Okay Cody, let's try this again. It was really nice again yesterday so I kept up my plan to get Cody over this "running for home" issue (which isn't really running for home but he'd do it if I let him, it's more like trying to run for home and acting like a complete idiot in the process). I know the last time he had this issue a chiropractic adjustment fixed it. But it would be really nice if some steady work also fixed it. But I won't discount the chiro, I just need to make an appointment and grow some money on a tree.
So I groomed him in the crossties as usual and got everything ready for a ride. Step 1. some circles from the ground in the arena, changes of direction, hey horse pay attention to me I'm the boss. Step 2. head down the road ditch, slowly, weaving, trying to look back at the barn. Step 3. Stop abruptly, back up several steps, weave, take a few steps forward, repeat. Step 4. finally take more than several steps forward, minimal weaving, yay we might be getting it! Step 5. reward time, let's head for home, turn around, snort, blow, crow hop, insist on running back to the barn as fast as possible while at the same time being stopped by, remember this part, the boss! He was not happy. We twalked (trot/walk) the rest of the way back toward the driveway. Step 6. reward revoked, we walked past the driveway in the other directions. He was a little calmer now as this side of the driveway still has some pasture so he could see some of the other horses, but he wasn't totally happy with life and kept drifting up the side of the ditch toward the barn. Step 7. turn around again and walk calmly toward the driveway. Step 8. Cody chooses to turn into the driveway without being asked so we pass the driveway again. Step 9. turn around again and walk almost past the driveway before "the boss" asks Cody to turn in.
That is pretty much what we've been doing the last 3 rides and it's getting very annoying. Granted the backing up and the crow hopping have gone down in intensity a bit since the first time. I don't want to reward him for going back to the barn so we went into the arena and trotted some spirals in and out and then worked on some cantering. We actually made it around 2 laps without stopping. His canter is unbalanced and kind of scrambling so we might have to get back on the lunge line for some work in that department.
For a cool down we were working on some turns on the hindquarters. I'm trying to get him to back up a few steps so he's on his rear and so that his front feet are lined up for stepping over each other before I ask for the turn. And if I can remember to neck rein he "kind of" gets it.
So about the time I was ready to be done everyone else showed up at the barn. J and S were going to go down the road and A thought maybe she would as well. I hemmed and hawed for a while, knowing Cody was being a pain lately but also wanting to give him the chance to get over it. I thought it would go pretty well if Vinnie went and if we stuck to a nice walk and everyone was calm about life. I ensured (so I thought) that we weren't going to go too fast and we'd stick to a walk and all that. S had already seen what a freak Cody had been. I circled Cody some more to further tire him out while waiting for everyone to tack. He was pretty sweaty by the time we left.
So all four of us set out on the road. Cody was okay. A little weaving, a bit of lagging behind, and some tail swishing but more content than prior rides. Halfway down the mile stretch S asked if we wanted to canter! Really? Are you kidding me? After some probably very exhasterbated explination that no we won't be cantering and no you cannot go canter ahead of us without giving the rest of the horses a heart attack, A and I decided we'd go to the end of the mile and turn for home and J and S could go canter to their hearts' delight. The parting of ways went really well. Cody was calm for the first 1/4 of the way back. Vinnie was a little concerned at the parting but nothing major. Cody's walk was pretty speedy but much happier than leaving the barn. He did start twalking which required a lot of correction but he wasn't going to bolt. He even remained calm as some cars passed. So we made it back in one piece and Cody had partially dried off (read: calmed down enough to stop sweating).
No comments:
Post a Comment