Yesterday, Turkey Day, I decided to go to the barn to spend some time with Mona. I saddled her up, put her bridle on her and a helmet on my head and we went out for a hike (I was walking with her, not riding). I walked her across the street, with some strong coaxing (she gets some bad vibe or something over there).
We no sooner get across the street then we hear some kids running through the woods just being kids. But to Mona I think she thought the woods were alive. She wanted so bad to turn around and run. Her knees were shaking and her head was up and her eyes were all bugged out.
I stopped her and had her face the young boys. Two of them came out of the woods and one of them called back to the other two still in the woods coming our way as well to be quiet there was a horse. He apologized for scaring Mona. He actually said "I'm sorry ma'am for scaring your horse". So cute. He asked if she was friendly and patted Mona's nose. Then he said, "the other boys are coming and we are playing. They are after us. I said go ahead. You got a lead as Mona makes a good block as she was still facing the woods the trail was blocked.
Mona at this point was a little calmer but not by much. We weren't but a few yards from the road at this point. I'm thinking probably not going to get to ride her. But we hiked on.
We came to the stream and for some reason when she crossed the stream she came over to me. So I turned her around and I was going to mount her as there is a high embankment and I could practictly step over on her. As I prepared to do this she walked off. Guess I wasn't ready to mount. Probably just as well.
As we walked up the hill after the stream, Mona heared or sensed something and she was all upset again. I'm thinking this was probably not a good idea. We walked a bit further as up around the corner is a bike ramp that makes for a good mounting block. I looked at Mona's eyes and her knees and her breathing and thought not yet.
So we doubled back the way we came. I'm thinking at this point there is no way I'm going to safely ride her.
I thought about mounting her where Sara mounted Peanut and I have mounted Cheyenne. Again, I looked at Mona and thought - no not yet.
I kept looking at the sides of the trail looking for a downed tree/log something to mount Mona. We came back across the stream. At this point we are hearing the boys again. I am talking to Mona telling her the voices are the boys she just met.
We walked across the field and I looked at Mona again. She was still very worried and we could see the boys. They were with their, I'm assuming Dad, who was sitting near a tree enjoying the sound of the stream and the ray of sun coming through the trees.
I decided, even though she still looked worried, she was going to work through it and I was going to ride her back to the barn. She stood perfectly still and she got her treat for being so good. Her head was high as we took the little turn to the left as there in full view were 4 noisey boys and a man. I let her take it all in. Then I talked to her and we walked up to and past the boys.
She was still nervous but I really think she felt a little better with me on her. It was not what I had expected at all. Mona stopped a couple tmes and I relaxed her head and coaxed her on. I started singing 100 bottles of beer on the wall to keep me relaxed the rest of the way back to the barn. She did great working through her fear. She even walked down the hills where when we are with other riders she likes to trot down.
I did not get to ride as much as I wanted to but I did get to ride. And considering how nervous she was, I think we did ok. When back to the barn, I groomed/moisterized her mane and tail. She was all kinds of relaxed after her spa treatment.
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