Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Trotting! and paying someone to lunge my horse?

Today I trotted, twice, up the hill. I've been afraid for so long, but Ani had a new horse today.


     

Last week she told me she finally has permission to ride this Connemara gelding out on trails. She's thrilled cuz he's a truly *finished* horse, owned by a trainer who obviously did the right thing with him. His name is Mephisto and he's gorgeous.

He's a grey with tons of hair (pony!) but he's horse sized. He has a big old stallion neck always arched, soft doe eyes with long white eyelashes, tippy Arabian ears, and a huge rear end with Tinker-style tail (more tail than any horse needs).

She's not allowed to let him touch noses with any horse, to Mag's dismay. Also to his, cuz M kept reaching out to say hi to Mag but no, Mag could be a disease carrier.

Last week she told me that M would be the perfect companion for getting us out trotting on trails, because he's so obedient. She was right.

It was so nice to be out with a normal, educated horse. Rudi is creaky and spastic. In fact, Ani never offered to do anything more than walk with me on trails cuz Rudi often won't slow down for her.

When we got to the hill I'd cantered Baasha up so many times, I said, "Let's go, but side by side please cuz Mag has a tendency to kick horses behind him while trotting."

Mag has this uncanny connection with my brain that no other horse has had. He knows instantly when I'm thinking about trotting. In fact the moment I think, "We should trot.....now." He is trotting. I swear....I mean, I could swear I do nothing to cue him except think it ....which of course he feels through my body but I don't touch him with my legs, he just goes.

Trotting Mag out there is rough cuz he's uneducated and throws his head straight up in the air in some sort of defensive position. I post lightly and do nothing with the reins but he's braced in his entire topline. That is exactly what a baby horse does, and so that's what I've got.

If I'm nervous, I use a new trick to calm myself in baby horse moments, I look at Ani's horse and let her/his steadiness calm me. And today M did just that. The metronome of their gaits hypnotizes me into calmness.

When we pulled up, Ani asked how I felt. I said, "Watching M helped me, because he was so rhythmic and steady."

Now I appreciate Ani, because she did right by me today. Not forcing me to push the limits, just babysitting. We trotted up again and when nothing bad happened (Mag sometimes bucks at a trot for ? reason) I was happy.

So happy! Like a kid taking riding lessons and telling his mom, "I trotted my pony for the very first time!" Although I've trotted him in the past with no issues. 2018-19 has been .....well, you know.

Proof below. I felt OK riding in a bareback pad. In other times. I am looking forward to using it again.

     

On the way home the shorts-wearing neighbors* stopped us to talk, the wife stroking Mag's neck and saying to him, "You are the most beautiful horse in the neighborhood, and the proudest too! The way you carry your tail over your back! The way you prance up our street! You know it right? You understand me right?" Mag blissed out as if he really did! (Like a Mercedes Lackey Companion!) *chuckle* Then her husband came out with an apple for him which Mag, typical for him, ate in tiny bites. I have to say, Mag has a lot of fans around here, Ani and these shorts people at the top. Yesterday our other nice neighbors stopped to talk too, but this time no carrot. Mag, used to being a celebrity, was a little impatient as we stood on the street for 15 minutes talking. Good neighbors make up for all the bad ones, am I wrong?

* This couple, they wear shorts deep into inclement weather. They're not traditionally slender Germans, they're like me and I love that they wear baggy tshirts and shorts almost all year long. I told them today, "Right on with the shorts!"

I laughed out loud at Mag today because he's got this favorite puddle on the way out/way home. It's on the street, so, pavement, right in front of our post-carrier's house. He slams on the brakes whenever we reach this puddle. And today, he managed to drink it dry! No kidding. He left nothing for any other puddle-craving horse to find in this town. This puddle is exactly 5 minutes from our house where Mag had several choices of fresh water, but ......OK next time I'll bring my camera cuz it's unreal how he sips it dry, leg cocked, delight in his eyes.

Now for last week, where I decided to give up on the trainer Susanne.

I decided that she's not helping me and so paying her for ? is stupid.

The details are below but I concluded that a good trainer would have turned a bad situation into a learning experience. Instead, she seemed helpless to help me. And I paid her anyway. No more!

 
***

Today sucked.

But I never once got angry at Mag. I just shook my head.

I had to tack up Mag in the pouring rain. I went through numerous jackets in the process of just getting Mag ready to go.

On arrival at TP's sand arena, we were completely soaked through.

When I arrived Ani was already there, trotting in the rain. She did not say hello to me. She never does there.

I started to lunge Mag and he was on fire because there were people working around the barn area, leading horses in and out directly next to the arena. TP has somehow attracted 11 boarders for her 2 acres, and they share the day a few hours outside at a time. There is always someone there working, pounding on things, moving horses, mucking...

Mag just couldn't hold it together. In fact he came within 2 centimeters of ripping the lunge line out of my hands. For the first time, I resigned myself to losing him, which would reward his ripping away sideways dragging me off my feet behavior.

When I went to mount, he threw up his head, wild-eyed, looking at traffic and creeping away from Susanne's umbrella (which she offered to put down, but I thought after an hour of seeing it, he's be OK.)

Susanne said to Ani, "Hey, it's only fair if I help Mag for part of this shared lesson. Is that OK?"

So she took the lunge line and lunged Mag for 20 minutes. I mean, that's OK, it's not the worst thing that can happen, but during those 20 minutes I did not learn anything, and Mag neither, and I still had to pay the 27 Euros.

I think I'm done with Susanne as a trainer. First off, she yells at us, "LEFT REIN LEFT REIN LEFT REIN LEFT REIN" getting louder each repetition.

It would be a drag to live directly across from this riding arena, she's so shrill.

As she lunged Mag she remarked what a freak he is, a typical Arabian, and other observations about his breed. She had called him a freak at last 4 times while watching me lunge him.

She insisted that he has Arabian Disease. "Do you know what Arabian Disease is?" I had to shake my head no.

She said, "They cross-fire in the canter (mismatched front to hind leads). She said, "It's cuz Arabs are bred to go straight, and Quarter Horses are bred to run cirlces, so they don't cross-fire." She saw that I was unconvinced so she continued the lecture for quite some time.

I sighed and shook my head and told her it's tension, and that he never cross fires while cantering tight corners in his pasture. IME all horses will cross fire at the canter on the lunge if they're tense or unbalanced. If it was a breed thing, he wouldn't "calm out of it" to canter correctly.

Last month her lecture was that the Connection phase of the Dressage Pyramid has nothing to do with contact with the bit. (In fact it is the *only* phase that mentions the bit!)

When TP's Airedale puppy dragged an entire plastic tarp out of the barn towards us at the arena, and Mag flipped out, I was glad I wasn't on him. She was lunging him at that moment and got to experience him trying to draag her off. Then he proceeded to show-ring prance, tail over his back, head low, snorting every breath. She said, "I think he was bred for the show ring, and not as a riding horse. By the time he's 20, though, you should be able to enjoy him."

Near the end I had been rained on for 3 hours. The rain was OK but the arena sand had been tossed into the air repeatedly from Mag's frantic flights and my glasses, mouth, and all of me was coated in a layer of wet sand. I couldn't help but think of Anakin Skywalker's ridiculous line.

I took Mag to the gate and started to gather my things when suddenly I was shocked by the electric fence!

Mag was gone. At the moment, I was mentally gone too, WTH was that?

I'd hit the fence while holding Mag's rein, magnifying the electrical charge. I was stunned and when I looked up, he was halfway across the arena.

And Ani did not stop. She just kept riding as if nothing had happened, although Mag was loose, with draping reins, in front of her.

I went after him but he would not stop so I said to Ani, "Can you stop?" (Isn't that etiquette when someone loses a horse?)

I caught Mag and took him back to the gate and Susanne said, "This is unacceptable, that the arena is electrified as we're using it for riding!" Finally something I can agree with her about.

I was so pissed I just said, "I never dreamed they would turn this electric arena fence wire on - why is that even possible?"

When she came to me to take my money she asked, "And next month?" I said, "No, I've had enough of this place. Please open that stupid dog gate to let us out of here." She said, "You really did have a bad day!"

That stupid dog gate. It's at the entrance to the property, it's knee-high and invisible to horses - it's ELECTRIC WIRE. When Susanne remarked about my grouchiness, I said, "Today when I arrived, I tried to open it (it's two lines 2 milimiters thick) Mag spooked at a pile of plastic bedding sacks. I had to throw this stupid dog fence far away as fast as possible to keep him from entangling himself as he jumped away."

One thing in Susanne's credit: As soon as I got shocked by the arena fence and lost Mag, she shouted to Ani, "Do not ride on the rail!" She said she's seen accidents where the horse hits the electric fence duing a lesson and it always ends badly. So, like, that's a thing? To use wire I understand, but to turn it on? Why not have a barbed wire roundpen, what could go wrong?


I never got mad at Mag, I was only disgusted that I again paid for a lesson where I learned nothing. And Mag also learned nothing.

So.....no more.

10 comments:

neversummer said...

I have a friend who's doing some fascinating things with helping high headed horses to lower their heads and learn to relax. It might help. Plus she doesn't hate Arabs, that's a big plus right there ;)
https://www.facebook.com/millshorsemanshipandhoofcare/videos/2513692232185150/?q=mills%20horsemanship%20%26%20hoofcare%20kid&epa=SEARCH_BOX

AareneX said...

I guess you learned more things that you DON'T want?

Bummer, though.

Nat D said...

Good news and buh-bye suzanne! Loved that pic of you bareback and still curious as to what happened in 2018 to spur your anxiety in 2019. Anyways, keep on trotting and everything else will just settle into place.

irish horse said...

I'm glad you're abandoning that "trainer." More time on the trail successfully (like you described) will get you much farther I think.

AareneX said...

Also: TROTTING!!! I hope this new horse works out well for Ani (and you)!

TeresaA said...

Yay for you trotting. I knew it would happen eventually. Poor Mag and you. Both you have bad experiences in that ring. It's not worth it. I haven't had a lot of respect for Susanne since the beginning so it's a good choice. Once you can get your round pen built it will help a lot with Mag and his training.

The Kelly's Adventures in KY said...

Hooray on your hill trots!!! I hope you and Mag get many more rides with Mr. M & Ani. He seems to be a great influence. Later Suzanne, I'm glad you are done with her. I think you'll enjoy trails much more, and ... they're FREE :) Are you getting many days tutoring?

Achieve1dream said...

I LOVE that you mentioned the Companions! I don't know anyone else who has read that series. It was one of my favorites as a kid.

Yay for trotting!! I'm so glad Ani can ride M now since he's such a good influence on Mag and calming for you. I feel much, much calmer when someone else is on an experienced horse too.

I agree with you on the trainer. She sounds like she just doesn't care. That is the most annoying thing in a trainer or teacher in my opinion. Chrome still does that baby trot thing too because I haven't taught him about contact.

I so, so, so wish we lived near each other......... :(

Kitty Bo said...

So you went from the profane to the sublime, so to say. I'm glad that you are done with that trainer and her weird ideas that make me want to pull my hair out. And how wonderful that Ani now has a a better mount. I love Connemaras and use to wish I could have one that had maybe just a tad of thoroughbred in it. Just a tad, maybe 1/8. Anyway, good on you for trotting. Good horse days make the rest of the day better.

lytha said...

NS, that was an interesting video, thanks! Have you heard before that Arabs tend to cross-fire at the canter? Still curious about this point.

Aarene, I'm not sure I understand your question, but if it's about being require to pay to watch someone lunge my horse...: )

ND, I think you're right.

Irish, I was telling J today I don't even care enough about Susanne to actually quit on her, that is how little respect I have for her. And J asked if I'd told Ani, who introduced me to Susanne and extoled her virtues. I said, "If she does ask, I'll tell her she's doing me more good, for free."

Aarene, the owner is ultra protective (I don't blame anyone for that) and doesn't want her precious gelding out there without her, but in Winter she relented cuz they have very small paddocks at that place. Ani feels as soon as the horses are back at pasture next year, she won't be needed. I told her, "You will make yourself valuable and trustworthy to the owner, and she will let you ride into next Summer!" *hope*

Teresa, if only you knew the trouble we're having now, getting that property to be ours! We've already signed with the seller at the Notary. We've already got the bank loan. But the CITY says that the land was given as inheritance over 50 years ago and there are no records to date about that, so it could be possible that someone else claims part ownership. Or something. Now we have to wait 3 more months to let this theoretical person come forward. WTbloodyH!? J reminded me today, "You said you waited 10 years you can wait another 3 months." I reminded him, "I said that IN APRIL!" He said, "YOu said it again this month." Is the universe ROTFL at me? I can laugh too. I want this tiny speck of earth more than anyone can fathom and it's just ridiculous the hoops we're going through, the typical German red tape.

Anyway Teresa, thanks for your empathy. You truly get what we're going through.

Kellys, I have a weekly 90 minute gig, what my husband calls a "mini job". It is really nice, I enjoy it and the kids are mostly motivated. As long as I have motivated kids, I will enjoy it. It pays almost nothing, but it's something to do. Once I get out of this test phase I'll feel better.

Achieve, there's another blogger who loves Lackey - it's Karen, owner of Thee Ashke, who she named after Vanyel. There might be more. Last month I bought the original book and read it and was let down - there was so little horse in it! Later with the character Mags (!!) there is much more horse involvement. Oh well, it was magical to me in the 90s and I still love the series.

Achieve, I feel like you and I are in the same boat. We both keep our horses at home and therefore have very few horsie friends. We enjoy having them in our back yards but lack the resources of a barn with even a couple of boarders. I've read your blog so long and you have the same struggles finding help with a young horse, and you are forced to ride on streets with traffic with him when you do ride.

KB, *hug* I try not to slander people. I try my best to say exactly what happened, word for word. I hope people can see that in my blog. Of course there are always two sides and I'm sure she could say some crazy stuff about me if she had a blog. "Lytha doesn't listen to a word I say, unless it's to argue with me!" *sigh*

She'll be better off making money off people who respect and trust her. Those people cannot be so hard to find. Children, for example.

Good horse days make the rest of all the days, in total, better! *hug*