The last time I got to spend any meaningful time with Odin the Mustang, he bucked me off. Obviously he was telling me that it was all too much. I probably would've stayed on had I taken the time to saddle and bridle him but no, I was riding bareback with halter and leadrope. At least I tell myself I would've stayed on.
Ordinarily I spend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with the Odin and Beege but we've been busy house shopping and spent each night after work last week, touring potential homes on property. We finally made an offer on Friday night, before Randy left for a short mountain bike trip in Arizona. There was a counter offer on Saturday and thanks to technology and electronic signatures we were able to accept — Randy from somewhere in Arizona and me from a parking lot in front of a warehouse store. Now we wait for inspections and closing.
Yesterday I did basic stuff with the boys at liberty. Come to me, pick up feet, back up, etc. I "cowboy magicked" the fairy tangles from Odin's mane and gave both boys a grooming. It's shedding season so I brought a fair amount of hair back with me.
Today I had a lesson with Meghan. She is offering limited traveling lessons where she comes to your horse. Before she arrived I had time to work with Beege on the same lesson plan from Bookends Farm that I started probably two weeks ago now, which is okay because Beege needs to succeed at the activities he knows before we move on. We started with all the familiar, easy exercises in a familiar place then moved on to The Flag. I asked him to target it, click and treat (c/t). Incrementally I was able to wave the flag around where he could see it, over his head, and interspersed with target, which he's very good at. There was minimal snorting and no wheeling and fleeing. I asked him to follow the flag back up to his pasture, which he did worriedly at first but then saw it was going away from him as he came forward. The goal is to build confidence and curiosity about things that worry him. Next week we do the same exercises in a new place, beginning with just exploring a new place, which will likely be on the other side of the barn but still in view of the other horses.
The reason Meghan came is because Odin has had a hard time going under shelters, which is necessary for him to get from paddock to barn and back, through barn to horse trailer, and horse trailer. Those are all a very big deal for him. We started in the pasture. When Odin saw where we were going, toward the shelter, he planted his feet. Meghan made him move his feet, anywhere, just move. He did and we spent several minutes walking toward the shelter, backing up, sending away. In other words, exercising in the pasture but resting near the shelter. Make the right thing easy, the wrong thing hard, i.e. work. with gentle intent. We're listening to Odin's concerns but we're going to help him get comfortable in places he gets nervous.
We walked with intent toward the shelter and he walked partially in with me but I saw he was concerned so I backed him out and let him think on that. We did that a number of times until he was comfortable walking through and down the gravel path. When he was comfortable being away from the shelter, we stopped, backed up, let him think on that. We did that back and forth several times. Lots of sitting and waiting for him to process after we got through the shelter and were comfortably on the other side. We ended the lesson on the gravel path after he went through the shelter reasonably comfortably. I took off his halter to find out if he'd go back through the shelter to the pasture. He didn't at first because he wanted to clean up the hay scraps on the gravel side of the pasture.
Meghan and I walked out, chatted, and made plans for another lesson as we still need to get through the dark stall and through the barn aisle. I took my time cleaning up my stuff, putting things away, wondering if Odin was going to get through the shelter to the pasture on his own. I walked up to fill up a water bucket. He definitely became more curious since I was standing there and walked up to just outside of the shelter. I ignored him, put the hose away then went into the pasture to talk to Beege. Odin considered the journey and walked through all by himself! He seemed to be motivated by water as he went right to the bucket once he was through the gauntlet. I congratulated him for his thoughtful bravery on my way out. We will practice more during the week.
When I started riding horses decades ago, I thought it was all about riding horses. Turns out it's more about waiting for a horse to think and decide that being with his person rather than choosing what his instincts may tell him to do, which may include being in the safety of the herd or eating more grass. Both of these are necessary for his survival. It's a lot of waiting but truly a blessing when the horse decides against his instincts to be with you.