Post by clairebearnz on Jan 1, 2012 7:30:05 GMT 1
...or else he's luring me into a false sense of security!
In June, we had a fairly spectacular accident where he spooked while out on a hack, bucked me off onto the road, then legged it home. He took the corner into the yard too fast and slid over, before running back to his paddock and stopping to eat. His face needed stitching up, and he had a fair few grazes, while I had a spectacularly swollen and sore hip, but surprisingly, neither of us were seriously injured (and Tally was still sound!).
Strangely enough, this ruined my confidence with him for a long time, and I still don't fully trust him, or my ability to deal with some of his more explosive and dramatic moments.
However, he seems to have turned over a new leaf. He does still buck when jumping if I get the striding wrong. (Strangely, he doesn't take offence when HE gets to pick the striding and leaps from two strides out
) He can still nap and rear if he's in a particularly recalcitrant mood, but it's nowhere near what he used to do, and he will usually happily walk or trot on after a bit of growling.
I took him out to an XC practice down near Wellington the other day. I was fully expecting a supreme Tally meltdown, as he hasn't been near an XC course in over a year, and they tend to send him into wild fits of excitement. He surpassed all expectations, popped over everything in sight (including down a set of stairs into the water, and over two Open fences in a perfect stride) and didn't once even feel like he was going to nap, or buck.
I then took him out to the beach. We once had a 45 minute showdown at the beach where he simply reared and refused to move. He usually at least naps once or twice just to prove he can. He was perfectly behaved, even when he was chased by two dogs, even when three racehorses came past in full gallop (Tally going away from home, racehorses going towards home).
I can't work it out, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts! Come February, we're both moving about 600km north as I'm starting my Honours year (studying biochemistry), and feel mean leaving Mum with Tally, as he bullies her chronically.
Now...pictures!
The little angelic face
Enjoying himself
Jumping down the stairs into the water
And hacking along the beach, isn't it spectacular?!
I'm grateful he's behaving, but I'm also very suspicious of it...what could he possibly be planning? My mother reckons that as I currently have a second riding horse (my friend's mare, who I ended up with for the Christmas holidays), Tally thinks I'll replace him if he doesn't behave!
In June, we had a fairly spectacular accident where he spooked while out on a hack, bucked me off onto the road, then legged it home. He took the corner into the yard too fast and slid over, before running back to his paddock and stopping to eat. His face needed stitching up, and he had a fair few grazes, while I had a spectacularly swollen and sore hip, but surprisingly, neither of us were seriously injured (and Tally was still sound!).
Strangely enough, this ruined my confidence with him for a long time, and I still don't fully trust him, or my ability to deal with some of his more explosive and dramatic moments.
However, he seems to have turned over a new leaf. He does still buck when jumping if I get the striding wrong. (Strangely, he doesn't take offence when HE gets to pick the striding and leaps from two strides out
) He can still nap and rear if he's in a particularly recalcitrant mood, but it's nowhere near what he used to do, and he will usually happily walk or trot on after a bit of growling. I took him out to an XC practice down near Wellington the other day. I was fully expecting a supreme Tally meltdown, as he hasn't been near an XC course in over a year, and they tend to send him into wild fits of excitement. He surpassed all expectations, popped over everything in sight (including down a set of stairs into the water, and over two Open fences in a perfect stride) and didn't once even feel like he was going to nap, or buck.
I then took him out to the beach. We once had a 45 minute showdown at the beach where he simply reared and refused to move. He usually at least naps once or twice just to prove he can. He was perfectly behaved, even when he was chased by two dogs, even when three racehorses came past in full gallop (Tally going away from home, racehorses going towards home).
I can't work it out, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts! Come February, we're both moving about 600km north as I'm starting my Honours year (studying biochemistry), and feel mean leaving Mum with Tally, as he bullies her chronically.
Now...pictures!
The little angelic face
Enjoying himself
Jumping down the stairs into the water
And hacking along the beach, isn't it spectacular?!
I'm grateful he's behaving, but I'm also very suspicious of it...what could he possibly be planning? My mother reckons that as I currently have a second riding horse (my friend's mare, who I ended up with for the Christmas holidays), Tally thinks I'll replace him if he doesn't behave!
