Lame Horse Dilemmas

I don't know about other people, but my number one lame horse dilemma (other than the fact that my horse is lame) is helping him recover while still keeping his attitude in check.

I decided today that I should lunge him because I felt like he needed a quick attitude adjustment.  Nothing severe.  He hasn't done anything to merit it, but I felt like a quick 15 minute lunge might get him moving a little bit while reaffirming respect.

It went about as well as expected.  Meaning, of course, that he bucked, bolted and freaked out on the lunge line when I dared suggest that he should pay attention to me.  The look he gave me was incredibly haughty, a "How dare you whip that thing in the air nowhere near my body!  Do you not who I am!"

My entire goal was to walk, trot, walk, lope for ten seconds and walk some more, but instead we had to have a mini-conversation that required a bit more cantering than I would have liked given the fact that he's supposed to be off work.

If it were a normal day, one where he wasn't lame, I wouldn't even be worried about his reaction.  It lasted for about two seconds, and in his defence, there was a pony in the arena (he has an unrational distrust/hatred of ponies - long story).

But this is the constant dilemma I face with him: give the attitude adjustment and risk going too far with his lameness, or let him get away with it.

I almost always choose the former because although Walker pushes me regularly, that's pretty much as bad as it is: he's just pushing to see what he can get away with.  He is by no means a disrespectful beast or blithering idiot.  He's just a disgruntled employee.

But still, it is a dilemma nonetheless, and one which makes it incredibly difficult to keep a chronically lame horse sound.

I always knew attitude would be our downfall.