behind us everyone remained calm. I was worried but not about Jake's reactions (he's usually trying to see if its a John Deere and what make of trailer it is etc) but more about Polly & Josh if they reacted badly. But as mum & L keep telling me that isn't my problem, as Jake won't react even if they try to go. I know, but those thoughts are hard to shut up in my head at times. And I know that both mum & L are shit scared about meeting tractors on narrow lanes, relying on sensible Jake to keep control of the situation. . . .
Anyway it was a really good ride in lovely weather - perhaps spring is finally here!
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Post by heidi on May 19, 2012 21:54:26 GMT
I have to confess, that I even drive on the wrong side of the road coming down the hill with the 10ft drop at the side! If I meet anything coming up, I reverse back to the junction. Knowing how many rabbits are in the field below, I keep expecting the road to collapse!
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Post by beksnjake on May 20, 2012 11:14:32 GMT
It really is a scary bit of road!!
Another chilled ride this morning, yet another route I've not done for a while so it feels good to be riding more varied hacks. No tractors today!
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Post by beksnjake on May 23, 2012 19:21:30 GMT
Lovely ride today in lovely weather - I really love this time of year when everything is really green, the sky is really blue and its not too hot. We have lots of flax fields round out way and its is just coming into bloom - the blue is amazing as it mirrors the sky on sunny days.
As I said a lovely relaxed hack, in an hour we only met 1 tractor with a sheep trailer full of sheep, the sheep shearers shearing sheep (G'day mate!!) 2 big lorries that blocked our route, so we had to turn back on ourselves and then had a crop sprayer behind us - he was indicating so we thought he was turning off, but no, he'd forgotten to turn it off so ended up following us along a single track lane!!
Crazy as it sounds I had a really chilled out ride - none of it bothered me.
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Post by beksnjake on May 26, 2012 12:13:49 GMT
Rather warm this morning so went out earlier than usual - L managed to get Polly tacked up quickly so joined us for a mooch round the lanes.
Both humans a bit stressed by recent life events so it was lovely just to ride and chat. Polly was unsettled to begin with as L had had terrible trouble getting her out of the field due to the electric fence. But she soon calmed down and as I said we had a lovely pootle putting the world to rights.
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Post by el on May 26, 2012 17:23:56 GMT
yayy brilliant!
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Post by beksnjake on May 27, 2012 10:41:34 GMT
One step forwards, two back. I'm forever telling patients that they'll have good & bad days and that despite what they think they are moving forwards - somehow that advice won't get into my brain. Decided to ride early again. L & friend were going up on the downs so I gave that a miss as I'm not ready to canter in a group (plus I have a stiff back from attempting to de-bramble the garden yesterday). So took out a sleepy Jake round the lanes again. Mmmmm - not so sleepy once I got on board. Lots of energy & very forward. Great I thought, I can work on some softness & lightness as he's working through. Well we spooked & tried to canter off when we spotted a cyclist behind us, we jogged & jigged everywhere. Tried serpentines, lateral work etc but couldn't get Jake's head back with me. Eventually I admitted defeat & got off when he started spooking at his own shadow & was preparing to leave. Took a while for him to settle even with me off his back, so I guess it wasn't all me winding him up. I know I'm going to have good days & some not so good days but I am beginning to feel quite disheartened again as I feel I'm slipping backwards. I seem unable to deal with any type of increase in energy from Jake, well the type of energy that comes with the head up & hollow back as I don't seem able to get his attention back on me when he's like this. Mum says I'm over-thinking as he's not spooky, but there is definitely a different feel to Jake when he's "up" as opposed to just more forward, if that makes sense. Or am I just being over-sensitive  |
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Post by quest on May 27, 2012 16:49:11 GMT
When you get the head and tail meeting times (which I get a lot) the horse probably wants to move its feet so move them for him. I normally get off and spend ages and ages matching Nancy's energy but giving her things to do, sometimes I end up not getting on at all, just waiting for her brain to click into me again. The trick I find is recognising when they're in that mood. Go back and read el's write ups about moving each foot. It's not you becks it's jakes temperament, it's what he is and what you've got. Remember he's an alive prey animal not a bike and carry on loving him for what he is and not what you believe he and you should be. Xxx
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Post by beksnjake on May 27, 2012 18:28:37 GMT
Thank you quest.
This is new for us, Jake has always on the surface been Mr Cool, laid back & generous - he has always been such a confidence giver. But now we've tapped into the deeper stuff I've begun to realised what a stress muffin he really is - just hides it well (like his owner at times). Removed from the stress of running a herd at our previous yard, Jake now appears to have more energy to put into other things. Its just hard - I can seriously see myself not riding in the long term future.
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Post by quest on May 28, 2012 21:34:03 GMT
I think that when a horse starts to relax and trust its human it then starts to show them it's real fears and stops pretending and hands the responsibility over to you. When you can't ride him don't and when you can, enjoy it. If you look back on your posts you will see just how far you've come. I haven't been able to ride Nancy for a good month - her brain has been over the horizon, but for the last week we have had some lovely rides together in the field playing with poles and cones and because our relationship is so good at the moment, that's all I want to do, just be with her and enjoy her. Enk
Joy the moment
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Post by beksnjake on May 29, 2012 5:28:12 GMT
Thank you again - I just need the affirmation that it is alright not to ride sometimes. I am surrounded by people who take a somewhat different view and now Jake is turning into an orange football with all the grass he now has access to (even restricted he's still getting loads as the previous yard's grazing was very very poor), "one has to work one's horse every day" and that work means riding. Today I feel more positive so we'll see how it goes.
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Post by snigsby on May 29, 2012 8:03:41 GMT
Beks,I agree with quest about having the horse you've got. I've got one of those horses too and many a heartache this has cost me - as most people on here know  Seriously,seriously,seriously,take quest's advice and enjoy. I know it is difficult and it won't happen all the time (I was in tears on Sunday after Khan behaved like a complete a*se) but most of the time it is fine and the good times are so good that they most certainly outweigh the bad. Just think how bored,and boring,those people with push button ponies must be |
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Post by beksnjake on May 29, 2012 15:19:46 GMT
I would like my boring push button horse back please - I don't always like the new version ;D
Seriously though, at least you are getting out & about snigs. Over the past couple of years my riding world has got smaller & smaller. I no longer have the confidence to do long hacks or sponsored rides. There are several places I will no longer go to because I'm afraid of Jake's potential reactions. Going to clinics this year is going to be a major challenge too, though I'm determined to make them.
Did get out today with mum - we met a few potential obstacles:
Rheas (emu type birds) flapping their wings (Josh hates things with wings!)
Tree surgeons, who kindly lowered the cherry picker & stopped the tree shredder thing so we could get past - Jake very interested in the cherry picker - he likes most mechanical things.
A couple of big sit-on mowers - one with this huge grass cuttings container on the back which Jake was very unsure about.
Also had a canter - Jake very good, straight into canter when asked and not silly at all - unlike Josh who thought we were too slow and just trotted very very very fast!
So a good ride, a very different Jake to the one I rode on Sunday.
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Post by quest on May 29, 2012 17:39:32 GMT
Becky I can do half the thing you do. The only think Nancy could cope with was dressage but after seeing what went on in the warmup area and what the trainers were asking me to do I pulled out completely. (She also did well at show and sponsored rides but I wasn't happy with her reactions and it became too stressful for me. That's when I turned to Parelli as there is a constructive pathway I can follow with loads of advice and Nancy loves it. You need to find what your horse enjoys instead trying to make him enjoy what you want at the moment.
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