Two steps forward

It was blustery here this past weekend and I was a little less than eager to go outside to do anything. I was completely worthless on Saturday aside from making my husband fresh pasta ravioli and providing my loving pit bull and cat a warm body to snuggle 75% of the day. I spent most of the week with Eclipse, so I took the day off to wallow in self-pity and attempt a brighter outlook on the week to come.

Sunday arrived and I had no excuse. I needed to see my horse or I’d lose everything we had accomplished these past few weeks. I forgot it was mother’s day (the result of having lost my mother as a baby and being raised by only men, I tend to forget this holiday) and quickly kicked myself once I hit traffic on my way to the barn.

The place was deserted so at least I had the arena to myself, but then again no one is ever there in the first place, so I’m not sure why this was a relief to me. So, in the two days I hadn’t seen my horse he was somehow transformed from a loving pocket pony into a fire-breathing dragon. My guess is that he was completely pissed off at me for not visiting him on Saturday that he decided to defy my every move. I decided against riding. The wind was howling and he was just crazy.

We did lots of ground work and that went well for the most part, until I let him off the lead rope to run around the arena. He decided to take the opportunity to repeatedly charge the alpha mare’s pen, threatening to jump the fence to impress her (or challenge her authority, which is doubtful). I think I actually saw her roll her eyes at him. Maybe I did, too. He was way beyond even registering my presence, so I rounded him up again and went back to the barn.

The wind was really howling through the barn and the barn door at the end of the aisle was cracked slightly making horrible banging noises when the wind really kicked up. Eclipse decided to take the the opportunity to test the strength of the barn cross ties and back out as if had to escape that horrible barn door or die a slow painful death. He was able to wiggle out of his halter before anything broke, fortunately enough, but I was still extremely annoyed. He bolted outside to the nearest patch of grass, acting nervous, but completely calm. He’s a good actor I think I’m finding out...

Great. So he’s broken one fence from backing, backed out of a halter, backed out of a hitch post breaking my reins and now I’m afraid he’s just going to do this all the time. It’s happening way to often and he doesn’t listen to “WHOA”, “Eaasssyyyy”, “STAND”, or “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WILL YOU STOP IT YOU CRAZY HORSE?!” Our ground work has been helping, but that’s not stopping the standing issues.

Arg.

I’m going to hope for good weather and a sane horse this week. Maybe I’ll get at least one or the other. I’m hoping for the later.