OK. So I'm not going to lie. My horse has turned into a crazed lunatic! I was fully aware of this "finding his feet" period but holy mackerel he's totally changed. I have to keep reminding myself that he has gone from being on full time turn out to only have a few hours a day and a pretty busy schedule of 3 feeds a day and is ridden 5 days in the week.
So this "finding his feet", hereon referred to as Doom Day, happened just before his show. I had mentioned it in my previous post and had put it down to the mirror. But now I'm putting it down to him evading work. I'm getting his back checked to make sure it's nothing more sinister and he's on an incredibly low sugar, very plain diet of high fiber cubes and sugar free chaff but the majority of his diet consists of hay. 5 bales of it. Each week. I'd like to say I don't know where he puts it but I do. He shits like an elephant.
So after the mirror incident he was just constantly spooking in the same corner (but he did change it around from time to time so I know it's not actually something in that corner. The second time he turned into rodeo pony I pressed the eject button and catapulted myself off him in case it ended up worse if I tried to stay on. Since then I know what it feels like when he arches his back, I know how to handle him and I know if all else fails I can turn him sharply so he can't buck. But he's starting to trust me more and the more leg I give him he's actually listening to me now instead of bucking. But he's still really spooky from time to time.
We came across dreaded SCOUTS the other day. With their smiles and luminous backpacks. Beau acted like he'd seen the devil. He was so so stressed and walked backwards down the hill from the field staring the kids out of it. His best horsey friend, Kirby, thankfully is a happy, adorable, calm cob and she just plodded along beside him so I think he settled down because of her. And worst of all he's started to kick the wall in his stable. I'm thinking that maybe this is a sign that he needs more turn out. But now I'm investing in rubber matting for his stable. Horses are expensive little buggers.
So along came competition day and I thought, when he goes well he's lovely and I'd had a couple of lessons and friends had all given the advice and thoughts and I decided to go for it. So I fancied him up, with golfball-esq rosebuds and fancied myself up and posed for pictures, see below.
I have to say, I was quite impressed with how he looked! And a little shocked! He scrubbed up well. And he was so well behaved when I was getting him ready, I could tell he had done it all before and could almost feel him rolling his eyes when I held his head still to plait his forelock.
Next step: Getting past the monstrous horseboxes. GREAT SUCCESS! He didn't bat an eyelid. Then, passing crowds. AMAZING, I was starting to build my confidence. Into the warm up ring, I started to think we were going to win everything in the world. He was going really nicely, listening to me, working in an outline and carrying himself perfectly. And that's where the good times ended.
My name was called so off we went. Walking into the arena he stopped. And started going backwards. So I growled at him (I've realised that he actually does listen if I growl, literally). And on he went. Warming up at the end of the arena, great. Off went the bell, fabulous. Enter the ring, fine, first circle, lovely. Working trot down the long side.....cue BEAU THE RODEO HORSE WHO SHITS HIS PANTS AT TREES. He through a massive couple of bucks but I managed to stay on and actually started laughing, out of nerves as we continued our test. I have to say I found it hard to concentrate and take it seriously after that but he was going quite well again until....THE DREADED PHOTOGRAPHER. Thanks to the dreaded photographer we have photographic evidence of our test, see below:
But the noises her monster camera made brought on another "episode". So understandably we did NOT win. But when he was going nicely I was really happy and if I'm honest I think the judges 57.9% was a bit mean. Her comments were that he has lovely paces but needs more confidence. I smiled at her at the end but she was having none of me, sitting stony faced in the judges cabin. I was happy with him though. Although he'd had two moments of boldness he was really nice when he was good so I was trying to focus on that.
Since then he's started to spook at a lot more things, the aforementioned scouts, rabbits, anything with colour, things that don't exist etc. He's still a loving horse and a dote to be around when he's calm so I'm getting him out hacking as much as I can to build his confidence. And I'm feeling hes getting better when I ride him, he's trusting me more, I think.
But at the end of the day I have to remember I've only had him 7 weeks and in hindsight have probably rushed him a bit too much. We've gone back to basics, lots of lunging and hacking and hopefully he'll get over his teenage strops. My horse is 10, going on 4.
But the good times make it all worth it......onwards and upwards for me and my Beau Beau (who's show name is aptly Rapscallion). He's getting much better on the lunge, we've been using the Pessoa to build up his topline and he has come on in leaps and bounds, a nice change to the mentalist he was the first day I lunged him. I'm hoping to do a few sponsored rides with him over the summer, just get out there and start enjoying life together. I'm sure there will plenty more blogs about our journey together.
TBC........
