Two’s Company

Hi Elizabeth–hope all is well there. Just thought I would take a min and drop a short note. As always our girls have managed yet again to surprise…lol.. I figured now that Game is starting to go a bit under saddle that maybe it might help her to have the company of another horse in the ring as she is so unsettled in the indoor and Shu isn’t. Soooooo Patrick and I pulled them in together and tacked up together–(she was wonderful on the crossties with Shu there)…so I had reasonable hopes of her confirming my brilliance and insight…..ahhhh how cruel the female psyche can be—lol. We took them out and lounged them together in the ring—Game was very attentive to where Shu was and Shu was her aloof self…just so relaxed—so I called it after just a short lounge and got up while Shu stood to the side—Game still likes to move about on the mounting a bit–she walked off quiet—well for her—her bit of excited here we go trot business—but normal for her right now…and then Patrick pulled Shu over to mount—everything still just fine and wonderful—until……Game saw Patrick mount Shu—and walked off about 3 steps—-and that big ol girl just went electric under me—ears came about half back—and she was going—no way was she letting Shu walk off ahead of her in the same direction…I talked to her and just sat her…she tried to go fast trotting up but settled for her jig…sideways jig to the right—and I mean almost perpendicular to the wall—the sideways to the left—then back to the right again. OK—so she remembers racing–no prob—she’s just a little excited and will settle right down like always…I kept saying that for the next 20 min while all we did was walk—around and around—Shu bored and all strung out—and Game just determined that it was time to go win the race—but finally she did slow down—grudgingly—and just walk. She curled her head and set up on the vertical and had this prancing mincing walk—but an honest walk…..sooooo… bright one that I am I figured ok–lets see if she will just easy trot forward a bit and settle the same way….ummmmmmmmm….nope. She wanted to lock up and just go charging off to get ahead of Shu and changes of direction etc–no effect—the other horse meant work!—run!—lets go what is the matter with you anyway!!!!! So after about 5 min more of this I said—ok—so this isn’t going to happen to relax today and settled her back to a walk—nope—-now she is as irritable at me as Carrie has been on occasion over the last 30+ years—so she walked around a couple of laps—then that was it—frustrated—stopped—started backing up—shaking her head—I just sat quiet—I have been married long enuf to understand when to talk and when not—this was definitely not! So I sat—totally loose reins—and she stood—for almost 3 full min she stood. Now there have been times when Carrie and I have had discussions and there comes a look in her eye—one more word and I know my life is forfeit—Game had that look—lol—Patrick on the other end of the ring asked if I was ok—sureeeee—fine—…and after a couple of min of her just standing I ever so gently and respectfully lightly squeezed and let her go forward—just loops and all–just go on forward—and she did—head was firing up and down like a piston in a car engine—but she went forward and was just upset I wouldn’t let her go out and deal with that other horse —so we did this a few min until was absolutely sure she was having the moment pass—gave her lots of pats and praises for just going forward and not being a witch——and then we called it. You would think this was the end of the story—but no…..I told Patrick he could go ahead and trot Shu around a bit as she had been so good and so quiet while putting up with Game—the min Game heard Shu’s footfalls go to trot she started trying to lounge around me with me holding the reins and having already loosened the girth etc….well—settled her right down….but get this….Shu—our little horse that had no interest in running….now she is trotting around and has nice energy etc…but just being herself—and I swear she did this exactly as I happened to be looking at her when she did it—she was trotting nice—she turned her head–looked strait at Game—pinned her ears back—and just popped into the nicest most balanced energetic canter–stayed out on the rail—but definite message was sent…so Patrick brought her down to a nice forward but easy trot—she did the same thing 4 more times….I swear I have worked with Shu multiple times with other horses in the ring before and she has never glanced sideways even once—but it was like the two of them recognized each other for what they were and neither was inclined to take a back seat. They never cease to find ways to throw me curves…anyway—Game is going otherwise good as best as we can in the winter—I had the luxury of not remembering how hard it was to start a horse in the winter here. Last weekend was below zero temps and howling winds—today was 51 when I left the stable this afternoon—so sometimes the work is hard to get as consistant as I want—but she is doing well—she is coming along. Guess the way she had acted with her racing manners with just the tack I should have seen this coming—but I didn’t—made for an interesting ride…. Shu is as always the charmer of the stable–our ballerina–and my girl has such power and grace as well—sideways no matter what direction and she didn’t even know I was there…I get her more with me she is going to be such a phenomenal feel to ride. I guess I should go pretend to work—I finally did get the pics of Carrie on Game and will try to send a few of those on in the morning when I get home–stay well—-Chuck