What a day! My very own daddy came with me today and it was fun! I brushed Freedom on the cross ties, did her feet and tacked her up. Today-I planned a step ahead!
I coated the bit this time with corn oil from the feed room and brought a coffee can of feed into the arena for when we got there. I knew she'd need to get used to the bit and all that and eating treats would encourage her to-when my hand is on her nose to open up for the bit at a later time.
And so came the next stage of our training...I went a head and put my foot in the stirrup to get her used to my weight when...Daddy asked-; 'Why not get on her?'
I was like...'Well, I'm not so sure she's ready for that just yet. I'd like to-but I don't think she's ready.'
Daddy said. 'You won't know unless you try.'
Fine. I stopped dead flat at Daddy and looked at him. "If you want to get on her-be my guest." I told him, letting him get on.
Now look at this, my father got on her-she was fine-walking with her was a different story. The difference of weight on her back made Freedom want to rush forward, prance sideways and get skittish, but I did the 'whoas' and 'walks' again. It worked-UNTIL.
A horse in the stall beside her decided he wanted to make some noise in the party and she side-stepped really fast, and my father..(who has only ridden a horse maybe 4 times in his life....And only knows the basics of horse care...) My father slipped off of her back and Freedom stood quietly for a few seconds as there was no movement from him at all.
For a moment-I thought he was frozen, hands gripping the cut back part of the saddle but no...He slipped off, no problem and she was okay too. That was interesting. So then we went back to the mounting block and this time....I got on.
A few times, Daddy walked and led Freedom with me on her around the arena-stopping a couple of times. But then after the photos-I told dad, it was enough for today.
Daddy said; 'But's not alot for her, you've only been doing this for an hour!'
I told him; 'Yes, but we don't want to put too much on her at once.'
'Just ride her for a while your self.' And Daddy unhooked the lunge line....Biggest mistake ever.
Freedom took off running, bucking like she usually does when she gets playtime-obviously forgotten that I was still on her back and went straight for the corner where she stopped. I was like...Okay, well...
TIME TO GET OFF. NOW.
I had my left foot in the stirrup, ready for an easy slide down and my right leg swinging around to dismount when I accidently brushed her right side! Freedom took off like a bullet-throwing me on the ground and I fell, hitting my knee (my right one which recently had a surgery on it last December) full force.
I got up, my knee hurting and not far away Freedom was looking scared, shaking-her behavior was like she was saying; 'Sorry, Ma...I got scared! I'm sorry...' I wanted to get back on her but then when I saw up close how scared she was, I knew.. That was enough for today.
She is a rescue.
She has been abused.
Freedom has an untold past that we don't know about-so how can I force her if I don't understand? So, I went on as if nothing had happened-fixing the saddle so that the reins weren't like normal and were tied onto the saddle instead. I watched Freedom. She knew what she had done wrong.
So, We took her to the cross ties with some trouble (especially since part of the hallway-we didn't turn the lights on so there was alot of shadows.) But brushed her, untacked her without further incident. Once in her stall-Freedom didn't go straight for the water like she usually does, this time she was alot more slower and calmer now that we'd called it a day....
Freedom is greenbroke now-but yeah; she still has some quirks we need to work out.
I coated the bit this time with corn oil from the feed room and brought a coffee can of feed into the arena for when we got there. I knew she'd need to get used to the bit and all that and eating treats would encourage her to-when my hand is on her nose to open up for the bit at a later time.
And so came the next stage of our training...I went a head and put my foot in the stirrup to get her used to my weight when...Daddy asked-; 'Why not get on her?'
I was like...'Well, I'm not so sure she's ready for that just yet. I'd like to-but I don't think she's ready.'
Daddy said. 'You won't know unless you try.'
Fine. I stopped dead flat at Daddy and looked at him. "If you want to get on her-be my guest." I told him, letting him get on.
Now look at this, my father got on her-she was fine-walking with her was a different story. The difference of weight on her back made Freedom want to rush forward, prance sideways and get skittish, but I did the 'whoas' and 'walks' again. It worked-UNTIL.
A horse in the stall beside her decided he wanted to make some noise in the party and she side-stepped really fast, and my father..(who has only ridden a horse maybe 4 times in his life....And only knows the basics of horse care...) My father slipped off of her back and Freedom stood quietly for a few seconds as there was no movement from him at all.
For a moment-I thought he was frozen, hands gripping the cut back part of the saddle but no...He slipped off, no problem and she was okay too. That was interesting. So then we went back to the mounting block and this time....I got on.
A few times, Daddy walked and led Freedom with me on her around the arena-stopping a couple of times. But then after the photos-I told dad, it was enough for today.
Daddy said; 'But's not alot for her, you've only been doing this for an hour!'
I told him; 'Yes, but we don't want to put too much on her at once.'
'Just ride her for a while your self.' And Daddy unhooked the lunge line....Biggest mistake ever.
Freedom took off running, bucking like she usually does when she gets playtime-obviously forgotten that I was still on her back and went straight for the corner where she stopped. I was like...Okay, well...
TIME TO GET OFF. NOW.
I had my left foot in the stirrup, ready for an easy slide down and my right leg swinging around to dismount when I accidently brushed her right side! Freedom took off like a bullet-throwing me on the ground and I fell, hitting my knee (my right one which recently had a surgery on it last December) full force.
I got up, my knee hurting and not far away Freedom was looking scared, shaking-her behavior was like she was saying; 'Sorry, Ma...I got scared! I'm sorry...' I wanted to get back on her but then when I saw up close how scared she was, I knew.. That was enough for today.
She is a rescue.
She has been abused.
Freedom has an untold past that we don't know about-so how can I force her if I don't understand? So, I went on as if nothing had happened-fixing the saddle so that the reins weren't like normal and were tied onto the saddle instead. I watched Freedom. She knew what she had done wrong.
So, We took her to the cross ties with some trouble (especially since part of the hallway-we didn't turn the lights on so there was alot of shadows.) But brushed her, untacked her without further incident. Once in her stall-Freedom didn't go straight for the water like she usually does, this time she was alot more slower and calmer now that we'd called it a day....
Freedom is greenbroke now-but yeah; she still has some quirks we need to work out.
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