Gia - session 849 - jumping

 Today was not a great day with Gia.  I started out warming up at the walk, and decided to try ponying Butch as well, so I could get his handwalking in at the same time.  (He has been rehabbing from a strained suspensory, and we have to hand walk him twice a day).  When you "pony" another horse, you basically lead them in hand while you are sitting on another horse.  When I've done this with the other horses I ride, they have all been fine with it. Gia was NOT a fan of ponying Butch.  She kicked out at him, almost immediately.  I ended up switching him to a lunge line instead of a leadline, so he could stay farther away.  She still didn't really like it, but we were able to get it done.  

After that, I took her out in the field for the rest of her warm up, before we started jumping.  I had only been trotting a few minutes, and she was a bit crooked, so I was leg yielding her over, when she let out one of her gigantic "launch-bucks".  Those are what I call the ones when she leaps forward and then bucks up at the same time.  This one was bigger than most, and I popped right over her head and landed on the ground.  I tried to hold on to the reins, but she is so tall that they aren't long enough for me to keep them when I fall off.  So, she took off galloping through the field.  

Meanwhile, I was fine.  I had landed on my rear end first, and then a light smack of  the back of my head on the ground (no stars, no headache, no dizziness, so all good).  I got up and started off after her, and Gwen joined me once she put Butch away.  We sent her running around the field "natural horsemanship" style, until she started to drop her head and show signs that she was ready to be submissive (and more humble).  

Once caught, I put her on the lunge line and had her canter a bit more around the field, and over jumps, especially the ones she really doesn't like, like the brick wall and the flat tires.  She was slightly resistant about them at first, but then decided it would be in her best interest to take them.  Once she was sufficiently tired, and humble, I hopped on and trotted over a few more jumps.  She added a little canter here and there, but kept her feet on the ground, and her attitude much improved.  

She came back into the barn a much more tired horse, and hopefully, a horse that learned her lesson.

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