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Current to Wed Jul 23 17:41:27 GMT 2003
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  • - Renie Burnett

    [RC] Fwd: I don't understand my horse (long) - drhopkins


    
    > I finally had to get out and ride today.  It's been almost 3 weeks, between 
    > weather and hunting season.  It was supposed to be sunny and in the forties, 
    > but it only got up to 36, was overcast, foggy and felt like it was raining 
    > becuase the freezing rain was melting off the trees.  My older mare that my 
    > husband rides has been a little lame this week from either arthritis acting 
    up 
    > or she fell on ice/snow and hills.  My girlfriend, who pastures her horse 
    one 
    > mile down the road, was off work today.
    > 
    > Got Calvin saddled up and he had quite a spring in his step even down the 
    > gravel driveway which still had some ice and snow on it.  Not even a 
    backward 
    > glance as we left the mare behind.  She's too pokey anyways.  He had a fast 
    > trot down the road and went willingly past the dogs who usually bark and 
    > sometimes chase us.  Made him walk by them.  Got to the second bridge and he 
    > wouldn't go across.  The same bridge we've crossed a hundred times before.  
    He 
    > not only wouldn't go but turned around to head back.  When I try to make him 
    > turn around, he tosses his head and walks sideways to the side of the road 
    > where there is either a ditch and/or trash or barbed wire fence.  When we 
    are 
    > working in the pasture, I can make him circle and get him to do what I want, 
    > but when we are on the road, my main concern is safety.  I try to stay safe 
    > and keep him calm.  Basically we ended up waiting before the bridge, him 
    > watching a black horse that is usually not around.  When he heard Silk, his 
    > riding buddy, he hesitantly went across the bridge.  Then he picked up his 
    > pace and went along with Silk for only a few minutes before he refused to go 
    > any farther.  This is usually the spot he gives me trouble and makes us turn 
    > around when he and I ride alone.  I thought that he had lost confidence in 
    me 
    > because I missed the discarded 1/2 dozen tires hiding in the weeds on the 
    side 
    > of the road earlier this summer.   Well today with Silk and him not wanting 
    to 
    > go any further, I thought maybe he just didn't want to ride today.  Well he 
    > was fine the rest of the way back and just trotted by the our driveway.  We 
    > road the other direction for about 30 mins.  We don't go this way much 
    because 
    > there is a small mean dog that chases him and tries to bite his back legs.  
    > The dog's more agressive when there's only one horse.  The dog wasn't out 
    > today for a change, but Calvin picked up his speed some to get past the 
    > house.  When we turned around to go home due my friend needing to be home 
    when 
    > the kids get off the bus, Calvin was hesitant to head home and even tried to 
    > get me to turn around again so that we could keep going down the road.  He 
    > calmly headed the rest of the way home.  
    > 
    > When we go the direction he didn't want, we do different rides.  One gets 
    off 
    > the road, thru the creek and down a short trail thru the woods, or we go on 
    > down the road past some other horses he likes to see.  I just don't 
    understand 
    > why he would be so stubborn on the road to go the other direction.  At that 
    > point, until I let him go the direction he wanted, I could not control his 
    > direction, barely could control his speed.  I've owned him for about three 
    > years and we've done lots of show (4H type) entering everything from hunter 
    > classes with jumps to pole bending to western pleasure and simple reining 
    > patterns.  We even did a 16 mile CTR this summer where he did well with 
    others 
    > and alone.  
    > 
    > He doesn't eat his apple or carrots until he finishes his food, and lately 
    > he's been refusing to eat his apple.  He hasn't been eating them since I 
    came 
    > back from a business trip two months ago.  He ate them while I was gone.  
    He's 
    > done this after other trips, but never for this long.  His teeth were 
    floated 
    > 3 wks ago and no sores in his mouth.  He's my first horse.  I'm in my 
    forties 
    > and my only other experience was 6 years of riding lessons-dressage and 
    > jumping when I was in college.  I've learned alot here, but everytime I 
    think 
    > I've figured things out, I realize I know nothing!
    > 
    > Sorry and thanks,
    > 
    > Anna
    
    
    
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