I thought that Ace was so bad yesterday and finished so well that it might be a turning point, and so it seems to have been. It threw it down with rain today which upset him a lot, and he was still attempting to make a big fuss about the barrels, but his fight was so much less spirited than yesterday or the day before. He didn't buck at all, he just shied and tried not to turn right, and tried to raise his head and charge through my hands, but I won easily every time. We even cantered tonight and he did that nicely after a couple of strops. So I was able to finish on a very good note with a lot of praise and I could swear that the look on his face was one of "OK, I get it, I follow your rules and nothing nasty happens and then you tell me I'm a good boy". I guess he will continue to test me from time to time, but we are onto something now. It will be interesting to see what happens in a dressage arena under competition stress for both of us.
C
Just keep that determined leadership role when you ride him. I suspect as he learns more and more that you are the boss, he will gain some confidence and trust in you. Scary things are not so scary if you are not scared of them and don't make a big deal about it.
ReplyDeleteSo a "matter of fact" approach to the "monsters in the bushes and elsewhere" on your part, with a "oh, well, we are just going to go past that sooner or later," may well pay off big time.
Sounds as if you are on your way to establishing a true partnership with you in the leadership role.
I too am sensing an increase in confidence from having any leadership role firmly taken off him, Jean. It was what I had hoped for. Thankfully, it has not changed his generally cuddly and loving attitude at all.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see what happens later when I ride today. It is very, very windy and will be a good test.
C