Funny Fail Friday: Naughty Scottie Edition

A and I had lessons on Wednesday this week.  During A's ride, she was working on getting Scottie more forward and he was starting to offer flying changes. He knows them, but he's super lazy and the changes aren't automatic. His "offering" them is to get hoppy in the corner and occasionally he'll swap behind. A was having a hard time timing the ask, and was a little hesitant in her asking, and I made a comment to trainer about how I wanted to hop on a give him a solid smack with the crop. She told me to go get my helmet, and that's how I ended up schooling Scottie's lead changes.

Buck #2

I did a little walk/trot/canter with him, establishing that yes, I do want you to go forward and I'm not afraid to bridge my reins and smack you when the situation calls for it. Scottie can be a bit of a bully and tries to get out of work, but if you're fair and no-nonsense, he gives in and fun to ride. You just have to work through the bullshit.

Victory head shake

I picked up the canter and sent him across the diagonal, right to left, which is apparently his harder direction.   Right as I was starting to ask for the change, and bridging my reins to go to my crop, he let out a huge buck. Definitely the biggest buck I've ridden in years; really sad I didn't get it on video. He landed crow hopping and I tried to sit up and and drive him forward. He did change his lead and I kept him cantering on for a few strides until he calmed down then walked. Trainer and A were laughing and telling me that both hind legs were up so high they couldn't see my head. I said I was done and A could get back on. Trainer told me that I needed to school the left to right and then I could be done.

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Because we all need a laugh right now. Sound on for famous last words in the first video #naughtyscottie #leadchange #workinprogress

A post shared by Molly Basney (@mollybasney) on Mar 19, 2020 at 10:26am PDT

I walked for a minute till my heart rate was normal then tried the left to right. A's famous last words were that this way was easier and that it should be a lot smoother. I was holding more with my hands, which Scottie did not appreciate (he's a less is more type of horse in terms of contact) and our first attempt was met with another, smaller, buck and no change. Second attempt trainer told me to let go of his face and gallop him up to it. He swapped behind a stride or two before the front, but it was smooth without too much fanfare, until trainer and A started cheering at the end. That was met with some lovely head shaking and neck flailing.

While not the ride I was expecting, it was funny looking back at it. I'm glad I was able to ride him through it and not let my nerves get to me after the first buck. And I'm happy that I could school him so that he's easier for A and she feels more comfortable asking for the changes.

A Tale of Two Lessons: Lesson the Second

Monday my trainer was supposed to come out and do one last ride on Scottie since A was coming home on Tuesday.  I had hacked Peebs before my trainer came out and had started grooming Scottie for her. She works a full time non-horsey job and had gotten stuck leaving the office so she was a little late getting out to the barn. She made a comment about me getting on Scottie since I was still wearing my boots and chaps and I joked that I would after she got him all tuned up. That lead to her saying I'm more than capable of tuning him up and that she'd give me a lesson on him.  So that's how my impromptu lesson on Scottie happened.

Scottie was bred to be a pleasure horse and did a few years on the open schooling show and breed show circuit before flunking out. He hates flat work and needs an incentive in order to motivate him.  He loves to jump and when A first got him, they'd use poles and even cross rails to get him going.  He's much better about flat work now, but since he was off for a few months earlier this summer he's been doing flat work for the past month. And that's apparently his limit.

loves the jumpies

Our trot work warm up wasn't bad, but he was definitely sucked back.  When I asked for the canter he started reverting back to his Naughty Scottie ways and my trainer told me to aim him at a cross rail. I asked her if she was trying to kill me because he hadn't jumped in three months and I didn't want to be the guinea pig taking him over his first one. Add in the fact that I've never jumped him before and I was pretty nervous trotting up to the cross rail. You can see below how exciting his first fence back was.

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When you have an impromptu lessons and your trainer tells you to jump the horse who hasn’t jumped in three months and you think you’re going to die #butdidyoudie #nonowedidnt #scottiestoolazytobebad

A post shared by Molly Basney (@mollybasney) on Sep 16, 2019 at 8:28pm PDT

Yeah, I really shouldn't have been as worried as I was. We did that same cross rail a few times while Trainer broke down the grid and set up a diagonal fence and an outside line. We then went to the line and did a very wiggly seven strides. For as stiff and unbendable as he can be on the flat, Scottie felt like a limp noodle wiggling down the line. Peebs tends to over bend and drift, but Scottie felt all over the place.  It took me a few tries to figure out how to ride him straight and when I did we were able to leave a stride out and get 6.  During one attempt I really revved him up and we almost did a 5.

We did a small course of the outside line to a single diagonal to the outside cross rail a few times.  Scottie has flying changes but I wasn't able to get him to do any.  I think it's a combo of him needing more strength and me needing to ask harder. But I didn't worry about it too much since he's just coming back into work and just focused on trying to clean up the simple changes. I was surprised at how easy it was to see distances on him, once I got him going. He tends to have a slightly smaller stride but his pace and rhythm are pretty steady and consistent so once I figured out how to get him straight the distances were there.  I had a lot of fun jumping him and hopefully A will let me play with him again.

Pony of a Different Color

The reason I moved the ponies to A's barn TCF this summer was to help her mom watch over the horses and help out with chores.  And to also ride A's horse Scottie. He's the type that doesn't do well with time off, but not in the normal sense. Scottie isn't one to get really hot, or excited, but he will throw on the breaks when asked to go back to work.  He believes that a couple days off in a row means he's retired forever.

Unfortunately Scottie was dealing with some soundness issues before and right after A left. He did get some time off before we finally decided to call the vet. Thankfully it seems to be something that can be managed with a shoeing change and joint injections. Scottie then got another few days off before finally going back to work.

Haven't seen the view between bay ears in a long time

I did the initial ride (and lunge, he might not normally be hot but I wasn't taking any chances!) and even knowing he gets surly after time off didn't prepare me.  Oh boy does that horse not want to go forward. The first few walk trot transitions are met with slamming on the breaks, trying to go sideways, pinned ears, humped back, and threats of rearing. Once he's trotting he's fine but good lord those transitions.  My trainer did the next few rides on him and I was able to watch and even got a mini lesson on him. She, of course, made it look easy.

Scottie is a very different ride from Peebs and it's been good for me to ride him. If I lean too far forward he slows down or stops, so he's keeping me honest about keeping my shoulders back. He requires a committed, definite ride and I have to 100% crisp and clear in my aids and what I'm asking of him. He's also super smooth and I've been getting in a lot of no stirrup work and sitting trot in on him. And once you figure him out and what it takes, he feels great and it's easy to keep him where you want him.