Sunshine v. Sage

5-3-14

I rode Sunshine today.  It was a nice ride out in the field.  At first she was very concerned about the neighbor's big pig.  It was out of the pen and wandering the field but stayed close to home and eventually roamed around the end of the barn and I'm sure went back in.  But while it was wandering it might have eaten horses and she kept a close eye on it and was ready to run.

This has not been a good spring for riding.  Cold and wind have really put a damper on taking horses out.  I have ridden Sunshine only twice before today;  that's twice since last October.  The first time she just didn't want to do anything I wanted and really messed up  my back.  When I gave all the other horses their wormer last month, she decided she was not going to take it and ran away from me. OK.  I knew I would get her sooner or later so I waited.  When I finally caught her and tried to squirt the paste into her mouth, the old camel put her head way up in the air so I couldn't reach it.  She is 10 years old and has never given me trouble about the wormer before.  That sort of set the tone for that first ride this spring.  She wouldn't stand for me to get on, another unusual behavior for her, and I just kept moving the mounting steps around.  When she finally stood I got half way on and she took off at a trot, out the barn and down an incline into the pen.  I was half on half off and she just wouldn't stop.  Somehow I managed to get all the way on but the damage was done.  I think I pulled half the muscles in my body, trying to pull my fat ass up in the saddle.  I was so mad.

Well, we worked small circles for almost an hour.  At first she wasn't even going to turn or do anything for me.  She was acting like a two-year old, and as a matter of fact, she wasn't that bad when she was two!  She finally settled and I worked up a sweat on me and her.  This is a horse who has been quiet and well- behaved for 10 years and now she was acting like the dumb blond that she is.  My farrier, Jennifer, says she is acting like a blond when she gets stubborn, but this is the worst I'd seen her. We day that because Sunshine is a Palomino - the blond of the horse world.  When I got off I practiced getting on and off and her standing still for several mounts.  No problem.

Two days later I came out for a ride again.  That time she was almost perfect and we didn't have any of the nonsense of the previous ride.  We had a nice 45 minutes in the pen just remembering who was actually in charge.  I am the boss horse, of course.

Today's ride was very nice.  The wind finally died down and the temperature was almost 60 - just about perfect.  She was totally cooperative (except for the pig part) and we even went out of the pen, down the lane and out into the neighbor's unplanted field, and then our hay field.  I made her do circles because all she wanted to do was eat hay.  My mistake was letting her have a taste and then I created a monster; a hay-eating monster.  But that was the only issue today and that was my fault.  We did walking and trotting circles and even cantered on the way back.  She has comfortable gates and really is a good girl.

Sunshine is Sage's replacement.  I have been dreading every ride because she is basically untested and I am basically a nervous wreck, especially when we go down the road.  My nervousness is unwarranted.  I have never had a serious problem with her on the road.  MY problem is I was so comfortable on Sage and I really want that back.  I miss her terribly.  If I had Sage I would have been out riding because the wind didn't bother her.  Sage was my comfort ride.  Sunshine is tall and lanky, where Sage was short and just right.  I am afraid if I fall off Sunshine I won't be able to get back on.  I wear my helmet with Sunshine and I never wore one with Sage.  Foolish maybe, but I trusted Sage and I still don't trust Sunshine.  I started riding Sage when she was 2 and I was 42.  I was still fearless.  Sage was exceptional and I never really had to de-spook her; she never really got upset about much.  I started riding Sunshine when I was 54 and a little more careful about what I was doing with my body.  It never occurred to me that I would get hurt on Sage and with Sunshine that seems to be my biggest concern.  My riding friend, Debbie, says I was lucky with Sage and Sunshine is more the norm.  So I have been working hard to train Sunshine and de-spook her and get her out into the world.  I won't go out unless Debbie comes to pick me up with her horse.  I never had to do that with Sage.  If Sage was afraid of something, she looked at it and would trust that I wouldn't let it hurt her.  Not so with Sunshine.  Sunshine turns around and head for home when she is unsure of anything, especially the neighbor's dogs.  I was not happy to see that they got two Irish Wolfhounds when they couldn't control the dogs they already had, and when dogs come running at Sunshine, she tries to run home.  This even happened at the forest preserve my friend and I trailer to.  I big black dog came bounding toward us and Sunshine turned her huge head around as fast as she could to take off, right into Debbie's head. Ouch.  She stopped and the dog was brought back to the leash and all ended well; even Debbie was all right.

Sage was in her first parade when she was six.  I'll blog another time about the parades we did, but my point is I keep comparing Sage and Sunshine.  I know its not fair and I am only harming myself.  So what do I do about it?  Sage's death was a complete surprise, almost a year ago, and I am having a hard time letting go.
I am seriously hoping that in time I will forget to compare them and be happy with Sunshine.  I think I am headed in that direction.  We both need a little more work.