And at home too
I have been absolutely wracked with nerves about the idea of bringing Zippy home and riding him. I could curse Smartie, I really could, I never used to be nervous of riding anything!
Anyway, we went and fetched him, via MacDonald's for breakfast (and delay and prevarication ...) . He just followed me straight onto the lorry with no fuss at all. He's a great loader and traveller.
I turned him out when we got home to say hello to Jazz and work off any high spirits. The two boys had an instant love-in, but there were no high spirits. That surprised me a bit - Zippy has been in a stable full time for 11 days so I thought he'd want a run about.
I got them back in for some food, groomed Zip and tacked him up. I took him into the barn and long reined him for about 5 minutes. Then I got on. He momentarily reacted to the unaccustomed WOW saddle, but I put my leg on and held the rein and he was fine. I walked around, with SH all the time talking to me to calm my nerves. I stopped and started and I did figures of eight. At one point he wasn't stopping when I asked, and that's how it started when he chucked me off. I suppressed the panic, made a point of putting my leg on and took a firm hold on the rein - he stopped. He is very unsettled if he doesn't feel your leg on his side.
SH encouraged me to have a trot - I didn't want to, I really didn't want to. But I did. Again my leg came off his side and he was confused, and I contorted myself to get it back on again (there's not much of him yet to put your leg on!) and held the rein, and he did a nice little trot. I did the same around the other way, stopped and got off.
I felt so overwhelmingly relieved to have got off that I really thought that I should get back on again. So I did. A figure of eight in walk, and I got off again and went and turned him out.
What a relief. It's pretty clear now where things went wrong. I have been mentioning for some time that he is a bit jumpy at times, and that is still true. Unfortunately, I have read more into that than there is. He's just a tiny bit jumpy - he does some tiny jumps, and that's all. But with Smartie, that meant there was an explosion coming, and so I have overreacted to Zip and been scared of him. He has been scared of my fear (I mean, if SHE's scared then there MUST be something to be scared about, mustn't there?) and we had a vicious circle. So when I rode him and he didn't stop when I asked, I took my leg off, didn't take up the reins and give him clear direction, and left him panicking and not knowing what to do. We know what the result of that was.
Now he has been backed by Jonathan, I am ignoring all his little jumpinesses and treating him in the same robust physical way Jonathan did. Surprise ! (not) He jumps less if you are being boisterous than if you pussyfoot around.
So, a good start. I will ride him every day now for a few minutes and get used to that trot. It is very different from Jazz's. Just as much suspension, but all light and airy-fairy instead of big and powerful. Most of that is the different way he is built, though his power will increase as he gets stronger. One thing is clear and that is what an exceptionally good horse he is :-) And it looks like I can ride him too!
C
posted by cptrayes @ 3:33 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
aha! well done, getting over the nerves, they're horrid... she says feelingly! before you know it it'll be as if there never was a problem....enjoy!
its just so easy to get into that cycle isn't it......just shows how your confidence boosts his. Well done for getting going with him again, sometimes its easier when they are away and in unfamiliar suroundings when you just'get on with it' cos you have a guide there. Different story when you are back home, remembering the last time you came off etc.
Good on SH too for giving you the confidence!
I expect great things from now on, with tons of pictures of course.
I have been there with Tucker. I know exactly how you feel. It is very hard to control the fear and just get on with the task. It sounds as if Allan's support and your own stubborn dtermination carried the day today.
Tomorrow will be easier and the next even easier. Now, do remember to breathe. Sometimes singing or just talking to yourself can help too. Anything that relaxes your body just that little bit will help Zip along.
It has taken me a long time not to overreact to Tucker's natural "jumpiness." I finally realized it the other day when he pulled a 180 spook on the trail the other day and it really didn't faze me. I am sure it will take you far less time to get over worrying about Zip.
And, you did the right thing by getting back on. Each time you conquer your anxiety, it will die a little bit more. Someday soon, you will swing up into the saddle without a second thought.
If Zip has one of those lovely floaty trots he is going to be amazing to ride. I can't wait to hear your assessment as time goes by.
Well done to A too!
Pandover all he did was pay :-) :-) :-) Well OK bruv, he's a great guy we all know, he's not called Superhubby for nowt.
Thanks Claire. Pictures when he's put the weight back on that he lost while he was away Mandeigh.
I was singing this morning Jean!
C.
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