Confronting the hedge-bound demons

[glenatron]

This evening I skipped ninjing because it's a long drive and it may be the last sunny evening before the weekend (when we go on holiday) and instead did some schooling with Zorro while sleepsy_mouse went adventuring with Jasper.

After the antics of the last few weeks I went straight to focussing on getting him happy by the scary hedge of doom at the side of the school. To start with, working from the ground, I was quite happy for him to grab a mouthful of tree if it mean't he wasn't too anxious (and as long as he was avoiding the bits of tree all wound round with nightshade). Following on from our last couple of groundwork sessions he was pretty much ready to dive in there directly and didn't mind at all when I was swinging my stick and string into the hedge around him. Having done a bit more work along the side of the school, just making sure he could move as well as munching on it, I got on and we did some ridden work. After the last few rides where Zorro decided to be a bit of a handful he was wonderfully calm and attentive, trying a few evasions but no rearing or jumping up and down.

Having a really calm and co-operative schooling session seemed to do wonders for both our confidence. After having partly caused a problem for him, I feel a whole lot better about having helped him solve it.

Also, my riding felt more competent than usual, which probably made a big difference...

Comments

[penella22.livejournal.com]

:-)

Those days make it all worth-while don't they?

What the hell's ninjing? And how many hobbies do you have anyways? :-)

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

It's ninjutsu. I'm a (very recent and slightly inept) black-belt ninja as well as the music, the horsemanship and the LARP.

That's why Sequoia was such a bind on my time. The other guys in the band had maybe one major time-consuming hobby, I had three. And that's before you hit all the other general passtimes.

No wonder I don't watch much TV or mow the lawn often enough...

[penella22.livejournal.com]

lol...hmmm, now who else do I know like that? (my fiance is also into a million and one different activities, but has zero enthusiasm for mowing the lawn).

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping we'll be able to cut it for hay soon.

Admittedly we'd only get about 1/8 of a bale, but it's a good theory.

[penella22.livejournal.com]

lol...uh, yeah. that's one I'm not sharing with my fiance...;-P

brilliant theory though. now...why is it that I choose not to weed my garden? (other than being too busy riding I mean)

[stu-the-elder.livejournal.com]

Someone bound demons into hedges? Surrey's gone downhill then has it?

- Crumpwright

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Well, the hedge is on the downhill side of the school...