Success!

I was hoping this weekend had set B (and me) up for success and I think it has. I had talked myself out of riding this morning because I have neglected everything but Breeze lately. But Sandra was at the yard having a day off and she asked if I was riding and I said yes!

Getting saddled up was pretty good with B walking away only once and we had had short but pleasant play in the arena just to do some pre-flight checks. We played with mounting at the block by the arena but B couldn't stand still. I got on politely in the courtyard using my steps. B strode out of the courtyard with purpose and headed back to the arena where Sandra and Bert were getting settled.

We had problems leaving the yard again, even though we had done some approach and retreat online. Doing a lot of circling and lateral flexion wasn't working but I noticed Breeze wasn't getting emotional, just stubbornly refusing to leave the yard.

There was a lorry delivering stuff to the pub and Bertie couldn't handle it. Sandra got off and asked for my lead rope. She led Bert by his reins and me on B by the lead rope across the road. Breeze didn't put up much resistance. It certainly wasn't fear, just pure LB behaviour. I am glad we didn't have to put any principles aside to get her into the woods.

B was a little spooky to begin with but quite relaxed for her so I kept her brain busy by asking for zig zag so that she didn't have time to think too much about bogey men in the bushes. We weaved around trees and tried not to follow in Bert's hoof steps. I don't want her to think she is a riding school horse and just follow on behind. Sandra said Bert felt quite tense and he did spook at a few things.

I think she likes me to ask things of her judging by how relaxed she became and happy to follow my directions even if it meant going away from Bert and the direction of home. I praised her all the way around the old woods and sometimes me saying 'good girl' works on me too lol!

We did some weave and circling around trees and just circling on the bridle path. I asked for sideways and have noticed B gets a bit bracy when I ask for this so I relax and ask again until we get it. Need more of that I think.

At the exit I asked Sandra if we could go past and you know what? Breeze carried on happily with a good expression, so we let the horses graze on the grass as a reward.

What a great ride! I am so pleased with our success. Back on the yard B decided we should go for a mooch about and go see things. Nice. I am pleased she doesn't just want me to get off immediately. She was cuddly and focussed on me when I got off but if I put my arms around her neck and squeeze too tight she doesn't like it! Even though I am so happy I want to squeeze her hard lol. She is very much a 'get off me' kind of horse lol and allows me only so much affection then I must cease that nonsense.

I have been worrying for a while that we had taken too many steps back while she has been recovering from that damn cut on her leg. It's still healing nicely but it's taking it's time and I constantly live in fear of her damaging it again or it getting re-infected. I am trying not to be direct line about our partnership while figuring out ways to help us both. It's always a work in progress, eh?

My 2%

I couldn't ride today, I didn't have time due to taking my son back to university. So B and I went into the arena. Yet again she couldn't do anything but stand with her head dropped. I hung around with her and chatted to Jan for a while. B then decided she didn't want to to stand around and do nothing. She stood near me and yawned her head off!

I have been thinking about this behaviour for a little while and also wondering why things seem to be going backwards. I know there is the injury issue and not being ridden for two weeks could make B feel unconfident in the woods but the issues we are having started before that. It seems like 6 months ago we started off well and I wonder if it's not unusual for things to get worse before they get better.

Today it felt like B wasn't being a partner, that she was being very LB and just plain not wanting to do anything. It seems pointless to ask why because I can never know and I try not to be anthropomorphic about it too. This Parelli-ism came to mind..'if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got' and lately I have been very careful with B not to push her in case she either exploded or went very deeply introverted.

I revisited the game of point to point with treats and that seemed to persuade B that she would like doing something. We had yo yo over a pole and some nice circle game, in trot too. We left the arena on a good note and made our way to the yard exit. I thought it would be good to play some approach and retreat with leaving the yard and see where B's thresholds were and see if I could build some confidence.

Well, no sign of lack of confidence but a complete horsenality change and I had Miss 'I don't want to and you can't make me' LBI show up! She just looked at me and stuck her head in the air refusing to move. What is it now? Oh yes 'the attitude is justice' and it was time to be assertive and see what happens. I held on to the line and refused to budge. She stopped bracing, didn't go introverted and walked over the road pretty sharpish with a little help from the c/s. I had asked once, then twice, then the phase 4 I used (which would have been a phase one with Lizzie) certainly helped B focus on me! Suddenly I had both eyes and although she was snotty she realised I was the leader today and she had better move her butt.

We went into the woods after some attitude in the car park from B because I was more assertive than I had been of late. We played approach and retreat away from the exit going left and right with grass to eat when we stopped. B was ok going down the mile and 1/4 but going past the other way, she threw little tantrums and stamped her feet and tossed her head. When she stopped she would crowd me so we had to up the phases again to get back up and stay there with a lot of licking and chewing from her. So we did this a few times until she could go past without showing signs of wanting to leave or even hesitate. She offered me sideways and backwards beautifully for which she got rest and a treat/grass. When we left the woods I asked her to stop and back up next to me a few times and saw that she was very soft and the respect was back.

I like that look on her face. Her eyes are soft and follow my every move and she wants to be with me. Plus she looks relaxed as if all is well in her world.

Looks like I got the balance back 49/51%. Now all I need to do is find this when I am riding, I wish I knew how.

Testing time.

Sandra and I decided to try and squeeze a ride in before Sarah came to trim our horses hooves. B had woken up on the RB side of the shavings so she seemed quite crabby. We played in the arena and although it was fun and she was happy to play when Sandra came to see if we were ready to tack up it was clear B wasn't ridable.

But we tacked up and I suggested I walk with B while Sandra rode Bertie as usual.

I tried to get on in the pub car park, but B would not stand still for me to get on. We tried again at the log trailer and yet again at the top of the old woods. B was having none of it and just jumped over and over the log while I stood on it. I suggested to Sandra that she and Bert go on instead without us. B and I walked back to the yard playing sideways, weave and travelling circle.

Back on the yard I decided to get on and have a mooch around the yard, playing some ppl and seeing if I could make my idea her idea but respect hers first. It worked! I watch her expression and feel what her body is doing. I can feel her stop and tense when I ask her to go where she doesn't want to but she is often surprised when I don't make her. Pretty soon she chooses to go where I want to go and gets a scratch and/or a treat.

Sarah showed up, I took B's saddle off while she was trimmed and put it back on after wards and we went for another 'ride' around the yard. We went round and round the yard in ever increasing circles and even into the arena...twice! We had some grazing time and must have spent half an hour just walking around the yard and hanging out. B tried some 'napping' so I asked her to see how far she could go backwards, which changed her mind about that. We get nearer and nearer to the gateway and I am enjoying the approach and retreat game and seeing where B's thresholds are.

This evening we went into the arena and Breeze kept stopping and almost going introverted. I really wanted her to have a good walk about but it was obvious she wasn't in the mood for games so I hit on the idea of playing point to point across the arena with jump sides. I left treats on each one and Breeze soon got the idea and was almost trotting across the arena to get to those jump sides! Seems to me right and left brained introverted horses can be very similar sometimes. I have only just realised this but why would I know anyway. I am used to a LBI not a RBI but it's great to be able to use my knowledge for Breeze's benefit.

Leap, fart, buck!!

Yesterday's two play sessions were interesting and fun. Breeze was full of enthusiasm and we had quite an energetic play. She was leaping in the air when we played falling leaf and she wanted to trot on circle game.

She went intro a few times but instead of staying like that, I asked her towards me and she immediately snapped out of it and happily walked to me. I gave her a treat every time she did this just to make it extra good.

I left her bandages off last night and this morning her wound had a nice healthy scab on it. So I made the executive decision to let her go out for the first time in weeks. I hoped and prayed she wouldn't go crazy and worried she might damage the wound.

She walked sedately down the run way and then broke into a trot at the gate, then with a leap in the air cantered over to Bertie and her little herd. Then she went bonkers for a few minutes, leaping and twisting, bucking and farting! She rolled twice, then got down to the task of eating grass. Phew. Not so worrying after all.

This evening she was plastered in mud but the mud socks had kept her legs dry and mud free. The scab was intact too. Looks like things are back to normal, once again.

Ride in the woods? I don't think so!

Here is one of the mud socks after our walk in the woods. They worked perfectly and kept the wound warm and dry over the bandage.

It was very cold and foggy today. I thought we would do our usual thing and walk to the top of the old woods and I would get on. Unfortunately B was very unconfident and we did a lot of this.....head down and staring....which is not surprising as we haven't been in the woods for 10 days and not alone to ride for what seems like a long time. I have to take the time it takes for B to be confident.

Then she was eating mud and it took a long time to get along the first part of the woods. Stop-start as I waited for B to be with me again or eat leaves and soil. I wonder if the course of anti-biotics have changed the flora in her gut and she needs something extra in the soil?

Breeze did a lot of this and this.

She was very tense and not really listening to me, square nosed and snorting. More focussed on everywhere else and looking for trouble. At the top of the old woods I decided maybe today wasn't the day for riding and we turned for home. B was very spooky and jumpy. I gave her lots to do like sideways and half circles against the fence. Weave around trees etc. She jumped in the air when the dog in the pink house' garden barked at her. She got very snotty about going sideways at first but in the end offered it. Falling leaf wasn't calm and she was throwing her head in the air on the turn and leaping around. But she was happy to walk with me by the time we got near the exit.

We did some approach and retreat around the exit and she was quite willing to go past a few times in either direction. Then it was back to the yard where I decided to get on. It's been a while since I rode B and my fears have surfaced again, as they always do after a break. Especially when she is too RB to ride in the woods.

It took her quite a while to stand for me to get on. Lots of slow, very calm, circle game in both directions while I stood on my steps. Eventually she was able to stand still and I got on. She stayed still for ages so I just sat and scratched her and gave her a treat or two.

When I asked her to move she did and we had a lovely calm mooch around the yard for 10 minutes or so. We found a carrot on the way! I have noticed B is quite reactionary to begin with when I direct her but I insist on being polite and particular and she settles quite quickly. I think she might have walked into the arena if I had let her but being on her and just mooching was enough for today. Better to accept very little and not over do her willingness. She didn't brace at all leaving the courtyard or going around the muck heap. What a sweetie. Best of all I preserved my confidence and her dignity. Baby steps.

Good news from the vet.

Although B's leg still looks gross it is getting there. I spoke to the vet today and she verified that all is going to plan. I am still amazed that a little cut can mean so much. I never stop learning when it comes to horse care. This is her second week of box rest but the good news is I can ride again. Only in walk, the vet said, but that's all we do at the moment anyway lol. She suggested I get some 'Mud socks' and I duly high tailed it to a tack shop after work and got some.

I am to leave the cut open to the air during the day with just the wound cream on it. When she does go out in the field I am to put Vaseline on it to keep the mud off but I think the socks will take care of that.

In the morning I will bandage the wound and use the socks and see if we can go for a walk in the woods and then ride back. We haven't done that in a while. Sadly, my stomach flipped when I thought about riding. Where has that come from again?

I love B's curiosity. While I went to my shed she got the bag of mud socks, picked it up to throw it around a bit and nearly got the socks out of the bag. She spent some time checking out the bag or freshly washed rugs and then later sniffed at the rug I left for her for a long time. I never get bored with her company, she is always interesting to be with and no two days are ever the same.

Breeze stands completely calmly and still for wound care now and I put this down to lots of approach and retreat and treats! I think I am going to regret using treats so much because B has become quite focussed on them. Not in the arena though which is good.

Speaking of which, we had a walk and play in the school and B went introverted a couple of times but it wasn't for long and she blew out each time, then lifted her head up and carried on. We didn't stay long because it was so cold and I was shivering while B ate some grass outside, before we headed back to her stable.

Sunday soaking.

Last week some film students came to film me in my studio on the subject of tattoo artists and their work and hobbies. Today two of them came to film Breeze and I doing what we do on a typical Sunday. Although this really wasn't a typical Sunday what with B being out of action for riding. I put some extra vet wrap on B's leg and then covered that in duct tape in the hope it would make it waterproof.

It rained and rained and rained but we had a ball. The two students had an umbrella! Breeze sniffed it and then ignored it. How un-RBI and how interesting. We went for a walk in the woods and B was wonderful. Very few thresholds and she stayed calm and eager to do whatever I asked. We didn't go too far and on the way back she stopped to sniff around in some dead leaves and then eat the soil she found underneath. It seemed very tasty lol.

Back at the yard we did a one to one interview with Breeze standing in her stable. I expected her to go and eat hay and ignore me. Instead she spent the whole time licking my hands and just standing next to me nuzzling me and not wanting to leave my side. She either likes me a lot these days or she is more of a camera hog than I am lol.

We had a great play in the rain soaked arena this evening on the 12' line and Breeze must be feeling better because she was pretty full of energy. She didn't brace or go intro again and circle game was great yet again too. Being confined to her stable all week doesn't seem to bother her which is just as well as she won't be going out to graze in the fields just yet.

Her wound is healing well but is still not flat and healed enough to risk it being torn open again. Plus I don't know if even duct tape is enough to protect her from the mud.