Today I'm doing some light reading - which is including materials on various trim methods. This is a weekly if not daily thing for me lately. I've learned so much since this blog started that I have trouble putting it all into words.
Diego's hooves have undergone an onslaught of assaults from various sources for over a year now, and we find ourselves this week - sitting on the 6 month anniversary of his most recent (and worst) laminitic attack. I am clinging rigidly and (understandably) desperately to all dietary and environmental restrictions to keep D from having another attack right now - but as the months creep by and we finally start to see progress through the dreary daily routine: I have finally started to feel a little more hope.
We're 6 months out and this time, for sure, I am confident that we have good hoof form. As good as it can get really. I haven't had the money for Xays in a year now, so I've had to wing-it by just reading the external hoof signs as well as I can. I constantly scrutinize his sole, his gait and measure the collateral grooves, looking for more depth. The last and most frustrating piece to fall in place has been his soundness. His last event in August left him barely able to drag himself from the paddock to the grooming area and back. Boots and pads only made it moderately better. It was horrible to watch him have so much pain just walking...
We made huge strides (har har) though, and by November he was comfortable - trotting, galloping and bucking with his girlfriend. It was a sight to see! December brought cold nights though, and with his damaged vascular system in his lower legs & feet started giving him issues. He had significant amounts of pain, his legs stocked up from not moving all day long (due to hoof pain) etc. I added some dietary supplements to help - but nothing is a cure. It's still just as cold out now in February, but at the new facility D is kept in at night (not ideal to me but the lesser of several evils I was faced with in moving him), where the temperature is consistently 10 degrees warmer than the outdoors. Guess what... no leg swelling! No owwie hooves with warm coronary bands! YAY!
Try as I might to provide Diego with a more 'natural' lifestyle, it's becoming increasingly apparent that certain domestic 'comforts' are needed to give him the ability to live a decent life after the Cushings hammered away at his body unchecked for 5 years and laminitis ravaged the blood vessels in his hooves. So far this has included blanketing, wrapping the legs and being stabled at night. So I continue down this road of discovery: hopefully with less judgement about "right and wrong" horse management and attached dogma. >.>'
Ok... so maybe this wasn't as much about hooves as I'd intended to write. ;p
I just reread the first post on this blog from 2010 discussing his hooves. What a long way we have come! Few if any of the problems we faced then haunt us now (except heel contraction, but that's possibly a life long pathology by now IMO). I am forever thankful for Marian's willingness to educate me at a time when D and I really needed it.
Amusing event for the week: I got a call from the barn manager early yesterday morning on my cell and promptly panicked (having just read a lovely study on Nitrate poisoning complete with graphic photos). As it turns out she was calling to give me a bit of amusing info. Diego has been introduced to his handicapped herd, but so far they have yet to accept him. There is an evil little pony who attacks everyone (horses and humans alike) who has it out for Diego. Diego finally decided somehow that the pony suddenly held no threat over him anymore and promptly turned his butt to the pony and shot him a "talk to the tail" look. Said pony was so distraught by this that he ran himself around the entire turn out area. I'm sure his ego was greatly damaged by this. I was told Diego had taken up trotting a little with the foals. I couldn't be happier for him... finally... progress!
Showing posts with label natural horse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural horse. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Our History - Recent (04' - today)
The past 4 years of my ‘horse life’ really fell apart for me, it’s only been in the past year that it’s started coming together again.
Tailbone surgery kept me from riding for good 6-9 months in 04/05. A big blow considering I feel more natural on Diego’s back than I do on my own legs, his legs have become mine over the years and although we fought a lot, I took for granted just how one minded we had become in locomotion. The time after I began to ride again was an agonizing few years of only being able to ride once a week. His barn was an hour and fifteen minutes from my house, and with the new responsibilities of a job it was too much. About 2 years ago I allowed a woman to ride him in dressage lessons, mostly walk trot, with my trainer. While everyone else was very for this, I wasn’t, although I agreed to it. I trusted my trainer to pick a confident, gentle rider for him, since she was the one who had finally broken my shell and challenged ME to be more patient and gentle with him over the years. It’s just that we had become so one…. The idea of another woman getting in the middle of it was a constant irritant. Would you give your 12 year partner easily to another person? All my life, I was the kid who had a way with one horse or another, and usually once I’d built a bond with said horse other people then took advantage of it or took the horse away completely thinking it was “fixed”, instead of stopping to observe the relationship and mimic it on their own. =( While I knew I was still his life partner, days at work sitting at a desk while D was being ridden by someone else weighed heavily on me. Diego’s response to my aids grew more dull and I could tell he was confused at times. My usual routine wasn’t the same as what he was used to twice a week, and yet I was signaling the same way I had for years. I had serious emotional problems with this muddled confusion and grew depressed. I have no doubt the extra work was good for him but I often frequently wondered what was going on inside him, confusion? Abandonment? Fear of changing ownership? Happiness? I’ll never know, I never saw the woman ride him and saw the look on his face.
Unfortunately our barn was hit with an enormous flood because of pipes breaking in a close by water treatment plant less than a year ago. My friend’s horse was killed along with another newer one. Diego survived uninjured, along with the rest of the barn and were found the next morning in chest deep water. They were quickly relocated to a rescue barn and kept in stall for 2 weeks. Upon moving them back home after flood clean up there was still no fencing so the horses were kept in most of the time as the few small paddocks roped off had to be rotated between nearly 10 horses. Diego became crabby and depressed as well as his weight started dropping. I wanted him closer to me, and this seemed like the right time, so after 10 years I moved him from his old home. We moved to a very small barn located close to home and I spent the winter getting reacquainted with him....
I didn’t feel like he didn’t know me, but I wanted to reestablish the old bond and make it stronger than ever. When most people are bundled up inside hoping for spring to ride, I was out in the cold riding through rain, slush and ice on him (the latter being interesting, he nearly went down with me after a bucking fit landed him on a patch of ice).
I started studying the popular Natural Horsemanship as soon as I arrived. The new barn owner was a big fan and promoted it and I liked the kinder way of handling the horses instead of simply hitting them, like I’d been taught years ago. Diego showed progress with his pushiness on the ground after dealing with the owner on a regular basis (feeding/turnout). In my studies and in talking with the man though, I noticed I was being encouraged strongly to stop some of Diego’s more rare behavior like grooming me (which had taken him years to do as he used to not trust interacting with humans during grooming, he’s been hit in the head a lot for his habit of being mouthy). And also his habit of kicking out when being lunged. Both things are met with strong opposition in the NH world and seen as immediate disrespect to the human. I had noticed that lack of respect for me in general seemed to be one of Diego’s problems. Something didn’t feel right though… I worked so hard to build a trusting relationship between us and still punish the kicking outbursts. Sometimes it didn’t seem worth it – like when I’d let him loose in the ring to run off some steam and he’d end up bucking and kicking halfway to the otherside. Other times direct kicks at me (usually after a directional or driving aid) seemed very appropriate for punishment. My method of growling at him and chasing him mercilessly around for a good 3 minutes afterwards though never seemed to really fix the situation though. It only made him snort and prance or run around obediently until I got tired. I swear sometimes he acted like it was a game. O.o I started to see that really he wasn’t making the connection between kicking out and my “punishment”, but I didn’t feel making physical contact with him over the issue was a good idea either, even though inside I really wanted to lash out at him like he had me.
But on our more successful issues, and journey I discovered a lot of things:
*Rhythmic preassure was a better way to get a response from him, constant preassure is something he seems to despise enough to ignore or constantly fight and he will either A) win or B) make me tired and miserable in the process.
*I had too much of a “schedule” mind, Surprise surprise…just like my mother. I always had these expectations of our “ride time” that needed to be met for my happiness and I always had a routine, rarely did anything different.
*I rode in a way that was most convenient for me.
*The way I was riding and doing things was not only making Diego bored, but had lost his interest in our time together period.
*I was way too focused on my agenda and not flexible enough to go with the moment. I’m learning now how to play: get on, get off, get on again…staying in the saddle gets stale - switch our program up. Run on the ground alittle… ride alittle. One of the very first things I started several years ago was cooling him out off his back – us just walking side by side. I believe it makes things more comfortable for him. =)
Many experiences have influenced my goals and current path/philosophy, they include things like trainers Thomas Ritter, Brent Branderup, Klaus H. etc, seeing performances like the Spanish Riding School & Cavalia… but my philosophy side was tickled & convicted when I read about a very controversial trainer Alexander Nevzorav. His words that the horse should be free to exist without the dominant imposing will of humans struck at the heart of who I am and my Christian beliefs. I had to reexamine all my years with horses and my motives, were they me-based or loving-selfless-giving-based like Jesus asks of me? For I truly believe Jesus intends his followers to treat animals with the kindness and respect we want as well, for they are all God’s creation and respecting & caring for them is as if we were doing it to Him. I have seen many Christians use the line of “God gave 'dominion' over the animals to Adam” as an excuse for unfair treatment to animals for their own happiness and enjoyment. Under the teachings that Jesus brought to us though I can no longer accept that reason as valid in my own life though. Nevzorav bluntly calls people out for our own selfish motives and behavior towards horses… causing pain to control them, wishing to reduce their fire for our convenience, riding for our own pleasure only and thus blinding ourselves to any possible discomfort the horse experiences. His goal to bring out the fire in his own horses fascinated me and also made me wary, I was beginning to realize I lack the intuition at the moment to safely handle that much power. This realization brought to light just how magnificent and powerful horses are. The majesty of such a fierce animal was brought back to life in my mind again, something I hadn’t experienced since childhood. Where along the lines had I become desensitized into thinking they were just beasts we should control? I also watched his videos in confusion seeing his horses run, buck, rear, strike and kick at will. In any NH training this would be considered severe disrespect and yet Nevzorav called it playing. I realize now the complexities of when a horse is playing Vs. when they are truly a danger to me is something I don’t have a grasp on yet. I have a long road ahead of me, the realization was humbling and depressing.
Since this realization I have spent the past 6 months struggling and floundering in a muddy pond (that's what it feels like) of uncertainty.
I have studied as much as I can about a horses natural enviroment and made changes in Diego's best interests. Honestly some have been more of an adjustment for me than him! Like moving him to pasture only...
I've also changed alot of how I interact with him: I tie him less, I let him follow me where ever. I let him loose in large spaces more often for our work. I ride shorter amounts of time and often bareback (due to an ill fitting saddle). But sometimes I still feel lost standing on the ground staring at him. I have dozens of horse friends and trainers around me willing to "help" guide me at the drop of a hat. But I'm not as trusting as I once was, and I see ego pop out of every dark corner, no matter how small... I know the path I want to take with my horses from now on, and I have found so many horse people all over the world who feel the same, yet finding someone I trust to guide me has not happened. Yet. Maybe it will when the time is right, or maybe this is something I'm supposed to do on my own... watch an observe until I know who Diego truly is.
Well... here's to watching.
Tailbone surgery kept me from riding for good 6-9 months in 04/05. A big blow considering I feel more natural on Diego’s back than I do on my own legs, his legs have become mine over the years and although we fought a lot, I took for granted just how one minded we had become in locomotion. The time after I began to ride again was an agonizing few years of only being able to ride once a week. His barn was an hour and fifteen minutes from my house, and with the new responsibilities of a job it was too much. About 2 years ago I allowed a woman to ride him in dressage lessons, mostly walk trot, with my trainer. While everyone else was very for this, I wasn’t, although I agreed to it. I trusted my trainer to pick a confident, gentle rider for him, since she was the one who had finally broken my shell and challenged ME to be more patient and gentle with him over the years. It’s just that we had become so one…. The idea of another woman getting in the middle of it was a constant irritant. Would you give your 12 year partner easily to another person? All my life, I was the kid who had a way with one horse or another, and usually once I’d built a bond with said horse other people then took advantage of it or took the horse away completely thinking it was “fixed”, instead of stopping to observe the relationship and mimic it on their own. =( While I knew I was still his life partner, days at work sitting at a desk while D was being ridden by someone else weighed heavily on me. Diego’s response to my aids grew more dull and I could tell he was confused at times. My usual routine wasn’t the same as what he was used to twice a week, and yet I was signaling the same way I had for years. I had serious emotional problems with this muddled confusion and grew depressed. I have no doubt the extra work was good for him but I often frequently wondered what was going on inside him, confusion? Abandonment? Fear of changing ownership? Happiness? I’ll never know, I never saw the woman ride him and saw the look on his face.
Unfortunately our barn was hit with an enormous flood because of pipes breaking in a close by water treatment plant less than a year ago. My friend’s horse was killed along with another newer one. Diego survived uninjured, along with the rest of the barn and were found the next morning in chest deep water. They were quickly relocated to a rescue barn and kept in stall for 2 weeks. Upon moving them back home after flood clean up there was still no fencing so the horses were kept in most of the time as the few small paddocks roped off had to be rotated between nearly 10 horses. Diego became crabby and depressed as well as his weight started dropping. I wanted him closer to me, and this seemed like the right time, so after 10 years I moved him from his old home. We moved to a very small barn located close to home and I spent the winter getting reacquainted with him....
I didn’t feel like he didn’t know me, but I wanted to reestablish the old bond and make it stronger than ever. When most people are bundled up inside hoping for spring to ride, I was out in the cold riding through rain, slush and ice on him (the latter being interesting, he nearly went down with me after a bucking fit landed him on a patch of ice).
I started studying the popular Natural Horsemanship as soon as I arrived. The new barn owner was a big fan and promoted it and I liked the kinder way of handling the horses instead of simply hitting them, like I’d been taught years ago. Diego showed progress with his pushiness on the ground after dealing with the owner on a regular basis (feeding/turnout). In my studies and in talking with the man though, I noticed I was being encouraged strongly to stop some of Diego’s more rare behavior like grooming me (which had taken him years to do as he used to not trust interacting with humans during grooming, he’s been hit in the head a lot for his habit of being mouthy). And also his habit of kicking out when being lunged. Both things are met with strong opposition in the NH world and seen as immediate disrespect to the human. I had noticed that lack of respect for me in general seemed to be one of Diego’s problems. Something didn’t feel right though… I worked so hard to build a trusting relationship between us and still punish the kicking outbursts. Sometimes it didn’t seem worth it – like when I’d let him loose in the ring to run off some steam and he’d end up bucking and kicking halfway to the otherside. Other times direct kicks at me (usually after a directional or driving aid) seemed very appropriate for punishment. My method of growling at him and chasing him mercilessly around for a good 3 minutes afterwards though never seemed to really fix the situation though. It only made him snort and prance or run around obediently until I got tired. I swear sometimes he acted like it was a game. O.o I started to see that really he wasn’t making the connection between kicking out and my “punishment”, but I didn’t feel making physical contact with him over the issue was a good idea either, even though inside I really wanted to lash out at him like he had me.
But on our more successful issues, and journey I discovered a lot of things:
*Rhythmic preassure was a better way to get a response from him, constant preassure is something he seems to despise enough to ignore or constantly fight and he will either A) win or B) make me tired and miserable in the process.
*I had too much of a “schedule” mind, Surprise surprise…just like my mother. I always had these expectations of our “ride time” that needed to be met for my happiness and I always had a routine, rarely did anything different.
*I rode in a way that was most convenient for me.
*The way I was riding and doing things was not only making Diego bored, but had lost his interest in our time together period.
*I was way too focused on my agenda and not flexible enough to go with the moment. I’m learning now how to play: get on, get off, get on again…staying in the saddle gets stale - switch our program up. Run on the ground alittle… ride alittle. One of the very first things I started several years ago was cooling him out off his back – us just walking side by side. I believe it makes things more comfortable for him. =)
Many experiences have influenced my goals and current path/philosophy, they include things like trainers Thomas Ritter, Brent Branderup, Klaus H. etc, seeing performances like the Spanish Riding School & Cavalia… but my philosophy side was tickled & convicted when I read about a very controversial trainer Alexander Nevzorav. His words that the horse should be free to exist without the dominant imposing will of humans struck at the heart of who I am and my Christian beliefs. I had to reexamine all my years with horses and my motives, were they me-based or loving-selfless-giving-based like Jesus asks of me? For I truly believe Jesus intends his followers to treat animals with the kindness and respect we want as well, for they are all God’s creation and respecting & caring for them is as if we were doing it to Him. I have seen many Christians use the line of “God gave 'dominion' over the animals to Adam” as an excuse for unfair treatment to animals for their own happiness and enjoyment. Under the teachings that Jesus brought to us though I can no longer accept that reason as valid in my own life though. Nevzorav bluntly calls people out for our own selfish motives and behavior towards horses… causing pain to control them, wishing to reduce their fire for our convenience, riding for our own pleasure only and thus blinding ourselves to any possible discomfort the horse experiences. His goal to bring out the fire in his own horses fascinated me and also made me wary, I was beginning to realize I lack the intuition at the moment to safely handle that much power. This realization brought to light just how magnificent and powerful horses are. The majesty of such a fierce animal was brought back to life in my mind again, something I hadn’t experienced since childhood. Where along the lines had I become desensitized into thinking they were just beasts we should control? I also watched his videos in confusion seeing his horses run, buck, rear, strike and kick at will. In any NH training this would be considered severe disrespect and yet Nevzorav called it playing. I realize now the complexities of when a horse is playing Vs. when they are truly a danger to me is something I don’t have a grasp on yet. I have a long road ahead of me, the realization was humbling and depressing.
Since this realization I have spent the past 6 months struggling and floundering in a muddy pond (that's what it feels like) of uncertainty.
I have studied as much as I can about a horses natural enviroment and made changes in Diego's best interests. Honestly some have been more of an adjustment for me than him! Like moving him to pasture only...
I've also changed alot of how I interact with him: I tie him less, I let him follow me where ever. I let him loose in large spaces more often for our work. I ride shorter amounts of time and often bareback (due to an ill fitting saddle). But sometimes I still feel lost standing on the ground staring at him. I have dozens of horse friends and trainers around me willing to "help" guide me at the drop of a hat. But I'm not as trusting as I once was, and I see ego pop out of every dark corner, no matter how small... I know the path I want to take with my horses from now on, and I have found so many horse people all over the world who feel the same, yet finding someone I trust to guide me has not happened. Yet. Maybe it will when the time is right, or maybe this is something I'm supposed to do on my own... watch an observe until I know who Diego truly is.
Well... here's to watching.
The Problem Horse
In today’s convenient horse world, where horses are pets & riding is mainly a sport people do on the side, Diego was the monster ‘problem horse” most people would have sold. We nearly did… he came home from his first dressage show and nearly had a for sale sign slapped on his rear. After becoming unruly, rearing and screaming constantly in his stall, causing a warm up nightmare by bolting in circles on the lunge line, kicking at anything & anyone, biting Mom on the chest and just generally being Mr. Discontent the entire 2 days (I couldn’t even ride my classes on him, I was 11 and Mom was concerned about my safety) Mom was feeling hopeless. But once home with him behaving like his normal self again, I guess she wanted to prove to the rest of the barn that we hadn’t made a terrible mistake in buying him. He continued to have his moments though, from kicking in the stall to nearly rearing on the lead line at moment of passion, to nipping and pushing you out of the way whenever he felt like it. Not to mention riding him was like riding a very lightweight freight trail, rough and fast and it never slowed down, only got bumpier when you tried to hold him back. I remember one lady at the barn told my Mom, “He’s too much horse, get something more suitable for you and your daughter.” I have to smile at that nowdays when I watch him in the pasture or eyeing me when he’s tied in the barn. He was the perfect horse God picked out for us, maybe not to be a calm mount for my mother to ride, but years later I’m learning life changing lessons because of him.
More experienced horse people started taking note of him once we changed barns. His fire and determination, as well as good looks lured them into thinking he’d serve as an excellent sport horse, had he the right training. Problem was no matter how hard we tried, through conventional methods, we couldn’t get the desired results with his speed problems, jumping or ground manners. He was still firey, pushy, speedy and green. I spent years fighting with him to “harness” his ‘power” and train him in the conventional way to be an eventer. While he liked eventing, he hated travel & being separated from other horses, and he hated restraints & being told ‘no’ when it he felt excited (which was usually manifested in bolts of speed). While I took pride in his fire I also spent years frustrated over and fighting what makes him him, as well as makes him a horse in the most natural, primal sense.
Behind the Name
Nowdays I just call him my Red Dragon and laugh.
He has this posture he likes to do when he’s feeling very powerful and intimidating: he arches his neck and his Mohawk splays like spines, his eyes either roll back showing lots of white – or they fixate on you and his shoulders come up, he’s very adept at using his front limbs for striking. That posture finally solidified his nickname. I have been a huge fan of science fiction for most of my life, fantasy combined with our reality and science to produce something that goes beyond what we experience here... where we can grow and change and experience things outside of what we know. I think it's an instinct in many humans, knowing we want more than this world has to offer (yes yes a Switchfoot line ;p ). Dragons have been the epitome of fantasy creatures for a long time, and seeing "How to Tame Your Dragon" recently put it in the forefront of my mind. It made me realize I already have the closest thing to a real life Dragon I could find. He may have fur instead of scales, but he's a heck or a formidable beast, and he may not be able to fly very far but when he does it's exhilerating. =)
Our History (96-04')
Detailing our history together is important, so I figured I’d dig into the memories and start here.
I was 11 when we got Diego, and was currently still riding my school master pony and second mother, Checkers. Diego was really for my Mom, but knowing me I couldn’t stay away. I remember the day we met him, I was expecting a chunky app, along the lines of the other horses our farrier was selling. What I saw up against the side of his stall was a skinny red colored horse reminiscent of my childhood fantasies, marking wise. White stockings, blaze, with an added burgundy dorsal stripe. I was surprised by and skeptical of this skinny critter though, being used to gorgeous Throughbreds and filled out ponies. Test riding him was fun, but his constant speed was a pain in the rear in the ring. Getting him out in the pasture to run though was paradise. He was extremely powerful, almost to a scary extent, but it fed my need for speed nicely. During the first year that we had him I really didn’t handle him a lot or ride too much, I was honestly very slightly afraid of him, though I would never admit it. His resistance to slowing down cues, even forceful ones and his bad ground manners were too much of a nuisance. We were taught to handle him roughly when he misbehaved, more so than normal. Checkers rarely needed any strong reprimand so it was foriegn at first, but we did it unfortunately, thinking it was the only way to set boundaries and gain 'respect".
When we first got him he was headshy. Bridling was not a problem, but raising your hands around him was. The reason being this: in all the time I’ve known him, he’s always been lippy. He expresses a lot through exploring things with his mouth… in today’s sport horse world where horses are supposed to be well behaved puppets, this is looked down on or viewed with fear. Diego had been hit in the face very aggressively by his previous owner to try and curb his lippy habit. (A current note: D will try to bite on occasion when he is angry with me, but gets a very quick hard reprimand followed by immediate normal behavior like he giving his cheek or ear a good rub. His lippiness has never escalated due to lack of "discipline" and in fact I’ve found it’s decreased over the years of not hitting him in the head over it) Looking back I see how badly D’s trust in humans was damaged by all the harsh treatment he received. I’m rather ashamed to say as a teen I learned to channel my anger and frustration over D not meeting my expectations, into various forms of harsh punishment. Whether it be harsh kicks and rein pulls on his back for simply spooking or all out war on the ground if he tried to push over me. This behavior in me was never really addressed by anyone until I met my respected dressage trainer in 99'. After we began seriously training for the summer 2000 show season she began to give me gentle instruction on not getting so frustrated with Diego over his limitations. She was the first to explain that he was trying to accomplish what I asked and was unable to do so. I guess the thought that my horse was fallible and sometimes unable to do things had never occurred to me. I slowly started to see his huge efforts and nearly spastic will to please for fear of any impending punishment. No wonder he was so manic half the time, all this discipline had only served to confuse and frustrate him more. After I calmed down, he calmed down considerably while under saddle. We also started our journey into deep dressage territory and through that I saw him blossom into a new horse – a strong horse. Muscles that had never before been strengthened gave him new balance. The horse who rushed everywhere eventually turned into that beautiful rocking horse. I frequently cantered around the barn yard instead of walking or trotting because his canter had become so balanced that I could ask him to do it as slowly as a brisk walk. And it was much more fun to sit. =) I was amazed at the change strength brought to his under saddle demeanor. I’m sure he was too. Unfortunately with me riding less and less in the coming years we lost a lot of the strength, but mentally I know he remembers how, because I see him try again and again to be as balanced as he was. This was also around the time in our relationship that he truly began to trust again. He started displaying more affectionate behavior with myself and Mom, this floored us since we’d never seen any from him. He got where he would groom me in the crossties, he LOVED to unzip and unbutton jackets in the winter. He also loved to pull me around by my shirt…he tore a nice hole in one that way! He also gave Mom his first hug (over he shoulder when she hugged him). It nearly brought us to tears seeing how many years it had taken for him to become outgoing around humans. It also clued me in to the incredible sensitivity inside him, and the effects our harsh human egos have on these animals... we carry a heavy burden of responsibility, and in a society that is so lazy and shuns personal responsibility, woe to the horse that gets stuck with an irresponsible human. =(
More experienced horse people started taking note of him once we changed barns. His fire and determination, as well as good looks lured them into thinking he’d serve as an excellent sport horse, had he the right training. Problem was no matter how hard we tried, through conventional methods, we couldn’t get the desired results with his speed problems, jumping or ground manners. He was still firey, pushy, speedy and green. I spent years fighting with him to “harness” his ‘power” and train him in the conventional way to be an eventer. While he liked eventing, he hated travel & being separated from other horses, and he hated restraints & being told ‘no’ when it he felt excited (which was usually manifested in bolts of speed). While I took pride in his fire I also spent years frustrated over and fighting what makes him him, as well as makes him a horse in the most natural, primal sense.
Behind the Name
Nowdays I just call him my Red Dragon and laugh.
He has this posture he likes to do when he’s feeling very powerful and intimidating: he arches his neck and his Mohawk splays like spines, his eyes either roll back showing lots of white – or they fixate on you and his shoulders come up, he’s very adept at using his front limbs for striking. That posture finally solidified his nickname. I have been a huge fan of science fiction for most of my life, fantasy combined with our reality and science to produce something that goes beyond what we experience here... where we can grow and change and experience things outside of what we know. I think it's an instinct in many humans, knowing we want more than this world has to offer (yes yes a Switchfoot line ;p ). Dragons have been the epitome of fantasy creatures for a long time, and seeing "How to Tame Your Dragon" recently put it in the forefront of my mind. It made me realize I already have the closest thing to a real life Dragon I could find. He may have fur instead of scales, but he's a heck or a formidable beast, and he may not be able to fly very far but when he does it's exhilerating. =)
Our History (96-04')
Detailing our history together is important, so I figured I’d dig into the memories and start here.
I was 11 when we got Diego, and was currently still riding my school master pony and second mother, Checkers. Diego was really for my Mom, but knowing me I couldn’t stay away. I remember the day we met him, I was expecting a chunky app, along the lines of the other horses our farrier was selling. What I saw up against the side of his stall was a skinny red colored horse reminiscent of my childhood fantasies, marking wise. White stockings, blaze, with an added burgundy dorsal stripe. I was surprised by and skeptical of this skinny critter though, being used to gorgeous Throughbreds and filled out ponies. Test riding him was fun, but his constant speed was a pain in the rear in the ring. Getting him out in the pasture to run though was paradise. He was extremely powerful, almost to a scary extent, but it fed my need for speed nicely. During the first year that we had him I really didn’t handle him a lot or ride too much, I was honestly very slightly afraid of him, though I would never admit it. His resistance to slowing down cues, even forceful ones and his bad ground manners were too much of a nuisance. We were taught to handle him roughly when he misbehaved, more so than normal. Checkers rarely needed any strong reprimand so it was foriegn at first, but we did it unfortunately, thinking it was the only way to set boundaries and gain 'respect".
When we first got him he was headshy. Bridling was not a problem, but raising your hands around him was. The reason being this: in all the time I’ve known him, he’s always been lippy. He expresses a lot through exploring things with his mouth… in today’s sport horse world where horses are supposed to be well behaved puppets, this is looked down on or viewed with fear. Diego had been hit in the face very aggressively by his previous owner to try and curb his lippy habit. (A current note: D will try to bite on occasion when he is angry with me, but gets a very quick hard reprimand followed by immediate normal behavior like he giving his cheek or ear a good rub. His lippiness has never escalated due to lack of "discipline" and in fact I’ve found it’s decreased over the years of not hitting him in the head over it) Looking back I see how badly D’s trust in humans was damaged by all the harsh treatment he received. I’m rather ashamed to say as a teen I learned to channel my anger and frustration over D not meeting my expectations, into various forms of harsh punishment. Whether it be harsh kicks and rein pulls on his back for simply spooking or all out war on the ground if he tried to push over me. This behavior in me was never really addressed by anyone until I met my respected dressage trainer in 99'. After we began seriously training for the summer 2000 show season she began to give me gentle instruction on not getting so frustrated with Diego over his limitations. She was the first to explain that he was trying to accomplish what I asked and was unable to do so. I guess the thought that my horse was fallible and sometimes unable to do things had never occurred to me. I slowly started to see his huge efforts and nearly spastic will to please for fear of any impending punishment. No wonder he was so manic half the time, all this discipline had only served to confuse and frustrate him more. After I calmed down, he calmed down considerably while under saddle. We also started our journey into deep dressage territory and through that I saw him blossom into a new horse – a strong horse. Muscles that had never before been strengthened gave him new balance. The horse who rushed everywhere eventually turned into that beautiful rocking horse. I frequently cantered around the barn yard instead of walking or trotting because his canter had become so balanced that I could ask him to do it as slowly as a brisk walk. And it was much more fun to sit. =) I was amazed at the change strength brought to his under saddle demeanor. I’m sure he was too. Unfortunately with me riding less and less in the coming years we lost a lot of the strength, but mentally I know he remembers how, because I see him try again and again to be as balanced as he was. This was also around the time in our relationship that he truly began to trust again. He started displaying more affectionate behavior with myself and Mom, this floored us since we’d never seen any from him. He got where he would groom me in the crossties, he LOVED to unzip and unbutton jackets in the winter. He also loved to pull me around by my shirt…he tore a nice hole in one that way! He also gave Mom his first hug (over he shoulder when she hugged him). It nearly brought us to tears seeing how many years it had taken for him to become outgoing around humans. It also clued me in to the incredible sensitivity inside him, and the effects our harsh human egos have on these animals... we carry a heavy burden of responsibility, and in a society that is so lazy and shuns personal responsibility, woe to the horse that gets stuck with an irresponsible human. =(
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