Lots to think about

Kate from http://ayearwithhorses.blogspot.ca/  posted a link to this great blog post:

http://lopetexas.typepad.com/horse_tales/2012/04/the-right-match.htm

Talk about just the right timing.  So here's the question part of the blog and my answers on how they relate to Lucas and me.

Here are some questions that I have found useful to consider:

• Do you frequently postpone riding sessions with your horse because he is having physical problems? Is your horse ever sore (legs, back, withers, etc) after riding? Is this a consistent pattern?

Not really, I find more health reasons for me not to ride than I worry about Lucas.

• Have friends or family ever suggested to you that you might need a different type of horse? Has a trainer/instructor ever told you that your horse wasn’t a good match? Have multiple trainers/instructors suggested that you might want to reconsider your horse choice? Note: Multiple professionals giving you this type of feedback is a very serious signal to think about.

 Several people have suggested that I'm not happy, and neither is Lucas. 

•  Has anyone ever told you that they were worried that you were going to get hurt with your horse?

 My best friend is the only one that is concerned about my safety, but she knows what will happen if I fall off.  D and C recently admitted that they think he is becoming too 'bossy' for me, and a bit too strong.

• When you ride your horse, do you both progress steadily over time? Do you work on new things or always do the same routine? Are either of you bored?

I feel like we never progress, and he has so much training I have nothing to teach him and I love teaching new stuff to horses.  

• Do you have fun when you ride your horse? Note: If your stomach is churning and you only exhale every 15 minutes while in the saddle, you are not having fun.

No

• Do you put off learning more advanced riding techniques because you aren’t sure you and your horse can do those together? Note: Not everyone is interested in learning how to piaffe, but this question did help me realize what was going on with Sally and me.

 Yes, he has the talent (and truthfully so do I) but we never seem to get there.

• Do you spend more time on the ground with your horse (round pen work, hand walking, grooming, etc) than you do riding your horse? Note: This question is not directed at folks who have pasture pals they adore but don’t ride for a good reason (the horse is retired or in rehab, for example). The question is for people who have a horse they acquired for riding. 

Yes, I wish I could ride more often, but I don't for just about every reason under the sun.  Mostly lately its come down to a pain issue.

• How often have you ridden your horse without supervision (i.e., not in a lesson) in the past 6 months? In the past year? A low number (i.e., one that you can actually remember) is food for thought.

A reasonable number, what would be more interesting is what I do when no-one is around.  Mostly just walk-trot.

• Pretend for a minute that you HAVE to rehome your horse for a good reason (such as you just got offered a dream job in New Zealand and can’t take your horse there). How does that make you feel? Sad, excited, relieved? 

Relived, but sad.

• If you use a trainer for your horse, how long has your horse been in training with that person? Have you switched trainers since you’ve had your horse? If so, how many trainers has your horse been with in the last year? In the last two years?

We've only been with D and C, but the man I used to work with did give us a lesson in December.  If I just shut up the voice in my head and LISTEN to D I would be ahead of the game.

• Pretend for a minute that the horse person you trust or admire more than anyone (your current instructor, your most revered horsemanship master, your barn BFF, or Ray Hunt himself speaking from the grave) just sat you down and told you that your horse needs someone different. How do you react — are you angry (“What do they know?”), defiant (“I’ll show them and ride my horse in the Olympics one day”), concerned (“Oh no, what if they are right”) or sad (“I know they are right”)?

Sad, and I would agree

Eye opening to say the least.  As much as I love Lucas, I need to love him enough to find him a home where he will be happy all of the time. 

I did have a good lesson on Saturday with D. We worked on trot poles and getting the horses shoulders "up" and the horses rocked back on there haunches.  It was good because it gave me something to focus on so I couldn't stress about noises, or passing the other horse (or having the other horse pass us).  We ended up cantering though two of the poles then having to make a sharp right turn about 2 strides out of the poles.  It was a good exercise for both of us and made us sit back and think, instead of getting heavy and flat.