Like Charity, Insanity Begins on the Funny Farm: July 23, 2007

Readers, I'm busting out of the equid closet. Pull up a rug, it's confession time. I've pussy-footed around the matter, lied to those who would get up my ass, and, after yesterday, I've decided to just bare all, knowing that I am in the right, regardless of popular opinion.

Let me start this entry by layin' it all on the line: Nic is worked every day. Yes, you heard that right, every SINGLE FARKIN' DAY (barring injury, of course). Your common, garden-variety horse owner wouldn't dream of riding their horse every day, so of course, from those not intimately acquainted with myself and Nic, I collect wagging fingers wherever I turn for this decision.

Oh why, oh why do I insist on such a rigorous routine, you ask?

I think this clip explains it all. It was taken after Nic got 2 days off:



In other words, if Nic isn't worked, suddenly dead people begin appearing in that window, with the sole intent to eat horses. (If there's one thing Trainer did teach me, out of all the negative, it's how to stick my butt to the horse. A year ago, I'd have gotten pitched.)

Just like charity, insanity begins at home (or the farm in this case). For those readers not personally acquainted with Nic, you need to understand how smart this horse is. I'm not blinded by maternal rose-colored lenses, by some need to satiate my own ego, or by sheer nuttiness.

A few months ago, I taught her to ask for treats by pushing her purple jolly ball. It took 3 tries before she understood the game, and despite not having repeated the task for months, she still recalls the game and its consequential fruits, and performs it without prompting. So, she has the striking ability to learn a task quickly and to retain that knowledge over the long haul.

Plain as toast in a WASP household, the horse's brain is constantly working overtime. When she doesn't get out and work, all that energy builds up, and comes out in self-destructive ways. She needs chronic challenging, or she loses her mind.

Nicole had both Friday and Saturday off to let her left hind heal. Yesterday, I made the mistake of not lunging her before I got on her, and the ride was a total waste of time. The whole ride was a lesson in staying calm and maintaining a steady rhythm in self carriage, a task at which I failed miserably. She spent the whole time inverting and pulling, a reminder of why we aren't showing currently. In situations like this, when my horse is an ass, and the heights of her high won't wither and reduce, I just pack it in and call it a day.

Now I feel better. Just teasing, I felt fine all along.