The real reason I wanted to post today was to have a whinge cos I blooming well fell off today so Ill get that over and done with 
(although my friend said it looked very impressed - a full on head over heels job).
My friend Linda and her Haflinger Daisy came and rode in our field today which was nice because Ive ridden in theirs a few times so it was nice to come and play Rosie thought this was all a bit exciting/worrying (if Im honest Im not sure which! I think a bit worrying to be honest) Anyway she was being quite exuberant and we were doing some very active trot - thats fine we've been working on a bit more energy but she decides to canter (Linda is trotting behind us) Now I do ask her to canter there sometimes and she very rarely offers it so I tried to go with it but it was a big bouncy canter and I hadnt got my rythym when we got to the corner - the rest is history as they say....... That was fine - took a deep breath, dusted myself off and walked to the trough and hopped back on - rode for another hour maybe and all was fine. It was only when I got off and stopped moving that I started getting stiffer and stiffer and by the time i was cooking tea was needing some paracetamol and a lie down to stretch out! Hubby put some voltarol gel on - am sure it will be fine.
OK whinge over Just a small 'go me!' for getting back on and not being scared
Anyway.... the question bit. We do the same things over and over again - but she is STILL spooky about it and I dont know what to do!
Moving things/people/traffic on the other side of a hedge is always a problem. There is a hedge at the end of our field where she always spooks so we work at that end of the field every day and stop and look or just ignore it as feels appropriate at the time etc etc.
When out and about at the top of one of the field is a tall hedge and a busy road on the other side. You can hear the traffic and see movement but not make out that it is actually cars. We couldnt walk in hand down there safley not so long ago, but we have done it umpteen times and we have ridden half way along, turned and gone back OK afew times (on our own).
Today we rode one way along it and that was OK - Anyway we were following Daisy and she went along with her left eye to the hedge but as we turned back, she wouldnt have it - was turning and snorting and thinking about going up if I tried to push her forward. We turned, stopped and relaxed, tried again - did this 2/3 times but she would have none of it. I got off and led her past and although I had to get very assertive to keep her out of my space for the first 20 ft she settled and walked well. I hopped back on at the other end and we went elsewhere.
It not dealing with it happening I struggle with - its how do we get over it? Am I just being impatient and if i keep doing stuff and nothing bad happens, she will eventually learn she can trust me when i say its OK? Im just a bit frustrated - we can do loads of weird and wonderful things and I can despook to a static object or something I can control - but how on earth do i despook to something like traffic on the other side of the hedge? We have spent loads of time there - stood in the corner and eaten (LOL Rosie not me!) both in hand and ridden.
The funny thing is, just writing it down makes it clearer. I am thinking I should take a chair and a book and go sit up against the hedge for half an hour til she is bored to tears with the hedge. If I go along a bit the grass is short so wont have to worry about the weight. Ill just hope no one goes past!!! Any other suggestions?
(although my friend said it looked very impressed - a full on head over heels job). My friend Linda and her Haflinger Daisy came and rode in our field today which was nice because Ive ridden in theirs a few times so it was nice to come and play
Rosie thought this was all a bit exciting/worrying (if Im honest Im not sure which! I think a bit worrying to be honest) Anyway she was being quite exuberant and we were doing some very active trot - thats fine we've been working on a bit more energy but she decides to canter (Linda is trotting behind us) Now I do ask her to canter there sometimes and she very rarely offers it so I tried to go with it but it was a big bouncy canter and I hadnt got my rythym when we got to the corner - the rest is history as they say....... That was fine - took a deep breath, dusted myself off and walked to the trough and hopped back on - rode for another hour maybe and all was fine. It was only when I got off and stopped moving that I started getting stiffer and stiffer and by the time i was cooking tea was needing some paracetamol and a lie down to stretch out! Hubby put some voltarol gel on - am sure it will be fine.OK whinge over
Just a small 'go me!' for getting back on and not being scared Anyway.... the question bit. We do the same things over and over again - but she is STILL spooky about it and I dont know what to do!
Moving things/people/traffic on the other side of a hedge is always a problem. There is a hedge at the end of our field where she always spooks so we work at that end of the field every day and stop and look or just ignore it as feels appropriate at the time etc etc.
When out and about at the top of one of the field is a tall hedge and a busy road on the other side. You can hear the traffic and see movement but not make out that it is actually cars. We couldnt walk in hand down there safley not so long ago, but we have done it umpteen times and we have ridden half way along, turned and gone back OK afew times (on our own).
Today we rode one way along it and that was OK - Anyway we were following Daisy and she went along with her left eye to the hedge but as we turned back, she wouldnt have it - was turning and snorting and thinking about going up if I tried to push her forward. We turned, stopped and relaxed, tried again - did this 2/3 times but she would have none of it. I got off and led her past and although I had to get very assertive to keep her out of my space for the first 20 ft she settled and walked well. I hopped back on at the other end and we went elsewhere.
It not dealing with it happening I struggle with - its how do we get over it? Am I just being impatient and if i keep doing stuff and nothing bad happens, she will eventually learn she can trust me when i say its OK? Im just a bit frustrated - we can do loads of weird and wonderful things and I can despook to a static object or something I can control - but how on earth do i despook to something like traffic on the other side of the hedge? We have spent loads of time there - stood in the corner and eaten (LOL Rosie not me!) both in hand and ridden.
The funny thing is, just writing it down makes it clearer. I am thinking I should take a chair and a book and go sit up against the hedge for half an hour til she is bored to tears with the hedge. If I go along a bit the grass is short so wont have to worry about the weight. Ill just hope no one goes past!!! Any other suggestions?
