Update: Feeling Better About Mylie!

[michickenwrangler]

I'm a firm believer that "horses need jobs" and if they're not worked with consistently, they develop problems. If you can't ride much during the winter (understandable) maybe work on teaching her tricks or other ground work stuff, obstacles in hand, lateral moves in hand, things like that.

Good luck

 

[lupinfarm]

Ducks4you, your inbox is full! So I'm posting my reply to your very lengthly (lol) message...

Thanks for the advice.

I spoke to my trainer/coach today! She was talking about how Mylie is the kind of horse that will need to be worked daily, and have a daily routine, with daily brushing and grooming and lunging before being worked because she is the type of horse that has been bred to work, and that work is a relaxing thing for her. We had another big draft cross that was just like Mylie, and that was super true of him as well. He was worked for an hour in the arena daily, plus he got lunged before being worked for 10 minutes, and had a nice cool-out hack afterwards.

We spoke about getting a roundpen, and how long she'll be staying and when she's coming and about getting in a natural horsemanship trainer for a few 3-hour sessions with Mylie before she comes to help me out. I don't think Mylie exactly disrespects me, she's very respectful of me in the field, she is still a bit too pushy at the gate for *my* liking at feeding time but we're working on that. I feel a hundred times better after speaking to Daina about Mylie, and I'm going to be looking at round pens again in April so I can round pen Mylie, and get her putting all that energy and boredom into something productive. She has mounds of potential, she really is an incredible animal, but she's bored, and bored + smart + young = naughty. This all fits in with what her previous trainer said about her, and Daina talked about boosting my confidence with a lot of our exercises.

I never expected to be able to do this by myself. I'm a rider not a skilled trainer. I do believe that training is a daily, hourly, etc. thing. The problem with finding something that was already broke and all that was that I couldn't find anything for years that would be the right height, age, training, and bulkyness. I'm a tall gal, and for the most part 15.3hh-16.2hh is what I need. I've been looking on and off for the past 5 years for something suitable, but nothing ever clicked with me. When I first saw Mylie, something just felt right about her. I decided to look for a young, relatively untrained horse, because I knew Daina would come out. After talking to Daina, I'm not really upset about Mylie's behaviour anymore. She has really settled down in the last few days and I don't think I'm ready to sell her. I love her too much! I knew this wouldn't be push button, and come together all at once but when I was talking to Daina she said when she does help me get her back into work, her attitude should do a complete turn around. She's seen so many horses like Mylie, and within a week or 2 of being worked solidly they turn around totally. I think if I'd been able to work her this winter, things would be different. Its so very true of her though, after she's done her run around like a loonytoon she's calm and sedate and just chills lol. She has so much energy to burn, but no outlet.

michickenwrangler, You're so right... she needs a job, and she isn't a horse that can sit around all winter and do nothing. She's the type of horse that has been bred to work.

 

[ksalvagno]

Glad you are feeling better about Mylie. Hopefully things will work out just fine.

I guess they are just like Border Collies and LGD's. They need a job to do or they will "find" a job to do.

 

[lupinfarm]

Glad you are feeling better about Mylie. Hopefully things will work out just fine.

I guess they are just like Border Collies and LGD's. They need a job to do or they will "find" a job to do.

haha that is entirely right. I realized what Mylie is doing when she runs. I can't believe i didn't think about it earlier. She's round-pen trained, as in join up and all that jazz. She's *trying* to join up. She runs around a few times in one direction, haults at me and only me all the time, spins on the spot and changes directions. Sound familiar? lol