Blue Tarp

A week or two back, the ranch owner moved the hay to the top of the property in case the river floods. Some time last last week, someone covered part of it with a blue tarp. I knew that meant trouble. I saddled Izzy on Saturday morning and walked him up to the arena. I pointed him at the hay stack. I walked him towards the hay. We stood and stared at it. He never batted an eye. Until he did.

We had worked for a full twenty minutes before Izzy noticed that tarp. It took me a minute to figure out what he was spooking at. Once he did notice it, it was all he could think about.

When we first started the ride, he was tense and grouchy, but I knew it was because I hadn't ridden all week. We had had several special events at school that I couldn't miss which meant no rides. I was really pleased with my riding though. I immediately put him to work, asking small questions at the walk. Within just a few minutes, he was stretching his neck down and letting out deep sighs. We started the trot work, and he was like butter.

How nice is this?

I had him pick up a canter and was delighted with how well he was listening to my seat. My new focus is to keep my canter aids quieter, and I felt I was doing a good job. Then came that spook. Rather than allow myself to feel irritated, I set to work getting him back on my side. I never felt like I got the same level of relaxation that I had before he spooked - he was still keeping his eye on the tarp, but the video tells a different story. He was still being sassy with attitude, but he didn't check out like he would have done even last year.

While I didn't get to school exactly what I wanted to, it didn't matter because we did something else. Something that was probably more valuable anyway. Testing the effectiveness of my aids and discovering that I can positively affect Izzy's attitude is worth more than getting a so-so flying change. Every time that I keep him with me mentally, I make a deposit in his trust bank.

So thank you, Scary Blue Tarp.