Daisy has been here for almost a week...and I'd better get caught up before the next starts!
She arrived last Monday at 11pm. She settled into her stall nicely, eating hay right away. I had heard that she had climbed out of a stall at least once, so I ran a chain across the top (my stalls are open so the horses can hang their heads out and see what's going on).
I put her out Tuesday morning in her own pasture. Since she was herdbound, I wanted to start right away with separating her so that she could find out that it was okay *not* to be with the herd. Since she is also anxious, I hope that being alone will help her develop confidence. My two, (Starlette and Cooper) could socialize with her, but she just could not join them. We had a few reminders of my personal space when I was leading her, but other than that, she behaved pretty well.
Wednesday I decided to ride her and see what I had gotten myself into. Now, I've seen my friend trail ride her, and the worse behavior was some low rearing when Daisy was asked to stand still. She also had trailer loading problems, but my friend managed to get her on with a little persuasion. So I felt okay with riding her - however my husband had to run an errand, and I didn't want to ride her alone the first time. So I decided to lunge her....and Daisy's attitude showed itself right away!
I first lunged her to the left, and all she would do was fast trotting. I could not get her to walk, but I was not too concerned as I figured she was really excited (she was). I got her to finally walk, then trot and canter. She also has a pretty weak stop, but I was not really interested in training her, just seeing what she knew.
Time for the right circle. She walked fine, trotted fine...then she decided she was done by stopping and facing me. I stepped to her side to ask her to go forward, and she exploded into rearing and dragging me...every time I asked her to go forward, she reared again...until she backed herself right into a low jump I had set up, and scared herself. I went to her side...again (this is probably the 4th or 5th time), and asked her to trot....and she did! Cantering next...another series of refusals/rearing/pulling me. I just remained consistant, and finally, finally she cantered around half a circle. I gave her a break, and then bridled her and rode her around the pasture to again see what she knew. She walked and trotted fine, but I discovered she did not understand the aide I use to canter...sitting back, outside leg behind girth, squeeze. I finally got her to canter across the pasture, and we quit for the day. I really didn't want to go where we went, but once Daisy took me there, I had to follow it through.
After this, I spoke with someone who has known Daisy since Daisy was four (she's now ten), and said she always had problems going to the right, to the point of bucking, freezing or rearing. Just confirmed what I had experienced with her.
Thursday was a rinse and repeat day...only we got through the lunging much quicker. And walking was perfect! I was pleased that we got through it all with less drama.
Friday I decided to just lunge her with the rope halter on . I don't know if Daisy thought she did not have to listen because she did not have the saddle on (which I was glad of given events!), but she resisted me to the right the worse she had in the three days I worked with her. She kept rearing and pulling away...but I think because the rope halter works on different pressure points than she was used to with the regular halter, made her realize that her favorite avoidance/excape mechanism was not comfortable any more!
She kept getting higher and higher with her rearing, and actually rolled herself over backwards once. I finally got her to canter around me twice, we again stopped for the night. I had also noticed something I didn't notice before...her right hip was dropped/not correct. Just very slightly, I almost didn't catch it. I believe it's because of an old injury, and since she has been having lead issues for the last 6 years, could explain it all.
Saturday was their (and my) day off from major exercise. It had been hot all week, and we were all tired. I did have very experienced horse friends come over and confirm her hip issues.
Today, the same friend came over to see me ride Daisy. I thought that there would not be a problem with me just saddling and riding....however, Daisy had other ideas. I had put Starlette and Cooper in the barn, and Daisy decided she would go there, too. I rode her to the pasture, and she started to rear when we went away from the barn. I forgot my crop (I have been riding with one in case of this so I could get her to go forward with a wallop on the rear), so I just circled her until she stopped rearing, waited a second (while discussing with my friend what to do), and decided that I did not want to have that battle right now; I wanted to be sure of how to handle rearing as I have not had that experience yet. So I rode her back towards the riding area after she settled (she did not know that was not my plan), got off, took off my saddle and bridle, got the rope halter and lunge line on, and back we went to lunge again.
She was rinse and repeat with her lunging behavior. She would rear when she thought she should be done. Once I got her to listen a bit for me, my friend (who has trained a few horses with his wife) lunged and worked with her for another 30 or so minutes. What made me feel good in a twisted way is that Daisy did the same to him, so it was not just me. She is acting like a teenager who has gotten away with things; now that she's getting firm rules, she is pushing me to see just how far she can go. I also think that once she figures out her boundries, and I am consistant with her, then she will be a much happier and calmer horse.
Plans for the next week: Lunge, lunge, lunge. No cantering to the right until her hip gets checked (she is not lame, just looks funny). Manners, manners, manners....walk, trot, halt. And she *does not* get to choose when she is done! I do plan to keep it short...no more than 30 minutes, unless she decides otherwise by misbehaving!
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