The donkeys, goats & chickens moved last week, I'm guessing their absence plays a part. Though you'd think that would make her want to be with me "her herd!?" Her Ulcer meds & new supplement arrived and were started on Thurs. Is she feeling better & stronger, she's now loaded with beautiful dapples, you can see & feel how much healthier she's become. So, she's more willing and able to take off and run for a half hour? I just don't know.
When I say evading me, I mean if she's in the barn when I enter, she leaves, if she's in the pasture paddock and I approach, she leaves. Prior to Wed., (aside from a few can't catch me the first few days) she's always come to me, fly mask was her friend as was I? Loved being groomed, rubbed on, followed me about...where did that go in just a few days? She's also suddenly back to battery acid in the fly spray. Not as badly as at first but, it's becoming a bigger battle daily.
Having the boys during the day, it wasn't possible to make the right thing easy, wrong thing difficult till evening since Wed. So she succeeded in evading the fly mask/me early in the day. Later after the boys left, we'd work thru it in a few minutes. Today, I think she fully expected to evade, then come back peacefully to her meal. I'm sure the new neighbors think I'm horrid chasing her about as I have been, ecspecially today.
I don't know what I'm going to do. It's really getting to me big time. Is this how it's going to be? She's not a baby, she's 16 for heavens sake. I didn't buy an older "supposedly" been there done that horse because I wanted to retrain the simplest of things frequently because the boys or weather have me busy for a few days. I'd happily get her a mini or some such company except she's food aggressive (yes, another thing we're working on, I'll save for another post), I don't want to bring some poor little one in to have the crap kicked out of it. The run in area in the barn would prove dangerous if she weren't wishing its mealtime company in bad weather.
And certainly not for a horse that is telling me she's not a willing teammate. I've texted my trainer, feet are being done Wed., if she'll cooperate! She may be moving on 😢
It's all very frustrating. I know how you feel.
ReplyDeleteThe only advice I'd give is to keep what you're doing. It will work. If she's not the horse for you, that's fine too.
I'm sure that your trainer will have some ideas. I'm betting that she's been one of many and hasn't figured out how to bond with a human. I don't know how easy it would be to fix that or if you want to. And not wanting to is fine. She's also feeling better better and that can add more sass.
This is supposed to be fun. If it's not and you can't foresee it being fun then let her go.
Appreciate the support in my decision. I'd felt we had been bonding well. Now it feels all downhill. While she's been a tough nut under saddle. In hand has been wonderful till now.
DeleteI can understand your frustration. Hopefully the meds will kick in soon. The mare I had on free lease was a basket case until she was treated for ulcers for a few weeks. Definitely sounds like a project 😞
ReplyDeleteI can understand your frustration. Hopefully the meds will kick in soon. The mare I had on free lease was a basket case until she was treated for ulcers for a few weeks. Definitely sounds like a project 😞
ReplyDeleteI'm not giving up "yet!" But, if she's not shown improvement in the next two weeks...
DeleteIf I'd bought a "confidence builder" I'd be very upset. I purposefully bought a horse that was under saddle because I wanted to get on and ride. HAHAHAHA that's not happening. For Grace, Mara, and Mag, they were great on their test rides, but the move to a new place seems to have changed everything.
ReplyDeleteIf Mag keeps up this bucking crap under saddle, I'll have to sell him. I really like him but I'm too old for that.
Since Grace lives alone I'd think she'd be more willing to hang around you, it's not like every time she sees you you're saddling her up. You feed her right? I hate being walked away from, it's hard not to take it personally.
Exactly, I'd hoped/planned to be on the trail not the next day, but within a month of getting her once we'd had a chance to learn each other. I often go to her field or into the barn to just visit, hang out, what have you. She's gotten better since yesterday as if been having her "move out" each time she walks away. She's even gone so far as to begin walking towards me only to take off within a few feet of me. I'm to blasted old to play Jekle & Hyde. Wish I'd have saved the ad now, she was billed as and seemed to be just what I was looking for. Now Hubs is unexpectedly having to troubleshoot out of state again. The way she's been behaving, I don't dare ride. Though I will continue to tack up and work her. Hubs, along with my horse friends feel I should sell her now and possibly go horseless thru winter. Problem is, I really do like her but...she's just not working for what I need and that's to be on the trail. I went down a similar road with my first horse.
ReplyDelete