Had one of those rides tonight that you just want to forget about. Billy was unsettled in the field, i moved the fence to give them a strip of grass to eat and he was just rushing to where ever i went instead of just putting his head down to eat the strip. I wanted to change the end bit of the fence to give them the complete wood and create a track round the edge of it. Billy was watching intently. The minute the fence was down he was there like a shot. Oh we havent been in here lets go explore the track. Fortunately i got the fence up enough before he realised. If i hadnt hed have been in the hay field.
Then chunky was on one 30 metres outside the front gate. I let him go to follow me and billy, oh no, i think I'll just stick my head down on the grass verge. So i yelled at him, he took no notice so i had to turn billy around and go back to usher chunky on, who thought sod that I'll go stand by the garden gate. I could feel my stress levels rise. As he was plonking himself in such a way i couldnt get to his lead rope, so a bit of getting cross with chunky, wound billy up. Eventually got hold of chunky, he starts lagging behind and im getting twisted in the saddle trying to lead him with him right up billys bottom. Get up the steep track, chunky just stops and plants several times. So i get whip lash effect at the waist, my arm nearly pulled out the socket. Nearly pulled out the saddle backwards. Not what you want going up a steep stoney incline.
Get onto the top of the hill on the flat bit, i normally drop lead over chunkys neck so he can just follow and have a little trot if he wants and i trot, or canter on billy. Look behind chunky had stopped half way. Then i realise hes got the lead off his neck and was stood on the end. So i go back with billy. Get him off it and secure it round his neck better. Tell him to walk on. Circle billy back the right direction and start to trot on. Look behind and chunky had just stopped and stood again. No lead caught this time, just stopping because. So i circle billy and go back to him, swing billy around, and tell chunky to get on with a bit of ranting and a tap on the bum with the whip. So chunky got stroppy and trotted on in disgust. Across the top theres a couple of very low trees and you really have to duck. Billy is getting strong as he is also miffed at my ranting. So chunky didnt slow down to go under neither did billy. Barely get the other side and sit back up and billy wants canter. So i let him go. He gets past chunky, few nice strides of canter, then tosses his head side ways and down. Back legs either out the back or sideways. I really dont know but it felt very uncoordinated. Im trying to get the head off the floor. The head goes the other way. I feel like im about to go out the side door. Shout at billy to stop being a twat giving him some verbal. Somehow we regain composure as chunky goes past us in a canter. Billy realises hes left behind so wants a canter again. By this time im actually shaking, that automatic nervous body shake you get when your body goes into shock. 20 metres of canter then chunky goes back to walk and so does billy as we are now the other end of the hill. Calm restored. Get hold of chunky again. We get to the gate to go through, billy goes through. Chunky following, then he just stops dead. Billys still going forwards so i get whip lashed at the waist again. So i have no choice but to drop the lead rope or im out the back end of billy. Have to turn billy around, by this time the gates closed on chunky. So im one side hes the other. He then decides to start backing up. I managed to grab the end of the lead just before it disappeared over the closed gate. I get chunky through and then he decides hes just going to hang back behind billys bottom for the rest of the ride down the farm track. Which ment i was twisting again in the saddle. Then billy starts having a hissy fit kicking out his back leg, then banging it on the floor. He keeps stopping every 10 metres or so to bang some more. Wonder if a horsefly is attached to him somewhere. Got to the road and we all seemed to calm down. Then billy starts leg kicking and banging again. I stop he turns his head lifts his back leg and has a little nibble. I thinking great billys stood bent round on 3 legs and im sat on top. After his nibble he seemed to settle.
We are almost home. Ive let chunky go for the last bit of the hack home. Have a final little canter along the track up the rise with billy. They know to walk at the end, so billy does. I look behind and bugger me, chunky has stopped for a snack. Normally he will trot or canter too but no hes stopped. So then i have to go back with billy to get him. I really am at my tether now for him doing that. I just try to think breath carry on.
Its comical really but i just got really rialled by it all tonight.