Naughty nappy. noodle!

Ooh, Ace was a mighty nappy boy today. It was sharp cold but beautifully sunny this morning and he was fairly spooky. The trouble started when he was part way up a hill and a car with a trailer came down. He would not pass the trailer, and spun up the bank. Just as I was about to win him over, a lorry came up the hill. I was forced to get off to avoid holding everyone up any longer.

When the road was clear, I got back on and tried to ride him up the hill but he was having none of it. He spun, and if I stopped him from spinning, he either reared  or bucked. So I got off again and led him up the hill, then got back on and rode him further up before turning for home.

On the way back I made him turn away from home three times, with decreasing resistance each time. Then we got to the gate at home, and because he had been so naughty, I decided he needed a lesson in submission, and rode him past the gate. That was OK, because he never spins to the right and the gate was to the right.

But going back the other way he repeatedly tied to nip in the gate. I could turn him away again, but I could not safely make him go past, he was too dangerous to try and force him.

So I left it up to him to decide when he would stop trying to nip into the gateway. Every time he tried, I turned and went twenty metres past the house. I knew he would give in eventually and I was prepared to carry on as long as it took. Which was about fifteen minutes.

He suddenly gave in, walked down the road past the gate, and then at a point I chose was allowed to stop, turn and go home.

That's done my confidence no end of good and his education no harm at all. He understands now that it is not his choice what direction we head in, and all perfectly calmly and quietly achieved.

C