2017-06-11

A Not So Good Friday

AJ had long thought Bob had more potential than the place he lived, but it didn’t seem like there was any flexibility on his location or part-school-horse-board bill. So she just tried her best to offer him some chance of development, one ride a week, gas money provided, while taking an informal break on her own progression as a rider or trainer, concentrating instead on her radio projects. She thought of herself as his occassional yoga teacher and made sure to log at least 20min of trot in her fitness app for each drive out there.

He had some new bad habits. Backing up for no reason, not standing at the mounting block etc. He had actually banged her in the face with his neck as she got on. Was it related perhaps to the fact that he had been ridden by the student worker “every day this week.?” AJ thought so, but decided to concentrate instead on some improvements, like the fact that he actually chewed on the bit when she put on his bridle! The teenager must have been getting lighter in the hand. The brunette in branded stable attire had asked AJ, privately, “so how do you like working with Bob?” AJ said, “Well he is definitely a BOB.” and admitting he’d been hurting her ankles a lot lately, “Because, I am old. And when he does his spook-turn-bolt thing, I tend to jam my feet down in the stirrups.”

After some ground work and mounting in the arena, they did a bit of work at trot and then headed out into the sandring to repeat similar warm ups and patterns. Then, AJ headed out for the small training exercise she was inventing on the spot for him that day, as she did each time she rode. They began walking down the spooky driveway. She did not trust him around the fields, but he was usually dead in the ring. Since she had already got him to relax and stretch long and low in the ring, she wanted to spice things up a little bit and go do something a little scary for a minute and then return to the ring for some more relaxation, but with some extra impulsion. It was their regular routine…

Unfortunately, after just one car length, she was being yelled at! “Turn around turn around. There’s too many machines down there, he will freak out.” The farm owner was loudly freaking out, in front of many visitors, as usual. That’s why AJ avoided riding evenings, holidays or weekends… The screecher was making it clear she felt AJ didn’t know what she was doing, and AJ didn’t appreciate being treated like a 12yr old beginner. “Can’t you see there are all those tractors doing stuff?” The so called head coach thought one should avoid scary objects, instead of school them. Jill was a sane and cautious rider, but not a fearful one.

The bossy shouter suggested AJ and BOB head out to the fields an alternate route. AJ said she’d just wanted a tiny challenge, and didn’t want to take on the risk of the actual fields…

“Aha” was her smug retort. It was the layers of rules the screecher kept adding to that prevented AJ from schooling him out there.

first it was no figures or circles, then it was no use of draw lines, then it was no going out with other horses “Bob makes them crazy,” and then it was no going out around with fields with any other riders…

AJ walked the few steps back to the barn, put him in his stall, whipped off all his tack and put it away. A minute later she returned to the stall door and said I love you Bob, but I am done here.

Luckily as she exited the building she ran into the Grand Prix rider she’d shared the arena with one tornado-day ride a few weeks back. She’d been wanting to get in touch with him! “Next we’ll be asking for autographs around here.” The farm owner was a bit pathetic in her effort at a joke as she overheard the celebrity equine biz owner agree to guest on the horse talk radio show with AJ… and exchanged contact information in the warm spring sun.




You have to CLOSE one door for the next one to open right?

2017-06-10

Bob Winter


AJ avoided joining in a conversation around the radio station. She could not admit to having lived on assistance. She would not admit to worse either, having lived without assistance… it was only years later, with huge debts weighing her down, did she realize she had had options besides borrowing. She had used her line of credit for food and rent in those hard years, healing from post traumatic stress. She had thought it was all just so temporary… and she also fled from the medical supports she had at the time, because they wanted her to pursue disability benefits or a law suit with her former employer over the way she went on to suffer as a result of the violence in her work back then.

When Jill was home for reading week, AJ arranged to meet her a the barn for a free “lesson.” She was trying to take a leadership position in the horse’s development. No more the rule of no eating with the bridle? In his case he needed to chew more?

“The new bit is working out great. I’m finding him less locked in his jaw, and I’ve been trying to really ride the rhythm and not use any hand at all for transitions.”

“Are you coaching?” the farm owner asked, essentially interrupting AJ’s update to Jill. No no, AJ assured. I just want to bring Jill up to speed on how I’ve been working with Bob.

I will insist she get him to go long and low though…

“Good Luck” said the old man mucking stalls.

AJ did accidentally speak once while Jill was sharing the arena with a group lesson, “THERE. you’ve got to soften instantly, in those moments when he does offer to go soft.” And then, after that tiny bit of "coaching", Jill did get Bob relaxing, stretching and maybe even chewing the bit at trot!

A couple days later AJ was on a split shift from work, so she did not stay behind to clean up the new broken glass she noticed, outside the barn door window that someone else had duct-taped over the cracks.... she had to rush back to work, but for a change it was an amazing visit to the farm!

She had sat and had a think in the parking lot outside work, before actually deciding to go to the farm. It was sooooo windy! Wouldn’t going home for a nice delicious feast for lunch be nice? “Don’t get blown off the horse” her friend had joked, suggesting a meal bar to help tide her over.

“Do you mind if I share the arena with you?” she surprised the strangers by asking, “when I’m ready” she added, as they were tacked up already and she was just arriving. Clearly, she’d surprised them… but the answer was "Sure."

When she’d come in ready to mount, the mounted rider said, “Its so windy!” I know, AJ answered. “All the horses are running around out there.” It was a fun ride. Both of the horses were spooky, but it was fun. There were lots of trotting poles to work through to keep the rhythm without having to use strong hands of the speed the weather was inspiring.

He turned out to be a Grand Prix rider who would be willing to hack with her, around the fields, to help work through Bob's running off issues. The woman, explained their invovlement/partial ownership of an impressive nearby international event biz, and mentioned having young horses in need of more work. AJ explained some of her own background and equestrianism. She mentioned doing a long-standing horse talk radio show at the campus/community station. It felt like a great new connection!

It was kind of hilarious how she practiced with Bob in the wash stall. She explained the odd approach to them "I don’t know what else to do, because I'm in such a rush and there's someone’s in Bob’s stall." She heard him say, under his breath, to his companion about her method, “its so weird its actually working.” What didn't work, was that she had forgotten to get their contact info!

I just put the lead on so when he breaks the cross ties, I’ll have a little more to work with.

Did you buy him?

Oh no, I would never!  His owner is in second year. Kingston, is that Queens? She thought she might bring him back with her for the summer, but she just got a sweet research gig in Germany, so I’ll ride him this summer.