10/30/2018
I've worked with horses for more than half my life. Have ridden in shows, parades, with large groups of trail riders. Had a breeding operation, trained all of my own horses and some for others.
After all this time it's a true rush to find something "new". If you have followed the posts about Maverick and Duke you know that Mav is a very underweight OTTB we have no history on. He's progressing - slowly gaining weight and his training is going well. He's learned to listen and respond on the longe line, was ridden in the arena and did well for about 15 minutes before stressing out. Another time I ponied him from Sueno and again, he lasted 15 minutes.
After more ground work we decided to pony him in a group with Ericka astride. He started well, but became overstimulated after about 15 minutes. There is something in his head that just couldn't take more than 15 minutes... Ericka dismounted and lead him the rest of the way, stopping periodically to let him take in the sights and sounds.
Since that proved to be a bit too much for the poor guy I decided to break it down into smaller pieces. Gave him a day off, then back to his normal work out. He did beautifully on the longe. I outfitted him into his simple snaffle bridle and we headed down the drive. Maverick was alert, curious and looking everywhere. When I felt the tension rise I asked for circles in the road. When he responded we continued our walk. Took 35-40 minutes to cover 1/2 mile before he settled enough to return home.
Repeated the process the next day, only in a different direction. It was a struggle to get to the road, we circled 3 separate times before making it. Once on the road I asked him to circle as soon as his attention went elsewhere. We were out about an hour and made it about a mile. Dealt with vehicles and a horse and rider. It was different this time, though. He was tense but not spastic. Mav was learning how to think while in the outside world, and maybe it wasn't so bad! By the time we made it to the driveway his head was down and he walked calmly by my side.
The next day I repeated the same walk. I did not ask him to circle unless he became tense. We circled twice the entire walk. The shiny lawn windmill was challenging but he eventually accepted it. The return was quiet, in cadence, head down, calmly walking.
Later that day I ponied him around the block. With the exception of the rescue farm where it was feeding time for the goats, etc., Mav stayed calm throughout the walk
Looking back I think I enjoyed the mostly quiet walks as much as Maverick did. The quiet desert, beautiful scenery and a sweet, sensitive soul by my side. Sometimes slowing down and taking a walk is good medicine.
