30 Days
30 days. I was desperate to give him 30 days of positive training to prove he wasn't too far gone. I didn't care where we'd end up, as long as it was moving forward and everyone still had their appendages attached. Many times during this month I wanted to throw in the towel and cried my whole way home (hour and 20 minutes, you can get a good cry in) but I just clung to my promise of 30 days. There was just too much good horse left to let the bad prevail. For as bad as he was, he never, ever tried to hurt us, kick us, buck in our direction etc. He would have had every right to become a kicker or knock our blocks off for what had happened to him. It just resonated with me that for him to be this bad, what happened to him didn't just happen once... or twice. Its deeply embedded in him that "training" hurts and he needed to get away by any means necessary. When we started coming across territory no one had "taught" him the wrong way to do it- he was exceptionally easy! I don't know how someone could screw a horse up so badly... and still be out there training.
We're far from done- as is just about any horse- but he at least has tools that will help him succeed, even in a herd setting. He didn't know how to yield or think- he just knew how to flail. And flail he did. It has been so rewarding to see him take our tools and use them- you could see him start to think about losing it and then he'd stop, put his head down and lick chew and usually result in the right answer, or at least not flailing. Yesterday we ended with a few moments of relaxed and just lovely trot. He is going to be such a comfortable ride one day! He even semi lost it just for a moment with me mounted and I have tools to be able to one rein stop and brain activating dropping the head and relaxing that we spent so many hours reinforcing on the lunge line. I feel reasonably comfortable on him (yey riding wiggly Arabs!) and think that we're really on the cusp of some great work together. I cant wait to get him out on the trail- he seems so keen to explore on our walks together and has not been afraid or jumpy or anything outside- I think thats where he'll really show off being a rockstar pony! He seems happy to be home, sharing a round bale with my wonderful, well adjusted herd. They even had to resort to nipping him to get him to listen- kid had no coping skills! He seems to have learned and has no new bites. Im forever in debt to Kevin, the trainer I worked with, for sticking by us and really digging deep in his tool box so that we could find ways to resonate with him. I am excited for what lies ahead for this sweet boy and so glad that I trusted what I saw in him to continue pressing forward. Finnegan, its time to officially begin-again.