Exciting Happenings (and Late Night Ramblings)

     Hello all,  I actually do have some cool stuff to write about this week.  BUT it's getting late (9:09 to be exact) and I'm tired.  So this post will be some quick and exciting things and someday I may actually do more than that.  No promises though people (or maybe 'person' since it's possible only my mom reads this). 

     First off, I bought a saddle this week! It's a used County Connection.  It seems to be in really good condition and it fit another woman's OTTB, so I went for it.  I honestly got it for such a low price that I think that I could convince the ever-loving husband to let me drop some more cash on re-flocking it to be a little more "custom fitted" for my pony.  I should get it sometime this week and we'll see how Mort feels about it.  I'm excited at least.

     Second exciting thing is that Mort and I went on another adventure this week.  On Tuesday we went to what will be semi-regular dressage lessons for the summer.  I am partially using it as an excuse to school Mort in a new place regularly, but it is also really nice to have someone reminding me about all of the things that I am letting slide.  I think she said something about me not having to perch off of his back at least three times (but he's just come off the track...oh, it's been almost a year now since I've had him).  Also something along the lines of "if you don't ride him like an ex-racehorse he won't act like one".  We also got a good exercise involving yielding out during transitions to help with his tenseness during them.  That was a fun one to play with this week and we had several really good transitions during yesterday's ride because of it (yay Mort!). 

We enjoy right bend a whole lot

 

I enjoy looking down a whole lot (Mort might change colors).  

 

Maintaining connection in both reins is an ongoing project.

 

The face of concentration is strong.   

Smiling faces happen too.  

     Third exciting this is that Mort had his first chiro appointment this week.  He had several ribs out and apparently very messed up withers.  He also was out in his right stifle and his right hock (maybe because racehorses only run one way or something like that).  He had some sore muscles the next couple days so we had a day of walking in the field and he had a day off.  But yesterday we had a wonderful ride with really great right lead canter work.  I don't know if it was the chiro or just a really good ride, but I'll take it either way. 

     Mort also had some ground training yesterday.  He is rather particular about when it's time to clip him.  Sometimes he doesn't even twitch an ear at the process.  Heck, he pretty much fell asleep when I did his chaser clip this past winter.  Yesterday I set up to just trim his bridle path--something we've definitely done before with zero problems in the past. I plugged in and turned on the clippers.  No problem.  I went and grabbed the step stool (which I have used with him before) and we freaked out.  He pulled back and said buh-bye new leather halter; it was nice knowing you.  At least it was the halter and not the cross ties this time--better to break something of mine instead of the barn's. 

     So I took this opportunity to actually work with him on clipper (and step stool) manners.  He has always been weird about his left ear being clipped (aka he does not keep still to let it happen).  I pulled out my cordless crappy ones and some treats and went to town.  At first I set the clippers nearby while running and just offered him a treat when his head was low and he was allowing me to rub his ear area (it took a few minutes to let this happen of course).  By the end of the session he was allowing me to hold the clippers and his ear with my right hand while I rubbed his forehead with my left.  I never actually applied the clippers to his ear, but I was very happy with our progress (and he was very happy with his cookies).  I left my cordless out there to keep working on this regularly until it is a non-issue.

      He has a really strong personality.  If the people around him are acting like something is a big deal it will turn into a big deal.  But if the people around him act like it is no big thing he'll be really brave and accepting (or at least try his very best).  Luckily I tend to fall more into the second category.  I am not a nervous or high-pressure horse person.  I tend to laugh at his 'race trot and fall into canter' transitions instead of getting flustered.  When he spooks I'll just smile and move right along.  Of course this trust in him developed over the last eleven months and will continue to develop during our time together. 
    
     The moral of the story with Mort is that you simply cannot take anything too seriously.  It is the only way to really get along with him.  I remember at our previous barn during his injury recovery the barn owner was telling me how horrible he behaved for cold hosing (along with everything else) and that I would need at least one other person to help me.  I listened to her, but after I had walked and grazed him there was no one immediately available, so I decided to just see how he was if I attempted it alone (other people were on the property, just feeding and riding and such).  I had zero problems.  Yes, he tossed his head and wanted to bite and play at the water.  Yes, those things aren't super polite.  However, if I let him play in the water he never moved his feet.  If I let him have a small outlet instead of trying to control everything, he was happy and more than willing to oblige standing there for fifteen boring minutes.  She wasn't willing to let him have his head so it became a fight every time.  And the more she tried to control him the more he got upset and wanted to get out of there. 

     I'm not saying she was wrong in trying to correct his semi-rude behavior, but that wasn't working for Mort.  You gotta pick your battles and I guess I just care less if he tosses his head some and splashes me a bit.  He's definitely a happier horse because of it (and isn't that the point?).  

     This blog post turned out to be a bit of a rambling of random thoughts.  Maybe you liked it, maybe you didn't.  Now it's much, much later and it is long past time for me to sleep.  I'd say goodnight, but I have no idea when you'll be reading this so...good night, good morning, good afternoon, good day!