I just realized that I haven’t posted in 3 weeks! Where did the month of June go? I have a bit of an update on the Hank situation, but it is kind of whiny and long, so sorry in advance! lol
I have been working with Hank a bit over the course of the month. He is great to handle on the ground and we have no problems there. It’s the under saddle stuff that is hard for me. First of all, my saddle doesn’t fit him at all. We are ok walking, but the minute I ask him to trot, he pins his ears and tosses his head. I tried a couple of times to push through it, just in case it was attitude, but he wouldn’t trot out. I am talkng that as a strong hint that he isn’t comfortable…. A friend has said that I can borrow her dressage saddle to work him for the next few weeks, so I might try that, although I have a heck of a time riding in an English saddle. There is just something about the way they are cut or something that I have a hard time with.
I’m having some serious doubts about whether or not I am ready for a green horse. Even a green horse with a good temperament seems to be a lot to worry about. I’m very torn about what to do. The barn owner was encouraging me to push myself out of my comfort zone and to work at it, because he is a good horse. I value her advice, but at the same time, I am wary, since she is motivated by money to a certain point. I am paying her to half-lease this horse, so it is good for her on two sides – one for the money and two because her horse is being worked regularly.
I am also not so great at ring work. Hank needs lots of sessions in the riding ring, to work on his steering, brakes and body control. He is out of shape, but that will come back quickly, since he spent 2-3 years on the track. Ideally, I would need some lessons on him, but I can't really afford to board one, lease one AND take lessons on top of all that.
Another problem with Hank for me is that he is tall. I haven’t sticked him, but he is probably 16hh. And I’m only 5’0”. He is very narrow, so I have no problem getting my leg on, but if I plan to do a lot of trail riding and eventually endurance rides with him, I need to be able to get on from the ground. As is stands now, my stirrup is at chest/shoulder height when I’m on the ground. There is no way I can get my stubby little leg/foot up to chest height to get on…
The friend that I have been riding with has been great at encouraging me and offering very good advice. She has noticed that I have been nervous a couple of times while riding Hank and noted that it might be hard to push out of my comfort zone if I’m nervous and my confidence is low. I totally agree with her on that point. I tend to be a bit of a nervous person by nature – it’s something I’m working on and my nerves have decreased and my confidence has increased by leaps and bounds since I started riding Rusty out on the trails. I know that I can trust him not to do something totally stupid. Yes, I know horses are only safe up to a point, but I know what Rusty’s limits are and what spooks him.
That being said, I’m ready for a horse with more “go” than Rusty can give, but not as green and inexperienced as Hank. Rusty is great to hack out and have fun with, but he can’t really keep up at faster paces. His walk is slow and we’ve got him to step out better, but it still isn’t enough. I’m also having hoof troubles with him – he needs shoes to walk on gravel, but is really, really bad to put shoes on. I’ve done it twice this year and the hassle isn’t worth it. It takes the farrier over an hour to put to front shoes on. Horse, farrier and owner all end up extremely stressed.
It’s kind of bittersweet for me to know that I’ve outgrown Rusty – he is such a good horse. I really wish I had my own property so I could retire him and take good care of him like he deserves. As it stands now, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with him. I can’t afford full board on two horses at my current barn. I have found a barn with really reasonable retirement board fees that is about an hour away, so I could still easily go visit and ride him once in a while. I may also try and re-home him. If I am patient, I may be able to find a really good home for him. I had no idea that the decision to retire or part with a horse would be so hard.
So, all of the above being considered, I’m kind of in a weird place. My head, heart and gut are all mixed up and confused. My gut is flip-flopping on the Hank issue, my heart likes him, but doesn’t love him and my head is swirling with logic and ideas and budgets. In the mean time, I can still try and ride Hank and still take Rusty out, but I think I’m going to start horse shopping. My budget is low, but maybe I will find something that just might be what I need.
Anyone have any thoughts or sage words of advice???
9 comments:
Horses and riders are so different, separately and together, so I'm not going to give advice so much as some thoughts from my experience.
First, I admit it, I feel pretty uncomfortable in a western saddle. It's fine if I'm just plodding along, but if I actually have to ride it feels so foreign. I don't feel like I can use my seat and legs in the same way and where the heck do my hands go?? I think it's just a matter of what we're used to and it goes both ways. I assume it's like all things and would feel better with practice but it's hard enough to get the muscle memory right with tack you're familiar with! And really, do you want to switch tack that much?
Second, Brumby was, and still is, very green in many ways. He can also be a big bully. I am fortunate in that I don't get nervous or intimidated while riding very easily. Still, last summer I found myself becoming intimidated during rides. For the first time I was hesitating to try things, and this is with weekly lessons. It's been uphill all the way and I think it would have been a damaging experience if I had previous bad experiences that led me to been scared or nervous to begin with.
It was also not much fun at times. But then I'd have an amazing few rides and I'd see what we could accomplish. But I didn't ride as much as I wanted to for awhile because it was never just a nice ride. It was a lot of work and though I don't think I've ever said it - I resented putting that much work into a horse that wasn't mine.
But now here I am, about to do a hunter show in a couple weeks (I think) and I'm reasonably confident that we'll put a good round together. He's still difficult a lot of the time but the good days are more frequent. His own owner still isn't ready to show over fences, and she's been with him a lot longer than I have! So, again, it's very individual.
I honestly don't know if I'd do it all over again, looking back. Probably not. I also don't regret any of the last 2 years. Helpful, no? It’s just so hard to know in the moment what you really want. At least I felt that way.
Honestly, in your writing, it just sounds like the match isn’t great and it sounds like you know it. I could be wrong but that’s what I’m “hearing.”
As for what to do with Rusty – that’s tough. It’s one of the things I worry about most when thinking about getting my own horse. I’d actually like to talk to you more about this in person. I know a place that MIGHT be looking for basically a pasture puff that would be ok with an occasional kiddie ride without needing regular work. It’s not fancy but it’s a private farm with an open barn (huge stall) and pasture – horse can go in and out at will. The pasture isn’t the greatest but they also feed hay. Every horse and pony through there gets fat. I’d have to talk the details on both sides.
Eeek, sorry for the novel ;)
It sounds like RuckusButt may have something that might give you some options for Rusty.
As for Hank....My gut is saying...look for something a little more broke. It's not that I don't think you could turn him into a great horse if you decided you wanted to take on that task...
But, you are not alone (or wrong) for wanting a horse that you can do more of the things that really interest you NOW. It doesn't have to be a 'finished' horse...but at least something farther along than Hank sounds.
And if your gut tells you, you might be getting pushed into taking him on...it's probably the truth.
Is it a possibility to part board or lease out Rusty? That may free up some finances to keep another horse.
Not sure what the market is like where you are but you are also pretty close to the states, and from what I hear you can still get a pretty good horse fairly cheap there.
As for Hank I was kinda thinking along the same lines as BEC.
Thanks for the thoughts guys, I really value your opinions.
RB - any leads you might have re: pasture puff status would be welcomed. It would be nice to have a few different options for him.
I'm kind of surprised to hear this coming out of my mouth, but sometimes what we need isn't what we think we need. Put the thought out there for help in finding what you need and it will come to you. When things get really bad and I spend too much time worrying, it pays to back off and think in simplistic terms. I'm in a stage where I'm just telling myself how fortunate I am to have horses (even though they can be a very expensive pain in the butt.)
I think that while you may need to push out of your comfort zone - you should listen to your gut too. I can't tell you how many accidents i would've avoided had I simply listen to my gut when it said "Stephanie, get off the dang horse!" But nooooo I had to cowgirl up and spend the evening in the ER.
I think Hank is too much horse for you right now. He's reading you like a book and you need a horse that is at least broke enough to acquiesce with basic requests. If he is protesting trotting what is he going to do when you ask him for something complicated? That's my thoughts on Hank. Find something that has walk, trot lope, stop, back up, loading, tying and bathing down with no attitude. Other stuff you can fine tune.
Not sure what the perfect answer is for Rusty - only that he'd make a dream kids horse....
Listen to your instincts, Laura.
Don't let anyone convince you to do something that doesn't make you feel 100% positive and confident that it's the right decision. Only you know what that is.
That's the best advice I can give.
There's a lot to be said for riding and handling a horse you can trust and that can help you feel confident.
Rusty seems like a horse you should still have access to for those times, after you do buy a new horse, when you might have your confidence level challenged.
Perhaps you could find a lease situation where he could be used for arena lessons or for a family who wants a safe horse for their kids to ride...or for a beginner rider who needs to build some confidence and experience?
The feeling I get about Hank, just from what you write, is that you know he's not a good match for you. And while he may be fit and physically strong enough to do the things you want to do, will his green-ness erode your confidence?
Just the fact that he is so tall would cause me to move on. I'm almost 6 feet tall, but as I've gotten older my hips and knees have taken a beating and I can't mount a tall horse without a block or stump. And you can't always count on them to be out on the trail.
Like I said before, Listen to your instincts ..and your heart.
~Lisa
Listen to your head; your heart can play tricks on you and make things worse. You would be best with a horse that you can be happy with all the time. Why waste precious time trying to make it work out?
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