The boys had a rough week in school this weekend, with lots of homework and a big project due on Friday. However, they had procrastinated wildly on the project and one of them belatedly informed that he had turned in, not one, but two homework assignments late. After years of never once missing a homework assignment, now that it counts as part of a grade, he messes up. So they were grounded from Wii or video games of any kind to help them get some perspective. I decided to take the opportunity to take them to the barn with me, since they wanted to get out of the house. So they came along.
Big mistake. They were polite enough to everyone, but once they had literally waved hello to the dinkies from 20 yards away, (Who can resist the dinkies for heaven's sake? It's just weird) and found and petted the barn cats Sugar and Smokey, they were ready to go. They came and spoke to me when I was grooming Skye, but I don't know if they even touched her. They didn't offer to give her a treat. They just don't have any interest in horses. What is up with that? They got my blue eyes and bad temper; why not this? When I got her, I was hoping they would develop an interest and want to ride or participate in some way.
Here they are with her the day after I brought her to the Greenway:
 |
| Boys showing the appropriate reaction to a horse |
Now, that looks normal. (Except for her ribs, but we have taken care of that problem with some nice lush grass.)
But Saturday, they were just bored, so I couldn't stay out too long and really work her without worrying about them. So although I groomed her and treated the fungus rain-rot thing on her legs with some stuff Erin gave me, I felt like a wasted a good day because I brought them with me.
I did gain some perspective though. They are mine, but they are not me. They won't necessarily like the things I like, and they will continue to like things I don't like (i.e. video games, poop jokes, fart jokes, and peppermint), and that is just the way it is. Now I can go to the barn, and it is just about me and what I want, and I don't have to share it with them, and they don't really want me to anyway. It also makes me feel more justified in buying Skye, who is a handful, instead of the adorable paint gelding that I was considering. The gelding would have been great for them and okay for me, but they don't really care.
I'm not giving up on Dave yet though!
Today, Skye was in a bit of a marish mood, not happy, but even at her grumpiest, she is cooperative for the most part. I see all these videos and read books about problem horses, and she doesn't approach the problems I see. When I worked her in the round pen, she crowded me a couple of times, then didn't want to go out, and didn't want to walk, then didn't want to stop. Just basically being a butthead. But never aggressive. An aloof butthead. An aloof gorgeous butthead.
As luck would have it, someone left their dressage whip (not a true whip, it's more like a long stick) in the ring, so I picked it up and showed it to her. I'd been wanting to bring mine in the ring with us to do some more advanced stuff, but hadn't needed it. Today I did, just to use it as an extension of my arm to push her out into the ring, and to bring her up to a trot. I showed it to her, then rubbed it all over her body. She was as bored as can be. She did respond better to me when I had it though, and not in a nervous way. All I wanted was a walk, stop, and trot in various orders. But when I trotted her, she was definitely limping, and it was worse than the last time. I had her trot in both directions, and her head was bobbing both ways now. It didn't show up in the walk, but with it looking worse, I didn't want to get on her and force her to put more weight on it.
And yet, despite the moodiness and having to keep pushing to keep her respectful, she clearly wanted my approval in a couple of spots. For those few moments, I feel so rewarded. I've said before that I will constantly have to earn her respect, but my goodness, when I get it from her, it's something worth having. There's this particular feeling I get from her; it's fleeting, but it's precious. And as quick as it is, it beats anything I've felt from another horse. Now the trick to get it more often and to last longer.
But for now, I need to call the vet.
No comments:
Post a Comment