Lean on Me

 We attended a clinic this past weekend. There were highs and lows, pros and cons, lessons learned.

You know what though? The weekend was a win no matter what, because I took Buck - the horse who really needs to get out more and gain confidence, but also has had some serious reservations about trailering that we've been working through. 

I did not take enough photos, so we're using some from last week as filler

He hopped in the trailer both days with little to no fuss, even better than I had expected (and far better than I allowed time for).  He was worried about it, but he still got in. So my weekend was already hugely improved over last time when Reggie had to sub in last minute after trailer loading failure. We were winning from the start!

The less than great was that poor Buck has been an angel at home lately, but struggled out in the big world. I was ready and expected that when his big world experience has been very limited due to the aforementioned trailering situation. 

The wild child came to party

The pushy tendencies I notice (and correct) at home became the go to all over again and magnified themselves hugely. Day 1 I spent a lot of time reminding him my space is my own and that he can in fact exist without being there too. We did a lot of basic groundwork exercises. Some of it I was pleasantly surprised carried over decently from home, some of it was a struggle. I think we're discovering he's a bit of a claustrophobic guy in general and does much better given space, both mentally and physically. The catch on that day though was that he was insecure so wanting to be in my lap, but then also he's worried I'm mad and gets defensive if he feels like if I'M crowding HIM. Can't have it both ways, buddy. 

We finished with some obstacles because I know he finds those interesting and fun, and of course I always want it to feel more like fun than work for my horses.

PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HERE?!

Day 2 I feel like he came out even more amped up. I tacked him up anyway in case a ride was in my future, but mostly because having a bit/bridle was going to be easier for me on the ground with a potentially pushy boy. The nice thing was that he remembered the day before and did that thing where he magically put together all the answers overnight. Everything in general was a lot softer and quieter and more like the horse I'm used to and actually like to handle :) We progressed to some modified ground driving, but I did not hop on - the steering and the brakes were not as reliable as they are at home and of course we want to keep everything calm and feeling successful for everyone! He's still a very baby-ish 3 year old, after all.

View of the arena from his little pen, it's not like he was actually alone

But the stress was real, he was sure we were all abandoning him forever from 50' away. He coped well for a young, high energy guy, but he is not a naturally independent soul.

I'm left with a ton of homework, which is excellent. While it's hard in the moment, it is nice when the horses bring their worst selves to a clinic or lesson, exactly the place where I can get support and insight working through things.

It was an incredibly busy week, but there was a nice ferry sunset interlude from my work commute home Wednesday night. Sometimes I work or read a book (it's a 50 minute trip), sometimes the scenery is distracting. There were even whales, but I didn't have the nice camera.

The silver lining feeling with the two cob boys is their  'worst selves' aren't really all that bad, and well within my capability to handle. One of the other good things about being in my own little bubble is that it's also absent of perfectly behaved three year olds to compare with and feel like I'm not doing well enough, We just take what we have on the day :D

We love Reggie, but he is not anyone's role model.

The key homework: 

- continuing a few exercises on the ground and in the saddle to remind him pushing through his shoulders isn't the answer when he's unsure, especially the right shoulder.

- getting him out more consistently so it's not such a big deal for him.

- he gets a bit sticky and defensive if he feels claustrophobic, so keep being very mindful of my body language and positioning.

-Keeping it quiet, calm, and slow. He's of the type where he'd like to rush and would easily zone out and push/run through things. We don't want him learning that. So lots more walk and tiny bits of trot in our future, getting everything very correct there (that whole shoulder and bend thing) before we add more.

I'm loving the clinic/lesson on the calendar every couple of months, it feels like the perfect check in schedule for young horses I want to keep progressing at a nice, non demanding pace. There's always measurable progress and new things to keep working at for next time.