Day 4 - "Frustrated Times Two"

I went and got Gunner from the pasture today, and he came to me relatively quickly. Sometimes just catching the Evil Pony is a challenge. I often put the noseband of a halter in a bucket and cover it with grain to be able to catch him. It isn't just that he doesn't want to come, it's that the four other horses in the pasture are very friendly, and come to me as well. He isn't confident enough to push through the other horses to come to me.

Anyway, I got him out of the pasture and tied him in the barn and brushed him. He was fine, as always. I took the braids out of his mane and brushed his tail. All as normal.

I began with the petting exercise, in which I pet all over his body with my hands, or the training stick. I use to training stick in areas where if Gunner didn't agree with it he may kick. I'm not willing to have a broken arm, head, etc. The stick is just fine.

Then the backing exercise, when I shake the rope to back him up, and whistle for him to walk back towards me. I don't always do these in exact order.

After that I swung the rope over him, around him, on his head, through his ears and walking around him swinging the stick. He was absolutely fine. Good pony.

We practiced "hide your hiney". This game requires Gunner to move his butt away from me when I bend or walk toward it. Sometimes it will require me touching it or pushing into him.

I switched the lead rope to the long rope (not really a "lunge line", just a longer rope). And this is when the frustration began. I backed him away from me and stood to the left of the drive line - pushing him right - and pointed. No movement. I swung the rope at his left side. Still nothing. I gave him a few more chances. He kept turning his head toward me. So I free lunged him, made him work. After he trotted and cantered around for awhile I put him back on the lunge line. He'd lunge counter clockwise. But when I asked him to stop and go the other way, he refused.

I walked toward his butt multiple times to turn him the correct way to lunge to the left, he kept turning his face toward me. I was frustrated and I had to try SO hard to keep my cool. He wasn't being defiant. He was confused. And so was I.

I can't be mad at him for not understanding. He doesn't speak my language. He would just stand there looking at me like, "I don't get it, I'm sorry." It broke my heart that I couldn't get through to him.

I made the lunging circle smaller and smaller. And started using the verbal "whoa" to make him stop, then turn him around into a small circle the other way and make it bigger. We got into a system and he started to understand. As soon as he could stop and turn around well enough, I let him be done.

I can't ask for too much, it's his fourth day. But it's necessary to work as long as you have to in order to end on a good note.

I didn't work with him as long as normal. Probably for about 45 mins. Sometimes I'll work with him for 90 mins to 2 hours. Taking breaks in between.

I thought part way through "why am I doing this?". But then I looked at the little confused pony and knew how many people had given up on him. I'm not going to be one of those people. If he doesn't give up on me, I'm not going to give up on him.

Horses teach you many things in life, determination is one of them.