As you know, Victor is more "my" horse and Norman is more "my mom's" horse. My mom has been implying that she wants to sell Norman and possibly buy a Fjord. She also wants a miniature horse and donkey, but we won't go there because I've told her "no" a thousand times.
Anyway, my mom doesn't feel comfortable on Norman. She wants a bombproof horse that she can just go out on trails with and not have to worry about anything. She claims she doesn't trust Norman because he's green and not perfectly bombproof and yadda, yadda, yadda.
The real issue isn't the horse, and she doesn't want to admit it. She doesn't trust herself. She had a bad fall off a horse a couple summers ago and tore a ligament in her leg. She's been really nervous about riding horses ever since. It's a confidence issue, and I don't think it has anything to do with Norman. I don't even think she'd be completely comfortable on a 30 year old lesson horse.
I'm really worried about what she's going to do. Norman has never done anything over-the-top naughty and he has the mind to be a schoolmaster someday. He's never hesitated at trot poles and he walks right over tarps, feed bags, logs, everything. He's not perfect yet, but he has so much potential. I just need to get my trainer out there to work with him. He's come so far since we first got him as a two year old and it would make me sick to give up on him now. It scares me to death what could happen if one of them was ever sold. You have no control once money is exchanged and I hear too many horror stories about horses supposedly going to good homes and ending up starved or slaughtered. I have nightmares about things like that. Yes, I might be paranoid, but it's better than not caring at all. My mom doesn't want to think that a horse she knows could end up in a kill pen. It could happen to any horse. It's not just fuglies that you see in feedlots.
I don't know why she's so uncomfortable with Norman. I understand she had a bad fall, but I've had my share of falls, too. I'm over the moon for my boys and I don't understand why she's not happy with him. She needs to get over it. He tends to behave better for me, but that's because he picks up on her insecurity and it transfers to him. Any horse would be like that. I've told her that many times. It never seems to get through, though. Then there's the fact that she treats him like a baby and lets him walk all over her. That needs to stop. I feel bad because she doesn't enjoy riding as much as she used to, but it's not the horse's fault. It's all in her head.
I should have her take a few lessons on him with Lorena. She just needs to get some more good experiences under her belt so she can move on.
... It's giving me a headache.
before she can accept Norman, she has to accept she is afraid instead of using Norman as the point of the problem.
ReplyDeleteI understand where your coming from. Itsl ike with Cookie and Jasmine our mares, Cookie is mine, Jasmine is my mom's stated in writing but she's really mine too.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, my mom doesn't feel comfortable on Norman. She wants a bombproof horse that she can just go out on trails with and not have to worry about anything. She claims she doesn't trust Norman because he's green and not perfectly bombproof and yadda, yadda, yadda. Sounds just like my mom!
When we bought Jasmine, I think she a.jumped into it as ohh lookie a friesian and b. thinking she'll be her future trail bud. And oh yeah bought as a greenie. Now my mom sortaknowshowtoride but is iffy. no lessons for ever and now is starting to get some. uhh green+green=black n blue is totally correct.(our first trail ride with me and her she lost her balance when Jaz was trotting fast and fell off) It put not only a bruiser on her body but confidence in Jasmine. She has training now but ins't what you'd call trail userfriendly yet. She's great in an arena. All along she wanted to sell Jasmine but of course never put any thought into it. Jasmine has been inproving since she came back from training and is now 6 years old, taken the time she can be a trail horse all she needs is love and work. Yet i'm glad she gets serious about getting lessons, since right now I don't have an instructor and yes is a backyard owner (but not those ones that are clueless)we drive 2 1/2 hours to where Jasmine was trained an ride thier Friesians, which is good for both of us since a big movement friesian is quite different from a QH or something so she'll get the feel of them. It bothers me when she says she wants to sell her, as much as the bad we've been though I could not see her go.