Caring and sharing
We're a caring, sharing household here today. I have a nasty head cold, which I have shared with Superhubby out of the goodness of my heart :-) And Zip has one too, which he has shared with Jazz. Isn't that kind of him? Zippy's nose was snotty yesterday with an obvious infection, though not much stuff, so only a slight one. He's the same today and now Jazz has a tiny drip of yellow muck on his nostril. I don't think it's anything much, neither of them are off their food or coughing or looking at all down in the mouth.
Jazz was so stiff this morning! Like a board. I have never known him on his forehand at all before, so for him to dump his head in my hands and walk around the arena with his front end ploughing into the floor was a new one on both of us! It took fifteen minutes to loosen him up with some gentle stretching and bending.
I did wonder if it was the cold, but it hasn't afffected Zip that way at all. I think it's more likely that he is finding it an effort to be out on the hills again now that he has the whole field open. When new horses arrive here they usually look totally worn out at the end of the first week, just from being turned out. Five weeks without walking up and down hill all day have taken their toll. He'll be as fit as a fiddle again soon.
Zip was odd. A complete idiot to tack up. He freaked at the reins going over his head and then kept turning his backside on me. I picked up three brushes and each time he turned his bum on me I threw one of them at it. The third time, he turned to face me with a foal submission gesture, chomping his mouth. I know it sounds a bit crude to throw brushes, but all it is is Monty Roberts join-up with brushes instead of a rope :-) It used to work with Smartie, which I found out after I threw one at him in sheer frustration one day.
Anyway, then he let me tack him up pretty well and we went into the barn where he did some really nice work with exceptional bend for his age. He's an odd, odd fellow, I really can't work him out. Frightened to death of a bridle and then working like a horse twice his age. Peculiar creature!
C.
posted by cptrayes @ 11:20 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
A bit of horse psychology for C., regarding Jazz spooking away from home is normal.
At home, he is in his comfort zone. when you take him away from home, he is OUT of his comfort zone, EVERYTHING is SCARY. Horse eating gate, cars etc...
It is a model created by Philip Nye. You need to extend his comfort zone to hacking.
It is WHAT you do because you take no-non-sense, and you are a confident rider. So he believes in you.
Jazz seems to be a more "Parelli" right brain type of horse.
On the other hand, Zip is more left brain. With him, "you have to figure out how to get things done without it turning into a fight and without picking on him and him picking on you" this is a quote from Linda Parelli.
For the bridle it is only desensitization. It is a hole in his training. LOL
I am sure you will fix it with no problem.
Now how do I get to pass on my knowledge and savoir-faire from the ground to the saddle ???
A bit of confusion from my shorthand English Muriel - when I said "away from home". I meant "going away from home". He is "away from home" as in "not at home" when he sees the cars both times on our ride, but only when pointing away from home does he have an issue with them. When pointing towards home, the exact same cars are not scary at all - I.E. he's making them a very big excuse to behave appallingly!
The left brain/right brain comparison between him and Zip works for me - they are certainly opposites in much of their behaviour. Jazz is much more silly but much more honest, Zip more sensible but more devious. It will be interesting to see how they develop.
C
Well, you wanted Jazz to change after the surgery, didn't you? So, he has. *grin* Sounds to me as if he is tired in his back--well actually the stomach muscles hold his back up. Bet he's been wroking himself pretty hard in the pasture after being penned up so long. He'll come around soon enough.
Nice of the "family" to share the colds. Jazz worries me just a little as he did have the surgery. Always a concern to keep in mind.
Zip does need some "despooking" about some of those things, but he does act a lot like Chance. Sometimes, on the ground, something I do startles him. Might be the reins over his head or putting water in the soaking boot for his hoof. He usually settles right down after his panic attacks, though. Under saddle, hardly anything has bothered him yet. Even weirder than Zip because he was practically hand raised right after he was born.
yes, it's strange behaviour isn't it Jean - suddenly to have a quick panic about something that they have long been desensitized to. Silly, but like Chance, the panic is quickly gone.
Is he pushy? Hand reared horses have a reputation for being very difficult to handle when they get bigger.
C
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