Here's an update from the last time I posted...
That night, Vincent didn't choose to come to me. He opted to keep running and so I let him. The whole process took about 45 minutes. When I did catch him I was so angry and upset, holding back tears. Why does he hate me all of a sudden?! And why am I so upset about it..?
I should have walked away.
Instead, I practically dragged him to the round pen- the whole time trying to balance my emotional state. He wouldn't lead up- he was dragging his feet behind me like he had a million other things he had on the agenda- and yes, out of all this bad situation, something amazing happened.
I got so frustrated from pulling a dead weight behind me that I sent him backwards- with energy and completely caught him off guard. I asked him to back up probably more forcefully than I ever have- note when I say forcefully I don't mean that I was beating him with a bat- but I asked him to - no, more like told him to back the f!@# up.
I have never seen that horse back up so quickly and responsively. I've been trying since day one with the lead rope wiggle. Clearly, the message didn't really get through until that day...
In the round pen I tried a join up- I didn't really understand what I was doing and it was like he was ignoring me- so I just kept pushing and pushing, changing directions and sending him around. Eventually I turned my back to him and then heard him walk up behind me, so I guess that means it worked? Something I will have to investigate more into..
Friday night, we went to the NPHC Clinic (Natural Performance Hoof Care). Again, it took me about an hour to catch him... WTF. By now I am getting tired of the chase me game... Where is the respect. I think it has something to do with the lead rope/back the F!@# up attitude adjustment. I think it has to come from me...
BUT that horse went right on the trailer when I asked him to. Like a pro. He was great on the drive- I thought maybe he went to sleep because not once did I feel him moving around.
I got him where we were going, unloaded him in the rain (he was pretty good, good thing I practiced backing down that ramp!) and put him in his pen - which had a welcoming pile of hay beckoning him. Then I went home for the night.
When I showed up the next morning, that horse called to me like I was it's mother! I threw him some hay and went in to brush him. When I went to leave, he LEFT THE HAY BEHIND (Whhhattttt he loves his food) and followed me to the gate. When the fence and gate separated us he got really upset and started pawing and nickering to me- my heart melted!! I went back in and he settled down, meandered back to the hay pile.
I thought for sure this was a one time thing, but sure enough when I tried to leave again he did the same thing- I was the only familiar thing in an unfamiliar place, and I was making sure he his needs for food and water were satisfied. There is a trust there, if not full respect yet. He nickered to me every time I brought and refilled his water bucket... like "Oh man, thanks! How did you know that was what I wanted?"
That horse that runs away from me in the field seemed a long ways away from the cuddles and affection he showed me all weekend. He started meeting me at the gate!!
Enough about Vincent for now, I'll write on my experience and some things I learned at the clinic- you could pretty much consider it as the secret to the universe. The secret to fixing and preventing navicular, flares, cracks, lameness, sidebone, laminitis, founder and a whole whole whack of other things....
Truth and Knowledge will set you free, but both can be heavy burdens to bear.
