Eryn couldn't make it tonight so I just did what we would have, minus the ride, simply because - get this, my cell phone battery is dead and ever since my bridge incident I don't ever ride alone without a cell phone. I was kicking myself for letting this happen, but I knew I could do some lunging.
As soon as I asked Mara to move up from a walk, she fruck out and started bucking when she felt the crupper. I pulled her in, which I didn't like to do cuz of the violent bucking, but it took a long while before she gave up and started trotting. She kept breaking into a canter and bucking violently, but everytime she did this, I pulled her in on the circle, making it uncomfortable for her on both ends.
Bucking is very hard work, and she was panting in a matter of seconds, and she started to reason with me, and finally trotted and then slow jogged for me. I hate to lunge so much, but I need to spend significant time with her moving about jogging/walking, dealing with the crupper, ignoring it.
She's starting to get the jog cue and stretch down, it's really nice. But when we switched directions, as soon as I moved her out of the walk, she went nuts again. At least this time she did not hurt herself, I'd had vaseline on both her tail and the crupper agian.
She's a mare. She has to get that it's hard work to buck, and actually comfortable to just relax and lift her tail.
But I admit I'm wondering if she'll really get this, and ever be able to carry a rider down a hill with a crupper on.
Afterwards I took her over to the neighbor's calves, which stressed her pretty much but I kept her at a safe distance and let her graze. The calves kept coming nearer, and I kept moving her away so it wouldn't be too much. She lost all her poop, which is a lot (she poops like a draft horse, really, it's a scientific impossibility).
Then I hand-grazed her along the road all the way home, even letting her eat a few choice bites of clover, but not too much.
Hoping tomorrow is a good day for us both.
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7 comments:
Going to admit my lack of knowledge, I don't know what a crupper is. The name sounds uncomfortable though. Maybe like a condition resulting from an uncomfortable bicycle seat. Going to go look it up now.
Have fun this weekend!
Could you maybe use fleece (like for a shipping halter) and cover the crupper for the soring issue?
I have never used a crupper...tho somewhere I have (had?) one. I got it when I had an Australian saddle and the crupper matched up...
Tara
maybe you can respect and honor how the horse feels and NOT use the crupper? Why do you need to force this horse to accept something foreign and uncomfortable under her tail? why? is it that important that you win this? no matter what? do you think the horse will associate you and riding with this thing hurting her ass? Can I put some harsh uncomfortable gadget on your private parts and push and pull you? I mean really, with all the natural horsemanship, respecting the animal, it seems so harsh that you are going to insist on this? where is the curb chain, the shank, . .. but really, where is your respect and compassion for this horse?
I love that "fruck" is the past tense of freak in your lexicon. It always makes me smile.
Wonder if you could find a breeching setup that works with your saddle and gear? Oh here's a biothane one. http://www.outfitterssupply.com/Beta-Biothane-Saddle-Breeching/productinfo/WTKB7050/
I honestly know next to nothing about endurance but I can't resist looking things up on the internet.
Sorry some of the comments above are so grouchy! Mara is not going to die of wearing a crupper, obviously. She's just all mared out and sassy.
Keep up the good work!
Don't worry you'll get it figured out. Harness horses have been wearing clippers for hundred of years and none of them have ever died or been maimed by that piece of equipment. She will get it and I commend you for sticking with all of this and making it work. I am right there with you with the young horse thing. It can be horrible one day and glorious the next.
Thank you so much for sharing and giving the rest of us hope :)
Sounds like she is very opinionated about the crupper and if it was me, I'd respect her opinion, because it obviously bothers her greatly.
Have you tried using using the back cinch along with the front cinch?
That's all I use for my mare, and she doesn't have much withers either, but we regularly ride steep mountain trails and arroyos with up to 2,500 ft elevation gain and loss without her saddle slipping forward.
Could you try using a mule/packing rigging, with just flat leather or biothane straps that go across her rear and sides?
My friend has a mule that hates the crupper, too, and refused to accept it. So she uses this rigging instead and it has made her relationship with her mule much better and he is very happy now.
Like this:
http://horseandmulegear.com/catalog.php
~Lisa
I found the comments, on the following website, about cruppers being used on horses and mules for riding very interesting. Sure makes a lot of sense, too.
Here, go check it out:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-402493.html
~Lisa
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