First off, Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I should have known that it was going to be a bad day when Hirsch made a solid attempt at dislocating my elbow which caused it to make an incredibly disgusting popping sound. The temptation to just cancel the lesson after that was pretty high, but I have a clinic this weekend and figured that some riding wisdom was probably needed beforehand. I thought that as long as Indy was good, it shouldn't hurt too much.
I didn't get to the barn in time to lunge, so I just tacked Indy quickly and headed out. She hasn't really needed to be lunged lately anyway, so no big deal right? That was mistake #1.
Mistake #2 was opting to ride in the arena on the hill instead of the covered. I'm trying to be better about riding her outside of her comfort zone, so it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Mistake #3 was thinking that she would be pretty chill since she had been ridden hard the last couple days. I forgot that she inherited the thoroughbred stamina and not only doesn't get tired easily, but also recovers quickly if she does.
So I walk her around while my trainer finished her other lesson and I'm all sorts of proud of Little Miss Sweet Pea because she's gotten so much braver and more confident in the last couple of months. She didn't even spook at the guy dragging the garbage can on a cart on the hill above her.
The lesson started off well enough with some pretty nice walk work. Then we started trotting and that was pretty good too until a lady brought a horse to the barn above us. Indy got distracted for a bit, but went back to work. Then another lady came to grab her horse out of the barn and let it away. Once again, Indy got distracted but went back to work again.
Mistake #4 was heading towards the letter S, which my little darling decided that she should suddenly be terrified of.
It unfolded like this:
Indy spooked at the evil S.
Me: What the hell?
Indy buck #1.
Me: Shit!
Indy buck #2.
Me: That should be the end of it, but I can't get her head back up.
Indy buck #3.
Me: That one was even bigger than the last two.
Indy buck #4.
Me: Did my always calm and collected trainer just sound worried? I'm so screwed!
Indy buck #5.
Me: At least the footing is soft out here.
Indy buck #6.
Me: If I come off today, it's going to be a full year of dealing with this crap.
Indy buck #7.
Me: I am NOT coming off!
Indy buck #8.
Me: I wonder if she is going to take a flying leap over the rail of the arena or turn.....
Indy buck #9.
Me: At least she turned.
Indy buck #10.
Me: There goes my stirrup, it's official: I'm going to hit the dirt today.
Indy buck #10.5 (because it was about half the size of the rest).
Me: Please! Noooo moooore!
End Indy's bucking spree.
Me: I'm gonna kill her!!! And why the hell wasn't there someone around to capture that on video?
Me to my trainer: "Did I at least score a ten for that?" She kind of chuckled and said that I did. "I think that I need to lunge the living piss out of her!"
Trainer asked if I wanted her to go grab a lunge and the side reins. I gratefully accepted her offer because let's face it, the chances of my riding Indy until she was tired without getting bucked off was slim to none. That bucking episode already had me exhausted. I'm not a bronc rider and I don't want to be and I find absolutely no shame in that. I rode Indy around in her "safe" area waiting until the trainer was almost back because there was no way in Hell that I was going to immediately jump off of her. Heifer is a smart one and she would have put two and two together pretty damn quick.
My trainer came back with the gear and then left to feed lunch while I lunged the princess. I made Indy canter A LOT. And no, I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about it. The lungeing worked in that it got her a bit tired, though most horses at her stage of training and fitness would have been exhausted. It didn't work in that not being able to escape the contact of the side reins REALLY pissed her off.
Trainer came back and I got back on. Indy was still looking for an excuse to get set off, but was at least tired enough that I could talk her out of it. She was a cow about contact and never really relaxed, so once we got a few good circles of trot work in, we called it a day.
I'm pretty pissed for several reasons. One is that I finally just got to the point where I trusted her not to do anything really bad. Another is that I can understand a spook and a buck or two from a young horse, hogging it across the arena isn't acceptable. I'm also mad because I'm pretty sure that she still wasn't tired even after that. The last reason that I'm pissed is because I'm pretty sure that I would be hurting a lot less right now if I actually had come off. Being pissed is probably a good thing in that it makes me more determined. It's better than being scared.
It feels like some one beat me with a bat and I definitely need to try to get a chiro appointment tomorrow. The elbow isn't feeling so great and now the shoulder is right there with it. On a good note, my neck seems to have come out mostly unscathed. It's stiff, but I can get out of bed so that's a good sign that I didn't injure it again. Apparently, I'm getting old or something. By the way, you would not believe the amount of ab strength that it takes to ride a bucking horse for that long. Though those being sore is probably a good thing. The gym has nothing on Indy.
It's not that Indy bucked super hard, kicking in the hind end and/or twisting in the body, but she bucked plenty hard enough. It was those head down between her legs, four-legged bucks. At least she stayed straight for the most part and wasn't doing the side to side crap. However, she bucked for a LONG time. It was a nasty move on her part. Indy probably could have tried a little harder to get me off, but she also could have tried a lot less.
What bothered me most was her eye. Usually, it's really soft. While I was lungeing her and before I got off, it definitely was anything but. It wasn't a frightened eye either. It was a mean one. It probably sounds crazy, but I swear that she was giving me a death look for the rest of our time together that day. I've seen horses that naturally have mean looking eyes, but I've never seen that drastic of a change from soft to evil in such a short time. It was a bit disturbing.
I ended up promising the trainer that I will lunge Indy before I ride for the time being. I don't like lungeing very often or for very long, but I also don't like getting bucked off. So, for now she will get lunged.
We have a clinic on Sunday in the lower outdoor where they have the vinyl tarp-like signs that flap in the wind. Pray that it isn't windy on Sunday. I will really not be happy if I waste $150 to spend an hour just trying not to die. In the meantime, Indy is going to experience lots of flapping things in an attempt to get her over that stuff more. Unfortunately, it usually takes her a year to get over things. Wish me luck.
Before I go, I should say that I have a much deeper respect for those that can really ride broncs. Holy muscles!!!
