Jimmy Gets An Attitude Adjustment

Yesterday I had a quick hour before my lesson was to arrive so I thought I could squeeze in a good hack on Jimmy before I taught. I thought wrong.

As I mentioned, he's having a bit of a 'tude problem from what I believe is his own teenage-minded (he's a teenager in people years - and acts exactly like a 16 year old human boy most days!!) stubbornness. He's bitter that I haven't been out and working him as much as I should, so he's showing me through attitude. Alright Jimmy, I get it. Thanks.

We worked for about 35 minutes (I'll admit I was gabbing a bit & didn't get on until late) and he just wouldn't relax. He had way more steam than he could blow. I couldn't work him down because my lesson had arrived and was tacking up her horse, so I cooled him down (which takes him about one lap, no matter how worked up he is) & untacked. I left his boots and halter on & put him in what we're now calling the "Naughty Boy Pen". It's a little 14x14 paddock just between our aisle and indoor arena & I didn't even put on his blankey. He had to chill out - LITERALLY so he stood naked in the cold until I was finished with my lesson. He stared at me through the window the whole time, eyes pleading. "Mom.....MOM?!? I'M NAKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (Jimmy is always FULLY clothed. I like protecting him from nips and bumps so he always has some kind of sheet or blanket on - even in the summer he usually wears a fly sheet)

After my lesson my student asked for a demo so I got to ride my favorite mare for a few minutes, then it was back to JC the Naughty Boy. DISCLAIMER: WHAT I AM ABOUT TO SAY IS NOT TYPICAL BEHAVIOR FOR ME BUT IN SOME INSTANCES I DEEM IT NECESSARY FOR ANY TYPE OF PROGRESSION. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES. I tacked him up again and put on draw reins. I try  to NEVER EVER EVER use them, but based on how he was fighting me one specific way and just wouldn't quit I chose the draw reins as my weapon of choice. He hasn't worn them in probably close to two years so I was curious to see if he would remember them.

I got on & trotted enough to get his heart pumping again (if it had ever stopped...) & went to the canter, which is where he was causing me problems. Instead of cantering collected and appropriately, he was kind of hog-wild and flinging his front end all over the place, so I was using the draw reins as a light reminder of how to behave. They worked like a charm. It only took about fifteen minutes because he immediately remembered what draw reins were all about. He tried fighting me a few times seriously and with a little spur in his side & the draw reins keeping his front end in place he realized this was no battle worth fighting. We ended on a splendid note cantering beautiful figure eights with full changes in the middle. Good job, little man.