My butt? It is kicked.

[_butterkup_]

No, really. I mean I have a hoof-shaped bruise on my posterior.

Okay, so it is mostly on my hip. Also, it is huge, puffy, and turning shades of lavender that are not usually found in nature.

Zeke, the lesson horse, nailed me today. He was being obnoxious and snorty on the lunge line whenever I asked for a trot. The third time it happened, I swatted

Comments

[miintikwa]

Yeah, #2 is a lesson I had to have kicked into me, too. I think I still have a scar on the back of my calf from the appy that taught it to me, too!

[_butterkup_]

I really should know better.

Unfortunately, back in school, I interned with a woman who drilled the escalation method (verbal correction, then a tap, then repeat the tap, slowly getting more forceful) into my head.

The theory was that you would never "over correct" and make the horse spooky about discipline. Which might work, with a very quiet or timid horse. Turns out, horses don't use that mind set when they try to correct a human's behavior.

[miintikwa]

Ah. We had one really spooky horse, and I did learn to be shy about disciplining horses because of her-- but this other leopard spot appy cured me of it REALLY FAST.

[white_jenna]

Oh, ouch. :(