When you take too many big steps and things are still difficult, it's time to backtrack. I found myself dreading trailer training because Odin doesn't like it and I don't like him not liking it. I don't like backtracking either because it takes me further from my goals. Or does it?
Recently I've been perusing my sources of horsemanship advice that make me feel positive. I listened to an August or September episode of the Stall and Stable podcast, in which host Helena discusses adding "The Compassionate Equestrian" to her reading library. During the episode she interviewed Melissa Deal of Victory Land Dressage located in North Carolina. Their discussion was about compassionate equitation and how it can help you achieve your horsemanship goals.
The timing was perfect since frustration was definitely keeping me from my horsemanship goals, not only with Odin the Mustang who is my riding horse, but also with my retired thoroughbred, Beege. I signed up for one of her virtual lessons and was immediately surprised by her first suggestion, which was that Beege had ulcers. I was surprised because he's been retired for years so it didn't occur to me that he could develop ulcers (again) from just ordinary household stress — stress from moving Odin to an adjacent (but different!) paddock, stress from pain from arthritis and a nagging abscess that is taking a long time to surface. In short, many things stress B out that doesn't stress O out at all. So I'm trying some nutritional supplements to see if that helps him feel better. She also gave me a list of 6 basic things to work on, including targeting, head down, standing on a mat (in one place) — all the things that horses need to learn before they can move on. And she gave me a realistic number of times that the horse should be successful at these exercises before moving on.
I also realized that in my own library I have a positive reinforcement book by Alexandra Kurland that lays out this foundational training in a step by step format. The virtual lesson plus the book helped me have a great day with both my horses yesterday. I found a kid's lacrosse stick at the Goodwill the other day, duct taped the head to make a hand-held target. Both horses really enjoyed that lesson. Also, from Goodwill, I found some bath mats that will serve as stationary places to stand. O prefers to pick them up and shake them but he gets the idea of standing in one place.
And finally, I listened to an episode of Horses in the Morning podcast, in which Mary K Kitzmiller answered my written question on air about helping O be comfortable in the trailer. He gets in fine but doesn't like to stay in. The short answer is to let him out if he wants out and ask him to get back in. Eventually, after 100 times (or maybe 1000) he'll realize it's okay and be fine with staying in.
The hard part for me is knowing that doing this 1000 times is going to take about 3 years but if I attempt to coerce O into the trailer it could take a lot longer, maybe never. However, I'd rather be a compassionate, positive horseman than a frustrated, anxious one.
Some day, not long from now, it won't be January any more. The mud will dry out, I won't worry about the horse trailer getting stuck, about O losing his footing on the squishy surfaces and it'll be safe to ride again. For now, it's January, it might be raining, or snowing and freezing, and that's just the way it is. Thankfully January doesn't last all year.