I often, mostly, dread riding Mara alone in the woods simply because it's not fun yet. But while I have nowhere else to ride lately, I can't stand it anymore and saddle up.
Today I thought, I just need a little success, a little improvement, something to give me hope.
I realize over the past year I've stopped trying to ride her in all those places where she balks, because she's shown me she can outlast me (standing frozen for a complete hour). But lately I've been motivated to try, and truly outlast her if I must. And somehow I haven't had to.
Mara was engaging in her default stress behavior, chomping the bit continually, gnashing it more like, telling me "This is too much for me!" We were on our most familiar trails, closest to home. There was no sunlight, no wind, not a single other trail user, no deer, no unexpected snowmen -- it was the perfect scenario. She also was doing a good job trying to make me lose my nerve by snorting with every single exhale the first 10 minutes of our ride, another way she was trying to tell me, "We shall surely die."
I needed to trot. It's been so long. I finally found a gravel road going uphill that is suitable and asked for a jog. It was lovely. Every turn in the trail held horror for her, but I just sat deep (sitting the jog) and bent her away from her monsters repeatedly. She soon was too exhausted - she's in the worst shape since I've owned her.
We passed something new - a newly cut shortcut? Woo! I know Mara, like me, loves exploring off trail. I turned her around and we headed in. It got a little deep in places, but Mara is excellent at bushwhacking. In fact, I believe she'd prefer if we never rode on trails or roads at all. It soothes her, the complicated footing. I took a little video because I was happy at that moment.
At the top she was still quite looky, but I did our bending exercises, and leg yielded back and forth across the trail. She is so good at that, when she's not out-of-her-mind scared.
After all that jogging I could tell my saddle is leaning to the right, her weak side. I'd removed the shoulder shims recently but I can see I need them. It must be so irritating to a horse to have its rider continually try to shift the saddle back to center.
Then she started to relax and stretch her nose to the ground, as if her neck was in pain from all her anxiety. I was riding on a loose rein, but not the buckle.
I talked to her nonstop, praising her, and narrating the last 2 years of our fails and successes aloud. I let her stop and told her "Eat the tree!" a few times. A few times I asked her to stop and just stand still for a while. So hard.
I let her trot up the switchback toward home and she had trouble keeping her footing, it's really slick mud. I can hardly remember a time when it wasn't - May 2014 shortly, and the Summer before.
When I jumped off her, for the first time she didn't feel like a short horse to me, so I know I'm out of shape. And my knees hurt from my habit of jamming my heels down, even though everytime I caught myself doing that, I'd say, "Skateboarding on the horse" like I learned in the TTEAM clinic. (And since I was a skater, this is a particularly helpful visual.)
Mara got lots of cookies and praise and told "What a grown up horse you are!"
I texted Mell and she wrote back immediately, "Dein Pferd is TOLL, du schaffst das!" (Your horse is excellent, you'll manage it!)
S told me that Mell said she would like to buy Mara if she can afford her. I replied, "If I end up selling, Mell would get a special offer!"
It feels good to have a little success.
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5 comments:
Maybe you are misinterpreting her actions and your interpretation is unsettling to her.
Ashke chomps the bit and snorts, usually the first ten minutes of any ride. I figure he is telling me he is excited to see what we are going to do next and I ignore him, asking him to walk on.
So, two things: perhaps Mara doesn't like the bit you are using. I know we kind of get stuck in the thought that we should use a specific bit (I went through 9 before I found the one that works the best for him) and that snaffles are so much better than a curb of any kind, but maybe her mouth is shaped in a way that makes the snaffle a painful and difficult bit for her. Ashke is much calmer in the low curb I am using and his mouth has gotten quieter for it. He is foamy and soft at the end of our rides.
Seccnd, perhaps the snorting is not a bad thing and what she is saying is different from what you are hearing. I like it when Ashke is snorting and blowing. It tells me he is excited and energized to do our ride. I don't get real worried unless he is really tense at the same time, and then asking for a shoulder in or leg yield (even when on trail) is enough to refocus him and release some of the tension.
I hope you and Mara can work past your issues and you can find your peace and joy in exploring the trails around your home.
How nice to read. While I don't comment often, I do very much enjoy reading about your German life and experiences. Having recently sold (gave away) a horse that wasn't working out (Sydney), i know how difficult it is to be fearful and frustrated. Mara sounds like a really nice horse though. I often wished I lived closer as I would LOVE to hop on her and give her a go. She sounds like such a nice horse. :0)
It sounds like a very positive ride for both you and, in the big picture, for Mara!
It seems to me that the clear cut footing gave her something to think about instead of boogers around every corner, just as your asking for leg yields does. She needs something to keep both her feet and her mind working.
Colorado Karen, Thank you for your comment. I owned a horse related to Ashke, and when I read your blog they often seem to be the same horse. I could do anything with him, but riding in a group was always a challenge because he wanted to be first, and put on quite a show if he wasn't. (I know Ashke's improved in this area lately.)
About the fussing - she chomps her bit and flings her head in a sterotypic way whenever we're in a new situation - new trails, or in a new group.
The behaviors for exuberance and stress can be the same, but if you look at the situations with a wider lens, you can interpret the difference. I discern the difference because an exuberant horse (Baasha) would take that energy forward given the chance, and play King of the Trail. Mara, in contrast, sucks back and freezes, unwilling to move, heart pounding out of her chest, sometimes shaking all over.
I try to experiment with bits whenever I can - I ask my trainers to bring me bits but they don't seem to have any that fit. So I borrow what I can, and buy what I can afford, simply out of curiosity if something works *better* even though the French Link seems to work. If you observe my horse doing dressage, I think you'd see a horse unafraid to take contact. I admit I sometimes need more bit on trail though, if she's falling apart, she can ignore it easily.
Thanks for that - I still feel a long way from enjoying this horse on trails, but if I could get some support from other riders, I feel I have a chance.
Bakersfield Karen, simply come visit. We'll open our house to you and your husband, and show you whatever you'd like to see.
Evensong, exactly what you said: ) And whoever's giving her large amounts of coffee, I wish they'd stop.
I had no idea Baasha and Ashke were related! Cool!
That is so interesting that she likes bushwhacking so much. I hope you can do more of it with her. This makes me wonder how Chrome would be doing that since he's always been on the roads... I never thought of that before. Hmm.... Our first trail ride that isn't on a road could be interesting! He's fine going through open hay fields though.
I'm glad Mara was pretty good. I hope she continues to improve. If she doesn't, that's really cool that Mell would want to buy her. :D
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