Today I watched her turn the adrenaline on. She had been working for over an hour, I got off to set some poles on the ground. She was looking a little tired and I was going to quit soon.
I stood for a minute talking to someone and Nina decided to work up some new energy. She tried to circle around me and when I wouldn't let her she started chomping on the bit, then tossing her head, then stamping her feet. Then tried to walk over top of me, then took a few hard kicks at nothing while she stoked up her temper and adrenaline. Pinned her ears, tossed her head, eyes slitted, working herself into a temper tantrum. When I got back on she was trembling with adrenaline and spooking at everything.
We made some big circles at a trot and finally she took a deep breath and relaxed and then she was tired again.
She did this a couple of times during the afternoon, it reminded me of a human runner at the start of a race; bouncing in place, swinging arms, clenched jaws, getting the adrenaline started a few seconds early.
Nina can do it on demand.
I am trying to make the riding part of getting tired the easiest and nicest with lots of pats and encouragement and the lunging is just hard work. I would like to take some of the fun out of lunging and see if we can cut down on the rush and just be tired. It's ok to just be tired and not want to run like a fool every minute.
My one horse was like this--could run all day, and if he got tired, he just needed a five minute recharge for some adrenaline. I think it's a lot of nerves and tension--at least it was for him. I could never let him canter or trot endlessly in the round pen, because all it did was work him up (and, give him more stamina for the next time I pulled him out!).
ReplyDeleteWhat started making him tired was two things--making him work correctly (and not just run in circles), and making him think. Once he started thinking, and working long and low, and relaxing, I had to PUSH him to keep him going sometimes!
These ones are hard! I'm so lucky my colt gets tired, I do not envy you. GOOD LUCK!
It definitely is nerves and tension. Gotta be ready to defend yourself at all times. She has given up a lot of her defensiveness, I hope we can work thru this.
ReplyDeleteI have faith that you and Nina will finally figure this out. She is a challenge!! A big, beautiful, smart, high strung challenge--LOL!!
ReplyDeleteKeeping her mind busy is probably a good suggestion. Learning new things is a whole different kind of tired. Sounds like you're on the right track. :)