The horse in training really has it in for me, I really can't wait for someone to come and buy him. I am starting to be afraid I am going to be seriously hurt again with just handling him let alone riding him, if we can just stick it out for another week or two... On Wednesday when I brought him in he spooked at one of the barn cats who walked beside him (I mean really horse?). A spook would be fine and all except he jumped into me, I almost fell to the ground and would have if I hadn't held onto the lead rope and he almost got loose in the process of me being knocked around. Not good. Yesterday my arm was a little sore but nothing that slowed me down. When I brought him out the morning I put a chain on him and he behaved. When I went to bring him in, luckily I was still in the arena because he hit the chain and reared several times, almost falling down at one point, and was able to slip his halter and run off. Needless to say I left him for a half hour until he decided to be caught again. I tightened his halter up as tight as it goes and he walked in without any incidents.
Tonight I rode him and he was being really good. Really, really good in fact. He was moving off of my leg, he wasn't stopping randomly and he was accepting contact. I was able to get him to do some half passes and some haunches in and he was looking and feeling really nice. Since my task is to tackle his canter, about 20 mins into the ride I asked for the almost non-existent left lead canter. I had to fight for it several times, through some small kicks and a small buck until I finally got it. I had him in a 20m circle and then let him go around the entire arena as he was so unbalanced and on the forehand, I just wanted him to go forward without fighting for a little bit. As we came around the end of the arena and he flipped his lead. I asked for the correct lead again and he switched (yay!) and then switched back (boo!) and then shucked and dove out of the arena as the arena door to the pasture was still open. He seemed to do it will full intention of scraping me off of him as he appeared to have jumped towards the door and knocked my kneecap directly into the door at full force. RB4 said it happened so fast, one second I was in the arena and the next I gone. I felt my right leg go back as he zoomed outside and while RB4 was convinced I had come off, I stayed on him.
My knee hurt but not THAT bad so I had RB4 pass me the dropped whip and, after having the door shut, made him work really hard. The left lead is still almost impossible to get and even harder to keep but we got it twice so I worked on his super easy right lead and called it a night. My knee is swollen and tender, I don't think anything is broken but I am pretty sure I will have an impressive bruise. This horse is reminding me of when I started working with the TWH with my getting hurt or falling off on a regular basis. I need better luck, anyone want a pretty to look at gruella paint gelding? No? Well I guess we will see how I feel in the morning then and do it all over again.
Oh no!!
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