May 24, 2006: Working on the Clock

It’s a good thing that horses haven’t thought of unionizing, or Quila would be the first to join up... She is generally a willing horse, a real trier, but there is one thing that makes her angry. Very, very angry. And that is being asked to work through a meal-time. Like the union employee that insists on his/her scheduled breaks each morning and afternoon, and insists on the full hour (not 59 minutes, mind you) for lunch, Quila expects that meals WILL be served on time, and that she WILL be in her stall to eat them. Furthermore, ride times at shows should be scheduled for her convenience so that she doesn’t miss those all-important meals, and heaven-help-me, Jürgen had better not mess with our lesson schedule so that we have to work through a meal, either...

If you’re like me, you’re thinking right about now: But she’s a horse. She stands for 22+ hours, 7 days a week. She can darn well learn to work WHEN I ask her to, and she can learn to like it. Well, periodically I get that fool thought in my head, and periodically she reminds me that she’s a mare, and I can take that fool thought right out again. Yesterday was one of those days...

My lessons are nearly always at 1:15 or 2:00 pm, conveniently scheduled after lunch and before dinner, but yesterday, events at the barn necessitated a rescheduling until 3:30. Dinner is served at 3:45, give or take, by the time it reaches her barn. I mounted at 3:15, and did a 15 minute walk warm-up, and then we did a “working-in” at trot for 5 minutes or so, followed by work at trot-halt, and trot lengthenings. I had her feeling really good in the bridle--she was soft, coming under nicely, and really quick to the aids. I was pleased.

At Jürgen’s direction, I gave her a walk break, during which Jürgen and I briefly discussed an item of of business at hand (and during which the feed cart passed the dressage arena). Then I asked for the trot again. She stiffened. I asked louder, and she begrudgingly gave me a trot. I asked for canter, and the next thing I knew, we were cantering down the long side in a canter extension the likes of which I NEVER get when I WANT a canter extension. I asked for a down transition to trot at B. I finally got working trot at A, and a down transition to trot in the corner. We managed a halt at E. “Nice transition,” said Jürgen. “Yes,” I said. “But I asked for it at B!” Oh, oh.

I asked for another canter, and this time got a beautiful canter, and found I was able to keep her in collected canter with my seat, but only with A LOT of effort on my part. “Hey, that’s great expression. Now, THAT is what you want for tests!” “Great... Do you know how hard I’m working for this? She’s having a tantrum here...” “Then use it!” says Jürgen. Great... Easy for him to talk, sitting there in his comfy chair, rather than sitting on my rocket. I can tell that she’s just waiting for me to relax so that she can give me another extension, and this time maybe we can reach Seattle before I ask for a transition... Her theory, I’m convinced, is that we’ll do X number of strides before I let her get home to her dinner, and if she can do them in extended canter, she’ll get to her dinner faster. Quila has not yet learned that dinner comes after quality work, not after quantity work. We’ve been partners for a LONG time, but this concept has not yet registered with her... We’re working on it, and in general, she learns quickly, but this critical one eludes her, despite the fact we NEVER go home until she relaxes, gives in, and behaves... She must think “WOW... Mom really had a HIGH quota for me today.”

The up side yesterday is that I have finally learned how to ride her when she is having a tantrum and in the “I want to go home and eat” mode and make it look pretty and like something other than what it is. The down side is that she is still having these “opinions,” if you want to call them that. I can’t give into them, because I don’t think our show managers would take kindly to notes on entries reading “Please do not schedule between 7:30 and 8:30, 11:30 and 12:30 and 3:30 and 4:30, to allow adequate warm-up and riding time after meals. Thank you.” Know what I mean?