Beauty

I've been working with a really beautiful black horse called Beauty for a few months now and she is constantly teaching me new things. When I first met her she was totally out of control. Dangerous on the ground and only ridable when trussed up like a chicken, it was tragic because she is such a magnificent horse when she is allowed to move. Unfortunately when Beauty moves IT IS HUGE and IT IS DANGEROUS whether you are on the ground or riding. The sudden bursts of wild behaviour are less now but when they do come it is tricky for the owner to cope.

I have been studying Beauty very closely to see what happens before she bursts away. It isn't just when she is spooked (pheasant three field away!) it has become obvious that it happens when she is prevented from doing something she has her mind on, in other words whenever she feels uncomfortable she reacts by exploding.

Beauty was brought up in a show jumping yard and was sold on because she 'wasn't forward enough'. (I'll talk about that in another blog, she has a stuck left fore and when it's allowed to move she can shift!)  When the current owner bought her the advice she was given was this:
When Beauty is in 'one of her moods' run her into the arena and 'free school her' until she's run out of energy (in other words chase her round with a lunge whip!).

My theory is that Beauty has 'learned' that going into flight always gets her out of trouble, she has been allowed to choose flight every time the pressure builds up, she's never been allowed to learn that these minor 'spooky' incidences are actually safe.
I was with her yesterday and she thought about flying a a few times but I can see it brewing now and I just simply moved her feet, very quietly but deliberately to my tune not hers! It's important that it is not a punishment or difficult, I just put her feet to work. If I put too much pressure on she'll just push through it, she's certainly helping me learn to be light AND get my timing right! As long as I catch the moment before she blows all is well. I 'll keep you posted on this one but after only a few minutes a big change had come over that beautiful horse.