Mara objects strongly

We'd been over that creek many times, and it's almost bone-dry but yesterday Mara took exception to it, flat out refusing to step over it. Since I was ground driving her when she started her hysterics, I couldn't do much; I repeatedly re-aimed her at the creek, and she would sometimes rush backwards and at one point got the line under her tail and started bucking so I changed tactics.


This is my answer to her refusing to go forward when I'm ground driving. I put up the lines (tying them to a little string on her surcingle) and I take the long NH line and start circling her, moving slowly toward the scary object until she's doing an approach and retreat repeatedly. In this case, entering the creekbed eventually. The first time she stepped over the creek (it's so tiny it's almost not there), I let her just stand there and rest. (Tell me Mara, on a scale of 1-10, how scary was that? This is for posterity so be honest.*) Then I asked her to go over it and over it, again and again, both directions. Then I switch back to the ground driving lines and start over.  And she always goes through/over/past. It seems to work, it's just kind of complicated.

Before the creek is a little bridge that I've never trusted, so I've always scaled a steep hillside to circle it. I finally took a long look at it yesterday and thought maybe it might be safe for a horse. There was no sign saying otherwise. I made Mara wait and I stood on it, got down and felt how thick the boards were, got stabbed by a thornbush doing so and yelled OW and made Mara jump, and then I got down and examined the support beams, and they are clearly new and sturdy enough for a horse. At this point Mara was getting to know my little issue with bridges I think. Hm, human's on the ground feeling the bridge, and stepping on each bit of it. What the heck is her problem, it's a simple bridge! When I finally let her go across it, following me, I had a flashback to Baasha falling through, and held my breath. Mara really doesn't need that from me, but I can't help it, I will never trust an unknown bridge again.

This was supposed to be a short, easy outing where I wasn't even going to ride. I hand grazed her when we reached a hayfield,  lunged her 10 minutes on a slope so she can practice her balance, and then let her graze again.

On the way home there was a man sitting on a bench alongside the trail. He had a little black dog in his lap. As soon as Mara saw him, she stopped and stared. A patch of sunlight made him very bright, and he held perfectly still, his hand looped through the collar of his dog. Two sets of eyes just stared at us, like a double headed statue, or demon, in Mara's opinion.

Mara pooped, she was that nervous. I did what you're supposed to do, I said to the man, "Can you please say hello?"

Get this - he wouldn't! He made an "m-hm" noise but that was it. I was amazed - but maybe he's handicapped or something. I didn't try to force Mara to pass him, but I could feel her relax simply because I spoke to the creature, so it must be something.....communicable.

She took a few steps toward him, staring, wide eyed, head straight in the air, and as we were even with him, I explained to him, "Horses are afraid of people who remain very still in the woods." I hope he understood, he didn't say anything, but I hope he realized he literally scared the crap outta my horse. (Do they have that expression in German?)

Although the ground driving is much more difficult for her than simply following me in the woods, it's great to see her make decisions about scary items without my input. Here's how it goes. She sees a bend in the trail (how she hates turns!) where she's convinced something will come raring around the corner and into her, so she stops. I do nothing, but count to 20 or so and then say "OK, all clear Mara, there's nothing there, so let's try to go!" and I kiss to her (I don't tap her with the lines because she considers that a punishment). Usually she decides, "Oh, I guess it's nothing" and proceeds. I feel like this process of her standing and thinkinig "How scary is this, really" without me doing anything is a learning process for her. To stop suddenly when something truly worries her isn't such a bad thing, as long as she complies with me and proceeds again.

Then again I need to be aware of the times she's belligerent, like at the creek, to get out of work, those are the times when a "nice break to think" aren't due to her. (Another example of belligerence is when, upon first leaving home, she pulls a fast U-turn, saying, "No, no workie, I'd rather be home .")

Almost home, I let her graze the new Spring grass in another little field for about 20 minutes. It struck me that I'm the only person who hand grazes their horse in the neighborhood. Huh. I guess everyone else is having too much fun riding?

* - I've just sucked one year of your life away. I might one day go as high as five, but I really don't know what that would do to you. So, let's just start with what we have. What did this do to you? Tell me. And remember, this is for posterity so be honest. How do you feel?