In which I do ALL THE THINGS
Ok, I greatly desire to blather about my riding lesson today, because it was TOTALLY AWESOME AND CAPSLOCK GREAT.
Though I did not get to ride Indy. *sadface* However, I talked to Jo, and Jo talked to Penny, and Penny talked to me and it was decided that I will get to ride Indy next week. YAY! Voicing desires has surprisingly good results. (I wound up on Indy because on previous weeks I had mentioned missing Tex)
So anyway. I was on Homer the Butt. I had been thinking that I need to get a lot better at not taking any shit from horses. I tend to be gentle and nice even when they're being an ass, and that does not actually get me anything. So I should continue to be gentle and nice when they're being good, but at the VERY FIRST SIGN of shit, I can get a little mean and yank back. No shit. None.
So anyway, I put that into practice today and HOLY SHITBALLS it worked. I pointed Homer at poles and he hesitated, so I kicked him. I kicked the ever-loving crap out of him, and he walked over the poles with very little trouble. And then we did it again, and he needed much less encouragement. And we did it again and again and again and he got better and better and better and it was fabulous. None of the fighting and wrestling of other times, because I took ABSOLUTELY NO SHIT from the very start.
So then Jo put a pole up on blocks and told me to trot over that. I was nervous about it, but I did. Homer was bad again the first time, but again, NO SHIT, and he went right over. So then we trotted over it and he decided it was a jump and jumped a wee bit, which was unexpected, but I was totally fine. So then we did that more and did it like a jump, and he indicated that he wanted to canter after doing that.
So....
We cantered!
I figured "what the hell," sent him over, and then we cantered. More than once.
:D
Sadly, on the last one we cantered a lap and I sent him at the little jump again while at the canter, and he slammed on the brakes. Fucking ass of a horse. So I took no shit and made him walk over it because he does not get to say no to that, but then I was done. I was actually fine (Jo was pointing out that my seat did not move at all, I more than sufficiently stable to handle things like that with no problem at all), but I freaked out a bit and hyperventilated and needed to calm down.
And then there was walking and cooling down, and then my lesson was over.
Overall? COMPLETELY FABULOUS and I am most delighted. ^_^
Though I did not get to ride Indy. *sadface* However, I talked to Jo, and Jo talked to Penny, and Penny talked to me and it was decided that I will get to ride Indy next week. YAY! Voicing desires has surprisingly good results. (I wound up on Indy because on previous weeks I had mentioned missing Tex)
So anyway. I was on Homer the Butt. I had been thinking that I need to get a lot better at not taking any shit from horses. I tend to be gentle and nice even when they're being an ass, and that does not actually get me anything. So I should continue to be gentle and nice when they're being good, but at the VERY FIRST SIGN of shit, I can get a little mean and yank back. No shit. None.
So anyway, I put that into practice today and HOLY SHITBALLS it worked. I pointed Homer at poles and he hesitated, so I kicked him. I kicked the ever-loving crap out of him, and he walked over the poles with very little trouble. And then we did it again, and he needed much less encouragement. And we did it again and again and again and he got better and better and better and it was fabulous. None of the fighting and wrestling of other times, because I took ABSOLUTELY NO SHIT from the very start.
So then Jo put a pole up on blocks and told me to trot over that. I was nervous about it, but I did. Homer was bad again the first time, but again, NO SHIT, and he went right over. So then we trotted over it and he decided it was a jump and jumped a wee bit, which was unexpected, but I was totally fine. So then we did that more and did it like a jump, and he indicated that he wanted to canter after doing that.
So....
We cantered!
I figured "what the hell," sent him over, and then we cantered. More than once.
:D
Sadly, on the last one we cantered a lap and I sent him at the little jump again while at the canter, and he slammed on the brakes. Fucking ass of a horse. So I took no shit and made him walk over it because he does not get to say no to that, but then I was done. I was actually fine (Jo was pointing out that my seat did not move at all, I more than sufficiently stable to handle things like that with no problem at all), but I freaked out a bit and hyperventilated and needed to calm down.
And then there was walking and cooling down, and then my lesson was over.
Overall? COMPLETELY FABULOUS and I am most delighted. ^_^