Giselle

"I'LL SHOW YOU NUTS!!! How to Train a Crazy Horse"
By Liz


Ginger got me a new horse to work with a week ago. We went to Auction and Ginger spotted this really lovely looking chestnut (orange in color) horse eating hay very quietly. I thought it was a nice horse too... but I think all horses are nice. 

"She's a little over the knee" says Ginger as she stares down this mare. (girl horse). "I have no idea what that means" "Her knee is over the front of her leg, her conformation is not great... but she sure is pretty"

We left before we even saw the pretty horse run around... all we saw of it was... it eating some hay. 
Ginger bought her a few days later. 
We go to pick her up. A man in his 70's comes out of his trailer hut, bow legged, wearing old man jeans, boots, a hat... blazing blue eyes, with crows feet from the sun. You can tell this guy has been around the block a few times. 
"Now... this horse has been returned twice now... she's too much horse for the last two people, she also jumped out of the pen, she sure likes to jump, do you have a good rider?" Ginger just smiles, and replies "yup" I'm sitting there like an idiot not knowing what to think... 

We get the horse on the truck and bring her home. 
My mind is racing. Who is the good rider going to be? I can't wait to watch this person ride the crazy horse! Turns out... this horse is for me. I named her "Giselle" originally I was thinking Gazelle.... but now it's after the ballet called "Giselle". Her show name is "Peasant Girl". 

I waited a few days, and the day had come, I was going to hop on my new horse that is crazy! Whooo can't wait to die. 

To make a long story short. I didn't die. But Giselle does have many issues. One being cross ties. (Ropes that clip onto the horses collar to keep it still while you brush and put stuff on it) 
She hates them, and told us this by kicking a huge hole in the wall. 
Now she gets groomed and tacked up in the ring. She loves to eat grass while being brushed, she is an angel. 
Next, she hates people on her back that own a pair of legs. If you touch her with your heel, she pins her ears back and kicks, or bucks. 
Someone has done something terrible to this girl. Maybe spurs? Maybe kicked the crap out of her.... it's either pain, or fright. 

Next, she hates to run left. She thinks this sucks and likes to give a nice big buck. It doesnt bother me... I think it's cute. 
Anyway, a week later, I have the kicking down to a minimum, and the bucking seems to happen from discomfort which we are still looking into, or balance issues. The great thing about auction horses, is that they are a mystery. 
I jumped her last night. She sure likes to jump. I figure I might as well be a little crazy with her. Let her act out, be as bad as she wants, and all she's going to get in return is a ton of love and praise. She gave a few good bucks last night, and then scared herself... thinking that she was about to get a beat down... nope, nothing but "Thats it? That was cute, c'mon let's ride now, enough of this silly stuff, we are here to have FUN!" And with that, her ears perked forward and she sailed me over a jump.
I jumped off, gave her a hug and kick, and she closed her eyes as if to say. 

I'm home.