Tonight I need a BIG drink!!!

[chapsi]

Tonight I need a huge drink. On many accounts.

I'm afraid, I had a freak inccident Rija, that could have had serious consequences. I guess our guardian angel was standing by. I was lucky, so, so, so, very lucky, it could have turned sour. We were both very shaken, but I tried not to show her my nervousness, and I think it helped on the spare of the moment.
In short, I needed to wash her head (I have to clean and put some ointment in the blisters caused by fly bites), and because she was eating hay peacefully, I simply tied her to the manger in the paddock. I turned my back to rinse the sponge and in that split of second she spooked, pulled back the big metal manger and it tipped nearly on top of her; panic settled, she tried to ran away but she was tied to the manger, it all got awful; eventually I got her stopping freezing and I was able to release her. :eek: :eek:
I feel dreadful, it was all my fault, I should have known better. I shouldn't have tied her to the manger, and I should have had a safety clip rope... :(

Tomorrow I'm going to buy a safety realease catch. I hope she doesn't get tying shy after this. Afterwards, and quite understandably too, she wouldn't get anywhere near her manger. Before I left, I placed her carrots in there and she ate them. By the time I left she was already using the manger, although very concerned.

In terms of training progress, I'm already walking her outside the main gate, each day a few more yards. I go only as far as she goes, from the moment she naps, we turn around. Today she heard human voices at some point and was terrified. I also do lots of halting, and she tries to listen. She backs two steps on requests as well.

I cannot get her to yield, her sides are totally dead/stiff, and she doesn't bend to the right rein. Any tips?

Please everybody, bear in mind that what happened to me is an example of what can go wrong with standard ropes. :(

[LindaAd]

Tonight I need a huge drink. On many accounts.

I'm afraid, I had a freak inccident Rija, that could have had serious consequences. I guess our guardian angel was standing by. I was lucky, so, so, so, very lucky, it could have turned sour. We were both very shaken, but I tried not to show her my nervousness, and I think it helped on the spare of the moment.
In short, I needed to wash her head (I have to clean and put some ointment in the blisters caused by fly bites), and because she was eating hay peacefully, I simply tied her to the manger in the paddock. I turned my back to rinse the sponge and in that split of second she spooked, pulled back the big metal manger and it tipped nearly on top of her; panic settled, she tried to ran away but she was tied to the manger, it all got awful; eventually I got her stopping freezing and I was able to release her. :eek: :eek:
I feel dreadful, it was all my fault, I should have known better. I shouldn't have tied her to the manger, and I should have had a safety clip rope... :(

Tomorrow I'm going to buy a safety realease catch. I hope she doesn't get tying shy after this. Afterwards, and quite understandably too, she wouldn't get anywhere near her manger. Before I left, I placed her carrots in there and she ate them. By the time I left she was already using the manger, although very concerned.

In terms of training progress, I'm already walking her outside the main gate, each day a few more yards. I go only as far as she goes, from the moment she naps, we turn around. Today she heard human voices at some point and was terrified. I also do lots of halting, and she tries to listen. She backs two steps on requests as well.

I cannot get her to yield, her sides are totally dead/stiff, and she doesn't bend to the right rein. Any tips?

Please everybody, bear in mind that what happened to me is an example of what can go wrong with standard ropes. :(

That is terrifying, Chapsi, but don't beat yourself up about it. Rija wasn't hurt, nor were you, and from what you say, she's not even too afraid of the manger any more. So I think you came out of it really well ... And maybe she trusts you a bit more because you were the one that rescued her...

I think everyone does silly things at some time or other with horses - no one's born knowing everything. Once I tied Barney to the bull bars of the landrover. I thought it would be strong enough ... You can imagine what happened .. I've done sillier things than that too.

I hope you've had your big drink now ... Maybe two!

Linda

[pengapenga]

Chapsi don't beat yourself up about what happened. Rija and yourself were shaken up but otherwise unharmed. I too have done some daft things with my horses, and recently I tied up Frits to baling twine (that is supposed to snap if horse spooks) to put on his rug and the silly horse spooked at a screeching parrot and the baling twine did not snap. It too could have turned into a nasty accident as in the process of his spook he managed to block me into a corner. All I can say is thank goodness I had been training Frits to back away when I stick my hand into the air because as soon as I did he moved the other way and quietend :) I also checked the lead rope and I found that the twine did not snap but I had tied the lead rope into a slip knot which had come undone :)

We learn by our mistakes, I know I did :)

[cazrider]

Chapsi, as the others have said. Don't beat yourself up. No harm was done ultimately, and believe me we've all done daft things with our horses on the same lines.

I remember tying Elsa to the tap pipe on the yard when I was going to wash her down. Just like Rija, she pulled back for some reason, the pipe fractured and there was water spurting everywhere, thus scaring her still further. :rolleyes:

Hope the big drink helped :)

[larri]

As others have said most of us have already done the "oh it'll be OK" tying thing. (mine was a metal five bar gate, just tied her whilst I caught the other two - Safi lifted it clean off off it's hinges and nearly broke her neck and legs :eek: :( )

Right rein bending.....carrots! just do a little at a time and ask her to bring her head round, relaxing at the jaw & poll. I find giving a blatantly obvious high and wide rein cue helps get the idea. Once she knows where her head should be gowing ask for a little more stretch round each time.

I personally wouldn't be turning back as soon as she naps Maria, but I'd maybe stop and use food / contact (anything!!) to focus her attention back on you, even for just a couple of moments, ask for just a little more forward movement then take her back. That way she'll see you as being the leader in the situation so hopefully her trust that she can let you deal with the scary situations will increase.

Sounds like you are making good steady progress - you sound (although shaken today) like you are totally at ease....it's lovely! :D

[chapsi]

Yes Larri, Luso mares are fun, aren't they? :rolleyes: one is never bored by them, they are like a Pandora box. I never thought I would put myself in this position. I used to read your adventures and think 'nah, not me'.

And now... look at me... I just hope I'll pluck just a little bit of your courage.
The riding side of life is daunting, but there is no rush. We'll get one day... eventually...

[larri]

Safi stunned me last night, she's been a little full of herself since the chiro work - she feels MUCH better :rolleyes: so I was expecting our weekly lesson to be a challenge.
Well we were working on transitions - stopping her leaping up into them and tanking through the down ones, well about half way through she suddenly just clicked and I was sitting on this amazingly soft, fluid & totally balanced horse. I was barely touching the reins and she was carrying herself perfectly.
I had 5 minutes of absolute wonderment - even into and out of canter our worst pace, Kate my instructor was speechless :D
The praise went to her after that though :rolleyes: But it is those glimpses of power and elegance that make it all worthwhile :D

[ambatt]

:eek: Chapsi - bet you both really got a fright! No harm done and these things do happen.

I would have been shaking like a leaf! I think the way Rija reacted after the incident shows you are developing a trust bond and a good relationship. Always a positive from a negative!

[chapsi]

[QUOTE]But it is those glimpses of power and elegance that make it all worthwhile

Providing you can sit through them. :o

Well, I went in today. I notice she is not so dependant, tonight eating hay was more important that being around me. I guess her initial clingyness was insecurity, now that she is more settled, she is not so intimate with me. How could I have fooled myself???? I'm such an idiot... :o

Still, I groomed her, brushed her mane and tail, cleaned her hooves, and ointed her face with her free in the paddock. She was a good, good mare, very patient and cooperative. If she walked away, I could always get her back.

We then went for our stroll. Today she wasn't keen in going out of the gate. We still walked, but she did her best to get in front of me, cut across and perform a semi-circle in the direction of home. I corrected her a few times, carried on, but soon we went back. She was too tense to benefit from it. I think hearing children playing in the far distance made her very worried.
Inside the property we carried on walking everywhere. She made two steps into the new stables building (and that is a no-go area for her), so 'good girl', back out.
We did lots of walking and halting. I also did a bit of trotting and she trotted alongside me, very nicely, cordenated, stopping suddenly when I did. That's was good, I thought.

At least she is using her manger, despite last night's inccident. What a relief! :)

[cvb]

Well, I went in today. I notice she is not so dependant, tonight eating hay was more important that being around me. I guess her initial clingyness was insecurity, now that she is more settled, she is not so intimate with me. How could I have fooled myself???? I'm such an idiot...

Shucks Chapsi - she will still be close and intimate with you, but to do it all the time would stop it being special - like if its was Christmas every day !!

[chapsi]

By the way, you'll be able to see pictures of the new yard (and Rija too). Here is the link, the collection is called 'Lourel yard', including the dreaded manger! :eek:

Please bear in mind that in Portugal there is seldom pasture for horses, let alone paddocks. This was the best I could do in the area.

http://photobucket.com/albums/b368/chapsi/

[LindaAd]

It looks a lovely yard, Chapsi - lovely and shady, and the horses look really relaxed. Interesting that so many of the horses are warmbloods - so many people outside Portugal would kill to own a Lusitano, and the Portuguese are buying warmbloods.

It's the same here in England: at the area dressage championships, at the high levels, nearly all the horses were warmbloods, and nearly all bred abroad, in Holland, Germany, Denmark ... There was one Andalusian, and one Lusitano bred in England!

Linda

[chapsi]

Warmbloods are growing in popularity amongst sports riders (SJ, eventing and also dressage), many are imported, other bred in the country. Amongst the bred in the country, the most common are lusoxTB and lusoxarab (for endurance).
The two at the farm (pictures) are a french saddlexhannoverian mare and a swedish gelding.
Lusitano are used specially on classical riding, working equitation and to a certain extend in dressage. I ride at a classical yard, where they only keep luso stallions, and the trainers go to dressage competitions. In fact, they are currently fostering a project of setting up a portuguese dressage olympic team riding only lusitano stallions.

[galadriel]

Well, I went in today. I notice she is not so dependant, tonight eating hay was more important that being around me. I guess her initial clingyness was insecurity, now that she is more settled, she is not so intimate with me. How could I have fooled myself???? I'm such an idiot... :o

I have no doubts whatsoever that Kat likes me very much. We share some very special moments--like the one a few days ago waiting for the vet, where she was snoozing with her head hanging over my lap. But there are days when she is more aloof, and days when she is not emotional one way or the other. Some days food is more important than me. It's not a big deal...she's a horse, and she doesn't have the same overtly expressive nature that a dog has.

I do think Rija knows you and likes you :) She's just a horse...horses have different moods. And it's possible that the day after a fright, she was just a little withdrawn and tense, so not expressive. Give her some time and see what she does :)