Loss of Patience – Utter Frustration

Friday night we didn’t get to the barn until late so all we did was feed the ponies. When I went to let them out Sis started with her head bopping. This sends me completely over the edge. I turned everyone out back and then went in and haltered Sis and gave everyone (family) the heads up. I took her out to the dry lot and did LFR.

Idiot mode set in quickly! She forgot how to come off of pressure, she wanted to turn when she wasn’t asked, and she wanted to back up instead of coming forward. Needless to say she got whacked in the jaw a few times.

I started to lose it when she went for the manure pile and my dad yelled at me to stop. Well guess what? Sis started dragging me over by the pile so she could stop. I started to lose my temper quickly but it wasn’t at Sis (well not as much).

Sis is 8 yrs. old. Her head bopping isn’t a new issue. It’s one I told MIL previously that she needed to get control of because it can be very dangerous (she’ll actually rear in the stall). I ended up tying Sis up in the stall for 2 hours (she was ready to go back in) and then left her in all night.

Saturday we went to MIL’s last drill performance. It wasn’t a very good one either. One of the members had a difficult time keeping her horse in a lope (remember the member that I told you was afraid to lope?). It looked really bad and the performance was dragged on. There were a lot of frustrated members.

The second run wasn’t “as bad” but it wasn’t great either. There was a minor collision but all-in-all it looked much better. MIL said that she started crying on her pinwheel when she realized it would be her “last” pinwheel. The “team” has one performance left in September.

Sunday the boys got up and rode. Chase did very well with Abby. He’s trying to saddle her all by himself. Unfortunately she’s a bit tall and his saddle isn’t any too light but at least he’s trying.

My niece saddled up Nikki so the kids rode together. It’s so fun watching them ride together and listening to them giggle. They trotted all over the place and I only had to yell at Chase to relax a few times. When he was almost done he came into the RP to lope Abby a little bit. Her attitude was much better and I think he had fun. MIL said that the guy at the feed store said that Abby could make one heck of a heeling horse in just 3 weeks. She seems to be like by quite a few people. She’s a good pony and a purchase I don’t regret one bit.

DH saddled up Max and “tracked” my nephew who was riding the 4 wheeler.

That afternoon we took Sis and Cat over to MIL’s. I told her she could have Cat over there on 1 condition – she uses her to teach Sis some manners. Turn Cat out if Sis throws a fit leave her in all night and vice versa.

When we got there I rode Sis to show MIL a few things. She was surprised at how well she was flexing (still not that great). I told her that it didn’t take me that long to get her that way but that she needed to be consistent. I got on and did the bending exercise with Sis and then we did some rollbacks. Her lope was so slow and her head was so low! I think MIL could show her on a higher level if she would just devote the time and consistency to train her but she’s not my horse and I need to quit seeing the potential in other people’s horses and devote the time to my own horse (who had a lot of potential).

With work slow I’ve asked my boss if I can take ½ hr. lunches and leave ½ hr. early (I hardly ever leave for lunch as it is). He was fine with that so I’m hoping to get some more time in on the ponies before winter sets in.