Another Round with Cody

Snuck out to the barn again this week while it was still nice. Saturday was warm but a little windy. Stephanie joined me for a ride but Kiko and Kalani weren't ready for a trip down the road so we just took Cody and Axel. Steph rode Axel but I probably should have had her give Cody a try. He sure gave me a hard time. I decided to start out with just the rope halter instead of a bit, to see if maybe it's his teeth that bother him. He seemed pretty happy with the rope halter but from the beginning he wasn't completely "with" me. We had a few arguments on the way down the road until we made it to the first field after the nursery. And from then on he pretty much gave up on me. Spinning around in circles and not wanting to stop. I got off and put his bridle on (I had brought with for just such an occassion). In all reality it probably didn't make much of a difference but atleast I felt a little better in case he ran off. So we spun our way down the road, actually we spent most of our time in the snow in the plowed field. Certainly didn't tire Cody out though. Axel was his pokey, normal self, by the way. I'm starting to think maybe Cody needs to work with someone more dominant nad experienced than me. He tried to bounce his way back to the barn when we finally turned around. If I tried to bend him into a stop (or even a walk) he'd speed up and canter sideways (talented horse, I tell ya). I finally moved him up on the road where it was a little slippery and he slowed down. We had a walk most of the rest of the way back but it wasn't a relaxed walk. Only for a very short stint did we have a "just about" relaxed walk. I realized just how hard it is to half halt a horse who has the world's smoothest trot. You'd swear Cody was gaited, you can't feel a single bump when he trots (that'd be his cheating trot, the one where you asked for a walk but he just can't bear to go that slow). Steph said he'd make a good western pleasure horse, if he wasn't such a freak maybe! *sigh* it's very frustrating, I think we're just getting down to plain ole' disrespect, fear, and not seeing me as the herd leader.