Friday, April 16, 2010

Ongoing lessons


My daughter banned me from wrapping my arm in matching pink vet wrap, but here are Bar and me in living color. This whole experience is giving me the opportunity to be creative with my training and explore new Thoroughbred distraction techniques. Meanwhile Steve got to experience exactly why it was I ended up with a broken arm.

I took Bar out for what was supposed to be a leisurely walk to move that knee gently while Steve rode her Royal Spottiness. Bar was not perfect, oh no. Take 1,200 pounds of bouncy Thoroughbred, wrap him up, tell the definition of speed and movement he needs to stop dancing because he's hurt (even if it obviously doesn't hurt him too much), and see what happens with the slightest provocation. Luckily, he did stay out of my bubble, though my right arm feels even more overworked than it did before. Movement is fine, just be sure to dance around me and not into me, thanks. Bar actually did a pretty good job with that, which was a relief.

Lena, on the other hand, was not so well-behaved and Steve found out that perhaps she needs a hair more discipline after all. It was dinner time, so when it became obvious that Steve intended to keep riding instead of allowing chow time, Lena zigged and zagged, then bucked when she had him off-balance and dumped him. He got back on and instructed her in the error of her ways, which is good since I was not able to do that the other day. Lena may be about to figure out how well Steve tolerates bratty, spoiled children. As in not at all--at least not once you cross that crucial line. A line she most definitely crossed.

Leeway is one thing, and I know Steve and are both guilty with out respective horses of allowing a little too much drift. I think we'll both be working on that balance for the near future at least.

6 comments:

Rising Rainbow said...

Wow, looks like war wounds on both horse and human. That's not good. Hoping for a speedy recovery.

Jessica Boyd said...

No war wound on his part, unless one counts a bit of clumsiness! We think he just banged up his knee--rather mysteriously, of course.

Mine is indeed a bit of a war wound, sustained riding the other horse we have, the one who is supposed to be more well-trained but who appears to have forgotten that.

Tracey said...

Oh! Go pink and ignore the daughter! I want to see matching bandages, lol!

Hope you heal up quickly, and hopefully Bar's knee is back to normal soon.

Dave (aka Buckskins Rule) said...

Didn't realize you were in a sling. Double the bummer on that one. It looks like Bar is checking to see if you have carrots stashed in there.

Hope you both get well and back to riding soon.

Jessica Boyd said...

BR, I am hoping to lose the sling tomorrow when they decide the x-rays look good and put a cast on it finally!

And, er, there might have been carrots in the sling. I had no pockets! :)

Dane Jane said...

Sounds like Lena needs a reminder that, while you do indeed have a partnership, you own 51% of it and can outvote her at will! Hope Steve didn't get hurt--one walking wounded is enough.