The Count Down Begins

November 3,2013 marks the day that my 4 month depression and bad mood starts.  It will continue until March 9th.

The end of Daylight Savings Time.  The 4 month period where I have to race home daily so I can attempt to get one horse ridden as the sun sets.  Rotating 3 horses into this riding schedule sucks.  They get ridden less and someone always gets shorted.

Even before the time change it was getting dark much earlier.  The sun setting is baby Ketel's cue that it's dinner time.  After an amazing ride on him a couple Saturdays ago where he was jumping cross rails like a champ, last week he reverted to his bucking and rearing behavior.  When he doesn't want to work he starts grunting and then will either stand up or buck.  Last week I worked him through it.  I got off, lunged him (he ran like a maniac), then got back on with draw reins and worked him until we could end on a good note.  Rain kept us from riding Saturday so I rode Sunday afternoon.  Same behavior.  Anytime he tried to divert from work he got the stick (more bucking) and I would do whatever it took to drive him forward.  It wasn't getting better so again lunge line (ran like crazy), then back on with draw reins.

We have his first show on Saturday.  I plan to take him over Friday to settle in.  I will get through the week with him even if it's just lunging and get him to the show and see what I have to deal with.  After the weekend I am thinking I may give him the winter off.  After the time changes again he will be 4 and maybe more mentally matured.  I have dealt with plenty of bucking and rearing horses but nothing is worse then when they are a poor balanced baby.  You have no idea if they will be able to land on all fours when they come down.  Winter show season in FL will be busy and I would like to keep my focus on Poppy so we will see.  Nothing is set in stone yet.