Get Back to Work! (Kind of)

Of the 5 or so days that I've been back on campus and have actually had time (a novel concept, I know) to work both horses, I've only been able to do so 2 out of the 5 days.

Pretty much as soon as I got here, I came down with a terrific cold/flu/sickness that consisted of large amounts of mucus, sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and a fever-like yuckiness. I took one day off of horse exercising and spent it in bed. That same day, I woke up with a wicked pain in my right calf, something that's happened before (in other parts of my body, too) but has never been diagnosed or even looked at. I usually ignore it because it's not usually bad enough to interfere with my life, but I couldn't walk normally, do barn chores with any sort of ease or do much more than look miserable, so riding and running around was out. I spent the following day driving home to get it checked out and then spent the rest of the afternoon at the hospital getting an ultrasound to make sure I didn't have a blood clot (thankfully they didn't find anything...) That's 2 days without work.

Today, I'm chained to a desk for 5 hours until 3PM, at which point I will be leaving promptly assuming my replacement gets here on time to feed and finish night chores, and that'll be it for the barn today. It's my little brother's birthday today and I'm supposed to be having dinner with my family tonight. Day 3 with no work. It's not been the most successful week on any count...

Both horses are fine; Stella's full of energy and seems thrilled to be back in her job. I've enjoyed letting her loose before I work her and watching her take off, squealing and bucking and having a ball. I've already been asked twice when I'm going to get on her, and the answer is simple: when I damn well feel good and ready! Honestly, the question is getting so old. There's no horsey training law that states that by 3 years old, a horse must be green saddle broke. I am in no rush to break this mare; she's been sat on a few times, has been perfectly quiet at the walk and trot and has no issues with a rider. She just needs training. At this point, she's not done growing and I don't want to put her into regular saddle work until she is. In the long run, it's just not worth it.

As for Ernie...I don't really know what to do with him. I'm back at square one: he's not fit (at all, I mean REALLY not fit) and so it looks like if he's going to do anything, it's going to be walking for a few weeks. I got on him the first day back to play around and see how he was, and he was downright miserable. He wouldn't volunteer any sort of reach for the bit, sucked back from any contact, hadn't the slightest inkling as to how to bend, was choppy and rushed and spooked at everything and anything. At first I figured maybe he was feeling fresh and encouraged him to go forward, to which he reacted by pinning his ears and getting pissy. Any attempt to touch him with the whip to encourage proper forward movement was met with bucking. He had such a rank attitude and was such a jerk about everything that I got off and lunged the bajeezus out of him for about 10 minutes. He bucked, reared and cantered around like a fool for a while before settling down, but remained the same under saddle. I got off, feeling frustrated and depressed.

It's clear he's not happy. I mentioned in my New Year's Un-resolutions that I will continue to do whatever I have to to make him happy, but I am already out of ideas. Even on the ground, he wants nothing to do with me. He's irritable, grouchy and downright nasty, pins his ears whenever you walk in the stall, get's pissed about everything, and has been a complete ass during feeding time. I don't care how old or how long a horse has had a habit, I won't stand for nasty faces at feeding time. Ernie has ALWAYS been this way. ALWAYS. But I'm tired of him immediately laying his ears back and looking mean when I come in with the grain bucket. The new routine? He doesn't get fed until he chills out and stops being a sourpuss. So far he hasn't been happy with this; twice he's turned his butt to me, and twice he's gotten a huge smack on the ass and a hollar, to which he usually replies with a lot of apologetic chewing but the same mean face.

I don't know if he's just frustrated with the lack of routine, if he's injured or hurting, or if he is just starting to really feel his age, but his demeanor has changed in the last 4-5 months and it worries me. I no longer have a real connection with him; on the crossties he'll jerk his head up and roll his eyes back into his head almost every time I walk near him, afraid I'll hit him. He's a different horse, it seems. I just hope with a few weeks to a couple months of slow but routine work, even if it's just walking around, he'll come around and get back to his old self.