Knottymare
Well-Known Member
First, let me say thank you so much for the encouragement and sharing your experience...
I agree with you - to a point. I do agree that with time (lots of time) and proper conditioning, I could get her to drive again - perhaps only in a very controlled environment but I could drive her again. I know the steps to take, the process, but I also know that I would always have the next wreck in my mind. Because, even with an extreme amount of counter-conditioning, there would always be a chance that in the right (wrong) set of circumstances, she would revert to her default which is not just a little bucking fit but a full blown, terror driven, willing to hurt herself kind of bucking fit. Every horse has that default thing they do. Some shut down and either lay down, like yours, or any number of other things like just stand there and glaze over, jig, chew the bit, shake their head... Horses are always trying to tell us if they are happy or not. Some slowly escalate and if we are carefully watching, we can intervene in the situation before a total mental collapse happens. In Dolly's case, she has gone from being forward and happy to a bit irritable to a complete collapse in a matter of seconds. I try but obviously am not always successful at reading my horses LOL... but I do try awfully hard. In Dolly's case, I clearly missed something! This last time, I don't think she even showed any irritability - she just exploded as soon as I touched her breeching.
This last wreck, Dolly had been thoroughly groomed, handled, gently tacked up, every peice of harness was tested, shaken, pulled and tested before the cart was introduced. I tried to get her to buck before we ever saw the cart but she was unperterbed and was in a good frame of mind and very willing throughout the whole thing. We'd been doing it for weeks so for her, it was just another game with a cookie at the end of it. When I brought over the cart, I again tested everything. As I attached every part, it was tested. When she was fully tacked, I rocked the cart back and forth, putting pressue on the breeching and crupper especially, carefully watching her reaction. She was ears forward or listening the entire time. No pinned ears or sour expression. No tail switching, no foot stomping, no teeth grinding. Nothing but a relaxed, licking and chewing horse.
There are so many "ifs"... IF I were younger (I'm not dead but I am 50 and have fibromyalgia), IF I wasn't recently recovering from not only a completely reconstructed knee but also a major ankle break, IF I had a ton of time and no other horses that needed work... I could devote all my time to this. I'm not saying I'm not going to work with her... in fact, right after the accident, both times, I went right to work with her and we ended with a stronger bond and we both felt safe and comfortable with each other. There were no "don't go there" spots on her body, no resistance, no fear of the equipment or the environment. She ended both episodes a willing and enthusiastic partner.
What I know is that no matter what I discover in this process, be it a physical issue that is "fixable" or a mental issue that will take counter-conditioning, I will not feel safe in a cart behind her. At least I cannot envision that at this time. That might change. But right now, I cannot imagine it. I have another mare that has a very even keeled personality and while she won't be the Porsche to drive that Dolly was, she'll be fine and fun and safe as her default when she is pushed to her limit is to just stop and stomp her princess feet. I also have a colt that I'll be bringing up every step of the way so hopefully, he'll be a good driving horse in 3 or so years.
I say all of this to share my thought process as I hope that all our experiences, good, bad and otherwise, will help someone else. I'll continue to update everyone with Dolly's progress and believe me, no one will be happier than me if one day I can come back here and report that once again, she and I are enjoying a good trot down a sunny country road!
Meanwhile, we have a LOT of tricks to learn together!
Cheers
Mary
I agree with you - to a point. I do agree that with time (lots of time) and proper conditioning, I could get her to drive again - perhaps only in a very controlled environment but I could drive her again. I know the steps to take, the process, but I also know that I would always have the next wreck in my mind. Because, even with an extreme amount of counter-conditioning, there would always be a chance that in the right (wrong) set of circumstances, she would revert to her default which is not just a little bucking fit but a full blown, terror driven, willing to hurt herself kind of bucking fit. Every horse has that default thing they do. Some shut down and either lay down, like yours, or any number of other things like just stand there and glaze over, jig, chew the bit, shake their head... Horses are always trying to tell us if they are happy or not. Some slowly escalate and if we are carefully watching, we can intervene in the situation before a total mental collapse happens. In Dolly's case, she has gone from being forward and happy to a bit irritable to a complete collapse in a matter of seconds. I try but obviously am not always successful at reading my horses LOL... but I do try awfully hard. In Dolly's case, I clearly missed something! This last time, I don't think she even showed any irritability - she just exploded as soon as I touched her breeching.
This last wreck, Dolly had been thoroughly groomed, handled, gently tacked up, every peice of harness was tested, shaken, pulled and tested before the cart was introduced. I tried to get her to buck before we ever saw the cart but she was unperterbed and was in a good frame of mind and very willing throughout the whole thing. We'd been doing it for weeks so for her, it was just another game with a cookie at the end of it. When I brought over the cart, I again tested everything. As I attached every part, it was tested. When she was fully tacked, I rocked the cart back and forth, putting pressue on the breeching and crupper especially, carefully watching her reaction. She was ears forward or listening the entire time. No pinned ears or sour expression. No tail switching, no foot stomping, no teeth grinding. Nothing but a relaxed, licking and chewing horse.
There are so many "ifs"... IF I were younger (I'm not dead but I am 50 and have fibromyalgia), IF I wasn't recently recovering from not only a completely reconstructed knee but also a major ankle break, IF I had a ton of time and no other horses that needed work... I could devote all my time to this. I'm not saying I'm not going to work with her... in fact, right after the accident, both times, I went right to work with her and we ended with a stronger bond and we both felt safe and comfortable with each other. There were no "don't go there" spots on her body, no resistance, no fear of the equipment or the environment. She ended both episodes a willing and enthusiastic partner.
What I know is that no matter what I discover in this process, be it a physical issue that is "fixable" or a mental issue that will take counter-conditioning, I will not feel safe in a cart behind her. At least I cannot envision that at this time. That might change. But right now, I cannot imagine it. I have another mare that has a very even keeled personality and while she won't be the Porsche to drive that Dolly was, she'll be fine and fun and safe as her default when she is pushed to her limit is to just stop and stomp her princess feet. I also have a colt that I'll be bringing up every step of the way so hopefully, he'll be a good driving horse in 3 or so years.
I say all of this to share my thought process as I hope that all our experiences, good, bad and otherwise, will help someone else. I'll continue to update everyone with Dolly's progress and believe me, no one will be happier than me if one day I can come back here and report that once again, she and I are enjoying a good trot down a sunny country road!
Meanwhile, we have a LOT of tricks to learn together!
Cheers
Mary
