It had started to go so well, I have been riding Zack up to the school for a couple of weeks now (homework from my instructor). The first couple of times were quite lively, then he started to improve and we got so he would walk up the track beautifully. Then last week, the girl who keeps her horse in the paddock at the end of the track got a shetland pony for her children. It is ADORABLE! (I want to take it home :0) Its a little black mare called Essie and everytime she see's another horse come past, she rushes over to the fence to say hello or perhaps she is saying 'I want to kill you' because most of the horses at the yard seem to be terrified of her!! This includes Zack (16.2),When we try to walk up the track now, we get to Essie's field and he spins round and tries to run home. He first did this on Saturday and it took me completely by surprise. I stayed on for about 5 minutes, He spun round at LEAST 4 times, bunny hopped on the spot, walked backwards quite a bit and then he and I both seemed to run out of ideas, so I got off and walked him past it and got on in the school. The bit I'm most proud of is the bit where my mobile phone went off in my pocket, he decided that the phone would distract me while he cantered home! I managed to hold the reins in one hand, get my phone out, turn it off, stuff it back in my pocket THEN grab both reins again and turn him round and make him go back! I dont think THAT was part of his cunning plan :0) ANYWAY, I ended up walking him up to the school, past the pony. Yesterday I asked my friend to come and watch what he did and see what she suggested. I asked her not to walk in front, because he would probably just walk up beautifully, following her, but to stay well behind and only step in if it got really fraught. I actually wore a body protector for the first time in months! She suggested I trot him up the track, keep urging him forward and not to let him slow down, I thought he would turn to the right if he tried to turn so she said to keep my left rein a bit shorter so I was ready for him. He turned to the left. But I just made him go all the way round and he found himself facing the same way again. It was only at that point, that I realised the pony WASN'T THERE!! They had taken her to a show but my stupid great lump of a horse was still behaving as though she was. Anyway Linda was calling out to me to make him go forward and MEAN IT and at this point I was so exasparated at the stupidity of it I think he picked up on my mood and decided that perhaps he should go forward after all. He then decided to be 'frightened' of the menage gate as well but once we had bunny hopped our way through that he worked better in the menage than he has done for weeks. I will prbably ty it again tomorrow and this time I'll make sure the pony is there first. Watch this space. Bye for now Megan
Wow Megan, It sounds to me like you did amazing and exactly what you should have done - you should be very proud of yourself - as Dixie mom says you are chasing the monsters and not letting the monsters chase you. I think that is probably one of the biggest accomplishments. Thanks for posting such a positive story - You've come such a long way with Zack it gives me hope that I can be equally as confident in the future.
Great job Megan! You have guts for sure. I'd be off leading for awhile. Something I keep forgetting and when I remember to do it, it makes a HUGE difference, is to look where you want to go and really focus on it. Send all your energy where you want to go and just glance out of the corner of your eye if you need to check on the pony. Maybe that will help too.
WE DID IT! YAY!! I went to the yard today - having decided that he would walk up the track properly this time. It was boiling hot weather, so I did wonder if he would have the energy to mess about anyway, and too hot to be riding really - I certainly didn't feel like it. I was in a different frame of mind today - I was just quietly confident that he would do it. Saturday (the first time) he took me by surprise and frightened me. Sunday, I had had 24 hours to stress about it and was frightened as well as angry with him and with myself for letting him get away with it. Today I felt completely calm and just knew he would do it - and he did. I promised him that if he walked past the pony nicely we would come straight back down. If he messed about, we would do half an hour in the menage!! He did not put a toe out of line - so he got lots of kisses and cuddles and treats. I do love my boy :0) Bye for now Megan
Your story moved me to tears. When I think of where you were a year or so ago, it just awes me to think of how far you have come. I remember all of the struggles and the tears. How many times people told you to give up on Zack, that he wasn't the horse for you. But you knew he was and just kept hanging in there and trying over and over again.
When you said about he spun and hopped and KEPT HIM GOING even if it was from the ground, it just blew me away.
You and Zack are well on your way to being a fabulous team. You have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this partnership, and it is paying off in spades. You are truly inspiring.
For anyone who is in the place where Megan was previously - read back over every one of her posts. You will see her grit and determination to make this work. And it will give you hope and maybe the courage to know that you can do it too!
That is so kind of you Determined, You've got me in tears now! when I was at my lowest, you guys kept me going. I put up with so much nastiness at the yard over the problems I was having with him. There were about 3 or 4 people who helped or encouraged me. Everybody else either laughed, bitched or told me I should sell him. There is now a young girl who's been there about a month or 6 weeks perhaps, with another OTTB (a mare) who is also struggling. I've suggested different feed for it (the same stuff I put Zack on - Ride & Relax - the clue is in the name!:0)and bits of tack and so on, but she is paying another girl to ride it and I don't have the heart to tell her that at the end of the day - she'll have to get on her herself - all that is happening at the moment is that her horse is building up a relationship with someone else. My daughter (who part owns Zack with me) has decided that much as she loves him she can't cope with him to ride and is now riding a friends horse and is having a wonderfull time. We are hoping to hack out together before the summer is out. So thank you - all my friends on this board - I couldn't have done it without you and I hope everyone on here eventually gets to where Zack and I are now. I'm not saying we've got it cracked - the shetland pony showed me that we haven't - but I do feel a LOT more equipped to deal with whatever he might decide to throw at me in the future. Bye for now Megan
