Blips

I was so proud of how Truby did on our field trip, that I figured our usual building-condition ride in the arena at home would be no problem.

I WAS WRONG.

It started well. I turned Truby out in the arena for a little bit (Friday is Boy's Turnout Time, so she'd been in) and she was totally chill, mostly just sticking her head through the gate or trying to find any leftover alfalfa scraps.

I put on her sidepull, went over to the mounting block and hopped on. She seemed fine. We started forward at a walk and - omg everything is terrifying the walls are melting the sand eats trubys omg is that a bird i bet it eats trubys omg danger danger.

Nothing like sitting bareback on a suddenly/unexpectedly tense, spooky horse that's acting like the air itself is going to eat her. I was pretty sure this could only go downhill, fast, so I did what any smart person would do and got off. Truby was looking a little wild eyed, so I took off her sidepull, stepped away and let her run.

And run she did! That horse ran for twenty minutes. Guys. Trubys don't run! Trubys loaf around and eat snacks. But as soon as I let her go, Truby just started ripping around the arena, even throwing in some bucks! She stopped a few times to flip her tail up and blow her lungs with that high, sharp exhalation they do when they're super wound. I'm sure it has a name, but I can't think of it. Then she'd take off again.

What. The. Heck. 

I did pick up a lunge whip, just to keep her going through the corner with the gate, where she likes to slam into a stop and/or twirl around. She doesn't need that rough jolt on her old joints, so I just had the whip to keep her going through the turn. I didn't encourage her to run, just let her go until she was done.

She finally got tired of her wild pony impression, but was still very tense. She eventually settled into  a gorgeous stretchy trot in a consistent circle around me. That trot was SO PRETTY! She was stepping under, and stretching across her back. Reaching out with her neck. It was lovely, and I wish I had video, I don't think she's ever trotted so beautifully in her life!

Of course, she was still a little wide eyed and anxious, which slightly ruined the picture. After a bit, she dropped into a walk, and I kept her going around me, again, just a free lunge. She was blowing hard and sweaty. Finally she stopped and looked at me, like "okay, I guess I'm done? I'm tired, can I be done?"

I rubbed her ears for a moment, and put back on her sidepull. I had a thought that I would get back on and walk her a bit more to cool her out. But first I walked her just around the rail once....and she was SUPER spooky at the far end. So we did some in hand work,nice and easy, just to get her to stop freaking out at whatever demons she saw lurking outside the ring.

By the time we got back to the front of the arena, I decided just to call it a day. She was cool, she was dry, but she still had a worried look, like something, anything, could set her off again. Okay, whatever, let's just end on, not a good note, maybe, but a neutral one.

As soon as I put her in her stall though, she heaved out a deep breath, blinked her eyes, and instantly went back to her normal, relaxed, soft eyed, happy Trubyness. What???

So I have no idea what spooked her so badly. I still don't. But clearly, whatever it was, was probably just in the arena? I rubbed her down, brushed all the dried sweat away, picked her hooves...all the usual stuff and she was fine. Nibbling on her hay, just relaxed.

I was pretty upset. Here I thought we were doing great, possible able to do some trail riding in a National Park (!!!) and two days later I can't even ride her at home? So I did what most other people would do, I got depressed and shopped for new horses on Facebook. Found two absolutely perfect sounding horses, btw.

Husband thinks this was a crazy overreaction, but I disagree. I mean, that's what we do when things go unexpectedly wrong, right? Just some daydreams.

So, the next day I went out, spent some time with her, petting, brushing, scritches. She seemed totally normal. I walked her around the arena, no problems. So I jumped on, and....nothing. She was fine. She was relaxed. Her head was down. She wasn't tense or spooky, or looking for monsters.

She was so tired, and so sore though. After the first minute or two, she seemed to be saying 'I"m fire, I"m fine. Look, my head is low, I'm not looking around, I'm nice and slow. Can we stop???"

She was fine. Not tense, not looky, not spooky, not anxious. But she was really tired, and obviously very sore. So I ended there, and did something I really should have down the day before, which was wipe her down with some liniment, and give her a gram of Bute. Bad horse owner! I didn't rub her legs, so they got wrapped, and she got tucked in for the night. She seemed relieved to get to rest, and pressed her head against me for a few moments.

Quite a week of sharp ups and downs. But she's really cute. I guess I'll keep her!