Welcome to Bit of Honey Training LLC

Welcome to Bit of Honey Training LLC
Welcome to Bit of Honey Training LLC

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Touch A Prince at the National Western Complex

This weekend Touch A Prince and I went to the National Western Complex in Denver to let him see the show grounds where he'll be performing in March for the 2016 Equine Comeback Challenge.  It was an Arabian show, but they also had open classes, which any breed could enter.  I had planned to ride and show Touch A Prince Friday evening when the show started, and then again on Saturday morning in the english classes.

Touch A Prince was a perfect gentleman for loading in the trailer, traveling, and unloading at the show grounds.  I got him all settled in and I took him for a walk in the arenas so he could look at everything.  It was pretty intense in the arenas with everyone warming up, there were saddleseat horses who move with big exaggerated steps at all three gaits.  There were also reining horses, who ran into sliding stops and spun around and around at top speeds.  The announcer's system surprised Touch A Prince as well, and hearing music over the loud speakers definitely added a bit of excitement.  Touch A Prince was very alert, and all the new circumstances were just intimidating enough that he started needing some help.  We were finally in a situation where he didn't feel confident, and so he looked to me to give him safety and protection.  I happily provided this within safe boundaries, for example not allowing him to leap into my lap when he shouted "hold me!" as we walked with the large tractor that was working the footing in the arena.

We have had really cold weather at home this week, 20 deg. and 20 mph wind.  Because of that I haven't been doing too much riding with Touch A Prince just prior to the show, and I hadn't had a chance to ride him with a bit yet.  At this type of show a bit is required when you are competing, so I had brought several different ones in case Touch A Prince wanted something specific.  When I tacked him up on Friday afternoon he was very calm for grooming, he didn't make ANY faces at me when I tightened the girth on his saddle.  However, when I put the bit in his mouth as part of bridling him he became very agitated.  He wasn't unreasonable, and I wasn't concerned about riding him, but he definitely was not his usual mellow self.  I ended up only riding him for about twenty minutes though, because he really was upset about the bit.  He repetitively twisted his head, almost entirely upside down so that his lips were higher than his ears.  He jigged in place, with incredible tension throughout his body but especially in his jaw and neck. 







After I got a very little (albeit poor quality) walk, trot, and canter from him both directions I called it quits for the night.  I took him back to the stall and he wasn't able to think through the turn to get into the door and into his stall.  He just froze in the barn aisle, mouth and neck dramatically flexed.  I could tell it was the bit bothering him since he kept gaping his mouth open, and while doing this he would tense all his neck muscles.  I decided to take his bridle off in the barn aisle and put his halter on to see if that would help him get around the door and into his stall.  It was like I had hit a switch.  As soon as the bit dropped out of his mouth he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and rested his head on my chest in thanks.  His entire demeanor changed and he instantly transformed back into the quiet friendly horse I've had thus far.  He very easily negotiated the turn and walked into the stall where I finished untacking him.
Even though I had only ridden him for about twenty minutes, he was very sweaty and lathered up from tension.  We headed to the wash stalls to hose him off with warm water.  Because the show was about to start all the people and their horses were waiting for space in the wash rack to bathe.  We went to the very far end of the barn where there were just two teenage girls washing their brown horses.  I thought we were going to be standing there FOREVER waiting for the girls to finish the sixth and seventh soaping and scrubbing of the one white sock on their horses.


As I was pondering if a person could scrub the hair right off of a horse's legs, Rebecca found an opening at the other very far end of the barn in that wash stall.  Touch A Prince and I hustled down there and I was able to get him rinsed off in short order.  Like most track horses, he wanted a drink from the hose before I began hosing him off.  However, I don't think he was expecting warm water, because the disgusted look on his face very clearly said, "Who serves luke-warm water as a happy hour beverage?"

Because Touch A Prince had been so upset about the bit, but still tried so hard to do everything I asked of him, I decided not to show him Friday night after all.  I really wanted this trip to be a positive thing for him, and pushing him to perform when he was that anxious wouldn't have been good for either of us.  I needed to remind myself that as an eleven year old he has a long history with humans and tack from before he came to Bit of Honey.  As situations present themselves reminding him of past experiences, Touch A Prince tells me a little more about his interpretation of old events and his opinions.  I learned a lot about him Friday night, and I really greatly appreciate his honesty and efforts to work with me despite being so upset.  I put him away for the night and we adjourned to the hotel.  

Saturday morning started out well.  Touch A Prince nickered at me when we entered the barn.  He looked pretty well rested, and he had eaten most of his large pile of hay overnight.  After taking him for a brief walk around the barns and arenas to look at everything once more I began braiding him for the day's photos.

Touch A Prince surprises me with how much he likes to be fussed over.  When he first arrived he didn't seem to have much patience for it, he wanted me to just get on with it and go to work.  As time has gone by he has decided that perhaps primping is actually kind of nice.  He stood quietly for braiding, and we would occasionally take breaks so I could rub his face and ears with him leaning into my hands for just the right scratch.

Once he was looking dapper and tacked up I took him to warm up.  I had switched the bit from the loose ring three piece snaffle I'd used the night before (which he obviously hated), to a regular eggbutt snaffle with only one joint in the middle of the mouthpiece.  I suspect this bit may be more similar to what Touch A Prince raced in, because he acted much more like a happy race horse.  He was still tense, but a thousand times softer with this one, and much more eager to go forwards with less jigging up and down.  There was MUCH less head twisting.  He did find the warmup arena stressful, and he wasn't happy just walking around in circles.  I took him to the big arena and let him gallop a little bit.  This made him much happier, he felt like he had permission to run, which he really loves.  After a few laps of this he had settled down nicely, and he could think about the trail class which was first.




Trail definitely seems to be his thing.  He was great over the complicated series of poles, stood quietly at the rope gate, and marched nicely over the bridge.  He definitely performs his best when he is thinking his way through something. 



The video of his trail class can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jx4qXXyNpc&feature=youtu.be

We also rode in two rail classes, where we walked, trotted, and cantered with the group.  Videos of his rail classes can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkN-0NIM4kw&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khfzh7UP6jk&feature=youtu.be





He was very well behaved in the rail classes, and I wanted to end on a good note.  I took him back to the barn and untacked him in the stall.  By this time he was getting agitated about the bit again.  When I went to unbuckle the already loose noseband he tossed his head and didn't want me to touch it.  I suspect he thought I was going to make it tighter.  He seemed surprised when I unfastened it completely.  Then he fairly began shouting at me, "Get it off, get it off, get it off!", tossing his head as I began to remove the bridle itself.  I do this very slowly so that the bit won't hit his teeth when I remove it.  This time was just like flipping the switch from the night before.  As soon as the bit had passed from his lips he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and rested his face on my shoulder.  He was calm, sweet, and thankful.  I don't know how much more clearly a horse can say that he doesn't like a bit.  It was good that he was able to see the show grounds, anyway, and I learned a lot about him this weekend.
When we had packed up, Touch A Prince hopped in the trailer like a champ and headed home with me no problem.  I think he was relieved to return to his large paddock, all day hay buffet, and friends.  Now that we're home and after he has Sunday to unwind, I'll be doing some further investigating into this mouth thing.  I'll do a different type of thorough oral exam to check out the bars of his mouth, his tongue, and the arch of his palate.  However, regardless of my findings, if he declares that he just will not be happy with any shape metal (or plastic, or rubber) in his mouth I'll continue to work him without a bit.

I definitely want him to be happy in his training and in his forever home when the right adopter appears, so if that means bitless trail riding I'm all for it.  My lesson horses all teach without bits, and I've evented horses and gone cross country successfully with them bitless.  The only reason I use bits is because they are required for certain types of competition.  I get just as good results, and often happier horses, without them.  I am grateful that Touch A Prince told me what was wrong, and I'm very impressed with his willingness to work with me despite his anxiety.  I feel very honored to have a horse as honest as he is in my barn. 




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