ROCKET UPDATE Was: Fell off my horse today -- need some advice (LONG)

[SkyWarrior]

Okay, I'll check the manufacturer site.

It's a Troxel, in case you were all wondering. I bought it new but it was manufactured in July 2009 and is SEI certified. My husband and I inspected the helmet and the foam core and it appears to not be compromised. The only damage is scuffing to the visor and a couple of good nicks to the hard shell. Still, I will contact Troxel and see about a replacement. Since I only bought it last year, I think I have a good chance of replacing it.

Now, I just have to figure out what to wear while I'm riding Rocket while waiting for my new helmet.

Edit: Troxel has a helmet on sale for $25. I just ordered that. I'll then send my old helmet back to them and get that replaced.

 

[beckyburkheart]

that's an awesome price on the troxel? do you have the link handy? mine hasn't impacted, but it's several years old and i could use a new one.

it sounds like you've made some really positive changes and are seeing a lot of positive response and moving forward in a lot of ways! that's great to hear! keep it up and keeps us updated!

 

[SkyWarrior]

that's an awesome price on the troxel? do you have the link handy? mine hasn't impacted, but it's several years old and i could use a new one.

it sounds like you've made some really positive changes and are seeing a lot of positive response and moving forward in a lot of ways! that's great to hear! keep it up and keeps us updated!

Sure. They've got free shipping which makes it even more nice. Here is the sale page. That price is only on their Spirit Starlight. I'm getting that so that I can return my other helmet for a replacement and then keep it as a spare.

Luckily I was able to find my receipt from last year. It was in the boxes that we got our helmets in and my husband was going to burn them soon So, we've saved those from destruction. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Yesterday was ride #4 since the fall--and what a difference! We took the lower part of our road where the neighbors' dogs are. Rocket ignored most of the dogs and I was even able to control her when my neighbors' dog got out and came towards us.

We stopped at some scary rocks and she had time to settle down. Then, we went to the end of our road where it meets the main road. There, Rocket got a bit panicky with another set of dogs. We rested our horses there and my neighbors (who have horses) put their barking dogs up so Rocket could adjust to the new situation. We've also been invited on a couple of rides now!

I got Rocket to go on the main road and she wanted to go farther, but I turned her around because we did a lot of new things. Every time there was something scary to her, I stopped her and got her used to it before continuing on. She got a lot of reassuring pets and calming words with the new thing. By the end of the ride, she came back relaxed and happy.

My horses have been hanging out at the gate and looking up at the house for us to ride them. Rocket comes to me and lowers her head for the bridle. The horses stare daggers at us if we don't come out of the house with a saddle.

I am still sore from the fall. I still have bruises in very odd places. And yet, I can see how evaluating what happened has made a huge difference. She's still an inexperienced horse, which makes her flighty, but now I can see how to build her trust in me. My DH asked how I liked her. I have to admit, I love this horse, even if she didn't quite fit my expectations or the reputation she had.

I understand she just has to get experience and I have to continue to gain her trust. I've told my DH we're not going much farther than the road until I get total compliance and confidence. The road is my round pen.

 

[beckyburkheart]

What an amazing success story!!!!!!!! Not that you are "done" by any means, but that you are on the right track and seeing a lot of progress and positive stuff going on. I love to hear these kinds of things!!

people like to throw out quips. one of my favorites is the one about "it's not the destination, it's the journey." it probably gets over used. but it's so true. Rocket sounds like she's going to be a real special girl in your life ... I've been lucky enough to have a several that taught me real life lessons and set me straight when i was too far off track. But it's true that if you enjoy and appreciate the progress as much as you should, you realize that there isn't a real concrete destination at any particular point. I love reaching a goal and then looking at the horizon to see where is the next one.

EEK ! you made me ramble on philosophically!! good enough for a rainy day i guess.

 

[goodhors]

Glad to hear that good things are happening in your riding relationship. Keep
up the good work. Slow and steady is fine, you are getting her solid, trusting
you to keep "the bad stuff from happening". Each outing will help her with
those lines of thinking.

 

[SkyWarrior]

What an amazing success story!!!!!!!! Not that you are "done" by any means, but that you are on the right track and seeing a lot of progress and positive stuff going on. I love to hear these kinds of things!!

I don't know if it's amazing, but thank you. I don't give up on animals because...well, I just don't. I think all in all she's a decent, if inexperienced, horse. I had really hoped for a horse I could have taken on trail rides "right out of the box." Certainly when you have a 16 yo horse, you'd think she'd be a bit more savvy, but after a bit of investigating, I've learned she's not that type. Not yet.

I've trained plenty of dogs/canines over the years (well over 50) in show, competition and sled dog racing, so when I started seeing familiar behaviors (fear, insecurity, etc), I went back to the same principles I've used: desensitization through gradual introduction, rewards and positive training. Horses are kind of an odd bunch to me as they seem to be motivated to have you quit bugging them. Loyalty and trust is harder to get from horses than canines--I've had success even with wolf hybrids that aren't as trusting. Maybe working with sled dogs and northern breeds, who are notoriously difficult to train, may have made me sit and think about what I was doing. I've been reading a lot of horse books and much of the training work I've done with dogs does carry over.

One thing I have learned is that Rocket didn't dump me on purpose. I've heard people tell me that horses sometimes "act" fearful because it gets them something. I'm not so sure that is true. Fear is a tough thing to fake. Every time Rocket gets freaked out, she gets all skittery, starts sweating profusely, her eyes go wide, her heartrate races, her mouth froths, and she does boneheaded things. If she were doing it to get rid of me, I think she would have a more calculated reaction and less metabolic changes.

A new behavior has cropped up that I can actually use now. I can tell she's beginning to get nervous when she starts playing with the bit. I swear, I think I'm going to get her one with a tongue roller so she has something to do. Her tongue goes everywhere and she is chomping and frothing and sticking her tongue on the rings that connect the bit. (The bit, incidentally, is a sweet-iron snaffle--very mild. She accepts it readily and her mouth doesn't show anything that would suggest it's uncomfortable). So, I think she's channeling that boneheaded reaction into the bit to let me know she's unhappy with the situation. I reassure her and stop what we're doing so she can wrap her brains around it before moving on. That seems to work.

As we continue to ride our road and get her used to new things, I think she'll calm down. We've been working both horses hard at the gate next to the barn and rest them away from the barn so they aren't so barn sour. Seems to work okay.

Thank you for your help in this. I really needed some people to talk to because I don't know everything and after a major fall like I had (my husband swears I tumbled down 20 feet-- I think it was more like 15 or so), it's really easy to get discouraged. But the more I handle Rocket, the more responsive she is. I only hope I can learn to ride her as well as she deserves.

 

[suedagardener]

skywarrior, do you still need help? I just discoved this forum and didn't know it existed. I have ridden for over 30 years and have encountered much. If you still
need help, let me know. I'm an adult amature, but have had much happend with horses, so if I can help email me at tacktoday@gmail.com

I didn't read all posts (way too long) but would be happy to help if needed.

sue

 

[SkyWarrior]

skywarrior, do you still need help? I just discoved this forum and didn't know it existed. I have ridden for over 30 years and have encountered much. If you still
need help, let me know. I'm an adult amature, but have had much happend with horses, so if I can help email me at tacktoday@gmail.com

I didn't read all posts (way too long) but would be happy to help if needed.

sue

Thanks! I figured out that my girl is basically a green 16 year old and an arena horse. She needs a lot of work to get her used to going into new areas. I've been slowly starting her towards that end, but it takes time and patience. Ah horses!