Fame's Story:If He Can't Fix It....

The following day R flew out for a horse show. At the end of our lesson the previous day he had delivered an ultimatum.

"If you can't get this horse to settle down and walk, he needs to be just a pleasure horse."

Those word hung in my head like clouds on an overcast day, along with the nagging fear that my horse was not alright. I knew that I had to do something. But what? I first consulted the "great internet sages". Most where stumped and offered little advise, and the ones who did wanted me to buy a $60 "carrot stick", a special rope halter and have me play a bazillon games with my horse. I didn't really see how that could help...

When I went to the barn that day I spent about an hour just on his grooming. I fussed over him and patted him and fed him carrots and grapes(his favorite treat) mostly to make myself feel better. I watched for any signs of odd behavior or lameness. I wished there where someone else in the barn who could take a look at him for me, another pair of eyes with judgment unclouded by the frightening experience that Fame and I had been through the previous day. I felt that since I lacked another person's objective I could send Fame out on a lunge line and perhaps get a better look for myself.

I clipped the line to his halter and sent him out. He walked slowly and calmly for one whole circle, and then began to build up and started to jog. I corrected with the lunge line.

"Walk," I stated firmly. Fame looked over at me with one ear back against his head the other pointed at me, and the whites of his eyes showing. He blew and began to nervously take up a trot.

"Walk!" I enforced again with my line. He gave me the same buggy eyed look and began to jig on the line. An idea was forming, I felt that I may have stumbled on to something. Fame didn't know what I was asking him, this was something that was contrary to his routine. The last one million times he'd been lunged in this barn it was always the same. He honestly thought that he was supposed to trot and was genuinely apprehensive and confused. I did a mental survey of all of my lessons with R, and all the workout routines I'd ever seen him do with any of the horses. It was all the same. The same patterns on the same day, every week, every month.

Every time we went out in the buggy we always trotted along the path, walk the round-a-bouts, and picked up the trot again on the straight. As where were coming out of the turn he'd anticipate the trot and build energy, after several buggy sessions I believe he also began anticipating our fights, which piled nervous energy onto a horse that could already be labeled as "hot" and that energy built and built and then there was an explosion. I believe Fame thought that he was doing what he was supposed to do. What his daily routine dictated was right. It had been hard wired into is brain for years. But the question remained about how I was to go about fixing it.
I told Fame to whoa and put him back in his stall, and went home to formulate a plan.

"Obedience," My roommate said. "You need to reenforce the obedience. You need to be certain that he knows what you are saying."
"R took the harness with him to the show, and the cart is broken," I replied.
"Lunge him, he gets three seconds to respond to your request and then correct him. He needs to understand the basic's of what you are telling him before you add harness, saddles, carts and things."

I took the advice to heart, and the following day my roomie and I both went out to the barn. I borrowed a bridal, put on Fame's splint boots and bell boots, I clipped my lung line to the bridle, and with a horse in one hand and a lunge whip in the other, marched into R's indoor arena.

I sent Fame out like I had many times, he quietly walked on revolution around me and started to jog. "Walk!" 1..2...3...No response from the horse. I pulled sharply on the line three times in quick succession. Fame staggered back like I had shot at him. He stood and blew and gave me bug eyes again. "Walk." I reminded, lightly twitching my whip hand for added emphasis. Fame walked. I didn't have Fame trot and canter, just walked until he could walk several revolutions with out building to a jog. By the end he was quiet and relaxed. It was a start.

I said my "good boy's" and put my horse to bed, I made a smooching noise and asked for a kiss. Fame lipped at my chin obligingly and sauntered over to his left over hay. I marched off to complete my innumerable list of barn chores.

I returned the next day to administer another lesson at the walk. To my amazement the big dope only needed a small reminder in the beginning of the session. So I added an upward transition and we transitioned between walk and jog. I did not count circles I asked him to trot when I felt like it, and made him walk when ever I wanted him to. I would be consistent in the way I handled him, I'd be consistent in my discipline, but there would be no more repetitive patterns. Leaving him nothing to anticipate forced him to listen and wait for my direction.

I then started lunging him in weird places, if the footing was level and the area big enough we'd lunge. I wanted to establish that listening wasn't only done in the arena. We had been doing this for days, I knew I need to take the next step but I was hesitant.

"You need to get back on him." My roomie chastised.
"R said not to ride him, it'll ruin his driving."
"R is the one who crashed him."

She had a point, since the crash I had begun to call into question my trainers knowledge and his methods. Plus he didn't start getting real bad in the buggy until I quit riding him in the first place. Further more R told me that I had to get that horse walking. I had to do what I thought was necessary.

If he couldn't fix him then I had to. It was time to ride.

Rollin'

Fame's Story: After The Fall

This is what happen after "Thrills and Spills"

After the Fall

Fame lay still on his side, buggy shaft cracked over the top of him. I sat momentarily stupefied in the cart.
"Get out of the buggy Janell, quickly." R said quietly.
I bailed as fast as I could and immediately started unfastening any piece of harnessing I could get at.
"Get him unhooked Janell, when he comes up he's going to come up big," R finally managed to say as he stood off to the side staring blankly at the scene of the wreckage.

I had heard stories of Fame's younger years. About bolting, fence and hedge jumping...with the cart still attached. I was expecting him to get up quickly and I was expecting an explosion of epic proportions. I cannot really say how long he laid there. It was long enough that I remember worrying the he wouldn't get up.

Fame's ears flicked and he raised his neck to look over his shoulder.

"Get ready Janell," R spoke at me in barely more than a whisper.

With a heave Fame was back on his feet, and where we were prepared for sudden explosion the horse just stood there looking at me with his usual pleasant and alert expression. There was no blind terror, no bolting, no panic. He just stood, bits of broken and loose harnessing hanging haphazardly all over him. R quickly pulled the buggy off him. Fame shook as if he'd just gotten up from a good roll. Harness flopped to the ground. I picked it up and flung it over my shoulder. Rich told he to take my horse back in the barn.

I pulled the blinders off of Fame and stuck my arm through the ear holes. The head stall was broken, the egg-butt snaffle I had been driving him with dangled at the side of his face. I walk back into the barn, numb feeling, watching my feet drag in the dirt. My good sweet horse followed me. I led Fame all the way to the other end of the barn, removed the broken bridle, haltered him and, led him into the cross-tie. I set the harness on the cross-tie wall and prepared to un-tack him.

"Get the what ever pieces you need off the other harnesses and get your horse in the arena."

However perplexed I was about R telling me to get me horse ready to work after we had just crashed and screwed up the buggy, I numbly obeyed. I soon had my horse back in full harness. I stood at Fame's head, directly in front of him so he could see me, and waited for R. My numbness was wearing off. Like he had the first day met Fame rested his beautiful head on my chest. The flood gates bust open and a cascade of fear, sadness, frustration, anger, panic, and hopelessness burst forth in the form of tears. We were left undisturbed for several minuets. Eventually R had me finish Fame's workout, ground driving at the walk.

Happy birthday mother

It's my mothers birthday to day and I felt it appropriate the I send a special birthday shout out. And throw out a "very sappy post" warning.

Mother

Confidant and guardian
Caretaker and friend
Shelter in the storm


Held my hand in darkness
Loved me when I erred
Raised me in faith

Encouraged my creativity
Pushed for my success
Taught me of valiance


...Managed to put up with me for twenty-one years...


ahem...poetry is not one of my fortes. But I hope she knows I love her and appreciate her, despite my sappy bad poetry.

Happy Birthday Mom!

It's A Groom's Life/ A regular saturday update.

Well our ride went well, no massive blow ups this week. And being in a saddle that fits me appropriately has done wonders for my position, and I'm much less sore, which counts for something. The group lessons are fun and at the end of the R has us do a little mini class, then gives us all a placing. Fame and I where next to dead last...for the second week in a row. But those gals have much more experience on me, not to mention that they are not riding Fame. My posting is good, I stayed in the saddle at the canter, it was tough walking but we worked it out. I feel like I'm steadily improving, and getting more and more control on my horse. My biggest weakness is rating that horse. He will do what I tell him with enthusiasm but he just does it at a million miles per hour.

I have also decided to use this blog to launch my old/new project. A Groom's Life. It will kinda be a series of pictures/comic shorts about the horse world as it relates to being in a show barn, and quirky horse behavior in general. I hope to do one weekly.

Fame's Story: Thrills and Spills

Before I begin, I put this blog together as an excuse to write. It would be easy to only write about the good stuff. To make it all seem like sunshine and berries, ponies and rainbows. I could have made myself look good but, it was more important to me and my own reflections on the matter to include the less sparkly moments. So...

Thrills and Spills

I was not a smart rider, I was not a good rider, but I was stubborn, and continually compelled to get on my stiff, jiggy horse. I didn’t know any better. After R had cleared out of the barn I took my horse out of his stall and tacked him up, lunged, and climbed aboard, at this point I was feeling confident(way over confident) in my riding and had begun asking for a little sitting trot. His sitting trot was like riding a jackhammer. But since his "pseudo walk" was like that too I wasn’t to bothered by it.
"You are going to ruin that horse," I heard from behind me. It was R, he had forgotten something and had come back to the barn. Where my attention had been on the horse I had not noticed when he had come into the arena. "If you insist upon riding this horse you at least need to make him walk. Not that nasty jiggy stuff he’s doing for you now. You have to remember that your horse does like to be ridden. We stopped riding him because it made him insane. The driving was the only thing we could get him to relax enough to preform and be competitive."
I hadn’t remembered halting my horse but we were stopped and I was staring blankly at Fame withers, unable to meet R’s gaze, but I knew he was staring right through me.
"He’s your horse, you’re an adult, you can do what you like." R went about his business. Defeated I slid off my horse.
We put him in the buggy for the first time since he’d been back. He hooked up like a real gentleman. He stood there half asleep as we strapped the cart to him. R swung into the cart and took up the slack on the reins. Fame transformed from sleepy to YEEHAW in about two seconds. He danced, he backed, R waited patiently, once Fame settled stood still and backed on command in a straight line R had him walk off. Fame jigged, R bent Fame’s head to the wall Fame stopped his jerky hoppy walk, R released. Bend release, bend release. If Fame wouldn’t walk he’d be back into the bend. If Fame was good he was rewarded by being allowed to carry his head and neck straight. Satisfied, R cued him for the trot...maaaannn... I had watched the other show horses work, and was always a little bit jealous of their horses fancy extravagant motion as opposed to Girla’s. And there was -my- horse, fresh off the pasture, out of shape and his knees popping level. I had myself a fancy one.
R came to a stop next to me.
"He’s pretty," I managed.
"He’s pretty cute," he replied. R swung out of the buggy and handed me the reins. "All yours."
I inhaled deeply and put my rear on the back of the buggy seat then twisted myself around to face forward. I choked up on the reins, searching for Fame’s mouth. Fame knew contact meant it was go time, and started to dance.
"Lets just start with a little walk , collect your reins a little more and ask him to walk. Watch that right front foot. Pull. Release. Pull. Release. Very good Janell. Light steady hands if he’s being good."
Fame had a lot more forward that Girla. Girla was easy to drive, but Fame was just plain fun! I loved his energy, I loved that I never had to ask this horse for more. If I did need more it was there and it seemed that I merely needed to think in this horses direction. We trotted about that arena a few times, we reversed and went the other way. It felt beautiful. I had originally sat in the buggy expecting the spazz-bot that I had been warned about instead I had a fantastic drive.
"Good Janell. Bring him down to a walk. That’s good for today. We don’t want to over work him while he’s out of shape."
Fame and I obliged, and slowed to Fame’s almost walk. We "walked" around the arena twice then R helped me unhook my horse.
"Good driving today."
"Thanks," I said patting Fame’s shoulder. I led my big ol’ critter back to the cross-ties, removed his bridle, offered him an alfalfa pellet, and slipped the halter on over his nose, and took off the harness. I led him back out to the arena and let him roll. I then took him outside to on unoccupied paddock, where happily he tore into the green spring grass. I beamed with pride.
I gave Fame the weekend off. On Monday I justified an afternoon ride, after all it was only a walk day. I took R’s advice and actually thought about the horse, and sought to find my horse’s walk. For the first time, I rode with a mind to teach my horse something.
I did find Fame’s walk.
Susan was impressed. Susan was one of many people at the barn that had owned Fame at one point, she also taught riding lessons in the afternoons. Knowing that I was an armature on a hot horse I typically chose to ride when she was there. It was an assurance that if I did come flying off my horse that someone would be there to catch him, and perhaps call an ambulance if needed. She also understood my insane desire to ride the horse, that I was told I could not ride. She did not look at me with the same critical eye that R did. Susan was always soft spoken, she looked at Fame and I with quiet understanding eyes. She had taught me my first riding lessons and had confidence in my ability in the saddle. Her confidence and belief in me was truly encouraging.
Fame and I were improving by leaps and bounds. I was getting a hold of his walk in both the saddle and the buggy. And walking was the most difficult thing about working with this horse. He was a dream at the trot.
Confidant that I had a reasonable handle on my horse R and I took our lessons out side. We would trot up and down the back path, and I could imagine Fame and I chirping along some beautiful English country side. A real high born lady and her fancy horse. Fame was strong and beautiful, regardless of how mussed my hair was or how many holes my pants had, or how many stains where on my shirt, and regardless of my size and unfortunate complection, I felt the same way when I was with him. Strong and beautiful.
R took me aside after one of our lessons, "If you want to get serious about showing this horse you need to stay off his back. There is a reason we -had- to stop riding him. He got to crazy under saddle, driving was the only thing we could get him to be relaxed enough to be competitive, and riding was making him to crazy to even drive. I’m not going to force you. He’s your horse you can do whatever you want, I don’t care if you want to ruin him, that’s your business."
I stopped riding Fame.
Fame became more intense in the shafts, and getting him to walk was more of a battle. He was great on the straightaways. The reverse at each end of the path was the difficult part, we would come down to a walk, walk through the round about and pick up the trot on the straight. The problem we were incurring, was that Fame was building prematurely. He would stiffen through the neck and begin to jig. Braced against my hands he became unresponsive to my pull release. Holding him would only cause him to prance in place, and occasionally to rear. I now came to my driving lessons with the expectation that Fame and I would get to fight it out on the reverse.
It was the third of June, a bright sunny day, and the traffic hummed by on the interstate across the fence. I had come down to the last patch of paradise left in suburbia for my driving lesson. Things were looking good and Fame seemed to be in a pleasant mood, which probably meant I was in for the work out today. We hooked up the horse and started out on the path. R put Fame through his regular warm up then handed me the reins. He chirped along, hooves beating out a steady rhythm. I was confidant. We hit the round about. I brought Fame down to a walk.
"Good boy!" I praised.
It was a great walk, until we hit the corner of that dreaded hedge that marked the beginning of all our fights. Fame began to build. R had me attempt to bend Fame to stop the build, but my horse had the bit and would not yield to the bend. To my credit he did not go forward, but he did run us into R’s hedge and backed into the fence. R was barking things in my ear, trying to talk me through this. Fame was prancing in place, the back path open in front of us the sheer energy generated by our combat seemed to vibrate the surrounding air.
R’s black working gloves appeared on the reins. Fame reared, once his front feet where on the ground he backed rapidly, sideways, threatening to jack-knife the cart, a move which could have potentially damaged him, the cart, me and my trainer.
"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" R yelled at my horse, and with more anger and upper body strength that I possessed took one rein and pulled Fame’s head off to one side, nose on the shoulder. Fame was in trouble now. The horse stiffened his neck, R waited for Fame to yield. Muscles taunt, the beast surged forward, and with the cracking of the shafts Fame collapsed.

Another Saturday at the Barn

My new job allows me to have all my Saturdays off. Yippie! So I typically will end up spending the day at the barn, just so I can wallow in the humble, natural, simple, down to earth scent of horses. I find nothing more calming and therapeutic after a long hard week than spending and entire day, sun up to sun down, working with horses.

I also like to take pictures. I got some real gems today, like this one.

Not that it's a great picture, I just find it funny.

It's ground week so I didn't ride. I did take him out and play with him, and got to groom him and turn him out in the paddock. I love watching the horse play and roll when you first let them out. There is little that compares to the beauty of horses at play.