mixed feelings... (long)

[elenapopov]

Well, had a lesson yesterday and have mixed feelings now...
Cleo is a 9yo arab mare who has a PhD in: detecting non confident/ tensed riders, napping, tanking in a giraffe-like outline and leaving the arena in any way she feels appropriate (like galopping to the gate when a rider opens it to come in or out), knocking the rider's confidence etc. (sounds familiar?)
Yesterday I rode her the 5th time in my life. I was already expecting her to stick her nose in the air, object all the commands and leave the arena at the first occasion she had. The warm-up was pretty much the same as usual: head high in the air, trotting when asked to walk etc. Although I could get several nice halts. And then after 10 minutes a mirracle happend: at a halt she lowered her head. I was shocked. I could walk her with her head down and absolutely relaxed, no contact and she listened perfectly to my seat and leg aids etc. We trotted over some trotting poles which I think she enjoyed. I approached my RI a told him: "Look, she finally got it, she is relaxed", and my RI replied: "No dear, she is not the one who got it, you are"
Well, no good thing lasts forever. After approx. 30 minutes of happiness and relaxation, some of her stable mates entered the arena and when they were at the gate, Cleo remembered of the project she was working on: to knock my confidence completely and she rushed to the gate. I tensed, she tensed, she did not leave the arena (because the gate was already closed), but the rest of the lesson was an absolute nightmare: she stuck her nose to the tail of one of her stablemates and did not listed to me any more. Finally, while cantering, she elegantly left the arena and almost cantered into the stables with me still on her back.
It was all my fault, I should not have tensed in the first place, I guess I ride her in anticipation that she will start napping, so now I am back to square one. I am not sure if I will ever be able to recreate that amazing felling of relaxation in her...
Also, someone told me that she is a typical arabian, I'm not sure what they ment. Any ideas?
Any comments welcome

[KateWooten]

so now I am back to square one

No. You are a long way forward from square one now. You know you can do it, you know what it feels like. It took 5 rides to get it this time, if it only takes 4 rides to get it next time, then you're doing great, right ?

It's not easy to be 'just another rider' to an intelligent horse. It's almost as though you have to start over each time you work with her. Arabian or no, I bet if she were yours, and yours only ... and you could work with her every day, and choose exactly what exercises you and she needed to do together... you'd find her really listening to you and you two gaining confidence in each other sooo much more rapidly.

But that's all for the future, right ? For now, give yourself a huge pat on the back for what you just achieved. And smile, it's a great journey.

[SupaTania]

Its those horses that have the most to teach you.

Taz was a horror when I first started riding him, would bulge and tank off to the gate, would not listen to my aids, rooted so badly i would get thrown up his neck. Needless to say, i HATED him. After riding him 5days a week, for 3 weeks, I can FINALLY say we've made alot of progress. Sure he still bulges sometimes, and can still tank off to the gate, but the amount of times he does this is slowly dwindling, and if I concentrate, I can stop him before he even starts it.

I am now leasing Taz, and still riding 3 days a week. He was probably the most difficult horse I've had to ride, not a School Horse, yet he's taught me the most, REALLY strenghthed my leg, and I love him to bits. When we tank off to the gate, he no longer makes me cry, I just make him continue cantering in circles in front of the gate, and keep him working. Sure he might've taken me to the gate, but I'll pretend it was my idea, and act as if taht where i've wanted to go all along. And he's now got to work twice as hard because of it.

Lesson Horses are tough, but stick with it and that Arab will make you a much better rider. It is the most difficult of horses that have the most to teach you.