I unexpectedly ended up taking 2 lessons this week. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. I’ve been plotting some lessons with some other area trainers just to get out there and see the sights, but then this whole bolting thing came up. The other lessons are still in the works (text and messenger tag), but right now I’m just content to ride and work through my problems. LOL. We’ll get there. Everything takes time, right?

Anyway, I haven’t taken a lesson in a while. Life got in the way, and I also pretty much got sick for a month. And then I got better and now I’m feeling crappy again? But that’s not the point of this post. I’m pushing through. So Tuesday I hopped on. The weather was LOVELY. But I could tell Nay was…not up but not quiet? I’ve been making it a point NOT to lunge. I’d rather save lunging for when I’m at a strange new place and I need the crutch of the line to save my butt.

He was fine, but a little antsy. We walked and turned and I filled my trainer in on all the happenings. “What do you do when he bolts at the canter?” “I try to work through it vs stopping and being scared.” “I get your reasoning, but it’s not the right response. He needs to know that if he bolts, bad things happen. He’s going to be punished*. Bad things will happen. It will be MORE work for him to bolt than to be good. Halt, back up, immediately send him forward.”

*punishment is a harsh word for something that wasn’t actually “punishment” but rather a course correction, but it was the word we used.

So, we started our warm up with walk trot halts and backs just to get them in the system. He was super stiff to the right so my trainer was very on top of me with my “tug tug” with my inside hand vs just holding inside rein. He very much responds to tug tug and loosens through his back and neck when I apply the appropriate aids. But, he was also having fun looking and/or fake spooking at whatever he could because, why not? But the trot got there. Left was fine so we didn’t do much.

First right lead? Bam bolt. Halt back ask again. We made it further, but the bolting came again at the in gate (there is a theme here). So we continued 3-4 times and it got better and better. He wanted to bolt into the canter before I asked, but started to realize quickly that stopping and backing is freaking annoying and cantering was easier. We finally ended after a nice (3-4 circles around half the ring to the right.

Left? The lead was a little tough to pick up. Anticipation. Let’s toss legs to the inside to the outside. Let’s fight. Something. Lol. But once we got the lead (it only took 2 asks) the canter was lovely. We stayed on half the ring and had no issues…until I was told to canter all the way around. That was too much and down the long side Nay tried the bolt of all bolts. I thought I was coming off. But, I managed to halt, back, and get the canter (and that point we didn’t care about the lead) and then after a circle, asked for the correct lead and all was good.

We ended with a right lead. The plan being? Perhaps he’d try one more bolt and I’d be able to course correct. Nope. Nay picked up the most perfect right lead canter and just stayed there. He’s not stupid. I did asked my trainer if she could fit me in the next day and we settled on an 8am (she wasn’t really teaching that day) so we could work the problem.

On Wednesday, Nay was less than thrilled about the early start. After all, it was breakfast and nap time AND it was drizzling. I was able to get on early and do some bending, tug tugs, backs and halts to loosen him up (oh did that help). When we started, we added to my routine that we start doing the backs and halts at the in gate — fyi the in gate isn’t going to be an issue anymore.

Nay was opinionated to start at the trot. But, the in gate area was quickly fine. So we chose another area and had a whopper of a tantrum. Today’s issue? Trotting in a circle near the viewing area. He didn’t do anything, just squealing and grumping and getting pissy. But we tossed in the halts and backs when he started squealing and grumping (my new term to describe his “I want to be in charge”) and then as his tantrum lessened, pushed him through it vs halting/backing. Eventually, he had a nice loose trot around half the ring and I could circle everywhere. It wasn’t that he was stiff (he actually came out loose), but he didn’t seem to want to.

I said something to my trainer, “He’s not too much horse for me, right? I don’t think he’s trying to get me off.” And her response was, “He’s definitely NOT too much horse. He’s trying to scare you JUST enough so you let him stand around and do whatever he wants. He’s testing you, seeing what he can get away with, and is pissed off that you’re in control. But he’s lazy and gives in really fast because it’s way less work than fighting you and he isn’t actually malicious.” So yeah. There you go. She went on to say mostly I just need to ride hard for a few weeks and he’ll be going around like a lesson horse again.

(we did trot to the left but it was so uninteresting and unimpressive that we didn’t even work on it.)

So the canter. The right lead was actually great. No bolts at all. We added in the halt and back when I found that I lost control and Nay tried to take it. So, we had a nice BIG canter, but it was very controlled 90% of the time. 10% of the time, Nay tried to do more. If I said, easy and he listen, no harm, we’re good. If he didn’t, that’s when we stopped and backed. We actually only had one incident. And mostly I was tired. I need to make sure my inside leg is keeping him out too because if I’m using my right leg effectively, he doesn’t fall in or try anything. Overall, the canter felt great.

The left? When we got it, it was lovely. But, picking up the lead was hell. Mostly that was Nay’s area of fight. But, I just need to be cognizant about my aids, where I’m asking, and how his body is positioned. And, interestingly enough, hold my crop in my outside hand. I’m less worried about the left lead as it’ll come back immediately as soon as I’m fighting less about other stuff.

So yeah. Lots of work. Lots of things to think about. But good working progress. It’s currently thundering right now and I’m worn out so I probably won’t ride today, but I’ll definitely ride the next 3 days. Hopefully we’ll make some good progress.

I really don’t know how to describe my weekend of rides. Disaster and perfection are probably the best words I can use. I mean, that’s an exaggeration. I was no where near perfection (let’s be real), but in comparison to what came before? It FELT that way. And the disaster? I stayed on and no one called 9-1-1 so that’s as close to success as I was going to get. Some rides are just like that when your horse is trying to bolt and keep his head between his front legs…

For whatever reason, I got on Saturday without lunging. I mean, Nay Nay didn’t feel up. In fact, he felt quiet enough. Did he have time off? Yes. But he’s had time off before. So I got on and life was fine. I mean, he didn’t stand still (first sign that something wasn’t right), but we just walked. It was fine. Fine. Fine. And we walked. And trotted. And did some poles. Pretty? Not exactly. But FINE. There were signs that it wasn’t going to be a perfect ride, but there was no spooking or anything.

We were joined in the ring by another horse (who was big and quiet) and Nay Nay pretty much laughed at me and said, “things are not fine.” I decided to trot again and instead of a trot forward, I got a launch and a snort, but we did trot. It was less pretty. But we survived. And Walked.

And there was no more trotting. Seriously. Next time I tried to trot? We cantered. So I said fine. Until I realized I had no power steering. None. Or brakes. Those weren’t there. But, whatever, we cut corners and I just let him canter. I don’t like not being able to steer. It’s more terrifying than not having brakes. I mean, Nay Nay tends not to be that fast even when he bolts… So eventually he was done snort canter galloping to the left and we walked.

And I decided to do the unthinkable. Canter to the right. I mentioned we weren’t steering very well, right? So I still had the draw reins on (thank god). And some idiot decided that my right leg did not exist and we were going to cut off the entire corner of the arena (I noped that). So I nailed him with my inside leg because WTF. And that was not appreciated. Nay said, “I’m the boss.” But, he got out to the rail and our canter was nice. And then… suddenly we were galloping with no brakes. See, we made it down the first long side, around the corner (I still could steer), and then bolted down the other long side when he got his damn head between his legs and tried to hop around (except he doesn’t actually know how to buck with a rider on his back). I managed to stay on and better yet, not hop off immediately and toss him on the lunge line.

I cantered a few more times to the left, mostly in that corner of death working on keeping him from bolting and keeping his head up. We got better-ish, but it wasn’t fun. We ended with a left lead canter which was nice except he spooked when someone stood up on the deck. He wasn’t spooky. He was just in a freaking mood. I kept him cantering and ended. Sometimes you just have to call it a win.

Sunday? I swapped his bit for the 2 ring elevator (we rode with it upside down because he prefers it that way, but I’m going to make him with the correct ring on top lol) and he was a saint. Last time we rode in the elevator? He was miserable. This time? I’ve never seen him happier. I rode on a loose rein, took a feel when I needed to, but otherwise? He was jolly and happy. We had the most lovely ride, gorgeous canters on both leads, and even popped over a couple fences — I let him canter into our final jump and he maintained the most even pace.

So yeah. I give up. Horses. They keep up on our toes.