Ugh. Yesterday was such a bad day with him, I'm so mad. I was actually brought to tears over his behavior (something that has never happened to me) and I had to just quit and put him away.
If you don't know, i moved Selena down to live with him in a pen at the barn instead of at home for the winter. I normally put them in stalls seperately, but we can't afford it this time around so outside they go.
So yesterday I pulled them both out together, no problem, took them inside and tied them both up.
Well, they were both fine, so I took Ruger outside to the trailer to retrieve my tack (I hadn't moved it since the gymkhana on Sunday) and I tied him up there.
Alright. Well, he pulled back. He violently pulled back and hit the trailer next to him hard, screaming his head off, and then jumped forward and hit our trailer again. I pulled the release knot and got ahold of him, and he seemed to settle down.
Now at this point it's POURING down rain. I open up the tack room trailer and hold him and attempt to get the saddle on him with my pad. Now, I ride him in my brand new, nice Impact Gel pad and my nice show saddle because it's the one that fits him.
What does the idiot do? He tried to bolt off when I go to grab the cinch. I couldn't even get him to hold still to get it around. He jumped away from me, ran backwards, tried to grab the rope and run back to Selena, tried to kick out at me, reared, slipped in the mud, and I couldn't hold onto him very well because I was slipping all over the place too. I actually fell at one point and he drug me for a foot or two. It's a miracle through all this that my saddle didn't fall off and the pad too and get in the mud. Had that of happened, I would of probably marched inside, got the gun, and shot him. Sounds awful, but can you blame me for that?
Finally, I managed to grab the cinch and just walk next to him to get it tied off as he moved. I could NOT believe him. This is potentially the most respectful horse I've ever worked with on the ground, I don't know what he was doing.
When I finally did manage to get him saddled and bridled, my nice show saddle and pad were dripping wet. I mean, the water was pouring off in streams. I had my hood up and my hair was soaking wet, too. I was so mad.
I got on him, and I couldn't even get him to trot right. He wouldn't soften at the poll, he wouldn't shut up, he kept jigging sideways and snorting and jumping around. All of this occured in front of my trainer and her lesson people as well, I'm so embarrassed about it.
Five minutes and I just got off and took him back. I could NOT handle it. I unsaddled and just threw him back out and sat with Selena and let him scream his head off elsewhere. At that point he could of run through the fence and killed himself for all I cared. I was soaking wet, I was sore from having to fight with him, I was embarrassed, I was done. There's a gelding sale in Cali this weekend; I was about ready to throw him in the trailer and take him.
Sorry for the rant. I've cooled off now, but I will tell you one thing he will NOT be taken anywhere with Selena again. She will be pulled out and tied away from him several times a day and he is going to get worked right next to her until he figures out he doesn't want to piss his Mom off anymore.
Also, to give you perspective: My jacket has been sitting inside, hung up, next to the wood stove for ten hours and it is still wet.
If you don't know, i moved Selena down to live with him in a pen at the barn instead of at home for the winter. I normally put them in stalls seperately, but we can't afford it this time around so outside they go.
So yesterday I pulled them both out together, no problem, took them inside and tied them both up.
Well, they were both fine, so I took Ruger outside to the trailer to retrieve my tack (I hadn't moved it since the gymkhana on Sunday) and I tied him up there.
Alright. Well, he pulled back. He violently pulled back and hit the trailer next to him hard, screaming his head off, and then jumped forward and hit our trailer again. I pulled the release knot and got ahold of him, and he seemed to settle down.
Now at this point it's POURING down rain. I open up the tack room trailer and hold him and attempt to get the saddle on him with my pad. Now, I ride him in my brand new, nice Impact Gel pad and my nice show saddle because it's the one that fits him.
What does the idiot do? He tried to bolt off when I go to grab the cinch. I couldn't even get him to hold still to get it around. He jumped away from me, ran backwards, tried to grab the rope and run back to Selena, tried to kick out at me, reared, slipped in the mud, and I couldn't hold onto him very well because I was slipping all over the place too. I actually fell at one point and he drug me for a foot or two. It's a miracle through all this that my saddle didn't fall off and the pad too and get in the mud. Had that of happened, I would of probably marched inside, got the gun, and shot him. Sounds awful, but can you blame me for that?
Finally, I managed to grab the cinch and just walk next to him to get it tied off as he moved. I could NOT believe him. This is potentially the most respectful horse I've ever worked with on the ground, I don't know what he was doing.
When I finally did manage to get him saddled and bridled, my nice show saddle and pad were dripping wet. I mean, the water was pouring off in streams. I had my hood up and my hair was soaking wet, too. I was so mad.
I got on him, and I couldn't even get him to trot right. He wouldn't soften at the poll, he wouldn't shut up, he kept jigging sideways and snorting and jumping around. All of this occured in front of my trainer and her lesson people as well, I'm so embarrassed about it.
Five minutes and I just got off and took him back. I could NOT handle it. I unsaddled and just threw him back out and sat with Selena and let him scream his head off elsewhere. At that point he could of run through the fence and killed himself for all I cared. I was soaking wet, I was sore from having to fight with him, I was embarrassed, I was done. There's a gelding sale in Cali this weekend; I was about ready to throw him in the trailer and take him.
Sorry for the rant. I've cooled off now, but I will tell you one thing he will NOT be taken anywhere with Selena again. She will be pulled out and tied away from him several times a day and he is going to get worked right next to her until he figures out he doesn't want to piss his Mom off anymore.
Also, to give you perspective: My jacket has been sitting inside, hung up, next to the wood stove for ten hours and it is still wet.