So we're doing a lot of starting and stopping, me trying to get him off balance so he'll keep going forward. At some point the neighbor came along and asked if I was bareback riding now, since he didn't have a saddle on and I told him Tygs wasn't broke yet, but we were working on cars going by and Tygs never thought anything of it.
After the neighbor went down the road we preceded to have the "fight" about walking down the road. He was showing every stubborn streak he could think of; trying to knock me off balance, raising his head, swishing his tail and at one point I thought he was thinking about charging me! Where did my Tygs go? At this point I decided it might be safer to turn around and head back, but as we headed back I kept switching directions and the same response from him. He was having none of going away from the herd. Another car did come by and he still didn't care, which was good.
Once we got back to the gate I tied him up and retied his halter. I knew I had to keep trying even though this was going to take some time. So we went the opposite way down the road. Same response as soon as we passed the driveway. Finally, I'm totally frustrated and I just stopped trying anything and just stared at him. I thought to myself "We'll stand here all day. You're not going back until you go with me like yesterday!" He even started pawing at the ground. What a brat! After a couple minutes he walked toward me, I moved forward, he stopped. I turned around and stared at him. Couple more minutes, he walks forward, I move forward and he stops. At this point I could tell from his ears that he was trying to figure out what I wanted, so I just stared at him some more. He moved forward, I moved forward and we kept going! Yay! Finally! I won! After about 15 steps, I turned around to take him back, but....I couldn't help myself. I turned around away from the herd again just to see what he would do and he kept going with me! Yay! I really did win! But boy am I wore out!
Today I'm thinking that we're going to keep working on leading instead of the saddle. I discovered my sweet baby boy can be a brat! Come on everybody, laugh with me now! I wasn't laughing at the time, but I am now. But I'm proud too that I didn't quit and let him win.
WAY to go Janeen!!!! I was reading your post sitting on the edge of my seat! =] GREAT job working through it...every time after this will just get easier! This example goes to show you when working with a new horse that doesn't know you there will definitely be days of testing. They need to know that 100% of the time, YOU are in charge. And sometimes it means a longer session that you allowed for so you have to be ready to give it all the time you have. Fantastic work, Girl!! WHOOT!
ReplyDeleteOh Janeen - You Rock! It is sooo frustrating sometimes, but you hung in there. I think we have all been there with the brats and we don't do them a favor by letting them get by with it:)
ReplyDeleteYayyyyyyyyyyy to you Janeen!!! I love that you were so calm with him. I think that any of us at any time could all of a sudden have a thousand pound brat on our hands!!!!! You are sooooo not alone!!! Sassy who has the sweetest personality ever.... HATES vets at the stables....just fine when we go to them...(Loves the chiropractor and the ferrier) but becomes the Sister of Satan if a vet walks into the stable. Keep doing what you are doing!! Tygs is very lucky to have you as his human!!!
ReplyDeleteWay to go...as I was reading I kept going no, no, don't turn around - work through it!! Good for you!!
ReplyDeleteAnd you should be very proud Janeen!!!!! That is awesome that you persevered, as frustrating as he was trying to be. Tygs was thinking every step of the way as to which option was the better one. You hung in there thru all his testing and voila a "join up" of sorts. Great going girl!
ReplyDeleteGreat work Janeen! I know exactly this feeling of frustration and it is so hard to stcik to your plan, good for you and great learning for Tygs too! I'm sure next time he will do better again!
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone for the support and encouragement! I really like this blog just for that reason. I work out of the house, so I don't get out much and when I have an accomplishment like this, it's so nice to be able to share it with people that understand!
ReplyDeleteThat barn sour attitude is a frustrating one to work a horse out of sometimes! But, you did fantastic by "out stubborning" him! Patience is the absolute best thing to have when you train, because if you yell and get mad, they get scared and don't learn! You may have this battle more than once, so just repeat what you did! EVENTUALLY it will work every time, and as Donna said "Don't turn around..." So many people make that mistake because they don't want to take the time to let the horse figure it out! Laurie
ReplyDeleteGreat job! Amazing how our first reaction is to increase pressure and keep trying. And once we stop and wait, letting the horse think about the choice and make the right decision, it becomes so much easier!
ReplyDeleteI didn't think about it that way, Michelle, until you pointed it out. I had been taught that when a horse stops like he was, to pull them off balance, so that's what I did. I did make a note of the fact that he did better without me pulling him off balance, so I thought it was just Tygs' personality and was going to keep that in mind when teaching him something new.
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