Monday, May 23, 2011

Day 13

Ceasar got a lot of attention today. Lisa came over and got a lesson on him to improve his ground manners with her. There is a belief among horseman that a horse isn't halter broke unless you can put any of his four feet wherever and whenever you want. That means he moves his hip, his shoulder (without crowding you), you can back him up or go forward with slack in the line, just doing all this with 'feel'. So we worked on those things. And since she was going to take him on a walk down the road, we also went over how to do the 'falling leaf' or C-pattern exercise. That is where you put he moving the shoulders, disengagement and send cue all together in one fluid move back and forth in front of you as you move forward yourself. This improves balance, feel, control of the horse. So after a good lesson she took Ceasar out for a stroll down the road, about a 2 mile walk round trip.
Later in the afternoon, after I did some round pen management (shoveling dirt that had been pushed out under the fence, back in the pen and smoothing that out).
Then It was my turn to have some fun with him.
I put the halter on and moved him around some going through some exercises then asked him to stand for the saddle pad. He wanted none of that. So guess what. I lunged him for several minutes changing directions repeatedly and then asked again. He still wouldn't stand so I, intensely, with lots of energy, did the falling leaf with him. Then I asked if he would like to stand for the pad. He agreed that might be a good idea. However, I didn't just put it on him. I rubbed him with it, sacked him out real good with it as if he had never seen it before. When he stood calm I left it on him and the took it off again. Put it back on and went and got the saddle. I let him sniff it and get a good look at it. Then I swung it on his back and let it set there. Now today, I used my breast collar and flank cinch. So I got it all hooked up, he stood for it all. Then I moved him off, he immediately went into a buck and then lined out pretty good. I lunged him, changing directions several times and doing the falling leaf again until he calmed down. Then I put that bridle on him. He went to chewing on the bit alot, but once he got moving the bit didn't seem to bother him. I moved him forward as if I was ground driving him and got him settled down to where he would walk with me good and stop with me and back up. We did it in both directions. I then did some flexing with him. Now in all of this I wasn't using the rein, I still have the halter on him and he is just carrying the bit. I got on him and flexed him and had him move off. We did some walk trot walk and stopping. I am not using my feet or legs to get forward motion, but I speed up my seat, kisss to him and spank him to get him moving. He wants to drag his feet. So we got alot better forward motion out of him. I was coming to the place where I wanted to quit so we were going to the right and I moved him to the center, but he sort a threw a tantrum so I moved him off and up to a trot. We criss crossed the pen and at one point he really went to buck a time or two so I just drove him through it and kept at the trot., both directions again and when I thought he had settled down and got his attitude right I quit him. I think it was a good session all in all. The buck was just attitude and he pushed through it. I just have to get him to stand to be saddled. So I have to convince him that it is a good idea for him to stand. We will see how long this takes. Tomorrow is another day.

1 comment:

LisaMarie said...

I hadn't seen Caesar for 4 or 5 days. When I saw him today his physical apperance is changing. He is developing muscles where there weren't any. I see him carry himslef better. No belly hanging to bow his back. It was a pleasure to have a professional lesson to iron out the wrinkles in my understanding and execution of the commands taught by Jeff to Caesar. I came home and worked these same techniques with my other horse and I received better and quicker attention from him.