for every time I have heard or said the statement I am about to make amongst horse owners I would surely be able to actually afford my horses. If it is not one thing it is another! If it isn't weight, it is a saddle fitting problem, or a bridle problem, or bit issue, or leg problem, or a teeth problem, or a feeding issue, or parasite problem, or it is mud, or rain, or heat, or snow, or ice or cold, or attitudes, or feet, or too forward or not forward enough, or back problems, or soreness, or fitness, or ______(you fill in the blank) and it is always a money problem. Once you get all of the 2,000 possible problems fixed, 2,001 will show up and put a kink in your day, life, plan.
I cursed out my horse today. It kinda felt good but it didn't really help matters. I have no idea what is his problem is but he is not wanting to move forward. He resists, pins his ears back and even gave me a buck, a bunny hop rear and a baby buck. My husband is 3 hours away and will be gone till tomorrow night so I thought it not wise to push my luck. Because my luck I would be on the ground for the next 24 hours until he arrived home and my children would have eaten marshmallows and candy and watched cartoons the entire time. I lunged him a few times and didn't see signs of lameness. I tried to lunge him to see if I could work it out as an attitude problem. That didn't help much. I tried to end on a halfway positive note but it wasn't easy to find one. Grrrrr....horses....
Not your average OTTB given another chance at a new life and a mostly average busy Mom who never gave up on her dream to ride again. An unlikely pair at an unlikely time, learning to event and loving life!
Balking - failure to move fowards - is almost always a pain/restriction issue - I'd look at saddle fit and muscle soreness issues first - these things aren't always easy to identify - good luck!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to horses.
ReplyDeleteAgreed with Kate -- soreness in the back, ulcers, pinching from saddle.
I think he is lobbying strongly-for a day or two off, massage with "sore no more"and a good stretch out, from his girl"you"....after a trial ride!
ReplyDeleteAgreed with Kate as well. Balking is tricky but definitely a way of saying "SOMETHING HURTS"
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you will figure it out by process of elimination.
Yes, I agree...it's always something isn't it. WHY can't someone invent a talking mechanism so they can just say "My foot hurts, no riding today" or "That saddle pinches my left shoulder, try again."
Can you imagine the time/money/angst we would save?! :) But then, it wouldn't be horses...lol
I also agreed with Kate...did not directly go there...cause well, I always think it is saddle fit these days! AND-I thought you had a fitting? Huh.
ReplyDeleteSo the massage...touching and asking him "where" it hurts, "where" he is uncomfortable...will tell you that too.
Hope all is well~
Sorry you had a bad day with Steady. Even though it's "always something" with horses keep in mind it always passes. Tomorrow will be a better day. :D
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