Let's Butt Heads, It's FUN!

Thu Jul 1, 2004

Finally felt good enough to go annoy Quzqo last night. It must be the moon though, because he was a pistol for sure!! Almost Tezluesque in his 'tude. Well, the main problem was that it was (his) dinner time (I did let him eat his grain first), and they're bringing in the first cutting of hay, so the indoor arena was FILLED with flatbed trailers piled/stacked with fragrant hay bales.

Yep, he had NO interest in being ridden, he kept veering towards the trailers, or towards the stack of bales at the far end of the arena, or towards the gate closest to his stall, with plenty of spinning and head-tossing and bolting and tail-swishing. GRRRGH!!!! I gave up quickly, and hauled his fleabit tuckus outside to the round pen, took the reins off, and RAN HIM RAGGED INTO THE GROUND out there. I was the Alpha Mare from HELL, and he'd better not forget it!! That, plus the 80 degree temps, plus the (now) deep sandy footing...he got a workout!! But he was full of piss & vinegar, he was galloping (at long last!!) round and round and round...I let him run until he didn't want to run any more, and then I MADE him run some more! He does have a purdy trot though, very floaty...actually it's nicer since he got his toes trimmed Monday (probably the weight of the shoes). Finally, when he stopped, he did the lowering-the head and smacking the lips thing that is horse for "I give up, you're the boss already"...and for the first time I actually got him sweaty!! (okay, was probably the 80 degrees that did that).

Took him out of the round pen and into the outdoor arena, which was pretty busy with people riding their equines, leading their equines, kids on little ponies, just a nice evening's activity (I can imagine Bob, the barn owner, looking out the bay window of his house and smiling with benign satisfaction, or else counting the moolah from all the boarders, snrk). I got on, and rode a totally different horse than what was inside the barn earlier! 180 degree difference! Okay, yes, he was actually POUTING! you could tell, LOL!!! Dragging along, with an "well, all right, if you inSIST" attitude! Yeah, I inSIST! We did a bit of trotting and he was VERY good about it, no nonsense at the gates, just going right along, no spooking or shying or head-tossing, just tuck the head, round the back, and off we go! Unfortunately by that time it was 8:30 at night and I DID have to go to work the next day, so we kind of cut that short, but it was interesting all the same.

Paying for it today, breathing in all that dust, *cough cough cough*, but it was worth it.

(And Cusco finally has a proper Arabian haircut...10" long bridlepath, looks NICE!)

I'm sick and tired, but...

Sun Jun 27, 2004

Yeah, I dragged my sick old self out to the barn. Well, crikey, I hadn't spoken to another living human being since Thursday, and with the TV FUBAR, I was going crazy. Felt good enough to sit on the ground and hand-weed and thin my 40 feet of carrots...that I can handle!

But went out to the barn, it was quite deserted due to that big horse show I couldn't go to because I'm sick. Quzqo was camped at the end of the long aisleway out in the field, I thought Oh Good, he's close in, what a good boy!!!

The little turd let me get within 10 feet of him before he turned his butt and started walking off towards the open field. Just kept walking, tail switching...so I tried to keep up with him off to the side...of course he pulled away from me as he walked away, and away, and away....GRRRGH! I
suppose he remembers the last time he saw me, he got poked by the Vet...so I can't blame him, but come ON...I'm sick! I don't need to go traipsing across 30 acres after a horse!!!

He finally stopped about 2/3 of the way across, and let me get close enough to give him his carrot, which he took and WALKED AWAY as he chewed! The little shit! LOL! So I continued walking "beside" him, keeping pace, hoping he'd stop when he reached the other horses...

See, he doesn't have a halter when he's out in the field, otherwise maybe I could have snapped the lead on it.

Finally he stopped near the farthest point possible...I had a handful of clover and grass, and this time he deigned to allow me to loop the lead over his neck! I guess he figured he punished me enough, because he came back to the barn rather willingly!!

Thank goodness the farrier is going to trim him tomorrow, he tore a HUGE hunk of his hoof off in the past 3 days...they're still overgrown, now I wish the guy had trimmed him last week, no matter how tired he was.

Didn't ride him, I'm too worn out from being sick, but we did go out to the outside arena and did some lunging & Parelli junk. He was full of beans for sure, running like a nut on the end of the line...about time!! They had set up some rudimentary trail obstacles in the arena (cones, poles, a "bridge"), so just for yuks I wanted to see if he'd even step on the bridge (it was about 8" tall step-up). Course not the first time, but the second time we came around, he paused, thought about it, and damned if he didn't step right up and was happy as a clam to just stand there on the bridge!! I think he enjoyed being taller, ha! Surprised me, and pleased me as you might
imagine!!

I think he forgave me for the shots, or else forgot about it, he was pretty mellow and friendly by the time I put him in his stall for the evening. I think I might lengthen his bridle path a bit, show off that purdy Arabian face of his...he'll look nice with his new feet tomorrow too!

Friday Evening Update

Fri Jun 18, 2004

No big news, we didn't have that good an evening...he wasn't interested, my leg hurt, he ignored Mr. Whip, and we were both more interested in watching a pair of Paints fight through the metal livestock fencing outside, LOL! Ah well.

Did get to witness the spectacle of a small palomino sabino pony (about 13hh) mounting and humping a full-grown QH mare out in the pasture! My lord, that little fella was hung like a horse!! It's a wonder he didn't trip over the thing!!! Whew!! The mare seemed to enjoy it...Quzqo was more interested in getting a drink of water, LOL! I suspect they gelded my horse pretty early, that's my thinkin'.

I HOPE that pony was gelded...or somebody's going to get a big surprise in 11 months!

As a side note, I measured Cooz (snark) for a fly sheet, and huzzah, he's the SAME size (74") as Tezlu!! Which means I don't have to dish out money for a new expensive winter blanket!! He may be shorter in body length, but he's definitely wider in body width, so it all evens out!

Cute Incident

Fri Jun 18, 2004

When I was riding Quzqo (or as he's becoming to be known, "Cooz") in the indoor arena, there were dozens of kids running around the barn (screaming at the top of their lungs, being obnoxious, etc). But one of the kids saw Quzqo and proclaimed loudly "LOOK HOW LITTLE THAT HORSE IS! HE'S A PONY!!"

LOL!

I'm reminded of that line in "The Thirteenth Warrior", "Only an Arab would ride a DOG into battle!"

Progress Days

Thu Jun 17, 2004 4:08 pm

I'm still waiting for whatever it is that put that boy into the auction to surface...I haven't seen it yet!

Bob told me this morning that Quzqo is now waiting at the gate in the evening, ready to come in, all by himself...now if only he'd walk into the barn and find his stall by himself like Tez used to, LOL...I told him to just give him time!

Rode him last night, and as long as Mr. Whip is on board, he is just The Golden Boy! Finally got him so that we can just trot and trot and trot and trot...figure 8's, circles, serpentines, trot this way, that way, sitting, posting...a trottin' fool!! No gate foolishness, no spooks, no rearing, no antics, just arch that neck, tuck that head, round that back and awayyyy we go!

If Mr. Whip isn't riding with me, he does revert to the wandering laggart with a penchant for standing still and dozing in the middle of the arena, LOL!

Took him outside after working inside for maybe 45 minutes, and was almost able to get on him from the ground...not quite, had to find a little rise of dirt about 4", but we're getting there! He put on a little show at a gate where some cars and a gas grill were parked...balking, trying to spin, little hopping rears, snorts, the usual...but one sharp tap with Mr. Whip, he snapped to, and marched right through the gate and past the cars without further complaint! We went down to the outdoor arena, past the scary jumps and barrels left over from the Pony Club weekend, and into the arena. Got him trotting, and other than slowing down at the gate, he kept on trottin'! Outstanding for a horse that last week I couldn't get to go more than 10 steps before he'd stop or veer or slow down...I think he's getting to know me, and I, him...he has figured out that contact with the bit doesn't mean "stop"...finally!

He won't back for me though...he will from the ground, but not if I'm riding, but I'll just add that to one more thing on the "To-Do" list! Bob's daughter (the one who broke her back in April & is now wandering around in a plastic bustier like a Gladiatrix, LOL...no riding for her until October, poor thing!) (she was bucked off a horse) anyway, she's offered to help me with Quzqo's adversion to being lead at a trot...he'll need to do that if he plans to show in the Halter classes
at the big two-day show at the barn in August (and September!).

So, we're getting there...I don't know where, but we're getting there. I'm learning his tricks, so that's helping me be a LOT more confident. Like any new relationship, it takes time.

He's got 6 huge crusty bug bites on his butt, poor guy...but this morning he let me put fly spray on him without a twitch! That's an improvement right there!

A Horse In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Pasture

Sun Jun 13, 2004 6:24 pm

No riding today, too tired, BUT we had a successful Pasture Experience! Remember I mentioned how he'd plant his feet and rear back, head up, eyes rolling? Well, he tried that twice coming back to the barn, so instead of fiddlefarting around by leading him sideways or returning to his shoulder and all, I just held tight to the lead rope and stood there as rock solid as he was...An irresistible Force meeting the Immovable Object. (what's that Dr. Seuss story about the two creatures who met and neither one would move aside for the other so they stood there until the end of time?)

Luckily, one of us is a wimp, and the first confrontation lasted maybe 30 seconds before the horse relaxed, lowered his head, and continued walking at my elbow. The second time it happened it lasted maybe 15 seconds. And from then on, he was walking right at my elbow like a champ! LOL!

That even carried on into the indoor arena, I'd set up some walkover obstacles, something he would have a 50/50 chance of refusing, but no, he walked over 'em repeatedly. Very good!

So, today he got brushed, apple slices, a massage, and tucked into his stall for the evening! Now he knows every time he gets taken to the barn, it doesn't automatically mean he'll be ridden!

That and I'm just lazy (and worn out!), LOL!

P.S. Your FYI of the Day: Dapple Grey Horses have BLACK Armpits! You heard
it here first! (assuming they have black skin, I suppose)

Getting a good idea why they sent that horse to the Auctions!!

Sat Jun 12, 2004

Getting a good idea why they sent that horse to the Auctions!!

But as I told Quzqo today; "I've been riding TEZLU for fifteen years, BOY; YOU haven't thrown anything at me so far I can't handle!" LOL!

He's an opinionated little snot, he has his own way of doing things, up to a point, but in the face of assertive authority, he crumples like a wet kleenex and rolls his eyes and carries on wearing the saddle blanket of victimhood to the nines, LOL!

He's still easy to catch in the pasture, but I had a bugger of a time getting him AWAY from the Pasture. He didn't want to leave...it was sunny, 75 degrees, 1 in the afternoon, he saw no reason WHY he should leave such a nice setup. Okay, Tez had his balky days too, especially with the afore mentioned circumstances, but Quzqo has a little threshold that's easy to cross, the threshold from sweet pocket puppy to rearing, eye-rolling, nose-to-the-sky psychoArab...if you try to pull him...he plants his feet, shifts his weight to his rear, and up goes the head, out pop the eyes. BUT...when he balks, I found that if I release tension on the rope, walk back to his shoulder with my eyes on the ground, and face the same direction he's facing, he lowers his head, exhales, and will continue walking quietly at my elbow. If I so much as turn my head to look AT him, he balks and begins panicking and resisting.

Good thing I just watched that Richard Shrake video that dealt with the whole eye-contact (predator) vs no eye-contact (friendly member of the herd) thing...sure works!

Eventually got him to the barn...it's kind of fun this weekend, as the local Pony Club is having a big show/clinic/campout Fun Weekend there, so the place is packed with huge horse trailers (one advertising Friesians, but I didn't see any Pony Club Friesians around), campers, tents, and young girls...good stuff for Quzqo to get used to...but he had no problem at all, couldn't care less!

Rode him indoors, and I've decided to just concentrate on one thing at a time. I'll forget about trying to make him canter until we have a better foundation built. I've gotten him past that gate business, he's over the "OHMYGODI'MALONE!" foolishness, he stands like a rock when I get on and doesn't move a muscle until my Okay (beats the tearing off bucking he did the first time!). But if I ride him without a whip, he's ALL over the place, refuses to go to the West end of the arena (big open doors to the outside), spins, resists, hollows his back, swerves everywhere, just a total mess! But if I just CARRY my dressage whip, he's responsive, agreeable, willing and very supple, unless I so much as TOUCH him with it, then all bets are off...Away we go, head flinging, mouth gaping, back hollowed, LOL. What a maroon. So all we pretty much ended up doing was 20M circles at the East end of the Arena...sitting trot, posting trot, walking...round and round and round, both ways...but by gosh, he was smoothing out, getting more responsive, LISTENING to me, quiet transitions up and down... so I think we'll stick to that for quite a while, maybe branch out to the other end of the arena eventually.

I have to keep reminding myself, he IS young...so I think we're doing okay.

In fact I asked the barn's resident Dressage Queen (real nice lady, with the Pony Club) that if she ever sees me doing something stupid or wrong with Quzqo, to PLEASE tell me, because I don't think I know what I'm doing. I'm used to horses that are smarter than me! But she said from what she's seen, I'm doing great...so that's hopeful.

After our lesson I was feeling confident, so we went for a little Trail Ride. Boy, THAT was a test...for us both! Didn't even get near the fences before his first spinning fit of fear at a shiny reflection off of someone's horse trailer...he thinks he can spin and start heading back, but nope, not with me aboard you can't! Lot of circling, firm application of heel to horse side (I left the whip back at the barn, didn't want him going nuts outside an arena). It was a trail ride by inches...creeping forward a few feet, BIGRESISTFIT...spin spin spin snort bunny hop halt...creep forward, creep creep creep...DOWN goes the head for grass...yank up head, kick in sides, go forward....BALK and shy at scary bird, spin spin, circle circle, rear, head yank (I find if I keep my head turned, I avoid getting hit by his neck when he rears and flings his head around)...I just yank his head to the side and give him a good kick in the sides, spoiling his rearing fun. Okay, I don't know if I can legally call it an official "rear", I did observe and his
forehooves maybe come 1/2 to 1" off the ground, LOL. Little pussy rears. Baby weenie horse stuff. They can't rear if you've got their head to the side, and if they're moving forward, THAT much I know!

We made it past the scary gates that thwarted us our first time out, and man, it was hard work, getting that horse up the hills and down the trail. We went maybe 1/2 mile total, all along the fenceline of the property so he could still see horses and the buildings and all...but it was a lot of
grass-grabbing and trying to yank on the reins (to get to the grass) and trying to turn and spin and resisting, but I found if I just turned him in circles every time he tried his little nonsense, he'd settle down, and towards the end of our heading away from the barn, he was marching right
along like a little trooper, ears pricked, looking around. Even did a little trotting!

We turned around when *I* decided to (not him!), and he was much better heading back (no wonder why). We went back and forth through those scary metal gates about 5 times for good measure, which he did willingly and without fuss....came back to the barn area in a calm and civilized fashion. By that time the Pony Clubbers were done for the day, so we went right into
the outdoor arena, which was set up full of jumps and poles and whatnots. No, we didn't do jumps, we just walked around the rail...he had a major spookfit at a tent outside the rail, so we just did lots of circles and things until he stopped being silly about it, walked more, and when we got to the middle of the arena, I dismounted, and we walked back to the barn.

Happy to say for the first time I actually got that horse SWEATY! LOL! I didn't think I could do it!

It was around 4, but they don't feed them 'til around 6, so I tried to put him back out...nope, he didn't want to go back out, he wanted to go IN! LOL! Arabians must have clocks in their brains, they know when it's dinner time. And it was, they had put about 3 flakes of hay in his stall (they think he's skinny, but luckily he only gets 1/2 scoop of grain)(don't need any more energy). Much to my surprise he was an actual gentleman about me removing his halter...in the past he'd start lunging backwards before I got the thing unbuckled, but no, he was very good this time. Who knows!

I was talking with the Dressage Queen (who also does the evening feedings some nights), and she told me last evening Quzqo was actually standing at the gate at 5:30!! Surprised her! Surprised me, after his pinheaded performance this afternoon in the pasture, I was worried if he'd do that with other people trying to bring him in. But maybe it's only at 1 on nice,
sunny, days.