L3/4 Clinic with Terri Martinus

My first clinic this year was with Terri down in Sussex. Lots of nervous build up after last years antics having a scared right brain horse running about on the end of a rope, wondering at what point he was going straight over the top of me, and not to mention trying to get him into a little cage on wheels to get him there.

Well we got there with no stress, and when the snorting orange monster came out of the box, puffed up to ten foot high, it was seconds before he came off his adrenaline and listened to me and walked reasonably calmly to his stable.

I have to eat my thoughts. I underestimated jack and the progress we had made. He was so well behaved and responsive I felt proud of us both,and I certainly don't give credit to me easily! We were given tasks on the 45ft line, travelling circles, can you get your horse to back up 45ft to a cone, then do it sideways (at which point I was making a good impression of a flapping chicken to try and communicate down the line), and do a 180 degree turn with all the other horses in synch on a fence line. I liked that one!

We were then tasked to do follow the rail with two 22ft lines, driving from zone 5 behind. I have never used 2 lines before so just getting hold of them and then get me behind jack without getting all tangled was a mission at the start. Then I had to get him to move forward, but we have been doing a lot of backwards from zone 5 so he just kept reversing bless him. Terri helped me give a slightly different command and voice cue and finally he got it and we were off. Loved it, and jack took up contact and did everything beautifully, except eat grass. Well he probably ate grass beautifully, but he wasn't supposed to be munching and I had to develop a knack of getting his head up and moving him forward without getting the ropes stuck under his legs whilst standing behind him. Glad no one had a video camera!

Long reining on 22ft feather lines

In the afternoon we played at liberty. There is nothing like slipping off the ropes and knowing that your bond with your horse is so special he stays at your side. We are good at this at home and get very playful, but how about taking off the halter in a very large field with nine other horses and owners there?  I have to be honest jack is so nosey and social I figured that as soon as that halter came off he would be off to say hello to the other horses. What he did melted my heart. He stayed with me by my side. What an honour. Even with all those other distractions he stayed with me. He did some beautiful work in the round pen, and I could see no tension in him, working properly through his back and having amazing self carriage.

Circling close at Liberty

Stick to Me

Circling in the roundpen at Trot

Home time came all too quickly and I actually felt no worries about loading he was so chilled.   BUT as I approached the trailer a herd of cows appeared behind in the lane. Jack has never seen a cow before. He grew tall, snorted, grew taller. I tried to explain they were black and White horses, but no he wasn't having any of it. Then he had to move his feet. 100 miles an hour (ok, maybe 30 but you get the idea!), around me on my little rope. At one point he jerked my shoulder as he went to rear and he broke my rope. I quickly disengaged his hindquarters and got him to come to me, thank goodness for our relationship, and I tied him back on, then moved away quickly as he was not in the right frame of mind where you want to be standing right next to him. Thirty minutes later I got some element of calm. He was sweating tons and certainly not in the right frame of mind to get back in the trailer.

Terri came to my rescue.  I knew I would need help or have to get a tent out for the rest of the night.  My shoulder hurt, I was tired and the last thing I wanted to do was lose my patience after such a lovely day.  He was still hyped and took a while to get into the trailer, but she managed him very nicely.

Note to self - add to task list - introduce Jack to cows!