Being cute in the crossties
Although Hurricane Sandy is battering the East Coast, we're really only getting a little rain here. The outdoor arena was a bit of a mess, so I decided to put off jumping just in case the klutz managed to hurt himself, but I rode outside anyway in between showers.
I rode in the disaster bit again, and I attribute most of his misbehaviour to that. After all, I've ridden Walker in much more hyper states than he was today (even though he didn't get out), but it's been a long time since he has felt the need to SCRAPE me from end to end along the arena fence. Oh yes, we're back to that.
My boots after the ride - a combination of mud and white fence paint
When I first got him and he realized I was not the super-experienced, strong, aggressive rider that he was used to, he liked to remind me of that by body slamming my leg into the wall. That's when we decided that riding Walker without spurs was nonsensical. He is an extremely strong horse, and if you're wondering why I didn't jab my spurs into him to push him away from the wall - well, you obviously can't see the tiny tuft of wet fur hanging off the end of my spur. When I say Walker is strong, I mean that when he decides that he is going to slam you into a wall, you are going to be slammed into a wall. And the only decision you have to make is whether you are going to fight it, try to head it off in someway, or give into it completely.
He stopped doing that after a couple months when I stopped passively letting him do it to me. Also, I normally ride Western and wear bigger, stronger Western spurs (like he was trained in). He respects them more. He is pretty much your typical spur-dead Western horse, and evidently, he is also unresponsive to gentle little d-ring bits.
And yes. They are my good boots
Because I in no way sat by while he attempted to break my leg, I can only assume that I had no control because of the bit. This was also evidenced when he bolted down the arena, resulting in a few strides of a hand-gallop (oh yes, a gallop), or when it took every effort in my body just to get him to do a simple circle at the trot.
I am also angry because I have officially decided that his left lead is no longer his bad lead. Today, he would not pick up the right lead at all at the canter, even though we were outside and even though I never had this problem with him the whole 7 months I've had him. In all the time we've been together, he's always picked up the correct lead; it's just that oftentimes he would have a hard time making a full circle because he was more stiff on one side than the other or he would resist making a circle for that reason. In those glorious days, I was angry because I couldn't lope frantic corner. Now, I simply can't lope on his right lead AT ALL.
I do not blame him for all of his issues. For instance, he likes to drop his head below the bit while we canter. This is probably partially my fault because, as I've said time and time again, I just don't have quiet hands at the canter. In fact, I don't know if I ever explained how I'm using the elastics. I have attached them to the d-ring on the saddle and looped them through my wrists. This way, you get the give of the elastic in case you get into an argument, but you feel it every time your hands go out of place. Needless to say, today I broke the elastics. Thank god I bought in bulk!
"Time for supper"
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