Patience, Safety, and our first Group Lesson

After bringing Daisy into the barn when the weather turned nasty last night, I tied her up in the aisle way.  I wanted to try my Laser dressage saddle on her with the adjustable tree.  Daisy became anxious and started pawing and having a tantrum. 

Mistake 1. 

I ignored her anxiousness and threw the saddle up.  I went around to the other side and reached for the girth.  The next thing I know I felt a sharp pain on my left thumb and realized that she had kicked at the girth and my finger got nicked in the process.  It was lightening fast.  I didn't even see it.  I was angry, but I decided not to punish her as I believe she was anxious and the flopping girth scared her.

I thought, o.k. that was my fault.  I should have just walked away when she starting throwing a tantrum and I need to pay closer attention.  I need to keep myself safe.  I put the saddle away and decided that she needed some time on the patience pole.  I tied her up in a stall with heavy mats, put a hay bag in front of her and walked away.  

I walked back in the house.  I checked her every 30 minutes and she continued to paw.  About 11PM, I noticed it was quiet in the barn.  I went out to check on her and she was standing quietly with a small paw every now and then.  I decided that she was done for the night after 6 hours and put her away.

This morning, I decided to take her to a group lesson in Potlatch.  I wondered how she would act towards me. Would she let me catch her?  I walked right into the pasture and haltered her.  She loaded in the trailer and tried to turn around, so we had a little discussion about that.  My trailer is a slant load, so when I have a horse that wants to turn around I run the rope through the ring and hold them snubbed up tight until I can get the divider closed and then tie a quick release knot in the the next 

stall of the trailer.  

She was a little nervous when I unloaded her.  I brushed her and talked to her and she quieted down quickly.  There were probably 8 horses in the arena.  The only saddle I have that fits her is my blackforest treeless-english style saddle,  with a western bridle. I dressed in my breeches and half chaps.  It was a bit of a motley set up.

I found that everyone was polite, but stared and gave us a wide berth.  I'm not sure if they were afraid of us, and/or wondered what the heck we were doing there.  The group was a variety of men and women on mainly quarterhorses, 1 appaloosa and an Arabian all tacked up western ranch style.  We fit in like a square peg in a round hole.  

Daisy walked in, looked everything over and wanted to explore the arena. She stood quietly while I tacked up, but did give me  a little trouble bridling.  I made a mental note that we would add that to our to do list.   

I was hoping to do some exercises to move her off my leg, and work on softening in the bridle.  We all began working on picking up on the rein, and releasing when they give. I picked up on the reins and bumped with my legs; she softened almost immediately.  Well, I thought, she retained that well from last session.  Before long, she was flexing at the pole and keeping it there, with an occasional reminder.  O.k, I thought, she has it, so I am going to quit.  

I asked her to move away from my leg.  She pushed back, so I asked her to soften, and then applied more pressure; she took one step.  We did this on both sides.  I asked her to move her hip and she gave me a couple steps both ways.  I asked her to side pass.  At first she pulled on me and her head came up. I asked her to soften and applied pressure again.  She turned her head around and looked at me and then  crossed over and side passed 2 steps.  In 10 minutes we were side passing a square both ways with only the slightest bit of calf pressure.   

I decided to stop and call it good.  A mule doesn't get the point of doing something over and over once they figure it out.  I love this freaking mule.  I can't believe how quickly she figure things out...really, you can almost see them think.  We worked on stopping and she did great.  It's not a sliding stop yet....  LOL!  At the rate she is going, I don't think it will be long.  

After dismounting, I reached up and scratched her head and she dropped her head into my chest.  I told her how wonderful she is and what a good team we were going to make.  I know we are going to run into trouble, but so far so good.  I can't wait to get her out on the trail and start conditioning her for a limited distance ride.  I am hopeful that she will enjoy it.  She did tell me that I need to get a more appropriate saddle and wear jeans and boots if we were going to have a lesson in Idaho again.  I guess I am on a tack hunt now.  I won't be telling Bob anytime soon, as we went through 6 saddles trying to fit Izzy, and I encouraged him to seek therapy.  

Squirrel