Prissy Pony and Captain Bad A**

Question
Hello again Dorothy. Thanks for your input on pony. Good to know that I am moving in the right direction with everyone as far as longeing is concerned. I tend to second guess myself sometimes. I love my husband, but I think the pressure to produce results that are visible to him makes me feel a bit inept at times. He really doesn't understand how much time it takes to bring a horse along correctly. Sure I could bully and abuse and force them forward, but will I have developed a strong relationship with a willing partner at the end of it....I think not.Take yesterday with Leo for example. We started off standing in the middle of the arena, going nowhere, tap tap tapping away since Leo does not seem to have the first inkling about moving forward/away from leg pressure and by the end of our lesson, he had walked all the way around the arena without stopping or fighting to both directions. I even got a grudging trot to one side!No big deal to non-riders, but quite an improvement to me. Back to longeing. I'll go one by one with the approach you discussed: LEO-may take the occasional step or two forward, but looks thoroughly confused and perpetually spins hind end away to face me, do I just keep moving and trying? PONY-Pony gets extremely nervous. She shivers and balks before bolting to the end of the line, tearing around at a very fast trot or canter then quitting and turning to come in. That's to the left. She has a cataract on the right and is effectively blind on that side and is a total disaster to that side. lots of spinning and backing, anything to get to where she can see me. I know this is conquerable, my 34yo horse Cowboy is blind as a bat in one eye and lost most of his vision in the other and did fine until his retirement. I know I will have to take it slow with her on the longe, but would you have any suggestions to add. BRANDI-(22yo QH mare, former drill team horse) No clue. just walks over to me. I can tap tap tap her hip till I am blue in the face and she MAY take a step. Keep plugging away or try something new? Again. I appreciate all of your assistance. This is a very rural Texas town that tends to follow whoever the latest greatest Western Clinician is, so you can imagine that I am pretty much on my own as far as classical horsemanship goes.Hahahahaha. Now I am sure you are thinking...Gosh what a ragtag bunch of horse this woman has!!! i warned my husband that much like houses and cars, the cheaper the horse is, the more work your going to have to do and since not one of them was over $1000.00 well..... I am trying to convince him that we should put some decent money into one or two solid lesson horses, but for now, with Cowboy retired, I am working with what I've got. (Leo is my personal project).Let me know what you think about the longeing issues. Also, I was wondering why you don't appear under the Horse behavior and training issues heading. I would have never found you  but that you had ansered a question that showed up in "recent" section!I just wouldn't have looked under horse racing, which is the heading they have you under. Hope you are having a great day so far!  Elizabeth

Answer
Hello Elizabeth,

Do you  have anyone who might help you?  Even a student? I have no other suggestions for you that would help, that won't require an assistant to help you. One of your students could help you in exchange for lessons.  Why won't your husband help?

Have you considered giving up the classical riding and joining the cowboys?

How did you end up out in the back of beyond anyway?  LOLOL

I lost your email address. You'll have to give it to me again. Mine is: dkm122535@sbcglobal.net

I'll see why they assigned me to the horse racing side of training.

Bye, bye,
D