Goal for today: Walk into round pen, halter Spade with web halter and cotton lead and walk out.
Purpose: To let him drag it for a few days because it is so scary.
What actually happened: NOT That!
After a super long day at the Harvard sale we came home beat. I wanted to come home relax and rest but yesterday I didn't have a web halter that I could let Spade drag around so I got one today. All I wanted to do is put it on him and go to the house. Instead he wanted to be extremely spooky and snort around. I have to admit that his spookiness has really been bothering me but today it was to much. I was mentally not prepared to work with his goofy self. I carried my baggage into the pen with me. First of all I sold a mare a few years ago (some of you know her) that was a different horse every day. She was wonderful most of the time and extremely talented. On the other hand she would spook at the most random things. One day she would have no problem with certain items then the next, for no reason, she would spook to the point of hurting you at those same items. You could sack her out to your hearts content, but it didn't matter. There was no pattern to her actions which made her completely unpredictable. I dealt with her everyday for 12 years. I never knew how draining it was until I sold her. I vowed never to own one like that again. Spade reminds me alot of her.
Second of all...while trying to approach him I started thinking. Just today went and sold a sweet, loving mare that had a brain, that I actually liked to make room for this jumpy mustang. On any regular day with regular domestic horses I would have sold the jumpy one. I am committed to this competition and I have faith that I can at least get Spade to a competition level, even though I am frustrated.
After he started snorting I was DONE. I started running him around the pen in a highly aggressive manner. He kept trying to look into me for release but I knew if I released him like I do every other day all that would happen is me walking up while he snorted some more. So I kept moving him. This time I wanted to see a real effort on his part to allow me to lead. He has had the mentality that if he turns in then I will let him rest. But he never shows signs of submission to my leadership. I wanted to see him come in to me, lick his lips, and bow his head. I was determined to get it. It took him quite a while. He ran and ran, every few laps I would hustle him in the other direction. He wasn't backing down. I saw the sweat start flowing. He hasn't loped this much since he has been here. As I was pushing him around the pen he started to tire and slow down, but still no signs of backing down. He then tried something that I haven't ever seen before. In a last ditch effort he would roll his hip in to try and kick at me. This made me drive him even harder. Finally Spade started to lope a few feet off the fence with his ear turned to me. Then he licked his lips so I stopped driving him so hard. He slowed to a trot, then a walk and put his nose to the ground. After a minute he was following me closely all over the pen. Poor guy could barely stand he was so tired, but if that is what I have to do to get his respect then I will have to keep doing it. It is bound to change him in one way or the other. After all the running he relaxed and let me put the halter on. In fact he was hunting for it. I thought "We could have done this with out all the drama."
So this is the experiment for the next few days. First I am going to see if dragging the lead will help his spookiness. I have been told it would. I have done this to babies so hopefully it will work. Second, I am going to work him until he submits to me as a leader. This has been the concept all along but apparently I haven't pushed him hard enough. Needless to say I never figured out how to fully fix my old mare so I am trying different things to keep from going through the same problems again. At this point I am just trying things.
I now realize why God sometimes has to bring us to the end of our rope so that we will turn to him. Many times I have seen God push people to the point of exhaustion, waiting on them to turn to Him. In the horse world it is the most stubborn ones that have to be pushed the hardest. The prodigal son had to go all the way to eating the slop of the pigs he was tending before he would turn to go back to his father. Just like I would never hurt Spade God will never hurt us. He just allows us to get in to hard places and continue to run until we figure out that the only place of rest is when we are closest to Him. When I looked at Spade pouring sweat and blowing like a locomotive I felt sorry for him but all he had to do is turn his heart to me. It is ultimately his choice. It reminded me of people that I see everyday that are emotionally and spiritually exhausted and they don't know where to turn. It is there choice to keep running or turn to Jesus. God isn't going to make you change. He just makes it to where we want to. I pray for those that are weary that they would find rest. The way of the Lord is always easier then our own way.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
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