Animals are Funny: Lucifer, a Horse
Posted: Wednesday, September 14, 2011
by Dianne Lehmann
Artisan Jewelry from SyZyGy
I get to experience life with all sorts of different animals. I count myself as blessed for this. My husband, Bernd, and I currently have just the one cat, Winnie (I keep thinking she needs a dog). But two days a week, I get to go visit a menagerie of animals. There are seven horses, three dogs, one pot-bellied pig and two cats all with their own very separate personalities. This doesn't take into account the mice, rabbits, squirrels, snakes (one named Charles) and lizards that inhabit the ranch as well, or the ravens, roadrunners, hawks, doves, Phoebes, starlings or other birds that drop by for a while. I don't see the two tortoises much. They live in the house.
Lucifer does still manage to surprise me from time to time, however. He comes up with the craziest stuff.
Horses love anything sweet. Just the other day, Dee pulled up some corn she had growing in her garden. She threw it whole … stalks, roots and cobs … into the pasture and you should have seen them all crowding around trying to get some. Terpsichore and Violet were "fighting" over a stalk. Terpsichore had it in her mouth and was running all over with Violet giving chase. Terpsichore had her head up high and her tail too. Only problem was that while she was running, she couldn't be chewing. Lucifer claimed a stalk all to himself and was left alone with it. He's the lead horse of the herd. Nobody messes with the leader … ever.
Dee told me that last year when she threw corn stalks out there for them, Violet snatched one up and took off with it. She bit down hard which caused the stalk to bend and because she was running, the end of the stalk smacked her in the side. Then she really took off and it just kept smacking her. She got so het up that she fired up the rest of the herd too. It reminded me of when we still had Winnie's brother, Bear. Winnie got her head caught in the handle of a plastic shopping bag and didn't know it. When she got up to leave, it "attacked" her and she took off racing around and around the house. She kept it up for several minutes. It totally terrified Bear who raced around for a while, too, and then hid under the bed. I couldn't stop laughing. I still laugh when I think about it.
I keep sugar lumps in my pocket when I am tacking up Lucifer because it pleases him and also distracts him while I tighten his girth. He has never refused a sugar lump when I have offered it to him. And usually he is nuzzling my pocket trying to get a few to "accidentally" fall out. So I was really surprised a bit later.
I had previously had to carry a crop (short whip) with me when working with him because he had been bad and almost injured the farrier one day. I was instructed to be very strict with him for the next month or so and get him around to being more obedient. And really, that's a matter of degree. He's actually a very well behaved horse. He knows what humans expect of him and, for the most part, he complies. But because he is so smart, he sometimes likes to make "trouble."
Lucifer does not like crops. Just having one in your hand makes him nervous. He can't take his eye off of it. He wonders what you are going to do with it. I've never had to actually apply it to his hide. I did test it first on my thigh in case I might have to use it. I hit myself pretty hard with it and it didn't really hurt at all. Dee told me that when he was young he really deserved his name and she had to always carry a crop when she rode him, and she had to use it. Later when he had learned to do what she wanted, she started calling it his "brave stick" because that was the only way he would take a jump. She had to have a crop in her hand. She didn't have to use it; he just had to see it out of the corner of his eye. By the way, he doesn't like miniature horses either. They scare him. We have no idea why. I found that out the hard way. I still think Dee secretly withheld the information.
It had been a couple of weeks since I had finished with his "refresher" course in obedience and had not been carrying the crop while riding. Lucifer had relaxed and started back in on a bit of nonsense while we were working in the arena. He'd trot off with me and not listen to my request to whoa. I'd turn him in a tight circle and we'd head back to the arena only to have him turn around and head for the stables again. There were other misbehaviors. So one day recently, I decided to take the crop with me and carry it during warm up just to let him know how I felt about his behavior. Well, he let me know how he felt about mine.
We have a routine. I don't tighten the girth 100% in the stable because he puffs up and I wouldn't have it properly tightened for riding anyway. So when we get to the arena, I park him at the mounting block (I'm quite short), lower the left side stirrup, walk around the front of him to tighten the girth the rest of the way and lower the right side stirrup, walk around the back of him to check him over one more time. Then I take a sugar lump out of my pocket, give it to him, and get up in the saddle. On this occasion, I had set the crop on the mounting block while finishing up and his head was titled slightly to the left so he could eye it. When I held the sugar lump under his lips, he would not take it. Hunh? Not take sugar?
I pushed it up against his lips because I thought that maybe he was unaware of it, as unlikely as that might be. Still he wouldn't take it. I wiggled the sugar around and worked it between his lips, but he wouldn't have anything to do with it. I said to him, "You always get a sugar when I get on and you are darn well going to have this sugar." He was unimpressed. He had moved his gaze from the crop to the far distance and appeared to be totally disconnected from me.
I thought for a moment. I tried to tell myself I could just get on and he didn't have to have his sugar, but I am such a creature of habit and have a bit of a problem with OCD and I just couldn’t do it. Then I had a brainstorm. There is a space in a horse's jaws called the "bars" where there are no teeth. That's where the bit rests. When I first started riding Lucifer, he really wasn't too sure about me and wasn't all that certain he wanted me on his back and so he would give me grief when it came time to put the bit in his mouth. He'd clamp his lips tightly shut and either put his head way up high or his nose on the ground. Dee told me to stick my thumb into his mouth at the bars and tickle his tongue to get him to open his jaw. Worked like a charm. These days, he is actually anxious to take the bit. It's like he is saying, "Come on now! Put it in there and let's go!" It makes me feel good.
So, I took that lump of sugar and pushed it into his mouth, from the side, in front of the bit and right onto his tongue. I moved a bit back very pleased with myself. I did not expect what he did next. He spit it out! I stood stunned, looking at it lying on the ground, for a moment and then burst out laughing. Tears came to my eyes. I translated that as, "I thought we were done with that nonsense and here you are with the crop again. Well I won't have it."
I picked the up crop from the mounting block and tossed it a few feet away. I could "feel" him relax. He was very good for most of our workout that day. You know, if he never challenged me at all, I probably wouldn't learn as much. And I could tell he was happy in the way he "listened" to my aids and did what I asked. I think he was pleased that he had managed to perform a little behavior modification on me.
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)Dianne, I felt like I was right there with you. I think an afternoon with horses would be very healing for me; especially if a horse could train me as well as Lucifer trained you.Hi Suzi.
A day with the horses always does wonders for me! I spent the day yesterday at the Coconino Dressage Show at the Coconino County Fairgrounds in Flagstaff. So many horses! I played groom a bit for a friend who was riding in the show. She and her horse did very well. He's been a bit of a butthead in the past, but he's coming around. It's always fun to watch a horse when he finally gets it. :)
Thanks for reading!
Hugs,
Dianne
As I think I've told you I find horses to be beautiful animals but am intimidated by them. I enjoy reading your experiences with horses, because for a few moments I can experience it with you.Thanks Dianne!Hi Brianna.
Yes, you have mentioned that in the past. And I can understand why you feel that way. They are big and powerful and smart. Some horses have no idea how much bigger they are than you, however. Some of them just see the "predator" in you and are very compliant. Others, like my friend's horse who was in the show I mentioned to Suzi, is a half breed between a large Thoroughbred and a huge draft horse (Percheron) and he is a giant and he knows it. Good thing my friend is a large woman and doesn't take crap from horses. He pushes her and she pushes right back. But he makes me a bit nervous from time to time.
Oh, and I'm happy to oblige with the vicarious experiences. :) Actually, horses might be my most favorite subject. :)
Hugs,
Dianne
I need to find a local farm or ranch to visit. Maybe they will let me brush some horses. If I am lucky enough to be in the country I often stop at a pasture to have one on one time with the horses that come to the fence.I hesitated to suggest that you do just that because I don't know much about your situation. But if you have any horse rescue operations in your area, they are always looking for help with grooming and cleaning stalls and tack and that sort of thing. Plus, you are helping the horses.
Oddly enough, the best times I have are not on Lucifer's back. It's when I am grooming him or rubbing that spot on his belly that he can't reach. Or just standing and listening to the wind and the birds and the happy sounds of the rest of the herd.
Also oddly enough, there is something peaceful about cleaning stalls. It's mindless work that uses muscles and loosens the body and the mind.
So, YES, find yourself some horses to get next to!Dianne, I am very encouraged and looking forward to this. I waffle only a little in thinking that perhaps humans may need attention as much as horses, but in this case--I may need the horses more than they need me. I look forward to writing my first "hands on" horse story. Regards, Suzi
Lucifer is his own neat character. Love your technique and tricks with him. You can't blame a horse for not liking a crop. When I learned to ride Saddleseat, we had to start right out with gloves on, boots and a gaited riding whip. Nope, we never ever used the whip. It was part of the outfit. If it became necessary to "show the horse the whip" we'd simply smack it in the air. I was taught to ride with the whip crossed over the withers. I think the horse can see it. All it ever took is a little wiggle.
Love it when you write about the farm and the animals.
Also, I'm glad I'm not the only one.Hi Heidi.
Nope, you're not the only one.
I had a great day with Lucifer today. The arena is all in disarray because they are turning it 90 degrees and trying to finally get it level. But today when I got to the ranch, there were several big piles of rocks in the small area we still have for working out. Lucifer first tried to convince me that he was terrified of the rock piles, but when we finally picked up the trot, he headed straight for one. He can find more ways to mess with me. :)
I've seen the saddleseat riders in their great outfits with the whips and all. It's quite something to watch. The horses seem so regal ... as if they know just how great they are. And yes, Lucifer just needs to see the crop out of the corner of his eye. Last few rides, though, I haven't even taken it with me. I guess that last time was enough for him and he's decided to be a good boy ... relatively. You know, I wouldn't ever really want him to stop his shenanigans. That would be sad. Then he would be truly broken and that's not my idea of a horse. I always feel kind of sad for those dude string ponies.
Lordy, this got long!
Hugs,
Dianne
Don't you just love their individual personalities. My three boys are each so different from one another. But I owe it to them to grab some pictures of Patrick being the mother hen. He is too funny. During his stall time, he lives with his chicken. When he goes out, he insists on being with at least one of the boys. Forget keeping him in the stall when the boys go out without him. You're right. It would be totally sad to take away their uniqueness. I say as long as their quirks are not a danger to them or to you, why not.
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