In which Connie blots her copybook
Jenny is away for twelve days so I rang up Other Rider and we negotiated for extra Connie days. My first out of order day was Friday* and as I was tacking up Connie, so was Susanna, two stable doors down, saddling Jenny’s gorgeous old retired show jumper Drambuie.** I hadn’t met Susanna before and haven’t seen Drambuie stripped and ready for action since I’ve been back at Jenny’s yard: usually when I come in for Connie he’s hanging over his stall door with his ears flopping and his lower lip hanging, trying to look old and sleepy. He doesn’t do it very well.
I was feeling short of time (when am I ever not feeling short of time) so I’d been planning to school Connie–you can inflict the same amount of exercise in about half the time in a schooling ring. But Liz, who I’ve been out hacking with several times, just the two of us, said that Susanna and Drambuie and she and Caprice and Beth and Rocket–who is much too small for her, but he’s one of those members-of-the-family ponies–were going out, and would I like to come along? I am still learning good horse-trails around here–I have trouble readjusting from my knowledge of hellhound walks; you can cover more ground on a horse, but you can’t lift one over an impassable stile–and it would be nice to get to know a few more members of Jane’s yard.*** So I said yes, thank you.
Susanna is the local geography expert; she knows the horse trails like I know the dog trails. She naturally went in front–and Drambuie has a ground-devouring walk, although Connie is no slouch. I need to emphasise here that I was not expecting trouble. And when Drambuie took violent exception to a bicycle lying by the side of the road† I offered a lead, having a well-established faith in my horse’s manners. (At this point the man belonging to the bicycle turned up and removed the offending object. Connie, who, as I’ve said, does shy, shied at the place the bicycle had been. She’d obviously been paying attention.)
She was a little on the alert as we followed Drambuie up the hill to the ridge, where we could speed up a bit, but she often goes into power mode out on a hack and I still wasn’t expecting trouble. I wasn’t expecting trouble when we got to the top of the ridge and trotted, and she was trying to lug my arms out of my shoulder joints. At that point we were still narrowly in control.
Then we went through a gate and out into a big field.†† It’s harvest already–how did it get so late in the year so early?–and we’re into one of those brief, exhilarating spoilt-for-choice seasons of cross country galloping. And this year I have a horse to ride. This field had been recently cut, and seemed, as you sat your prancing steed, to reach out forever in all directions. At that point ‘forever’ still looked like fun. Drambuie set off obediently at the trot, while Connie surged into canter immediately, but I don’t always make a fuss about this; horses are allowed to get excited so long as they remain, you know, responsive to rider’s aids. . . .
But when Drambuie slid smoothly into the long, countryside-devouring canter you’d expect both from his walk and his conformation, I found myself aboard a raving lunatic. Her canter turned into a mad frothing flaming-eyed gallop, and she was going to go in front, she was not going to hang around looking at anybody’s heels. Gods almighty. My perfect horse. Whoops.
Well, she did not go in front, and we continued at Drambuie’s heels–actually we crept up to his stirrup leathers once, and I glanced across at him lolloping along on the lightest contact, and tried not to grind my teeth–but that’s a several-minute-length field and it was a very long several minutes. I simply wasn’t having any, and Connie, I think, couldn’t believe she wasn’t going to get her own way: after this was all over, Liz said that Other Rider can’t hold her when she gets like this and that Liz has had some extremely rapid hacks in her company when Connie has decided (sometimes, evidently, without the aggravation of a pair of heels in front of her) that galloping is the order of the day. I’ve wondered about this–I’ve never had trouble stopping her (before) but her assumption that we were going to gallop has occasionally been a trifle suspicious.
Meanwhile . . . we’re maybe halfway down a very long field at what might politely be called a bounding canter and my horse is beginning to notice that I’m still arguing with her. Frenzy. At this point the bounding becomes more of a pogo stick effect because she’s now bucking every damn stride. Note that this is the horse Jenny guaranteed did not buck.††† And no, I did not have her in a stranglehold; I’ve been genuinely bolted with–which this wasn’t, quite–and that only makes it worse. You let the wretched animal have as much rein as you dare, and try to remind it of its responsibilities. To give Connie what credit she is due, she wasn’t trying to get her head down to buck me off, she was just Expressing Frustration. And every time she came down she came down on a different lead–I had never realised there are sixteen available leads, four per leg–and on a few notable occasions she came down one lead in front and another one behind. That’s a particularly comfortable gait. As it was by the time we reached the other end of the field I was probably two inches shorter, from having had my spine compressed and driven up some way into my skull. Arrrrrrgh.
Liz and Beth had evidently been much entertained by our performance. Liz also knew that Connie was a guaranteed buck-free zone and since her Caprice is, well, capricious, she may have been enjoying it very much indeed. Susanna was horrified–I should have shouted at her to slow down–I don’t want to be the wet blanket! But we didn’t canter again after that–sigh. The next big field we came to, we trotted. Which is to say Drambuie, Caprice and Rocket trotted, and Connie and I got farther and farther and farther behind because every time I asked her to trot she went instantly into canter. No. Walk. Now we’ll try that again. She was finally beginning to listen to me by the end of that field–which is to say she’s still the Connie we know and love, she’s just been allowed to err into wicked ways. Another horse suffering this level of unexpected frustration could have gone into meltdown, and equine meltdown is the thing that makes me want to take up knitting. But Other Rider needs to learn to ring bells so she can negotiate gaits with Connie a little more effectively. Even Susanna, who is a very good and experienced rider, says that Connie does get ‘very strong’.
She still wanted her carrots when we got back to the barn. Trollop. And I rode her again today–in the school this time!–and in fact we had rather a good time; I’ve been talking to a horsy friend about engagement and the maintenance of right-lead canter, which is our bugbear, and mainly what I’m learning is what most riders learn, which is that it’s all their fault. The horse will do what you arrange for it to do, so if it doesn’t do it, you’re arranging wrong. Most of today was kind of . . . messy, but we had a few moments of probably the best right-lead canter we’ve ever had. But we didn’t have any heels in front of us either. And I can’t wait for Jenny to come home, so I can tell her about her fabulous bucking mare. . . .
* * *
* which was possible because Oisin is on holiday too–my piano lessons are Friday afternoons. I started out being a good girl and working on what I should be working on . . . and then two days ago I got tired of being a good girl and I’m now resetting The Battle Hymn of the Republic as, say, Charles Ives might have done it. On a bad day. Hee hee hee hee. If I have the blog written in time I might get to the interpolation of Columbia the Gem of the Ocean tonight. Which I’m going to have to transpose first. Ick. But I’m probably feeling the need to cheer up the American side of me: McCain is way too close to Obama in the polls. For pity’s sake, after sixty-seven years of that pickled moron, the Democrats ought to have the next presidency on a plate. But that’s not how it’s going. A discordant American Battle Hymn is probably what I need right now.
** He really is gorgeous–I’ve told you about him before–chestnut thoroughbred^–sixteen and a half hands high and a depth and breadth of chest and bum that you look at twice because you think you’re imagining it. And one of those fine majestic thoroughbred heads that almost make you weep. He’s something like eighteen years old and looks half that; Jenny only retired him two or so years ago while he was still at the top of his game, because he was starting to have some arthritis in one hock and unless you are a liver fluke in human form you don’t make a top-class horse break his heart. And thoroughbreds are your original kill-yourself-trying horse.^^
^ Anyone who is paying more attention than they should to this blog will remember hearing/reading me drivelling on about my serious weakness for thoroughbreds before.
^^ I’m told they aren’t the original: they got it from their Arabian forebears. But the Arabs I’ve known have been mostly little space cases.
*** Especially one who rides Drambuie. Ahem.
† Ah, thoroughbreds. They have their little ways.
†† The rhinoceros field, to be exact. So called–by Peter and me–because it’s one of those with very misleading topography. You think it’s nearly flat, and that you can see any hazards. Wrong. That gentle little fold ahead of you can hide an entire herd of rhinoceroses, which will emerge just as you and accompanying domestic fauna move too far from the gate to make a run for it.
††† Never trust any guarantee about any horse.
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Oh dear. Yes the Pogo Stick Of Frustration can be very annoying …..
Thank goodness between bellringing and her earlier training you have STRONG arms. LOL
Eee, okay, that sounds scary. I mean, galloping is *thrilling*, but that sounds a little too thrilling. Connie! What happened?
I’m glad everyone’s okay, though, and glad today’s ride was better. They get into the weirdest moods.
Ivan bolted with me a couple of times, onto someone’s land near the end of my road. I don’t actually remember much about it, except that it felt like my heart was trailing somewhere after me, and I was absolutely sure we were going to hit one of those cedar trees head-on. When I finally got him to stop, I really, really wanted to get off and walk home, but didn’t because I was afraid he’d bolt again and I wouldn’t be able to get him back. And I’d heard you shouldn’t, anyway, because you’d give them bad ideas. :S
So, did Connie get carrots that day?
Oh yeah. I’m a sap, and besides, her evil twin had gone away again. :)
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Oh yeah. I’m a sap, and besides, her evil twin had gone away again. :)
Oh GOOD.
Funny how their evil twins appear and disappear, even when you haven’t taken your eyes off the horse. Or whatever animal, I guess. The ferrets do it, too. (But ferrets are like hellhounds, of course, and there’s that whole dimensional thing they do with legs and speed and noses. I haven’t seen a horse do this, but I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t seen *nearly* enough horses. It wouldn’t surprise me if they did it, too.)
I would have said horses have a version of it. It depends at least somewhat on what their relationship with humans is. If they’ve had a lot of interaction besides just being ridden, then they do it too. But they also kind of do it in PARTS. If you have a chestful of horse face, for example, you don’t want the rest of the horse running around at the same time. :)
Just a quick note that I was lucky enough to get an advance readers’ copy of CHALICE at ALA and I adored it. Thank you!
Nancy Werlin
http://www.nancywerlin.com
Thank you! :)
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BTW, Nancy Werlin has a new book coming out on the same day as CHALICE. It’s called IMPOSSIBLE and, well, consider the lyrics to Scarborough Fair – a pregnant teen has 9 months to break a curse in which the women of her family must accomplish impossible tasks or go mad when their child is born. Errgghh. I have to preorder TWO books! Because Nancy Werlin is another favorite writer (who had the kindness to admire my handsewn flapper dress when we were at a dinner together in New Orleans a couple of years ago) whose books I NEVER miss.
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I am horribly embarrassed to admit (remember: slow reader, reads mostly nonfiction) that I’ve only read KILLER’S COUSIN which I liked a lot . . . and I’m always kind of depressed by people who have only read *my* first book, even when they liked it.
What a jarring ride! What an entertaining description! (That is no surprise, you make everything interesting/entertaining reading.) I’m glad none of your teeth got thrown/ground down/otherwise damaged during all this. Keep up the good work. You may be able to prove to Other Rider that Connie Will behave for the right sort of handling. It does sound as if it would have made an interesting video!
Thank you! I am TRYING to make STORIES of these things! :)
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But Other Rider needs to learn to ring bells so she can negotiate gaits with Connie a little more effectively.
Now there’s a thought. Instead of going to the gym. . .
But the Arabs I’ve known have been mostly little space cases.
Heh. Me too. It’s where the Trakehners get it from. I love mine, but. He had a particularly lovely spin/bolt/buck combination when it was cold or windy or noisy or something caught his eye. He never spooked to a jump, though; he might spook going past it, but point him at it and no hesitation at all (unless the rider got out in front of the motion, but that’s a different problem).
I’m learning is what most riders learn, which is that it’s all their fault. The horse will do what you arrange for it to do, so if it doesn’t do it, you’re arranging wrong.
Nods. I got put on a lunge-line for a few months to train myself out of a weird right-twist I was doing, which put me – and therefore, the horse – off-balance and made my left leg completely ineffective (not that it wants to work that hard on the best days anyway). My trainer always says that the horse follows where you sit. . .
I took the (Not So) Young One to his first horse show a few weeks ago. He acquitted himself quite well, if I do say so myself, and seems to enjoy jumping flower boxes and such; I think he finds new things/places interesting rather than scary, which is great for me (the less work the better, I say). Now, if only he’d level out a bit. Over-jumping by a few feet is impressive, but not necessary – and the deer jump, in particular, is not very comfortable or nice to watch.
Oh, the deer jump! Do you remember CW Anderson’s, was it Afraid to Ride? That has the foal that ran wild with deer? And the girl has a sudden emergency and knots the halter rope and gets on him bareback? Uh huh. The deer jump. Wheeeeee. (I imagine no one has read Anderson in ninety years, but horse people who read also poke around in dusty old used bookshops.)
It’s been interesting schooling Connie several times in a row without a lesson interrupting the . . . flow. :) But even if I’ve been doing it what might politely be termed the long way around, we HAVE had some good moments and I HAVE learnt something. Connie, now . . . well, she’s learnt that I can be very stubborn about staying in your place in the queue!
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I used the Billy and Blaze books to amaze first graders into silence during story hour for years. I was so happy when they were re-issued a few years ago. Not being able to share those books with the kids is one of the things I miss the most.
Kids today don’t know much about the relationships between people and the equine world … and cowboys are an unfamiliar topic too. And it seems that horses have become a girly thing in the eyes of popular culture. Having grown up in serious horse county (where there was an active “hunt club” tho they used a drag, and a real fox could upset things horribly) I was used to men riding, being in horse shows etc.
So Academy School in Vermont has kids who have been reading CW Anderson avidly … at least up until a year ago. I sure hope they don’t get “weeded” any time soon.
I’m glad CW Anderson is still alive and kicking. I would have said that the person/horse thing is still pretty strong but it’s become much more isolated–people who know a LITTLE about horses have become much rarer.
Oh, yes, I remember CW Anderson. I think it must have been in one of his books that I first encountered “Throw your heart over . . .” about 50 years ago. (Oh my.) Lovely illustrations in his books, too.
I think it must have been in one of his books that I first encountered “Throw your heart over . . .” about 50 years ago
******** Yes–me too! :) And remember ‘a bad horse took it all away from you–a good horse will give it back’?
Whoa, that sounds like an adventure. My family’s horses are Norwegian Fjord Horses (well, ponies), and they are much calmer than most horses–they’re known for their obedience and general friendliness. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still horses–they spook, and are stubborn, and love running–just to a slightly lesser degree.
One day when I was out riding with a friend of mine who has Arabians, both our horses took off (hers first, I might add). We got them under control pretty soon, but it wasn’t the kind of behavior I was used to from my horses. She didn’t seem to think it nearly as unusual/scary as I did.
Yes, some people roll with ALL of it. Not me. :) But then, if I rolled better, it would be harder to write the blog. :)
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I rode a horse for a while who also hated heels (those of other horses, that is!). She and I always had to lead the pack of riders, or she was simply impossible. Some racehorse in her background, I suppose. Glad it worked out okay for you today. :)
Your Connie story made me think of this girl for some reason. All thoughts of tantrum throwing horses aside, I am green with envy regarding the countryside gallops. Every time I watch a movie that has such a scene all I can think is “I wanna do that, too!!” *sniffs*
Thank you! I’ve just bookmarked it for future inspiration. :) I will say that I personally am not going to deal with a ‘nappy’ horse–one that goes backwards. Going backwards is a precursor to rearing, and it’s one of those things, if a horse does it, a horse does it, and I’m never going to feel safe on him/her. And Connie isn’t a problem horse–she’s a very nice horse–but she obviously doesn’t like being behind, which is very common, AND she’s been allowed to get away with a little too much. MOst of the rest of those horses having ‘tantrums’, well, they’re not tantrums! As the video says–they’re horses not having a good time and saying so.
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Cute overload:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG4NwU24FXI&feature=related
(the giggling is the best)
I didn’t ever have to deal with many bucking-bronco-wannabes (only a couple of cases). However. Your description of taking off over the fields reminds me (heart-thumpingly) of all the times I got ‘taken for a ride’ out in the back 40 by the jaded lesson horses… yikes. I’m just glad they were too lazy to try the big fences out there… much. I sort of miss my thighs of steel, though, and the hugs.
LOL! I wonder how old the kid is? I love the helmet OVER the hoodie. And I know some of the Scandinavian native ponies have their own rather unique gaits but that is a VERY odd . . . canter?
Indeed. I’ve only ever had to deal with horses that were “trying something on” with me rather than voicing their displeasure about how they had been handled thus far. But I have only ever dealt with horses owned by people who actually cared about their animals and the relationships they had with them. It makes me sad to see horses like those in the video that have been spoiled in such a fashion for so many reasons I don’t even know where to start.
Connie sounds like a lovely girl, and I am quite green over here. I like working with horses that really make you have to an intelligent sort of relationship with them – the ones that think along with you – and she sounds like just the thing.
I don’t think the horses on the video were necessarily spoilt. Some of them may only be young and/or confused. And it has a happy ending. :)
And I know some of the Scandinavian native ponies have their own rather unique gaits but that is a VERY odd . . . canter?
It’s a tranter!
yes, it certainly is. Is that an actual term?
Is that an actual term?
I think so. I’ve heard used off-line. It might be regional, though.
Ahh! Yess! Those bad habits – so easily acquired and so awfully abysmally hard to erase :) Reassuring to know that it isn’t just an aberration with you, but probably very exciting at first? These surprises can do wonders for adrenalin production lol Hope all that concussion has eased out and that you’ve regrown to full height again… and how genuine Connie is!
I’ve ridden a horse which was retired from the hunting field for regularly overtaking hounds, and was retired from dressage for almost leaping the judges car, and I was instructed to sit with loose legs and light hands when he bolted round the indoor school like one of those trick bike riders who ride round inside a sphere… Not a horse who would have coped with frustration I think!!
And you were riding this animal WHY? :) I was talking to Susanna about it after we were all back at the barn (and in one piece): we’re both old enough we’re just not INTERESTED in the nut jobs any more. Drambuie and Connie are just . . . live horses. :)
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I was having a riding lesson at a place I won’t name, where they used their reschooling projects for lessons – urrgghhh!
The stables reschooled problem horses – often previously abused, and gave lessons – that particular lesson was obviously both aspects combined lol…
Good gods. Do all your limbs still work?
It took a while for my leg muscles to relax… but the scariest thing was the steering – trying to keep a light rein while steering 20 metre circles around two other riders working independently… I really prefer my sparky but sane connemaras :)
I am *so* too old for this kind of thing. Connie is fine–and one wants to get a STORY out of these things occasionally–I just **don’t want** any more unguided missiles in my life. Or rearers. **No rearers.**
***** I am *so* too old for this kind of thing. … I just **don’t want** any more unguided missiles in my life. Or rearers. **No rearers.**
I used to laugh when I got carted off, and I remember cantering bareback (the horse, before blackbear88 says anything!) along the side of a dual carriage way using only a halter, when we (kids under 10) took the ponies from the riding school to be turned out…
But rearing – no. (shudders)
****Gods almighty. My perfect horse. Whoops.****
“Perfection is finality. Finality is death. Nothing is perfect. There are lumps in it.” (James Stephens, THE CROCK OF GOLD) Alas, too true.
You did well, though, NOT being galloped with and turning the attempts to do so into a Teachable Moment. And Connie is a good girl–she seems to have let herself (eventually) be taught.
****mainly what I’m learning is what most riders learn, which is that it’s all their fault. The horse will do what you arrange for it to do, so if it doesn’t do it, you’re arranging wrong.****
This is certainly the case in dog training, too. And I think most trainers would agree that the biggest limiting factor in training is not what the dog can learn, it’s what the trainer is able to teach. That’s a wall that I’ve run into often enough.
****I’m now resetting The Battle Hymn of the Republic as, say, Charles Ives might have done it. On a bad day.****
OH MY. But I certainly understand the impulse . . .
On a completely different note, I finally got some PUPPY PICTURES! This is at 7 weeks plus, and Mr. Elephant Ears (no exaggeration, my goodness those suckers took off and grew) is being cropped Tuesday, so the next ones will have a different look. Since it’s not even 2:00 am yet I will have them up on Flickr before I go to bed:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diane_in_mn/
‘It’s all YOUR fault’ is a pretty good default position, any time you’re boss. And you’re at least SUPPOSED to be boss with your animals. :) And yes, no horse with a pulse is NOT going to misbehave occasionally. It was still a trifle, ahem, startling! Someone needs to take her hunting a few times–not me! :)
SEVEN WEEKS? He’s ENORMOUS. Is that super-flat back correct? I suppose I’m just so used to the whippet curve. Greyhounds are flat backed generally. How do you feel about ear cropping? I’d have a terrible time with it myself.
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Ear cropping?
:(
Hasn’t it been banned yet? (Like tail docking is here.)
****SEVEN WEEKS? He’s ENORMOUS.****
Well, it’s all a matter of perspective. He actually is on the small side at 15 pounds-ish but he’s been catching up fast with his bigger sisters.
****Is that super-flat back correct?****
Danes are supposed to have a level topline. His is a bit roachy–the breeder told me he was more roachy a week or so ago–but that’s OK as he’s starting to lengthen, and also his rear legs aren’t extended as much as they might be.
****How do you feel about ear cropping?****
I’m ambivalent about it. I didn’t much like getting the litter that I bred cropped, although I have to say that it didn’t seem to bother the puppies too much–maybe because they had been trying *really hard* to rip each other’s ears off (or at least shred them) for a week before they were cropped. They weren’t crazy about the aftercare, but that’s just because they didn’t want to stand still and have things done to them. I do think a nice crop really is beautiful, and really does showcase a beautiful head, but if cropping stopped tomorrow I wouldn’t shed any tears. I like the (softer) look of natural-eared Danes, too, especially if their ears are correct.
Small side! Ha ha ha ha ha! Okay! :)
I see what you mean about showcasing, but I do like what you call the ‘soft’ natural look.
Southdowner asked about ear cropping–it is not banned here, nor is tail docking. Some people won’t have it done, some vets won’t do it. Breed parent clubs positions vary; the Great Dane standard has always specified that Danes may be shown in conformation either natural-eared or cropped, but if cropped, the ears must stand. I’m sure there are people who feel strongly that they should be cropped, but natural-eared dogs have won the Dane National Specialty show.
I do love the posts featuring Connie or the hellhounds. I feel slightly guilty about this since they often involve you having a, erm, interesting time.
But very good blog material! :)
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Glad you managed to stick on and get her back under the aids! That must have been rather more excitement than you’d bargained for!
Yep. All live horses are going to misbehave at SOME point. You can still be a trifle surprised. :)
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I was watching the dressage portion of the Olympics and drooling at the flying lead changes. I would love to be able to do that. (Or take lessons again in general. Alas, there is a complete lack of funds.)
One of the most miserable times I ever had out was on a trail ride with “the sweetest horse.” She apparently thought that reins were best left completely dangling, and her entirely in control. I thought differently. We fought about that for 2/3rds of the ride until we came to a truce. It was not pleasant.
Flying changes are brilliant. And Connie does them *too* well–it’s part of what makes her hard to keep on right lead because she’d rather be on left and she doesn’t see why she shouldn’t choose what’s comfortable . . . :) But my favourite, I think, of the dressage moves I can actually more or less ride (as opposed to the ones I’ve sat on occasionally with a very patient high level horse) is the extended trot. The front end of the horse rises right off the ground at you and you didn’t know horse shoulders could DO that. :) And you’re just FLYING down the track.
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I used to ride a little fjord pony who would *refuse* to trot when out on trails. She instead had this extremely collected bouncy canter she preferred, which would blossom into an out-and-out gallop if you let up on her at all. Thankfully we never got the Pogo Stick of Frustration, because it’s likely I would’ve ended up on the ground.
Yes, that was partly my error–I figure when you’re out on a hack, you’re covering ground, and if the horse wants to make a choice WITHIN PARAMETERS well okay. It’s the ‘parameters’ part . . .
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Well, these things can happen at the start of a love affair, as one gradually finds out about the other party’s little ways!. I’m glad that your strong bell-ringing-and-hellhound-restraining arms were there to keep you both safe. :)
But the Arabs I’ve known have been mostly little space cases.
Hmmmm. (prepare for mini-rant)
Well. Not mine.
The problem is that too many Arabs have been bred and/or trained by people who don’t have a clue. (Happens with lots of breeds and lots of species I know.)
Arabs are smart. And they never, ever, forget anything. They pick things up extremely quickly. It may take half an hour to train a horse some skill – it will take the Arab 2 minutes and then it is like the super-smart kid that says “BORED. WHAT’S NEXT?”
They are also very sensitive. Very. They will never forget being reprimanded and they will pick up on a rider’s feelings in a way that is psychic at times.
Sure, my first mare could shy and move sideways in a way that almost defied gravity. LOL That actually didn’t change until I changed the way I rode. She stopped shying but it was because of my attitude was more “alpha” and I was saying that there wasn’t anything to shy at.
My current mare (redhead!) can be silly occasionally. I don’t ride her enough. I’m sure we could be even better. But I’ve had people say they can’t get over how she can go from Mach10 to zero so fast. And she will give everything. Gutsy little mare.
Anyway … can you tell I love my Arabs? ;) /rant
LOL Pogo Stick of Frustration! Yes been there!
Im a less experienced rider than you I think, but I have had lots and lots of hours being schooled on the lunge as well as hacking (never jumped) and yes, i aspire to some level of skill at dressage. I am, however, horseless and likely to be for quite some time – I have a mortgage instead LOL
So I *completely* relate to all you are saying and I do quite enjoy your Connie posts, i can get a vicarious horse fix LOL. You might be surprised to know I had an Arab who was the most settled and calm and willing of horses (obviously as much as any horse can be) but I taught him to lead at 6 mths of age by putting a halter on him (after he had a sniff) standing there with grass in one hand and the rope in the other. I had gone to the farm that day to have a training session with the trainer (who got called away) so I just decided to have a play.
Imagine his astonishment when he came back an hour or so later and we were happily wandering around the place, having much excitement meeting and sniffing new things.
He did have the silly arab phobia about the “horse eating puddles” that were no more than 6″ across – but would wade into a stream without twitching :)
BTW I pre ordered Chalice last night on Amazon (with some other books) – a hardback here goes for $45-65 NZ! Im paying about $30 with freight!
BTW I pre ordered Chalice last night on Amazon (with some other books) – a hardback here goes for $45-65 NZ! Im paying about $30 with freight!
******** Zowie! That’s dedication! :)
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I first read Hero and the Crown when I was about 12 or so (which is not quite 30 years ago) and fell in love then. Once I got the Blue Crown, it istantly rocketed to my most favourite comfort book and I have probably read it 20+ times and adore it more each time.
Im a FAN :)
Oh good. :)
The Blue Sword was a Scholastic school book order in grade 5. I bought it for the cover (girl with sword riding big, beautiful horse), and stayed up past midnight finishing it(: I loved the idea of getting kidnapped from my life and taken off to somewhere else where I was awesome… (being a kid sucks sometimes, esp. when you have mild asperger’s and haven’t figured it out yet). I re-read it pretty much every year since then (that’s 22 years, and at least 20 reads… yikes).
(But, I get the feeling that’s not an unusual number amongst those of us who seem to keep filling up your entries with comments ;)