Downs & Ups

Sorry for not posting, had a BAD day Wednesday, really knocked my confidence and just needed a day or two to get my head around the whys and wherefores.....

I took Bally in the school as I didn't get to the yard until late, she came in wired, very very jumpy and tense. The intention was to lead her around get her to focus and listen and relax....as the school is next to both the drive and the road it was also a good opportunity of having cars go past her in a safe secure environment.

Well we managed 1/2 a lap of the school before we had the first panic stricken, leap, barge and spin as a car went past on the lane as we were at the road end of the school, closely followed by several more leaps for no reason I could see - B was actually shaking she was so fired up with adrenaline.
So we stopped and we stood and then I worked on lowering her head and moving her feet, just tiny little asks, keeping my own energy very low, completely calm, never upping the pressure just remaining very flat.

This worked OK, to the point that although she tensed, we were able to remain standing still when the next car went past with nothing more than a jump on her part.

I tried a little inhand work with her but she found the pressure too much, holding her close on her face just made her brace her head and neck and I couldn't get any poll flexion as she was too tense. If we tried walking forwards she was worse - just planted or barged through the aids and I had another couple of leaps and spins to contend with so I just very softly asked for stretches down in halt which I was able to get with a small vibration and a leading hand.

I stopped it there as I knew I wasn't going to get much better than that.

Popped her back in the stable whilst I sorted her hay out for the field and she just box walked and pooped..poor babe :-(

I felt really disheartened as I thought this was all a bit extreme considering how well she'd long lined the night before once she got off the road.

Made matters worse as when I got home I caught sight of some Safi pictures on the computer - a couple from just a few days before she was pts and her eyes, oh god the look in her eyes: just said she'd had enough and seeing them along with some from when she wasn't much older than Bally is now..her future bright and clear ahead of her it just made me weep my heart out....as I said, it really was a BAD day.

I had a think about the whole Scary B situation and the only thing I could think of that had been any different for Bally was the addition of haylege to her hay ration over the past week. Thinking back she'd been jumpier on Monday when she had her feet done too...then the big reaction to the car on Tuesday, only one thing to do - cut it out again, and go back on to plain hay in the field

Gave her yesterday off to let her chill and went tonight with a fresh head and a hope for a better day!

Well Bally boo was waiting for me at the gate, walked in on a loose rein, tied up in the stable, stood loose in the stable whilst I sorted her tack out..hmmmmmm much better!

I took her into the school again and let her loose as I put a few poles out in a fan, then attached double lunge lines and off we went....

Well Bally was lovely to work with, had one tense up and little jump at a car, but otherwise she walked and trotted and halted when asked, happily let me move her about the whole school doing figure of 8's, lunged and long lined over the poles on each rein...she was like a different horse - back to the sweet fun happy to try little mare I've got to know and love Thank GOODNESS!! I let her off to loose school and she happily and calmly used the whole school even the lane end, no leaping, no silliness...Yay!!

So something may have completely freaked her out in the field, but I'm hoping it was just the haylage that was too much for her, time will tell I guess, but I was absolutely relieved that she was such a good girl again tonight..phew!!