What Maisa lacks in looks he makes up for in movement. I'll be lunging him before we ride, and I find myself just staring at him. It is all so effortless and correct.
So, the rule is now...I work Top before I work Maisa. If I work Maisa first I keep looking at Top trying to figure out what is wrong with him. Is he off? Why is he so thuddy, why isn't there a lovely upward jump to the canter, does he look a little lateral? Why isn't coming through from behind more? Poor Top.
Maisa is still very babyish. Much younger than his years. He looks like he's two, acts like he's two. That is probably my fault. I haven't gotten his training going as I should. It has been pretty hit and miss. I started him about a year ago, and I think I can still count the rides on my fingers. Not good. He isn't fearful, or worried at all.
I was riding him Friday. We couldn't stay in motion to save our lives. Maisa would be trucking along, and suddenly halt. It isn't the normal slow to a crawl baby halt. We have forward, swing and then we have halt. No middle ground. Something will catch his eye, or he'll just stop for no discernible reason I can find. The more that is going on in the arena the more prevalent his halting becomes. Funny, I've never had a horse do this, quite this way. Lovely forward walk to halt. He is either moving forward well, or not at all apparently. His isn't pissy, or resistant...he just stops.
Maisa has kind of been a little contradiction from the get go. He is very people oriented. He is an orphan foal. His mother died when he was 2mths old. When I first took him home to the pasture, I put him in my pen with another babysitter horse. We'd have to sneak away when he was occupied or he would run screaming and calling for you as you went to the car. It was heartbreaking. This lasted for a couple months.
He's never quite figured out herd dynamics. Okay, that is an understatement, he is clueless about herd dynamics. Seems to always have at least one bite mark on him. They warn him and warn him to leave them alone...and he just doesn't move. So, they finally nut up and bite him. Half the time he doesn't move even then. Lately, I've been seeing him stand up for himself more, but still doesn't quite get it. He is the largest in the field, he is however the youngest.
My son taught him to play fetch. (great, that's what I want, a giant Labrador). When we'd had him home for a couple months our old lab died. My son said, "Well, it's kind of okay. We have Maisa. He's black and kind of like a dog."
16 comments:
Oh sweet Maisa!!! My heart squeeked when you described him calling for you- poor kid.
How old is he now or did I miss it?
Poor baby calling for you. Trooper use to run over to the fence and watch us drive away. Heart breaking.
The fetching and giant lab is adorable.
Ooooh, he's lovely, ya ol' meanie.
Handsome enough for me!
Orphan, wow. How old is he again?
You forget the age/attention span of your readers, ya know.
Funny personality.
Great laugh, HP!
Why isn't Top normal?
'cause he ain't got no Fahim in'em!
My heart squeaked too:(
baby boy...
Maisa, the black Labrador of the equine world. lol.
I laughed at your description of him stopping. He will nail that halt at X in his first test. And a halt at B, and V, and M as well. lol.
I'm kidding, he'll be fine. He is just a bit gun shy of forward right now. I think, once he figures out that you're not pushing for 3rd level by May, he'll be good. I feel like it's a trust issue. Like, "If I do this, what MORE are you going to ask of me?" I don't know.
He can always come stay with me in Idaho, you know... LOL!
Okay, this is terrible...Maisa is 4 or 5. I am not sure at this moment. lol
He also likes to carry sticks around and chase cats. He has been in so much trouble for chasing Bobby. He knows the command, "Don't chase my kitty." lol
Maisa sounds so much like my old Morgan...funniest thing (well one of them) he did was...he loved playing with an old tire. Throw it up in the air and watch it go bounce. One day he threw it straight up in the air, and it came down right around his neck! He didn't even panic, but his nose was so bent out of shape because I laughed at him that he walked away with the tire still around his neck, and pouted in the corner. After that the tire was NOT his favorite toy. Gotta love horses like that!
Sounds like a big old Pup too! easily distracted and just plain sweet .I would love to see more photos of him.
Age range is fine, HP.
I'll forget by tomorrow anyway.
BH obviously couldn't remember either;)
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What GL says.
I think he is very handsome. Any chance of some video of him moving?
My Wizard is like that, quite the character he is.
Maisa is 4 months older than Giovanna, I believe. She turned 5 the end of August. So he's 5.5 years old?
Great, I'm even farther behind on him than I thought. Was does Giovanna look so much more mature? Maisa still looks like a dorky baby.
I'll see what pics I have. I have some video, but my digital camera needs firewire...I don't have that. Nothing like planning when you buy the fancy camera, huh?
Giovanna looks like such an immature baby to me, most of the time. I still feel like it's criminal to get on her! Okay, she has moments, like that picture of her with Stuart I sent you (it's on my blog, too). She looks down right elegant there. lol.
Hmm, unsure if Maisa has ever had an elegant moment? Poor guy.
Maisa has "take your breath away" moments. It isn't the same as being elegant. It's better. Because it catches you by surprise, no matter how many times it happens.
It's the "Oh, My!" factor.
What was it your student's dad said about his canter at the clinic?
That it must be extraordinary or exceptional...can't remember which word he used. It was kind of funny. He was watching these WB's working and cantering. He asked if this mare had a 'bad' canter. I said, "No, and it gets better as she relaxes." Then he asked about the other horse, a bay mare. I said, "Her canter is actually pretty nice." That is when he said, "Well, Maisa's must be.... then."
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