Do You Trust Me?

In early May, the Budweiser Clydesdales were performing a routine in which 8 were pulling a wagon in tough-looking patterns. On a particularly tight turn, one of the inside horses stumbled and went down. If you've ever participated in a three-legged race and your partner went down, you can probably imagine what happened to the rest of the horses. But, you don't have to imagine - someone caught it on video and you can read about the incident and watch it here: http://www.horsenation.com/2014/05/14/budweiser-clydesdales-ok-following-scary-hitch-accident/.

Anyway, the ensuing dog-pile of horses was a heart-wrenching, terrifying sight. Anyone who's ever dealt with horses or knows anything about the animals knows that their typical reaction to any unsettling stimulus is to run. But the Budweiser Clydesdales stood stock still (those who were still standing, that is) and waited calmly for their handlers to free them. Talk about complete and utter trust.

Unrelated image of JJ enjoying a good roll in the dirt.
Because blogs are boring without pictures :)

JJ and I had our own version of the unsettling stimulus yesterday, and it goes like this...

I'd had a decent ride on JJ and on a whim decided to do some ground work in the ring. I was too lazy to go up to the barn, untack, and return to the ring, and I wasn't planning on spending much time with the groundwork anyway, so I just hopped off, loosened the girth, and pulled the reins over his head.

I pulled out the tarp, which had been sitting in a jump standard since the last time we played tarp games (when was that... February??). JJ hardly noticed it so I began leading him around in my right hand and dragging the tarp in my left. Didn't care. I laid it flat and walked all over it. Didn't care. Then I asked him to walk over it. This took slightly more convincing, but eventually he decided it might be OK and followed me over it. I picked up the tarp and started the whole process again, a few more times.

At one point I asked JJ to just stand on the tarp. He complied with ease, and I decided to call it a day. And then. Out of nowhere, the wind kicked up the tarp which was still under JJ's feet. Before his brain had a chance to process the information, instinct sent him straight into the air. He practically launched himself OVER my head. And before my brain had a chance to process, my own survival instinct kicked in and I let go of the reins. I LET GO of the reins. I have NEVER dropped a pair of reins in my life. I swore at myself. Swore for dropping the reins. Swore for not untacking him before playing tarp games. Swore for leaving the stupid f***ing gate open so that JJ could run straight out of the ring and back to the barn, or worse, into the road.

The worst imaginable situations played out in my mind as a stood watching him. I could only coo in my calmest, deepest voice "Hoooooo, hoooooo". The reins dangled dangerously close to those uncoordinated front feet. "Hooooo". The open gate glared at me. "Hoooooo".

Unrelated image of JJ getting fat (I hope).
Because blogs are boring without pictures :)

As JJ danced toward the gate, he stepped on the reins. My heart sunk. His head went flying and the bit popped out of his mouth - something broke. Better something leather than his mouth though. "Hooooo".

And to my complete astonishment, JJ hesitated. Just slightly. Then he turned his head and looked at me. Then he stopped, and turned to face me. He began walking toward me, and I couldn't even remember how to breathe. "Easy baby, good boy". I reached out ever so slowly and grabbed an intact piece of the bridle. I can't even put into words how amazing that felt, and I can't tell you how much time I spent standing there just praising him, petting him, soothing him. Does JJ trust me? Well, it's certainly a start.