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[endlessrarities]

Diva had an Interesting Episode this afternoon. 

I decided to work without stirrups again - yes I'm still trying to get that elusive perfect leg position - so I ditched them at the very beginning of the lesson.  Now, Diva starts every lesson with five minutes' worth of storming around the school at a very brisk walk.  It seems to be her way of chilling out before she starts work, so I'm quite happy to let her do what she likes as long as she settles down later.

I seized the opportunity to cross my stirrups.  Unfortunately, Diva's very sensitive to people sliding around on her back at the best of times.  Add to that a very loud CLANG!!  as metal hit metal, and WHOOSH!!!  She was away.

There's several courses of action in such circumstances.  You can a) sit there screaming 'We're going to die!!!' ( in which case, you probably will), b) freeze in the hope the horse will get tired and bored before you do (a natural recipe for meeting terra firma) or c) hold your nerve and think your way through the problem.

I opted for the latter.  There's a very delicate balance to be maintained.  You cannot bump around like a sack of potatoes on the horse's back, because in its traumatised herbivore state it will naturally assume you're a lion and try and get rid of you.  Nor can you pretend you don't actually exist -  the knack is, I think, to try and keep perfectly in balance and give sufficient weight to remind your idiotic equine friend that she's supposed to be listening to her rider.  The same goes for the reins.  If you keep hauling, the horse will haul back, because it hurts.  Likewise, if you throw the reins away, she'll trip over her big hairy feet and end up on her nose.  So it's a good idea to keep reminding her gently with the rein, somewhere along the lines of 'Earth to Diva, Earth to Diva, Come in, please...'

It worked.  And I didn't fall off.  Perhaps because I determined NOT to fall off.  Not because it would've hurt, but rather because I didn't want to look like a complete eegit!

And after that, she was fine...

Comments

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Kestrel sounds gorgeous.

One of Squire's pals in later years was an Andalusian stallion. A rather weedy Andalusian stallion, but an Andalusian nonetheless. He was a lovely horse, though rather stressed. He was imported from the Canaries by his owner, and his constant companion, a donkey gelding, was left behind. He lived a lonely life after that, which was very sad.

I think, if Squire had been younger and fitter, I'd have investigated the possibility of turning both boys out as a bachelor group (Squire was an elderly gelding with delusions of virility). They were able to 'talk' to each other over the fence between their pens (Squire's quarters at this time were positively palatial) and they really got on famously. I thought it was horrible to see that poor stallion kept in virtual isolation...