Training Frisky and Hidalgo

Having Frisky and Hidalgo was very exciting, at first. Frisky was unsure but she came around. He dealt with her, tendencies, really well. He didn't take her too seriously. Unfortunately, I started to feel, for lack of better words, the third wheel.

I could not separate them. They would call each other as if it was the last time they would ever see each other. So dramatic. Hidalgo, I could barely get out the gate. Pushing, pulling. He would not budge. Frisky would go out with me but at a certain distance, she would nope out and successfully drag me back home. She no longer followed me around unless he was around. Sigh.

Leading them together was also a challenge for me. Frisky was pretty obedient but Hidalgo was the type to drag me...us all over the place. Especially in the cornfields and bean crops. Frisky thank goodness knew better and went for the nearest patch of grass while I tried to get Hidalgo out of the fields. Super embarrassing and he was ruining my relative's crops which got us, mostly me, in big trouble. I tried scaring him, pushing, pulling, begging none were really effective. Except I found out he had a fondness for brown sugar. He was willing to do a lot for that stuff.

I eventually got it to where I could lead them both to where we walked in a straight line and in a direction I preferred for once. Just rinse and repeat every day constantly correcting and rewarding Hidalgo mostly.

About this time we were getting ready to ride them. HA! I could barely control them together on the ground and here we are getting ready to ride them. I am so sad I lost all the pictures of that day. I lost a year's worth of pictures due to reformatting my computer long ago. I keep hoping I copied them elsewhere.

We used the "river technique" again. My cousins who were smaller than me but fairly experienced in riding were going to train Frisky. My uncle started with Hidalgo. Got him in the river just like we did Freedom and he got on. Hidalgo jumped up and out of the water and my uncle took a swim. My uncle then said to me "You should ride him". I was like. After what I just saw? Um. No? He said "Hidalgo your horse and he likes you so just try it if you fall you just fall in the water and swim." Lol.

I was a bit older and braver than when I was 13. I think I was 15 at this point? I went into the river. Stroked him on the neck and said. It's your turn to carry me. I admit. I was full-on ready to hang on or be thrown off and swim he was already bigger than Freedom by a lot. I jumped on as lightly as I could. He just stood there with a look of discontent but tolerance on his face. I urged him forward after he relaxed a bit and he took a few steps. I was able to turn him around and face my cousin who was getting ready to ride Frisky.

Frisky took a different approach. She tried moving really fast through the water. My cousin stuck on like a tick. Frisky was like. Yeah, I am over this, moving through water is tiring I'm done.

Then it was time to go out of the river. I went first and was very nervous. What if he takes off? What if he starts bucking?! Remember I only knew how to stay on at a trot. I think I just had a one-rein rope halter on him. Well, we were walking on sand. Sand doesn't hurt to fall on right? Frisky definitely had a rope halter on. She never had or needed a bit. I think since I knew Hidalgo for most of his life, despite his rebellious nature he never tried to hurt me and I trusted him. We got out of the water like Freedom did the day she was trained with no problems whatsoever. Magical. Hidalgo went forward out of the river like he had carried me forever. Frisky followed in the same fashion. We rode around for about 20 mins then went back home to which Frisky and Hidalgo took a long nap. Have to hand it to Frisky and Hidalgo. I think I bonded enough with them both that they just accepted this strange event.

That however didn't last too long. Especially with Hidalgo as he started to have his hormones kick in. Both of them did. Woof.