Honey the ASB update and progress thread!

[appypaint]

@AdultEmmy

I also heard from Honeys previous owners and got some insight into her life before the woman I bought from. It certainly explains some things.

I also had people with half siblings reach out with their horses— all lovely. Honestly, ASB people rule.

I’ve been lurking on this thread (I know nothing about ASBs so I have nothing to add!) but I am so vicariously happy that you’re getting plugged into the ASB community.

It’s easy to get locked into a sense of loneliness when you’re working through issues with your horse… horsemanship has a lot of players and even barns are a “community.” But it can still feel isolating when you’re standing in front of your horse, trying to do your best by them, and it seems like they’re a puzzle you can’t crack.

But you’re not alone! Many people have walked this path before. You’re going to be just fine.

[findeight]

ASBjumper…great observation and logic in what you shared.

[AdultEmmy]

I certainly won’t!

[AdultEmmy]

No need to hide under a rock! I’ve been wondering that myself and thought when I posted that video that I might get a comment on that which would sway me, lol

I’m sure I could get them to feed her the hay on the floor. I have a hay bag but she pays no attention to it. They fed her on the ground when we had the issue with her eye. I’ll for sure ask about it. Thank you!

[AdultEmmy]

Thank you so much!

[Alterration]

@findeight

One more thing…you have never been to a horse show until you have been to an ASB show, Arabian shows a close second. They put the show back into horse SHOW. No sitting in silence, no droning announcer mispronouncing names. No, its “How do you like them so far? Let them know”. The louder crowd, the more the horses puff up and glow.

Go see one. Good shopping, adult beverages and drop dead barn aisle set ups with furniture, drapes and sometimes a margarita fountain or champagne buffet. Its an experience.

This I completely second…or THIRD or FOURTH! ;D

ASB horse shows are a blast for both exhibitors and attendees.

At hunter shows you’re watching what feels like the same 4 bay horses do the same course over and over again all day (and I love hunters, but let’s be real here). At dressage shows, you feel like if your chair squeaks someone is going to yell at you to be quiet. Eventing “events” are more fun, but really not a super spectator sport because you have to walk from place to place.

At Saddlebred shows, there’s a mix of riding, driving, and in-hand classes of all sorts. The alcohol flows freely (Tito’s Vodka has been a major sponsor here). There are cake parties. There is all sorts of racket as people cheer for their favorite horse and rider pairs. It’s a SHOW not an evaluation (even though it still gets judged).

I buy a box seat at the locals even when I’m not exhibiting just so that I can sit at a table and enjoy all night!

[findeight]

Hey, AE, it is really easy to quote. Just put your finger on the line or phrase you want to quote and hold it there until you get a blue line. Drag that blue line over what you want to quote. When you lift, the highlighted line(s) will stay blue. There should be a grey box pop up right on top of the highlighted area that says “Quote”, tap it and it will put that quote on a blank reply and you can just type away as usual.

You can also just hit the reply box as usual once the area is highlighted, does the same thing,

You will need to mess around with it a little but it’s pretty easy even for the non office types.

[AdultEmmy]

@findeight

You will need to mess around with it a little but it’s pretty easy even for the non office types.

Got it, thank you!

[swmorse]

Speaking of horse shows, I rode Saddle Seat in my younger days. When I ended up in Florida I switched to hunt seat because that was what was available.

My parents came to a show with me and we were sitting up in the bleachers doing the interminal wait for a horse to enter the ring and my mother says, as loud as she could ‘THIS IS SO BORING!’. I of course, dying of embarrassment ‘Mom!!!’ And 2 girls next to us started laughing and said ‘It is’

[AdultEmmy]

Tonight we groomed for a nice long while

After, we did some work on the lunge line over poles. At first she seemed to have a lot to say (snorts and all that) about this addition of poles. But she did a great job with it. Then we ended with a stretchy trot on the lunge before going outside to graze.

Trying to schedule a session with my friend for tomorrow.

[AdultEmmy]

I just wasn’t in the mood to work today, and my friend who is helping me cancelled due to illness. So I got there this morning and turned her out/scrubbed buckets/cleaned her stall, and then went back tonight to just groom and graze.

And this one which makes me think she’s saying “are you always taking pictures of me cause I’m so cute?”

[AdultEmmy]

Today we did our groundwork homework in preparation for our lesson with my friend tomorrow. Also a new mare joined the herd a few days ago and has become Honey’s new friend. It’s so sweet to see!

[AdultEmmy]

I’ve just kinda been in a mood the last few days, so I decided to make this to see a difference. The bottom is from tonight and the top is maybe a few days to a week into owning her? They were just the two closest stances I could find.

This is helping turn my mood around!

[findeight]

We told you so…keeping track of progress with photos/videos is the best way to deal with impatience, challenges, occasional steps backwards and such. Going back to day 1 keeps you real on that journey.

Her body language is so much better then it was. Fact think I misjudged her condition as better then it was. Maybe because of comparing her initial, physical condition to Matilda as well as Bo. She looked better physically but her body language is almost as dejected and almost hopeless. Tremendous improvement.

Speaking of body…how did your body bounce back from last weeks lesson?

[AdultEmmy]

Thank you so much. That really helped my spirits, and I agree. She looks so much more at ease and less defeated. Even more so here, the first picture is from the day she came home. She looks so different to me it’s kind of wild! And the more recent picture I’ve posted here before and have since made adjustments to the halter.

It took a few days but my body bounced back. Good lord were my thighs hurting for a few days though after that lesson!

[findeight]

Good…you are learning to listen to what a horse’s body language tells you. Keep listening.

And who among us likes gym or at home versions of a Thigh Master better then sitting on a horse?

[Jarpur]

What’s striking in those two head shots is the difference in how her eyes look. Her eyes appear so much larger, and softer, in the second photo.

There’s less tension in her mouth, too.

[AdultEmmy]

Honey had an awesome lesson with my friend yesterday, in the indoor, where her dreaded mounting block lives.

Things make more sense now. Now that I have info from when she was 3, I know that she’s lived outside for the last 11 years and likely hasn’t been exposed to an indoor ring.

It was interesting to see how much stress she seemed to have about the mounting block in the indoor vs the outdoor. My friend got to see a better example of what previous sessions were like. But she stayed calm, worked on the block a bit by sending her out to work then inviting her back to the block to chill, then doing more ground work, then returning to the block again to get on. It was nice to follow the thought process and see honeys reaction to it. She stood still and didn’t spin out or anything after being mounted.

She had her moments where she’d stop, or lose focus or balance, but my friend said she was basically ignoring it all. She just needed to be forward and focus.

IMG_2039

Also I’ll be selling that saddle pad because yellow is just not her color.

[Sparrowette]

Please don’t get upset when I post this. I know that we all buy horses so we can ride. Honey is a lovely mare, and she’ll fill out fine, but until then, I’d like to echo something that @ASBJumper said earlier.

ASBJumper
"You’ve gotten phenomenal support and advice on here already, i will simply echo the few posters who recommended laying off of riding this mare for a bit. She has no topline muscle so even though she may be willing to let you sit on her and do her best to carry you, the fact is, she does not have the muscling or strength/balance to do so - and the effects of riding her (even lightly) despite this will not show up until later, and will be cumulative."

Maybe for right now, just let her eat. Love on her, take her for walks and do some groundwork.

It’s sort of like asking this model to start weight-lifting. (Don’t know the model. It’s just an image I found online.)

She’ll try and do the best she can, but doesn’t really have the muscle to do it without hurting herself. You said that Honey had a bit of trouble with balance. I think that may be your sign from a horse that’s really trying?

My 2¢

[findeight]

Can your friend help you and Honey learn to seriously lunge starting with loose side reins trotting 5 min each way every other day gradually increasing to 10 minutes each way? if you use a watch, thats plenty. Over time you can add a little more contact and some canter.

Reading the above opinions from posters I feel like I know and respect (even though dont necessarily agree with), think they may be right here. Not a bad idea to wait on the riding and theres plenty of other work you can do with some help from your friend.

Plus you can do some more work on you on that fancy school horse.

One very nice thing about the riding video, note when your friend asks for contact, she rewards any attempt by Honey to comply without trying to jam the mares chin into her chest. Compare to earlier video.