Test riding Arwen

The rescue has heard from some people that may be interested in adopting Arwen, so I needed to find out what she really knew under saddle. I have lots of fears about riding a horse for the first time - especially after being thrown off Kiley so recently, but I did my best to remind myself that she *is* an OTTB that was raced, and Sweetie was also one when I first rode her 19 years ago, so although she might be quick, the chances of going into a bucking fit were smaller, I hoped. After bringing all the horses in the barn for breakfast, I sat down in my barn chair and listened to the horses peacefully munching away. I stood up when Arwen was done and had put her head out of her stall and rubbed her forehead and then let my hand follow her neck back to her withers for a good scratching. Arwen enjoyed the scratches and then I went inside the house to put my britches on.

Back at the barn, I pulled Arwen out of her stall, and started grooming her with the curry, and then heard Sweetie pawing in her stall. I stopped and went over to Sweetie's stall and watched her for a minute - she continued pawing in each corner of her stall, with her nose down - a clear sign that she was beginning to colic...

I sighed and put Arwen back in her stall in the middle of our grooming routine, and put the halter on Sweetie and brought her out. I started by grooming her just to see her response - it distracted her for a minute, but her respiration was still a bit elevated, and then she started pawing again, so we went for a walk in the grass around the house (that is much greener). She half-heartedly took a few nibbles, and then pawed a few more times, so I left her there in the yard while I went to get some banamine. It took me a few minutes to find the syringes, etc., and when I came back out, shot in hand, Sweetie was eagerly eating some green grass. I watched her for several more minutes, and she didn't paw anymore, and seemed her normal self. So I put the banamine away and took her back to the barn.

Sweetie is known for having mild colics occasionally that she usually works out on her own. I have previously kept her on Fast-Trak with good results, but had thought that the probiotics in the grain I am using would be sufficient for that. I guess it is also a good reminder that it has been a few months since I did a round of Sand Clear - so I'd better do that again soon. Thankfully, this time, Sweetie seemed fine and back to normal after we were in the barn. So I decided to continue with Arwen.

So many dang fears about getting on a horse I don't know... I can't afford to get seriously hurt - I'm a mom of two youngsters that need me. I have to trust in my own judgment of the horse and how they are responding at the time. (I should never have gotten on Kiley... if I had been paying attention to all the signs, I would not have - I put pressure on myself to do it, there were other people there, etc...) Anyways, I got Arwen out and resumed grooming her where we had left off.

Arwen absolutely loves grooming. And she acts like she very much wants to trust me as a human, but is also cautious, not sure of my expectations. I let her sniff the saddle pad, and then the saddle and girth in succession as I put them on her back/belly. She stood well for the saddle. And I wanted to use a bridle- even though she had mouthed the bit so much and seemed so anxious before, I felt it was a safety issue (my safety, that is). I used a Dr. Bristol (is that the right term for it?) It has two joints instead of the one in the plain snaffle, and a flat piece that goes across the tongue. She accepted it the first time, but the bridle I had did not fit her, so I had to put the bit on a smaller bridle. Arwen watched me as I worked on it, and when I was done, I adjusted it some more while standing in front of her and she walked up about 5 feet to get closer to me and what I was doing - as in saying yes, she was okay with the bridle, she wanted to be a part of what I was doing.

With the bridle finally adjusted correctly and my helmet fastened, we walked to the ring. She was mouthing the bit constantly again, but she did not seem as anxious as she had the last time, and she was picking the bit up and chewing on it, but was not opening her mouth wide like she had last time. (So I think the change in bit was appropriate). Another funny thing is that although she is only 14.2, she has the girth of a horse that is 16 hands. She is very broad for a TB, and the girth fit her the same way it fits Sweetie.

We played some friendly game and asked her to move her hindquarters away from me both directions. We did a few circles, and through everything she seemed calm. So I asked her to "walk on" and "ho" being sure to put pressure on the reins to make sure she was okay. Still was fine. My fears were there in my mind, and I decided I would at least try to lean over her, and maybe that would be enough for the day. (She had not stood still at the mounting block last time we did that (but I did not have a saddle on her that time) - every time I leaned towards her she wanted to take a step. We finally did get to the point that she would stand still last time we worked together). But this time, Arwen did not move. I leaned on the stirrup with my hand from the ground and she stood quietly. So I took her to the mounting block. She did not even move as I leaned towards her and over the saddle. And she stood quietly as I put a foot in the stirrup. Up until this point, she had been chewing on the bit constantly. But the moment I put my foot in the stirrup, the chewing stopped. Suddenly and completely, the chewing was over. The way she was standing so perfectly still encouraged me to bring my leg over her back and sit down - and she continued to stand. I dismounted and remounted and she continued to stand still. So I remounted, and she stood still and then took maybe one step backwards. I sat there, pleased that it was so far uneventful, and then began to ask her to move forward, using the lightest of aids. The last thing I wanted was to ask too hard and end up galloping around the ring. So I clucked quietly, repeated "walk on", squeezed ever so gently, and Arwen stood completely still. I wiggled around more in the saddle. Rubbed her withers, her neck, and her chest (she is only 14.2, so I could reach) to tell her how good she was being. I reached behind me and rubbed her rump and she continued to stand. So I started shifting my weight around a bit, squeezing a little more firmly (but no kicking, of course), and still, she stood. So I tried the "turn their head and hold it until they take a step" idea, without success. Well, I guess that depends on your definition of success. She willingly gave me her head, turned it all the way around and touched my toes, both directions, and I held it there for 30 seconds or so while she closed her eyes and relaxed. Still no movement. I felt guilty for holding it for so long and released. Her neck is very flexible, and it seemed like it didn't bother her at all, but I couldn't bear to hold her head around like that in such an uncomfortable position for longer than that. So I gave her more pats, tried squeezing again. Then my husband called out to us from the house which startled us both, and she stepped back, and then planted her feet again. I even tried taking the end of the reins back and forth over her withers (gently) without any response. So, after about 10 minutes of standing there without moving forward ( a step or two backwards), I dismounted and knew I would need to work more with verbal cues on the lunge line to teach her to go forward - or the help from someone on the ground. And as soon as my feet touched the ground, she started chewing away intensely at the bit again.

I have wondered if she was internalizing her response - and then could "blow" so to speak, but her body language did not suggest that. She was perfectly calm when I dismounted. She is very sensitive (her skin, to sudden movements) but never over-reacts like an "afraid" horse. She might move away, but catches herself quickly.

I am sure I could have gotten her to move forward with a crop, but gosh, that might have sent her skyward. My goal was for her to feel comfortable with me in the saddle, to reaffirm to her that I am a relaxed, calm, human being that she doesn't need to fear, and I feel we succeeded there.

Somewhere, it just doesn't make sense that an OTTB that raced a lot did not want to move forward. Seems counter-intuitive. I wonder if the only "forward" cue she has experienced was a crop on her butt, but think to myself that there must have been some other cues. I hope, anyways.

We'll keep playing with it - patiently. Now that I have more information to go on, I know more specifically were to start. So, I would say she is fine with tack and mounting, but has not been trained to move forward with leg signals at all yet. We'll get to work on that. :)