Riding Confidently Takes Time

Over the past couple of weeks I've had the opportunity to ride Flint quite a few times in the bush and continue to develop my bond with him as well as rebuild my confidence. Last weekend I rode with a friend I hadn't seen in more than 20 years and we didn't know we had 'horses' in common until recently.

As Flint and I walked towards the tie-up post, he was unusually alert and jumpy and Annie asked me if he was normally like this. Once he was saddled up, he was more settled and Annie walked in front on her horse with me calling out the directions. Flint usually follows a lead horse and this worked for our ride. We walked down into the bush and it was a pleasant ride. Suddenly Flint shied off the track and I pulled him up just in time to see a couple of kangaroos bounding through the bush. Annie's horse had seen them but had only reacted in response to Flint's reaction. Apart from that it was an uneventful and pleasant ride.

I have read on Facebook about women who had lost their confidence in riding and they look for suggestions and ideas about how to regain it.  I had a bad fall just over 8 years ago. My husband had seen a rider-less horse going back and he stopped playing with our dog and ran to where I was - unconscious. Our dog apparently licked me and an ambulance was called and I was awake and talking. I don't recall any of that until about 4 or 5 hours later when I woke up fuzzily and became more aware of what was going on around me. I had a bad concussion and the doctors said that when the pain medication wore off, I would feel like a Mac truck had run over me. We don't know what caused me to fall and I sometimes thought that was a good thing although, other times I think that if I knew, I might be able to learn from it.

When I think about regaining confidence, I think it is a lot like the process of grief. It takes time and the process is different for everyone. I had riding lessons on Boston, I rode quite a lot with friends, and I even went on 'tourist' trail rides. It wasn't until I had ridden Shorty for a few months and learned trust is a 2-way relationship, that my riding confidence began to grow. The turning point for me was understanding that I had to show Shorty I was worthy of his trust. 

So, back to the present. Having a 'new' horse means having to build trust and confidence again and quite frankly, Flint is earning my trust. I am also aware that when I am riding him, I need to convey my trust worthy-ness to him. I know that when he is 'distracted', I need to reach down and pat his neck, speak gently to him and sit confidently on him. I have learned that those things reassure him.

Today when we went riding with 2 friends, the other horses were a bit 'jumpy' so I made sure I was listening to Flint and responding appropriately. As the other 2 urged their horses down the driveway, we waited, calmly. We all crossed the road and went down into the bush. Each of us took turns at being the front rider and when it was Flint's turn, he confidently took the lead. He walks fast so I would pull him up and wait for the others to catch up. When kangaroos were spotted, he didn't even flinch. He rode in the middle and he rode behind the other 2 usually maintaining a good length. At one stage, we even rode beside another horse.

It was the longest ride Flint and I had been on so far and once again, I am very proud of how he is doing. He is a good, dependable horse.

Flint's First Trail Ride With Friends

 I really love this quote by Sharon Ralls Lemon:

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and freedom.

When you add riding with friends in the bush on a lovely day, it certainly does bring us in contact with all of those things.

This afternoon after rolling hay off the trailer into the paddock, we went over to saddle up our horses and go on a bush trail ride with friends. For Flint, this was a first - to be riding with not just one other horse, but with 5 other horses! Of course, they were all his paddock buddies so he knew them but he didn't know all the riders.

He stood opposite Sarge and I brushed him down before I saddled him up, noting he had a couple of mozzie bite lumps on his rump. It was a hive of activity as we all tended to our horses and found helmets that fit for the friends who didn't have one. Yay! Someone else with a small head my size.

After I mounted Flint, he was a bit distracted and unsure of where he should be facing. I turned him around in a circle a couple of times and that helped him to stay calm. One of the horses wanted to "Just go already" but being a standy, listened to his rider until we were all ready to go. 

We formed a single line with Flint somewhere in the middle and went down the driveway. Flint walked on the grass where he could but he did well. Apparently the horse behind us was up close to his tail but Flint didn't mind. We crossed the road and went down into the bush. Six horses clopped their way through the bush with six riders chatting and laughing,  as butterflies flitted about and we all kept our eyes peeled for any sign of the 'mysterious black panther', the 'white wallaby' or even an echidna. A kookaburra laughed from its vantage point in the old gum tree and we passed by a wombat hole.

Going up the hill, a couple of the horses found it hard work as they hadn't been ridden in a while. Flint courageously forged his way uphill and was happy when we were on level ground. I patted his neck and he turned to look at me. He had done so well! Towards the end of the ride, we stopped for a group photo and as we neared the road, we heard the roaring sound of a dirt-bike so we waited. Not a horse even flinched. 

I took a video of the ride, which you can see below. I was hesitant at first because this was Flint's first time in this bush and as we were with other horses and their riders it was a new 'environment' for him. As usual, Flint was fine. I did discover one 'flaw' he had... When we went to cross back over the road to go home, Lynne stayed on the road to usher us all over but Flint would not go past her at that time. It might be something we will have to work on during future rides.

It was fun riding with others and once again Flint was great!

An Unexpected Occurrence

 Getting ready for a ride this morning, I put on my new pink flannel shirt and checked the weather. I was going to record the ride - either livestream it or add a video clip to upload here. When I arrived at Lynne's, I headed up the back paddock and helped her get the fence up to prevent the horses from getting into the blackberry bushes and/or the neighbour's yard to freedom. When that was done, we went to get our horses. Flint was peacefully grazing on the green grass but he accepted the carrot offered after I'd put the halter and lead on him.

I stopped by the water trough and he lowered his head and sucked it up for quite some time. When he lifted his head, water splashed out of his mouth, spraying in different directions and fortunately I got out of the way before it splashed on me. He stood still while I put his saddle on and tightened the girth using a girth-eze. Once I had his bridle on, I walked him over to the mounting block and mounted. We waited while Lynne mounted Trooper and we rode off. The sun was shining, there were blue clouds in the sky and no wind. As Lynne had said earlier, "The day was too lovely to waste!" 

We rode along the soft ground and headed back to the same place we had ridden the other day. The sand was soft and butterflies flitted about. Lynne's horse started pacing as we went downhill, so she took him aside to zig-zag/walk his way down but when Flint was in front, he was uncertain as to what what happening, so Lynne and Trooper took the lead again. 

Suddenly Trooper stomped his back foot and we assumed he had tripped but then he stamped again. Flint started stamping and swishing his tail frantically as well. I rode up next to Lynne but couldn't see any botflies or other flying insects around the back legs. We continued a bit further but the stamping and swishing didn't cease so we turned our horses around to head back for home. The horses remained unsettled so we decided to dismount.

Lynne went first but due to health reasons was unable to get off Trooper without having something to dismount on to.  On her attempt, she did notice a biting bug. The same bug type had attached itself to her hand yesterday when she'd been getting some hay. The bite had been bad and Lynne described it as worse than a bite from a bull-ant.

Flint was still stomping and swishing around and I wondered how I would dismount him. I asked him to "stand", gave him a pat and took my feet out of the stirrups and he stopped stomping and swishing! I got off quickly (much to my delight!) and once my feet hit the ground, I reassured him and began leading him back home. He still stomped and swished a bit and at times, he'd turn his head towards me and I'd give him another pat and tell him he was doing great.

Once back, Lynne and I debriefed about the ride and she commented that other horses would have unloaded their riders. She was impressed that neither horse had panicked. Despite being young, Flint proved he had the characteristics of his name meaning: courageous, strength, durability - like a rock. Even when being bitten by menacing bugs, Flint was determined to take care of me.

I know that Flint has a fault or 2 but I am yet to figure those out. In the meantime, once again I have learned a bit more about Flint and my confidence in (riding) him has continued to grow.

On another note: I didn't get a photo of me wearing my new shirt while riding Flint nor did I get a video clip of the scenery/ride.

Flint's First Ride in the Bush

 Wow! 

Perhaps I should pre-empt all my posts about Flint this way although then you might think I was biased or that 'love is blind' or something. Today I was reading Warwick Schiller's book, "The Principles of Training" and he says a lot of good things that are important in establishing a bond with your horse esp when you are training them. One important thing I read today is, 

"Horses are highly aware of their surroundings and even, more importantly, our energy.... The only thing we should be focusing on is the information our horse is conveying to us in the present moment.... The stories we tell ourselves about our horses and their actions directly affect our attitudes, which in turn creates a physical change within our bodies."

I took Flint over to the hitching post and he stood there while I brushed him and saddled him up. He didn't fidget and he showed me that he was listening to me. The other horse going on the ride had not appreciated Flint's arrival so we had kept them separated over the past month. Today we were going to check to make sure they would ride well together.

Flint was unperturbed by Trooper's presence and even when Trooper walked past, Flint did not react. More importantly, Trooper did not show any animosity towards Flint, so I mounted Flint and waited while Lynne got on Trooper. As we walked past the sheds, Flint flinched but I gave him a pat and reassured him that he was doing well. We headed downhill, out the 'driveway' and into the bush. 

Lynne and Trooper went to the right of a track under a low branch and I hesitated mentally calculating whether we would be able to duck under it. Flint 'read my mind' and walked around it, finding a better place for us to go and join them. We walked behind them and sometimes alongside them and it was a lovely walk. A car zoomed past and Flint showed no interest in it.

At one stage, Lynne suggested we test out their ability to stop and stand still and I pulled back on the reins and released and Flint stood there. Later on, Lynne pulled out her phone to take a photo of Flint and I and we waited patiently. Trooper fidgeted a bit and Lynne asked him to take a note from the 'younger one' who was behaving flawlessly. At one point, I turned Flint around and then back while Lynne got Trooper into position. Once the photos had been taken, we headed back up the track towards home.

• Flint didn't rush going up the hill or even rush going home. He stayed at a steady pace.
• Although we were riding behind Lynne and Trooper, I knew his focus/attention was on me and he responded to my lead.
• I felt that if we had have been on our own, he still would have done well on the ride.

After the ride was over, I asked Lynne if she was surprised at how well Flint had done. She said that she had wondered how well Flint and I would go together but she was impressed. She also commented about how happy I was and I was. I am very happy with Flint and so pleased with the bond he and I have. I am looking forward to future rides with Flint.

In some ways, it was like a successful internet dating relationship. We 'met' online, saw photos and SSR&E swapped information with me and decided we would make a good match. The time came for Flint and I to meet in real-life and my 1st response was, "Wow!" and today was no different.

I was so happy I decided to celebrate and brought myself a pink flannel shirt from the horse centre. Flint's new pink knotted rope halter arrived today so that will be his gift for being so good on our first ride together.

Flint Settles In and Learns Valuable Lessons

 Over the past few weeks, Flint has settled in and last weekend, he and Jasper went to a 'new' paddock with more space. They kicked up their hooves and cantered around the paddock, then raced side by side to wait for the other horses to join them.  When Blue entered the paddock, Flint went over to him and they greeted each other with a nuzzle before grazing together. I stayed around to watch them.

In their new paddock but Flint stays close to me at first.

Flint has done some ground work with me and he is very teachable. He has such a sweet and kind temperament and we have bonded very well. This afternoon I was watching him and all the other horses had gone up the paddock further away. He and Jasper had grazed a bit towards the front but then Flint went over to Koda, the pony who is on his own at the moment. Flint began grazing at the other side of the fence to Koda, facing him. Jasper waited a bit and then meandered up to join the others. As I watched Flint and Koda grazing, I saw Flint put his head/neck over the other side of the fence and Koda reached up as high as he could to Flint and they nuzzled noses before they went back to grazing again. Flint is like the sweet natured kid who hangs back to check up on the lonely child, reassures/comforts them and then heads back to his group of friends. It was lovely to watch!

Lesson 1: Leading

Flint tends to crowd in when he is being led around and he doesn't like being led when the person is on the right side of him. I took him to a paddock on his own, leading him around, applying 'pressure' when he came too close until he walked without crowding. I also stood at the right side of him and we walked for quite a distance without him trying to get to the right side. He learned quickly and he also learned to wait without coming towards me, until I invited him to come.

Lesson 2: Manners

When he was eating his hard-feed, he would get the bucket of food and toss it so that all the food went everywhere. Horses do this when they are impatient to eat so I gave him a dish that was heavier without handles. I then held a 'plastic tube' and when he came too close to me, I would hold it out (as an extension of my arm) and say, "Space" and he knew he had to move away from me. I'd tip his dinner into the dish, still saying 'space' and when he looked away, I exclaimed, "Yes!" and he knew he could come and eat then. He learned this lesson within 2 times.

Lesson 3: Stand Still

The 2nd time I saddled Flint, he was very fidgety and Lynne and I both had to work with him until I could get on him. Yesterday, it was a windy day with gusts up to 45km per hour, so rather than ride him I decided to tie him to the hitching post. While he stood there, I brushed him and patted him. When a gust of wind blew up, he would move his body right around and I'd apply pressure until he went back to where he should have been and I'd recommence patting/brushing him. Each time the gust of wind came up, we'd go through the process again. A couple of times I was leaning on him and when the gust of wind came up, he stood still while I leaned against him. (I was reassured by that as I know that when I am riding him, he will be mindful of me.) After about 30 minutes or so of this, when a gust of wind occurred, Flint remained standing still. As I led him back to his paddock for his dinner, I knew that Flint wanted to please me and was teachable.

He is such a treasure! I also learned that pink looks good on Flint!