Adjust your expectations

A couple of weeks ago, Bowie jumped me out of the tack.
Then, we went to a horse show and he schooled the jumps beautifully and came home with ribbons in pleasure.
Then each of his next rides were good.  Maybe not always great, but good. Something we were working on became easier, for instance.

Just this Saturday, Catherine was in town and took a little lesson on Roanin, so I hopped on Bowie and flatted him before trotting a single. He was so quiet and just jumped right over. I decided to do the whole outside line - trot in, canter out - we got the double add but he was straight, happy, and soft. I was so thrilled that I let him finish there!

Then, today. The horse has never TRIED to get me off his back. Not once. Not even when I first started riding him, and I know he is one to "test" his riders. I think today I got the biggest test yet (after nearly a year, I thought I had earned his trust!) I put draw reins on him. I connected them at the side of the girth because I thought it would reinforce the steering aids that he frequently needs help with.

Well. Mr. Man was NOT having it. He threatened to rear, he wheeled around and threatened to rear again, then started trying to do his baby bucks. I rode him forward, first at the walk, to wait until the tantrum ended. He calmed some. We tried a trot and had the same exact fight, but I kept insisting that he moved onward, ever forward. By the end of the lengthy ride, he was happily trotting in a frame in either direction. I mean, we got there eventually and that's what counts!

So now I am going to say some things that I tell my students.
Some days are going to be harder than others. Adjust your expectations.
Set attainable goals.
Let those goals be flexible based upon the situation you find yourself in.
Stop when you reach your goal.

I honestly thought I would do some flatwork with the draw reins on and then remove them and jump the 4 jump course I have set up to practice for the show this weekend. Well, once I saw that Bowie was in a mood, I had to change my expectations for the day right away. This isn't a jumping day. This is now a hack around quietly day. And after some arguments from Bowie, we finally got there. He sure hated those draw reins, but by the end of the lesson he accepted them and was trotting both ways happily.

So I got down. He did what I asked. And that was my success for the day. It's not what I set out to do, and could I have jumped him around after I got his trot going the way I wanted to. But it was SUCH a fight to get there. I wanted to make sure that we ended on a good note - I asked for something, he gave it to me without a tantrum. There was no sense in continuing the ride past the half hour it had taken to get to this point.