Hello again everyone. It's Friday and that means it's the end of the work week and the start of a fun horse filled weekend. I had a great day yesterday. I had a shortened work day and was at the barn with my roomie by 1P. Because I'm getting back into exercising and burning calories as much as I can I had decided to ride both Possum and Aragon. Due to the many horses in the ring and the lesson that was going on, I decided to ride Possum first. The ring was being dragged so there was only 1 jump set up, which was fine. It gave me a chance to work a lot on our flat work and my equitation. Everyone kept making fun of me because I had a permanent smile plastered on my face. Just to get them going even more I took the reins on one hand and did my best Miss America wave around the arena with a huge smile across my face. I think I've been watching the show Little Miss Perfect on TV too much.
Possum did really well, especially since I decided to ride in the Pelham instead of the elevator. let me tell you why I have these bits. Usually I like to ride Possum in a happy mouth three ring elevator with it on the second ring. Due to the nerve damage in his mouth he works best off of poll pressure. The elevator gives me the leverage I need and to also pick him up off his face, as he tends to do being built slightly down-hill. Possum is very comfortable in the elevator and my arms don't have to work as hard. Unfortunately, elevator bits are not allowed in hunters or equitation, although they can be used in jumpers. I can understand why they are not allowed, because if left in uneducated hands they could do some damage, or anyone that rides and uses the horses mouth for balance is going to royally piss off a normal horse. So for shows I ride in a happy mouth pelham. I like the pelham, he rounds nicely to it, although when he gets lazy or stubborn he can lean heavily against it. If it's one thing I can't stand, it's a horse who leans on your hands and basically wants you to carry them around. Believe it or not, Possum goes beautifully in a hackamore, just a simple hack, no gimmicks, but that too is not allowed in hunters or eq. However, the barn owner just bouth a new Myler pelham and I'm tempted to try that as it conforms more to the horses mouth and Possum has ridden in a Dee ring Myler before to some success. SO there is your education on Possum's different bits hahaha.
So Possum did really well with only minimal leaning on my hands. SO I untacked him and let him loose to eat hay by the barn. Next it was Aragon. He was a filthy mess and it took me over half an hour to clean him up to look half way presentable. If you've never been to Maine during mud season, consider yourself lucky. This is the time of year that the horsese are perpetually dirty and caked with mud! We went in the ring and unfortunately two mares were lunging and another mare working on the outside rail. 2 of the mares were in heat which was just wonderful. Aragon was OK, but once one of the mares got a little too close behind him and he reared and spun and had a brain melt down. I yelled at him and slapped his neck with my hand and I think he knew I meant business and calmed down after that. There is no need for a hrose to act up, especially a stallion. Respect is a must on the ground and under saddle at all times. AFter riding in the arena I took him down the trail and I felt his whole body relax. We did some trotting and cantering and he was great, I told him that he redeemed himself. After getting back to the barn my back was dying. I put Aragon away and just hung out with the barn crew. We watched the barn owner work with a QH stallion that just came in for training. I have never seen a stallion with so little manners or respect for a person. He was running into her, never made eye contact and was just a complete brute. He is 4ys old, has already bred mares and has zero training. This was his first time off his property. Let's just say that he was in for a rude awakening. Stallion bootcamp is what I told the owner who came to watch the training session. This stud is also not some small guy, he's 16.2H and brimming with testosterone. I told the owner to remember what she saw and then check in on his progress in a month. He is in for basic training and saddle training.
So while I was at the barn and on the ride home I was in a great mood. We had the radio cranked and just chillin out. It wasn't until I talked to Greg that it started to go down. He ofcourse was in a bad mood again. I was trying to cheer him up and get him talking, all to no avail. I asked if he wanted to watch a movie and he said no, again. I'm trying so hard to be happy in my life and look at things positively. I had a great day at the barn, I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt and everything was great. I hate the fact that he can bring me down so hard. So I texted him last night and this is what it said:
"I hate the fact that you are so down and depresed all the time. I have tried to cheer you up, but it just ends up bringing me down. I try and get you to do things with me and nothing. Call me when your happy and feeling better. I won't be upset if it's not for a while. I just want to be happy. I hope you can understand that"
Ofcourse I havn't heard back from him, and I suspect that I may not for quite a while. But that's OK. I need to do my own thing. I really can be happy and have a good time if I don't have all this stress going on, and right now Greg stresses me out. So I'm being a big girl and basically putting the ball in his court. I'm done pursuing or trying to make him feel better, because all it does is bring me down.
Well today is a very busy day. I'm at the HS now, then the MS, then the elem school and another HS. Then back to the office to get ready because I'm running a booth at the Vagina Monologues tonight until 9P so it's a crazy day. No riding for me today, but it's kinda rainy out and I'm sure the ponies will be happy for a day off.. Have a great Friday everyone, and as always comments are always welcomed.
About Me
- sidetracked
- I'm a 28yo college grad who has been in love with horses forever. This blog is to rearrange my thoughts with horses and guys and to illustrate my struggles with both. I mainly ride hunters and equitation but am always up for an adventure. I own a 14yo rescue Appy Gelding named Possum that I got when he was 8. I also have three dogs, Phin, Abby and Jetta and a black cat named Shadow . All of my animals have been rescues either off the street, the meat truck or the shelter. What can I say I'm a sucker for a sob story. Feel free to comment and read at your leisure cause this is just my life.
4 comments:
That's funny what you said about your bits - when you were talking about him leaning on your hands, I was like "if he were a western horse I would put him in a bosal (our version of legal hackamore) for a little while..." and it sounds like you've done that!
I love Myler bits - they have always worked out well for me, both the English and western ones. Sounds like you are doing the right stuff with the bits. Stretch and Pat both are really light in the month and while Pat did go through a little phase of leaning on my hands, we seem to have worked him through that. I like to use a correction with Stretch to help him maintain his headset. If he were left up to his own means he would constantly pack his head a little out and neck a little high. Pat has a real nice natural headset - and hasn't needed anything other than a smooth D-ring. He's such a drama queen like his mom - if you even try using anything harsher (even if you are not using is harshly) he'll act as if you've stuck a corkscrew bit in his mouth...
Sounds like another great day at the barn for you...
Good to hear that Aragon (sp?) is working well for you. I really beleive that just because a horse is a stallion doesn't give him the right to be a brute and not have any training. Seeing a stallion working (fairly) well in an arena with mares and out on a hack would tell me so much as a prospective breeder about his temperament...
Too bad about Greg - but good for you for sending that text. I can hear in your posts that you are happier - and that is great!!!
wow, another fun horsey day at the barn. Sounds like both boys did great. Glad you had such fun.
Have you read "the 5 languages of love" by Gary Chapman? It's soo good. Teaches about personality types, and what type compliments other types. It basically teaches how to show love to people in your life. And in turn, helps with the realization that people are what they are, and there isn't any changing their personality traits. They will be what they feel comfortable being. So really, the trick is in finding a person that has personality traits, and love language, that is similar/complimentary to your own. And when you do, it's NOT a challenge to get along, have fun, talk, laugh for hours, etc. I know you've had fun times with Greg. BUT... having to beg someone to talk to you, to cheer up, this early in a "relationship" does not bode well. IT honestly will only get worse if you enter into a relationship. Who wants to have to beg for attention? You deserve better!! Seriously, your life is before you, and you have a ton to offer. Please don't settle. Wait for the right one. You are going to be amazed at how awesome it is to be in a true, mutual relationship with a healthy, happy person. Wait for it!! You're worth so much more than Greg is capable of offering. I realize he's getting over a divorce. However, his true personality traits are revealing themselves. And ignoring you, and turning down fun, non-threatening invites on a regular basis are a massive red flag to me. He will need a different type of gal in the end. You are much too fun, and much to bubbly to get dragged down.
Okay, enough of my advice. But please check out the 5 Love Languages. It's very insightful... you'll learn a ton, and it will help you in every relationship in life, friends, dates, parents, etc.
Happy Weekend! Hope you get to ride!! :o)
Molly, I almost stood up and cheered when I read the text to Greg. Good for you!
I heard an interview on NPR the other day with a woman who wrote a book about abuse called "Crazy Love". It sounded really good.
I use a Pelham on Poco sans chain, and he seems to like it. I had to go to an English bit to get one wide enough - 5.5". Most of the time, I don't even use one on Jaz. On him, I just use a Dr. Cook's bitless bridle.
I need to do a post about the last time I was at Heather's. If you saw the video of Rico, I pointed out his full brother Scorch at the end. Scorch is a 2YO stallion. I was present at his birth. He was caked with mud and I walked into his pen to see if he'd let me groom him. He was lying down and never moved as I basically sat on him and groomed him. THAT'S the way you want a stallion to be, especially one that is over 16hh at age 2! All Heather's babies are like that. Saddling and mounting them for the first time is such a non-event because they're handled so much.
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