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| Did you know, head wounds bleed...a lot |
The top of my head is still numb from that "graze". The scar on my forehead looks a lot better though. Fast forward to October...
Over the last two days I have played with Mav, we are back in the park, but now both on the ground and in the saddle, trotting AND cantering. Mav has become so brave in fact, that even with the wind blowing and a large flock of birds squawking all around us, Mav stayed calm and relaxed. At one point, we rode in the direction of a large flock of birds that in unison flew off in noisy protest to our approach. Mav did not even break stride as we cantered towards and through them. His ears were at attention, but out of curiosity, not fear.
Having done so well two days earlier, I thought it was time to start riding Mav with carrot sticks in the park. This is a huge step, as there are no fences to contain him if he chose to run off or be naughty. Of course, I would have to evaluate his state of mind before trying to ride freestyle with carrot sticks.
After he rode through the birds, I thought we would be OK with the carrot sticks. What is great about this kind of riding is it really gives you excellent feedback about what your horse truly understands without the ability to micromanage him with the reins. And sure enough, Mav was still reacting to my leg as though it meant go faster, at least at first.
So, I pretended to be on Valium, really slowing down my leg cues for the turns, being very particular to turn with my eyes and belly button first, only then with the leg, and finally the carrot stick as needed. He broke into a trot several times. I repeated my instructions slowly and carefully. It took about 5-7 minutes for him to do two soft, walking circles with the carrot sticks, and we quit.
So, we trotted and cantered all over the park first, then walked in calm circles to finish. He was very happy to have grazing time surrounded by the same birds that had flown off just a few minutes earlier. He then very willingly walked back to the barn with me. The sun was beginning to set, very much like the time he got scared, spooked, kicked me and ran off just those few months ago. Now, he is becoming a real partner.
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| Yes, the photographer is in the saddle :) |
