ACTHA–Take Two
We arrived at Triangle T Guest Ranch in Dragoon, AZ earlier than we had originally expected, having left home early to avoid a looming dust storm. We found Dee’s pen and got her setup with water and a bit 
of hay then went to set our trailer. The couple times I checked on her she was upset, pacing the pen and whinnying. I was hoping someone would bring her a buddy soon.
After we got the trailer set up I went back over and she had gained a couple neighbors, but there was no instant bond as there had been with Lloyd in La Union – she was charging at the gelding next to her whenever he even looked in her direction. I decided to take her out on an exploration trip around the ranch to see if we could find a round pen. She did pretty well, coming with me and doing anything I asked – but she wasn’t really with me – more like sucked into everything around her. This is not unusual for Dee, who seems to be pretty talented at multi-tasking at home – doing everything I ask but never really completely involved while doing so. Ahhh, youth, I wonder if there is an ADD treatment for horses?
I did find a round pen, and we did some transition exercises – and also went over a telephone pole several times at different gates (the pole was conveniently laying in the middle of the round pen when we got there. She tripped over that several times (why won’t she just pick up her feet?) and also managed to go over it nicely several times. While in the round pen she was able to check out several scary things – like a squished trash can, a bag full of cans and a plastic bag on a string that was blowing in the wind. She calmed down nicely in the pen and was able to reconnect okay.
We lost that as soon as we left the pen – I tried several things on the way back to her stall, but didn’t really get her calmed well. I left her to eat the rest of her hay and hoped she would work something out. I certainly wasn’t working it out for her.
Saturday blew in with a vengeance! When I stepped out of the trailer at 6:30 (ish) it was VERY cold and the wind was blowing steady. The clouds that had been promised by the National Weather Service were doing their best to give a warning of what was to come. Dee was settled okay, and ready to eat. She was no longer charging the horses next to her and seemed to be ignoring them instead. I was foolishly encouraged by her apparent disinterest.
After going back to the trailer to prepare myself and have some coffee and breakfast, I headed back to the pens. My thought was if I could get her saddled and ready before the rest of the riders got to moving around I would have a better chance of getting her calm and keeping her that way. Unfortunately, things did not quite work out that way. I tried everything I could think of, and some suggestions that were given but I was unable to get her to calm - as a matter of fact I think she just got worse as the morning moved on. I tried hanging out with horses that were calm (there weren't many) I tried going to the round pen, and she calmed, but as soon as I came back to the staging area she was lost again. I tried asking her for transitions (when I could find room that was safe) online...she just kept getting more and more upset and even snapped at me a couple times (do horses "snap"? - I guess she "nipped" at me) She's done that before when she was really really scared, like the first day I brought her home - it is certainly NOT normal behavior for her.
After trying and failing to make a change in her, I decided not to go on the ride. It just wasn't safe for either of us (or anyone else for that matter).
When the last riders left, I took her back to the round pen and worked for awhile. She calmed down and her brain returned to earth. I was able to ride a little, but did not try to leave the round pen. We did some transitions and change of directions - stepped over and around the telephone pole that was laying there - stop, backup, sideways. Before I got her put back in her pen, the first rider returned - just one horse and rider - and she started losing it again. I was able to bring her back down and get her in her pen before the rest of them came back. She was pacing back and forth and very upset - but I was at a loss of what to do. I feel very bad that I couldn't be there for her when she needed it. I wonder how many mistakes I get in this whole process? Lucky for me I think I still have a few chances left! Needless to say I was disappointed and frustrated at the end of it all and it left me wondering if I was going to be able to accomplish this goal of building a partnership with my very beautiful and smart horse.
I did find out later that several horse/rider teams decided not to finish the ride because they were just too skittish in the wind. One rider was removed from the saddle involuntarily and he and his wife left shortly thereafter so he could be checked out at a hospital.
To be continued in part two....."AFTH Audition 2011"
of hay then went to set our trailer. The couple times I checked on her she was upset, pacing the pen and whinnying. I was hoping someone would bring her a buddy soon. After we got the trailer set up I went back over and she had gained a couple neighbors, but there was no instant bond as there had been with Lloyd in La Union – she was charging at the gelding next to her whenever he even looked in her direction. I decided to take her out on an exploration trip around the ranch to see if we could find a round pen. She did pretty well, coming with me and doing anything I asked – but she wasn’t really with me – more like sucked into everything around her. This is not unusual for Dee, who seems to be pretty talented at multi-tasking at home – doing everything I ask but never really completely involved while doing so. Ahhh, youth, I wonder if there is an ADD treatment for horses?
I did find a round pen, and we did some transition exercises – and also went over a telephone pole several times at different gates (the pole was conveniently laying in the middle of the round pen when we got there. She tripped over that several times (why won’t she just pick up her feet?) and also managed to go over it nicely several times. While in the round pen she was able to check out several scary things – like a squished trash can, a bag full of cans and a plastic bag on a string that was blowing in the wind. She calmed down nicely in the pen and was able to reconnect okay.
We lost that as soon as we left the pen – I tried several things on the way back to her stall, but didn’t really get her calmed well. I left her to eat the rest of her hay and hoped she would work something out. I certainly wasn’t working it out for her.
Saturday blew in with a vengeance! When I stepped out of the trailer at 6:30 (ish) it was VERY cold and the wind was blowing steady. The clouds that had been promised by the National Weather Service were doing their best to give a warning of what was to come. Dee was settled okay, and ready to eat. She was no longer charging the horses next to her and seemed to be ignoring them instead. I was foolishly encouraged by her apparent disinterest.
After going back to the trailer to prepare myself and have some coffee and breakfast, I headed back to the pens. My thought was if I could get her saddled and ready before the rest of the riders got to moving around I would have a better chance of getting her calm and keeping her that way. Unfortunately, things did not quite work out that way. I tried everything I could think of, and some suggestions that were given but I was unable to get her to calm - as a matter of fact I think she just got worse as the morning moved on. I tried hanging out with horses that were calm (there weren't many) I tried going to the round pen, and she calmed, but as soon as I came back to the staging area she was lost again. I tried asking her for transitions (when I could find room that was safe) online...she just kept getting more and more upset and even snapped at me a couple times (do horses "snap"? - I guess she "nipped" at me) She's done that before when she was really really scared, like the first day I brought her home - it is certainly NOT normal behavior for her.
After trying and failing to make a change in her, I decided not to go on the ride. It just wasn't safe for either of us (or anyone else for that matter). When the last riders left, I took her back to the round pen and worked for awhile. She calmed down and her brain returned to earth. I was able to ride a little, but did not try to leave the round pen. We did some transitions and change of directions - stepped over and around the telephone pole that was laying there - stop, backup, sideways. Before I got her put back in her pen, the first rider returned - just one horse and rider - and she started losing it again. I was able to bring her back down and get her in her pen before the rest of them came back. She was pacing back and forth and very upset - but I was at a loss of what to do. I feel very bad that I couldn't be there for her when she needed it. I wonder how many mistakes I get in this whole process? Lucky for me I think I still have a few chances left! Needless to say I was disappointed and frustrated at the end of it all and it left me wondering if I was going to be able to accomplish this goal of building a partnership with my very beautiful and smart horse.
I did find out later that several horse/rider teams decided not to finish the ride because they were just too skittish in the wind. One rider was removed from the saddle involuntarily and he and his wife left shortly thereafter so he could be checked out at a hospital.
To be continued in part two....."AFTH Audition 2011"
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