new rule

Jaime is always making up new rules at the barn. They are mostly for me and Terry's benefit as we can be Snarky Rider's dream team of what not to do. 

First there was "no getting on your horse from the hay loft, " ahem. . .Terry. 

When they are so big, mounting blocks don't work!

And now there is "no round pen work with the minions." A week or so ago, Clutch had a really strange episode of kinda tying up. His muscles got hard and we was in a lot of pain, so Clutch was moved in with Shyloh and the minions went to live in the round pen. This was so Isaac and Notch would not chase or play with Clutch and Shy is not much of a chaser/player.

Since the weather has been nice, I have been doing my grooming in the round pen. And because I didn't feel like wrangling some minions (which really is a chore) and putting them on the hitching post, I left them in the round pen with us. When I worked Shy, none of the horses cared. The minions stood around and Shy ignored them.

We also stretch! Shy is holding a stretch here, she loves stretching!

If they were too close to the panels, Shy would push through them. Minions didn't care, Shy kept on working and listening to me. All was good. But soon, Shy came to enjoy busting through the minions. It was like "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Shyloh over!" and if I had her at a walk, she would pick up a trot and plow through them, then resume her walk. Once, she actually jumped Meatball! 

But overall, Shy was still listening and working really well for me and the minions ignored her. 

Not the other day. I got Shy out of her pasture and she was in heat. For some reason, Isaac makes Shy go into a nasty heat. Grossness in the next sentence. . .I think she squirts so much that she chaffs herself, then her skin starts to peel. I have to put Bag Balm on it. So, that is what was going on the other day. 

We get into the round pen and she is ready to go, giving a very willing canter. But I wanted her to walk. So she would walk half the round pen then canter through the minions. Dexter must have finally gotten tired of it so he started chasing and biting and trying to mount Shy, so she just went faster. And faster. And faster. And would not listen. 

I put a lead rope on Meatball and tried to catch Dexter, who was being impossible as he chased and bit at poor Shy. She did pop him pretty good though. Eventually Jaime had to come and save the day and a new rule was made. Shy was a tense, sweaty mess from all that cantering around. I felt really bad, but this was the first time it was a problem. Lessons learned the hard way . . . I let her rest, then worked on walk and whoa, because before we needed to be done, I needed Shy to listen to me and she needed to cool down.  She was able to bring herself back together for that, thank goodness.  

The pasture situation should be worked out soon, as the big, giant pasture is almost ready. It is just hard when you have a big, playful blue roan who only wants to hump Shy and chase minions, a Haflinger who can't handle the round bale, and an older Clyde with special needs. 

definitions

My previous definition of a good ride on Shyloh: not falling off, no bolting, and no excess scooting.

After many many "good" rides on Shy by both Beth and myself, I need to change the definition. Her scoots are at a bare minimum and she does not appear to want to get either of us off her back.

The new definition good ride on Shy: listening to the rider, bending, not over reacting, and not being arena/barn door sour.

Ugh! Shy has become so sour to the doors that lead her to her stall. After about ten to fifteen minutes of good riding, Shy has it in her mind that she is done and wants to go back to her stall. Most likely to do this:

snooooze

Yesterdays ride consisted of a constant fight after the "allotted" ten minutes of ride time. It was a fight to keep her moving forward or even moving at all. She would stop and look at the door. I could see the whites of her eyes from looking in that direction. I would urge her forward and she performed the most beautiful, unasked for side passes. Just because she wanted to keep her eyes on the arena doors. 

Today, Beth rode Shy outside. Again, after the first ten minutes, Shy was trying with all her might to stop at the spot of the outdoor riding area that was nearest the barn door. 

Equally frustrating to the ride time limit and being door sour, Shy throws in other ways to keep us on our toes.

Yesterday when I was riding, Shy thought being hard on the left rein and leaning into the bit was the way to go. She was tired from her hard day of grazing. So tired that she was falling asleep when Beth was explaining some new concepts to me. We did serpentines and figure eights to practice bending. Shy did do pretty good at these, but she just had it in her mind that she did not feel like working. But the trots. . .she did not want to do any for me. But I kept at it, with her being hard on the reins and every thing, until I got just a few good steps at the trot. Whew.

Today, when Beth rode, Shy switched it up and was amazing on the left rein and hard on the right rein. Since Beth has not worked her in a while, Shy was under the impression that a trot now consists of a few steps then stop. Oops. . .my fault! Beth fixed it and trotted her around for a long time. 

Shy is constantly challenging us and changing up what she does. Beth likes the challenge. So we have to always be thinking and changing what we do in her training. Today it was small serpentines to get her to bend. Tomorrow? Who knows what Shy will fancy. . .The only thing I am sure of is that my definition of a good ride will eternally be updated to fit our needs.

Shy likes strawberries!