Trying to Get my Breeding Business Back on Track - Training Young Horses - The Fall

Part 1

Saturday came and Colleen had to go back to work. I met Rachel at the boarding barn early so that we could get all six horses worked. Rachel tacked them up and I was to work them.

The only hard part about weekends at the boarding barn is that lots of the other boarders show up to work with their horses as well. Some of them don't have a lot of experience and I didn't want to be out in the arena on the young Arabian horses with other horses out there.

We were doing OK at first. I rode Vee at the walk and the jog. A couple of weeks earlier she'd gotten a bloody nose while I was riding, so right now I'm testing for the vet. We're trying to determine if something is really going on or if she just popped a blood vessel. So we're not loping yet. Only walking and light jogging for no more than 15 minutes.There was no blood so the next ride goes up a notch.

Next I rode Hope. This was the first time I had gotten on the mare without someone holding her. Not only did I try mounting by myself, I decided to give the mounting block a try. Hope just stood there until I asked her to move off.

I did a lot of flexing bending kind of stuff and even have begun asking her to move off of my inside leg. To my surprise the mare didn't even hesitate, she move right over just like she would if I were next to her on the ground. So I decided to step it up to the trot.

The Arabian mare was good with that too. I could tell that she was being cautious but she wasn't the least bit worried or frightened. I even got her to move off my leg at the trot, although I'd call it more a jog than a trot. But slow is good! Slow cautious youngsters are my favorite.

By now Rachel had Storm all tacked up as well, however, some of the other boarders arrived and began lunging in the arena. So instead of moving on to Storm, I decided to ride Dandy. While Rachel got the gelding saddled, I saddled up Reflection so he would be ready as well.

To be perfectly honest, I don't remember that much about my ride on Dandy. His lope the bad way is getting better all the time. It's really beginning to look like he may be round enough to compete in the 14-17 JTR category. Rachel had a good ride on him. It's obvious she is getting more confident about the lope. It was all good.

By the time we were done, the other boarders were done with their horses as well. Quickly I went to get Storm. I really wanted to get through with him and Reflection too before the next wave of boarders hit the barn.

I long lined Storm before I got on him making sure the horse was soft and responsive. Then I even tried to mounting block to get on the horse. He snorted at it once or twice and then just stood there for me to get on.

I went through the same procedure with Storm that I had with both Vee and Hope lots of flexing and bending and moving off my legs. Once we'd finished at the walk, I decided to trot just a little. Again, the horse was cautious. I even had Rachel take a couple of pictures to post on the blog.

Then it was on to Reflection. I can't say that it started out any different with him than any of the others. I even used the mounting block to get on. We were flexing and bending and he moved off my legs nicely. He was dropping his head some and shaking it protesting me being in charge. But it was minor compared to my ride the day before. Heck it was minor for a young stallion.

So I went ahead and I asked him to trot. At first he was cautious, then he shook his head and tried to pull the reins a bit. Not bad, just little protestations. And then he did this thing he does sometimes when he's pissed or showing off, he did this leapy thing. He jumped up off all four feet with a hump (not a huge hump but a hump) and a twist in his back. That move was followed by kicking out with all four legs (it's some kind of fancy dressage move when it's done with training and cues.) Then he slapped the ground hard with all four feet.

The moves pitched me sideways in the saddle and I was only about half-seated. When he hit the ground, I was still trying to right myself to no avail. I hit his back HARD! That was it. The horse was terrified. His head flew up, his eyes bulged and he bolted.

I was grabbing for a rein, any rein to pull him around, but he resisted. I was too off balance to get control of the horse's head. Then something caught his eye and the horse jumped sideways and I was history.

To be continued.............

The horse is this picture is Scandalous Storm

The Fall Part 2

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