I'm soaked! I was ten minutes from home on Ace when the heavens opened, stair rods of rain coming down, and now I am soaked :-)
I had a nice ride, though, and he was a bit more relaxed than normal though still somewhat spooky. I think he will be lovely in time, he's just a bit of nervous boy away from home on a hack. How strange that he does not do it as much when we are 20 miles away from home at a competition?
The trick I used with radaR last time didn't work today. We had a lovely circuit of walk on one rein but it disappeared as usual when I turned the other way. After 45 minutes of endless halting, including bowing down in front and pawing, he finally exploded, bucked and bolted for the entrance. He got a very significant telling off for that behaviour and I put him overbent and worked him until he gave control of his neck to me and walked some nice, quiet, figures of eight in walk. Back to the drawing board!
I have a physio coming soon to give Ace a once-over. I think maybe I should add Radar as well. He is so agile in the field (turnout and hunting :-) and so flexible and active when he consents to work that it is difficult to believe that he has anything troubling him. But then, I guess if I read back I said similar things about Jazz in the past.
I must go and get these clothes off now and wring them out!
C
It never hurts--except in the pocketbook--to have your horse checked out for physical issues. Radar might tolerate a lot when he's doing what he wants to do and is all caught up in the excitement of the hunt. In the arena, it just might be that his head cannot overcome his body.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to hear the story. And, once again, Jazz has given his gift to your other horses. His "guardian angel quotient" just continues to escalate.
Ha, I know what raining stair rods means now, thanks to another British friend.
ReplyDeleteI too am having Tetley gone over by a vet who does chiropractic work and acupuncture. Ace might have tweaked something else when he injured his leg. As for radaR maybe some mind manipulation would help :-) I wonder if he would be happier if you put a few ground poles in the arena, then he wouldn't think he was doing dressage.
I like Jean's comment on Jazz continuing to give.