Buttie belly has shrunk remarkably in two days. He does not seem ravenous, or even to mind the muzzle at all, so why the huge decrease I don't know. I could even feel a rib today! Just, in there somewhere, deep in the lard :-) I am amazed at how he is accepting the muzzle, I had expected tantrums but he just stood there this evening and let me put it back on.
Yesterday I was riding Jazz on the arena and I spotted a big pebble in the gravel. After a while I realised that it looked more like an egg than a pebble so I called SH over to have a look at it. It was a pheasant egg! How cute is that? It would be tempting to hatch it, but we have a surfeit of pheasant coming down to safety from the moors on shooting days as it is.
I had a lovely hack on Jazz today. Two years ago I would never have got him out of the yard. In the field directly opposite the gate there was a mini-digger demolishing a stone wall which is to be rebuilt. The noise, the partial sight of the arm moving up and down, the extra vehicles parked outside our gate ..... all of those would have made Jazz absolutely refuse to leave the safety of home. Today all he did was look and keep walking.
And I am so please with myself! It was raining a bit and I know that Ace does not like working in the rain from a previous time when we were caught on a hack in a bit of light drizzle. I gave myself a stern talking to and told myself that it's time to quit these irrational fears about getting hurt and get on with riding him as if I expect things to go well. I took him out onto the arena, got on with confidence and rode off into the rain. He hunched his back, he offered a couple of attempts at a little buck and I just kicked him forward and told him clearly that I expected him to work. And he did. In fact his canter transitions were the smoothest that he has done in weeks. And I feel great!!!
C
Overcoming that anxiety will be an ongoing project, but each time you succeed the rewards will be wonderful....especially when Ace can offer such super work.
ReplyDeleteAs for Jazz--pretty amazing and wonderful. How nice to just be able to ride!!
Buttie shrinks? Maybe it's the rain. *JK* Glad to know he is accepting his new state. Maybe he knows it's for his own good.
Ace was much more confident because I was much more confident Jean - it's a vicious circle, isn't it???
ReplyDeleteC
Well done on kicking those fears into shape!
ReplyDeleteAs for Buttie, you've commented before that he is a pony who knows what is good for him haven't you... maybe that is why he is so accepting of the muzzle?
I can't quite believe that he's clever enough to understand why he should be restricted by a muzzle, Sarah, but the fact remains that he is completely unconcerned when I put it on him in the evening, and is making no attempt whatsoever to get it off during the night. So who knows :-) ?
ReplyDeleteNever under-estimate the intelligence of a shetland ;-)
ReplyDeleteWell done for facing your fears! I wish I could do the same.
ReplyDeleteSarah tonight Buttie practically shoved his little brown face into the bucket! I don't even have a headcollar on him, he is loose in the barn. I don't understand it, another horse would be running away from it, and here he is rushing to have it put on. He must know that the alternative is to be alone on the yard all night, surely?
ReplyDeleteIlovefoals the older bloggers know that I'm a BIG risktaker and thrill seeker by nature. Facing getting on Ace, for me, is no more than some people getting on a horse at all. You may have been born with higher fear levels than me and that doesn't make you a less brave person, in fact it may make you a braver one if you do things that scare you! I always say that it's not brave to jump a five foot hedge if it doesn't scare you, it can be braver to jump a 2ft 6 one if that does and you have to face your fear. Having said that, I am a bit chuffed that I finally seem to be laying the ghost of Smartie. Ace was brilliant today, he has gained so much confidence and bounce from my increased confidence.
C
i'm impressed at jazz going out past the wall being knocked down, given that it isn't the widest road outside your gate!
ReplyDeleteand you'll always be a braver woman than me, caroline - i'll not be jumping anything!
I'm impressed with Jazz too! It was amazing!!
ReplyDeleteBrave or stupid??? Not sure sometimes :-)
C