Aren't horses amazing!!

["Budler,Cindy" <natcon@afrox.boc.com>]

Just a short anecdote that really amazed me...
I have had to start training with weights for our first 100 miler in 3
weeks time. I have added 8 kg's of lead which I have moulded to my
saddle and took my mare Shaliekah out on Monday for a short 6 km ride
just to test the weights for balance , fit etc. She was soo spooky we
neally fell over a few times and I actually turned home earlier than
expected as we just were not getting anywhere. This mare , when I first
bought her, was the spookiest horse I have ever ridden and I battled for
6 months before I could get above a walk without major spooks. Now she
just snakes her neck and looks under her eyelashes at spooky things.
Yesterday I took her out again and she was worse - really scary
behaviour. I got off after a few km 's and had a good conversation about
how stupid she is being and lots of staring at these big horse biting
rocks until she got bored.. <vbg>, Thereafter she was back to her normal
controllable modified spooky behavoiur and we finished the ride happy
hackers again. Last night I was trying to sleep and mulling over "why
this sudden regression in  behavoiur and what did I do to make it better
the last part of the ride?" and suddenly the brainwave hit me------- she
thought someone else was on her back!!!!!!-The extra weight and the
slight adjustment in seat position must have had her soo confused- this
is mom's voice but it doesn't feel like her, and I'm not sure that this
new person is going to protect me from these monster's. After our little
chat out in the bush ,where no-one else could possibly be getting off or
on her, except me, she realised it WAS me and she could trust again!!
Who says they are dumb????(I was the dumb one not realising I should
have spent more time reassuring her before I mounted and rode off...)

Regards,
Cindy Budler
  Natcon
  Fabrication Division
  Afrox
  Germiston
  Gauteng
  South Africa
  Tel: Direct Line :(011) 871-1006
         Cellphone : 082 464 1809	
  Fax:(011) 873-4623
  E-Mail : natcon@afrox.boc.com


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=