UK has been good. I've been alternating lunging and riding him over the past few weeks. Overall he's been progressing well. 2 weeks ago we were having a good ride, and my husband was watching us together for the first time. He did his spooks/tests while we were trotting and then we moved on. He was much more relaxed and we worked on going straight at the trot and canter (through instead of over pairs of poles). We were cantering on the rail, tracking left, when up at the far end of the ring there was a loud metal on metal noise right off of his flank coming from the other side of the brush. He bolted, and I asked him not too. He threw on the brakes so hard he lost his balance and his front end came off the ground with him dropping his inside shoulder. I tried but I couldn't stay on, landing fairly easily on my hip with my head never even touching the sand. Once he lost me as a counter balance he went over the other way and hit the dirt. Then he stood there quivering (I was up within seconds of falling), he was staring at me with fear and confusion and awaiting a beating..... I am so angry at whoever hurt this poor horse! I calmed him and got right back on (needless to say my husband was not happy). We walked, trotted and then cantered and he was fine. Poor guy felt really guilty and I just felt dumb. I had made the mistake of mentioning out loud that I hadn't had a real fall in over 3 years, what a jinx.
After checking UK for injuries again I gave him a shower and then brought him over to talk with my husband who'd been sitting in the truck looking angry. He agreed that UK hadn't spooked on purpose and even said he is a "good horse" (this coming from my husband is high praise for an equine).
So other than that things have been fairly normal. I did find out he is terrified of tarps and there is now one permantly living in the ring until he gets over his fear. I also discovered that someone used to beat him with a whip.... He was feeling fresh and defiant so I went to use one, as soon as it was in my hand he was a quivering nervous wreck. I had to get rid of it, he couldn't even trot on the lunge line while I had it in my hand. Jake had had the same problem and it took me 3 years to banish that fear.... GAH! Stupid people!
So that is pretty much it for the moment. Hoping to have some one to take pictures while I lunge him over jumps soon!
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On a completely different note, I am terribly excited for this movie to come out! When most children were pretending to be faeries, princesses or superheros I was on the swings pretending to be Secretariat. He was and still is my Equine Hero. (Gem Twist is almost tied with him, but I didn't learn about him till I was older)
SO here you go, the trailer!
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