Another great week at JRFS with Filly
The journey down was not great. Filly loaded very well at Manor Farm, but once we got on the road she got very agitated. In the past she has settled after around 1 hour or so, but this time that didn't happen. Going along the motorway she was really bad. She seemed very upset by any lorry going past especially as it was now dark and there were flickering lights around. What to do ? Go home, continue to JRFS, keep driving.
We tried the option of keep driving and went up and down the motorway between junctions to avoid getting further from home. By now we had been on the road for a fair time and had to stop for a pee. In the service station she was particularly bad. Being stationary was no comfort. About then we decided to go home so we could at least unload her there rather than face another journey home from JRFS. It was pretty emotional. We started driving again and noticed that she seemed a little more settled so turned around and headed to JRFS. As soon as we got off the motorway she settled right down and munched hay. For the next hour she travelled as well as we have seen her.
Stopping at JRFS was a different prospect. She got very very agitated. Josh got in the trailer with her and slowly she calmed down to the point we could lower the back ramp. We did not want her last memory of the trailer to be bad. Then Josh asked her off the trailer and immediately back on. She loaded fine. A couple of more YoYos on and off the trailer and I took her to her field for the night.
Loading and un-loading was now her last memory of the trailer and we hoped that would help the return journey.
Saturday came around and it was time to go home. I played in the school with her and got her really soft and responsive. Then it was time to load up. This did not go well. She loaded ok in a left brained confident way, but in the same confident manner unloaded herself again. Then refused to go in again. I got pretty firm with her, not because she would not load, but because she was pushing into my pressure.
Josh was hovering in the background. Trailer loading is one of his favourite disciplines and so he gently took over from me.
Now we really found out how pushy Filly was being and Josh had to get very very firm. She would rather push into him than load and that was something he was not going to allow. James once told me that there are certain things it is better to have others do with your horse rather than yourself. Not because you are not capable but because your emotional involvement will distract you from doing what is needed. This was one of those cases.
At no stage did I see her go right brain. But she was not going to yield to the pressure Josh was giving without making her feeling known. Basically she got angry. As Josh kept pointing out this had nothing to do with trailer loading and everything to do with personal space and not invading it. This was a Filly I had not encountered for a while but had seen when I first started working with her all those years ago.
On our last visit Josh had mentioned how he had noticed her push into my space occasionally but so subtly I had not noticed. I guess we had a kind of mutual truce going on, not true softness.
In the end Josh had her loading very nicely, stepping back two steps then back in again etc. Then it was my turn. She gave a few half hearted attempts to push into me, but with Joshs' demo firmly in my mind I now knew how to respond appropriately and she was soon loading for me as well.
The journey home was not great even avoiding motorways, but marginally better than outbound. When we stopped she was weaving pretty well in the trailer so I climbed aboard and helped her weave by pusing and pulling on her withers. Suddenly the fact I was helping made weaving seem less attractive and she stopped. Unloading was fine. Then back on and off a few times before putting her to bed.
Two emotionally tough days during which I learned a huge amount.
Thanks for the help Josh, more beer and a dinner coming your way :)
The journey down was not great. Filly loaded very well at Manor Farm, but once we got on the road she got very agitated. In the past she has settled after around 1 hour or so, but this time that didn't happen. Going along the motorway she was really bad. She seemed very upset by any lorry going past especially as it was now dark and there were flickering lights around. What to do ? Go home, continue to JRFS, keep driving.
We tried the option of keep driving and went up and down the motorway between junctions to avoid getting further from home. By now we had been on the road for a fair time and had to stop for a pee. In the service station she was particularly bad. Being stationary was no comfort. About then we decided to go home so we could at least unload her there rather than face another journey home from JRFS. It was pretty emotional. We started driving again and noticed that she seemed a little more settled so turned around and headed to JRFS. As soon as we got off the motorway she settled right down and munched hay. For the next hour she travelled as well as we have seen her.
Stopping at JRFS was a different prospect. She got very very agitated. Josh got in the trailer with her and slowly she calmed down to the point we could lower the back ramp. We did not want her last memory of the trailer to be bad. Then Josh asked her off the trailer and immediately back on. She loaded fine. A couple of more YoYos on and off the trailer and I took her to her field for the night.
Loading and un-loading was now her last memory of the trailer and we hoped that would help the return journey.
Saturday came around and it was time to go home. I played in the school with her and got her really soft and responsive. Then it was time to load up. This did not go well. She loaded ok in a left brained confident way, but in the same confident manner unloaded herself again. Then refused to go in again. I got pretty firm with her, not because she would not load, but because she was pushing into my pressure.
Josh was hovering in the background. Trailer loading is one of his favourite disciplines and so he gently took over from me.
Now we really found out how pushy Filly was being and Josh had to get very very firm. She would rather push into him than load and that was something he was not going to allow. James once told me that there are certain things it is better to have others do with your horse rather than yourself. Not because you are not capable but because your emotional involvement will distract you from doing what is needed. This was one of those cases.
At no stage did I see her go right brain. But she was not going to yield to the pressure Josh was giving without making her feeling known. Basically she got angry. As Josh kept pointing out this had nothing to do with trailer loading and everything to do with personal space and not invading it. This was a Filly I had not encountered for a while but had seen when I first started working with her all those years ago.
On our last visit Josh had mentioned how he had noticed her push into my space occasionally but so subtly I had not noticed. I guess we had a kind of mutual truce going on, not true softness.
In the end Josh had her loading very nicely, stepping back two steps then back in again etc. Then it was my turn. She gave a few half hearted attempts to push into me, but with Joshs' demo firmly in my mind I now knew how to respond appropriately and she was soon loading for me as well.
The journey home was not great even avoiding motorways, but marginally better than outbound. When we stopped she was weaving pretty well in the trailer so I climbed aboard and helped her weave by pusing and pulling on her withers. Suddenly the fact I was helping made weaving seem less attractive and she stopped. Unloading was fine. Then back on and off a few times before putting her to bed.
Two emotionally tough days during which I learned a huge amount.
Thanks for the help Josh, more beer and a dinner coming your way :)
No comments:
Post a Comment