Friday, November 2, 2012

A Barn Full Of Drama Mamas

Last month, I showed you a barn full of babies.  Right after I posted that, most of the puppies had been given away and then there was a crazy situation with the kittens.  They were taken.  They were returned.  It was tense. 

I should have seen something coming from that incident, but ignorance was bliss.

I had just discovered a school pony that I was really clicking with and I was about to take pictures of her and tell you all about her.

And then Monday, I got a text that r-ster couldn't do a lesson.  It was really abrupt and out of character for her.  I replied that maybe Tuesday would work and heard nothing.  Even more out of character for her. 

K-ster said "I bet she's leaving that barn."

I said "No way, she loves it."

She left that barn faster than I could say "what the....".

The amount of weird drama behind it is far too boring to explain, but here we are, on to barn #5 in the 4 years I've been riding with her.  This was a total blow to me for two reasons. 

One, I have absolutely grown accustomed to riding year round in an indoor ring.  Weather and dark was not ever an issue last winter.  And even in the cold months, riding inside was slightly warmer, especially since there was no wind.  I had a very streamlined system for grooming, tacking up and getting out to ride.

Two, I had stopped riding Tucker.  Tucker and I had come to a crossroads in the spring.  He wasn't going to listen to me and I wasn't going to put up with his shit and would spend the lesson frustrated that he was ignoring me and I was knocking myself out.  R-ster must have noticed because that's when I started riding Jake.  But then he was lame and I had to go back to Tucker, who explained to me, very clearly, that he really wasn't going to listen to anything I asked of him. 

Then the barn sold and the new owner let me choose any of the school horses to ride.  That was a great experience because it let me try some horses that were worse than Tucker and some that were amazing.  I actually really fell in love with Candy but then she went lame and when she got better, she threw me off and that was the end of that.

I found little Molly, who was definitely the best horse I'd found at that barn.  She is literally only a little bigger than a great Dane !  She's so small!  We were really clicking.  R-ster was constantly saying how great we were doing. 

And then Monday came and Molly was but a figment of my imgination.

And I realized it meant that I was back to Tucker.  And I dreaded it all day the first day.  Because Tucker got to a point where he wouldn't do what I'd ask and r-ster would tell me to make him do it and he still wouldn't do it and it was just a circle of frustration.

But, r-ster had been riding him regularly for all that time that I wasn't riding him and he learned a thing or two.  And after riding him for a week, I have a new outlook on Tucker.  One, or maybe both, of us has had a major breakthrough.  He is listening to what I'm telling him and I'm convincing him that I'm going to make him do what I ask.  And r-ster is really impressed.  And I can feel the change.

But, we're back to an outdoor ring.  Which will be a problem when we change the clocks and it gets dark so early.  And when it's cold this winter.

And Tucker is a lot bigger than the horses I've been riding.  It's hard to believe, but it really does take a lot of work to ride a bigger horse.  You think you just get on and go, but it takes a ton of work to make that sucker go!

Of course, I can try to go back to the last barn and make arrangements to ride, but I like having r-ster as an instructor.  And it's too early to get in between them.  There's talk of her maybe being allowed to go back and teach there but it's too soon to know.

Here's Tucker eating a carrot from my garden because he was so good.  This is one of the seeds from the Kerrit's pants that I love so much.  They really do grow!!


This is the new barn.  It's literally right next door to where we were, so it's no farther to drive, which is a plus.  And it's a nice barn with a nice ring.   It's just not enclosed.  And a bathroom for us to use.  At least that is enclosed. 


This is where Tucker and Quinn reside.  They have run-in sheds.  Jackson must be her favorite because he got a room in the barn.  These guys just have each other down the driveway and they don't have doors.  I'm curious what will happen in bad weather.  The overhang might be enough to keep out the rain and snow, but we'll have to see.


5 barns in 4 years with 3 horses, 2 foolish people who ride them= 1 crazy story.

1 comment:

  1. I tried horseback riding when I was a teenager. Let's just say that it didn't go well. The horse figured out that he had a mind pf his own and I couldn't make him do anything. That's when I got over riding horses.
    Good that you get to keep at it, sad that the facility is not as nice.

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