Indy is definitely a completely different type of horse from any of the other young horses I've ridden. I hope that what they say about the difficult horses ending up being the best ones is true because she will be a fantastic horse if it is.
Don't get me wrong, she's not an idiot. She's not bolting or rearing or doing anything really stupid or dangerous. I still feel like she wants to cut in two when we canter, but Indy hasn't. Yet. Mostly, she is just resistant, hard-headed. The type that you ask to bend left and they lean into your weight and leg and drop their right shoulder. Basically, if Indy used even half of the effort she puts into resisting into trying to do what I ask, we might actually get somewhere eventually. She also has the attention span of a Jack Russell puppy in a yard full of squirrels. I don't mind her getting a little distracted, that's normal. Indy has a tendency to take it to the extreme though. I'm obviously not perfect and make mistakes, but riding her is mentally exhausting. After awhile, my main focus becomes just not losing my temper. That isn't going to get us very far.
It's going to be like this for quite some time, I realize that. I'm hoping to schedule a lesson soon and am looking forward to getting the new trainer's input. In the meantime, I'm trying to focus on the positive aspects of Indy being a challenge and what I'm learning from it.
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| Indy is a really good eater... |
1. She is going to teach me a lot.
2. I'm going to learn some serious patience.
3. There are good moments when Indy goes like the horse that she is capable of being. They (very) gradually come more often.
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| She's cute too! |
4. I'm learning to put more faith in her. Riding defensive won't help. If she plants me, she plants me. I need to get over worrying about it. Eventually.
5. My pride means nothing. By that I mean that if things look ugly sometimes, it's okay. We both need to learn, not impress. Letting go of my pride makes it a lot less frustrating when a ride is far from perfect.
6. In the end, she will have made me a better rider and horseman. Assuming she doesn't kill me in the process of course.
7. She has talent and potential, so it's worth the hard times.
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| She's a really pretty shade of grey right now. |
8. I enjoy spending time with her at the barn. Being around Indy is a break from the track and I'm not only lucky to have her, but the opportunity to ride at all.
9. If Indy and I get past this and have some success, it will be extremely rewarding.
I'm sure there's even more positive things to come out of my time with Indy. I'm just super tired and can't think of any more right now.
Anyone else have any positive notes on riding a difficult horse?
Difficult horses take a lot of time to "shine up". The one Appendix I rode took over a year to get anywhere with, and even then, he still had his moments. It was frustrating at times and I certainly hated him more than a few times. Just plugging away helps and mixing things up help a lot too.
ReplyDeleteYeah, they do :) I think more variation will help a lot.
DeleteNever punish, just fix or ignore if need be, and reward the good. Like people horses have good and bad days so don't get too upset at stuff.
ReplyDeleteBut you're awesome. You got this! :)
All good points! Thanks, I hope so....
DeleteI can totally understand that sometimes the frustrations seem to outweigh the long term benefits, major kudos to you for trying to keep the glass half full! I'm sure you two will be fantastic :)
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely aggravating. Thanks, fingers crossed.
DeleteHow old is she? That all sounds like baby horse stuff to me. Maybe she needs to do a little growing up?
ReplyDeleteI love your list of positives! Those are all great and she is definitely gorgeous!
Thanks! She is four and you are spot on with the growing up thing.
DeleteKika went through quite a difficult stage, we just kept plugging away rewarding good behaviour. All the while changing up what was being asked of her, lunging with training aids really helped strengthen up her back and let her duke things out with herself on the pessoa so that she learned how to carry herself with correct musculature. We also went trail riding at least once a week with me in the tack & other days with her on a lead while my friend hacked her mare (pre-Nancy days). Keeping things fresh & asking for similar things in different ways really helped us if that makes any sense...sorry if i am not of much use!
ReplyDeleteNo, that definitely helps and I think that you are absolutely right.
DeleteI think the biggest positive is how much of a better rider they will make you! Keep trucking along. There is light at the end of the tunnel (and it's not an oncoming train)
ReplyDeleteHaha! I hope not because it definitely feels like a train wreck sometimes :)
DeleteCarlos was a hard nut to crack but the challenge was so rewarding and I obviously love love loved him. Hope Indy is a rewarding challenge for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I hope so to. It's good to hear that a wonderful horse like him was challenging at first too. Gives me hope :)
DeleteDiamond in the rough, that's the way it goes. If every horse was "made" we wouldn't be the horsemen we are today. Every one of your points are completely true, especially when you mentioned how much she is going to teach you both on the ground and riding. I definitely think this will be one amazing journey that you both deserve.
ReplyDeletesounds frustrating - but also like you're making progress! it's probably hard to see from where you sit (subtle differences and all), but it's there! good luck :)
ReplyDelete