Tuesday, October 30, 2012

wet and rainy

Today was Skye 7. I got him out and just rubbed on him and brushed him for a few minutes. THen we went out and I lunged him in both directions. He is getting better at moving out each day. He needs more work to the right, but to the left he is nice and soft, pretty much keeping his head bent toward me and there is a loop in the line. Then we worked more on YH stage one and two. I want two eyes on me all the time so I am being a real stickler about this. Then as I do between every exercise I desensitize him. I worked on lowering his head a couple times throughout the session and at the end he was real soft about this. We went to working on backup and he gave me 4 steps in all the methods of backup, tapping the air, wiggle -walk, marching, and two finger. He will be even better tomorrow. Then went back to lunging to let him get some energy out. I introduced the marching and two finger backup today so I didn't introduce any other exercises today. I walked him around the arena several times to give him opportunity to balk and he did so we just worked through those times. I also picked up and cleaned out his feet. He does good with front feet, but the hind ones he doesn't like too much so we had a bit of a discussion about this. In other words he got tired of YH several times and decided it was time to stand a bit. Then walked him some more and put him up.

Monday, October 29, 2012

skye 6

This is actually the 6th day I have worked out with Skye. Today we started with desensitizing and then went to lunging for respect 1. He is getting lots better about moving out for me and even changing directions. I do need to get the rd pen up so I can work on getting him to always give me two eyes. Then I worked with him on YH stage 1 and then later on 2. Stage 2 is to get him to give me two eyes right away when I look at his butt with active body language. Then I lunged him some more and then back to YF. He does pretty good at this. The last thing we started to work on was backing up. He got the concept down with tapping the air and wiggle wave whack and walk. And that is when we quit this session. I put him in the pen and cleaned out his stall. He was none too happy, tried to run through the fence gate of the rd pen, but it didn't work for him. This week I want to put him in with the other horses. He was running back and forth along the fence with Jake. I think if Jake could have bit him he would have. But Raven came to Skye's rescue it seemed. She made Jake back off. She might just be this little guys protector.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Skye 4

Well, here was one of those days where it was nice having him on sight. I didn't have the opportunity to work with him yesterday nor today really. However, I went up this evening to feed them. He was eating in his stall and I walked behind him to close the door and shut him in for the night and he kicked me where the armor was at. Knocked my phone out of my pocket. Well now, I cannot let that go so I kicked him back, in the hip of same leg he kicked me, doubly, and he didn't like that. Mind you, he probably didn't like me messing with things while he was eating and wanted me out of there. However, I am the leader. In my herd, I am boss and If I want to go in where he is at I will go in whether he likes it or not. As a general rule I don't mess with my horses when they are eating. I don't brush them or rub them, etc. THat is their time. However, going and shutting a gate is not messing with him. So I went and got his new rope halter and lead rope and put it on him and we went out and worked. We made more progress in that 20 minutes than we have all week. I had him moving out lunging in no time and he was moving. I let him go until he was relaxed in one direction then turned him in the other direction. He doesn't like going to the right. He has no problem with that now. It took a few minutes of forcing him to change directions and move, it was a little messy, but by the time we were done I had him going both directions by pointing and changing directions. Then I let him stand and threw the lead over him desensitizing him. Then I went to disengaging his hindquarters (YH) on both sides and got some good progress there. Then desensitized and lunged him again in both directions then desensitize and moved on to moving his shoulders (YF) and desensitize, lunge again. Then let him stand and desensitize. Then we went back to the stall. I rubbed on him a bunch then closed the door and let him go back to eating. So this was an inpromptu lesson, but it was very productive.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

skye 2,3

I was not able to write yesterday about skye due to situation that happened. But I am working on having him stand no matter what is going on around him. So I use the lead and throw it up over him and drag it back across him and do this all over his body. I use my stick and string in the same manner, wrapping the string around his legs etc. until he stand quiet. Then I am working on getting him to move forward and around, lungeing him. He goes forward freely to the left and just has to get used to going in a circle with his body bent on the same arc as the circle. Going to the right is another story. So I have been working more on that. Today he did lots better. Then I have started getting him to yield his hindquarters and he is doing ok at this from both sides. Today he made lots of improvement taking 3-4 steps before it falls apart. I also started backing him today. Now he just wants to take off from me, but he will get it. I have also been doing alot of rubbing on him all over his body. No part of his body is off limits to me, even under his tail. He is letting me pick up his feet and clean them out too. At first he didn't like it too well, but he has come around. The one thing that I am watching for is that he has a tendency to push into me. Some would think this cute, but when he is 1200 pounds that is not good. So we are working on that too. He is starting to lead and follow me, but without a round pen to really work him as of yet, this is hard to tell. I will eventually put him in one and then it will get even better. The one thing to do is to get him cleaned up too. He is one filthy horse. He has his long thick baby hair that is all matted with manure and such. He is going to be a nice horse.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

skye 2

I worked with the little guy again today. I have got to figure out how to bleach him white again. He is so so muddy and matted that I might have to give him a good bath to get him clean. But then he lays down again and it is all over again. Today, I rubbed on him a bunch, he really likes that. Then we went about doing the desensitizing to the lead and stick and string. I had him moving around the rd pen I set up, on the lead rope. I don't want him thinking he can go through the fence. So He moved out pretty good. When I had him stop I drew him to me and desensitized him. Then back to moving in the other direction. He surely doesn't like me on his right side. he is trying to be a master at pushing into me with his shoulder. He will soon be over that though. Then I started moving his hindquarters. We worked on that til he got the concept down then went to the other side. I might work with him again tonight. I put him in the round pen for about 30 minutes while I cleaned his stall and just watched him. He will go in it again tonight for a little while. I am going to wait til he is really hooked to me before I let him have full run of his pen and then let him in with Jake and then Raven.

Monday, October 22, 2012

at it again

For those who are interested, I have been working my own two horses for the last two weeks bringing them up to date on working through the fundamentals stage of training. They just needed some sharpening up is all. I also have had opportunity to give some lessons to another horse owner. Yesterday, I went with an owner to pick up a 5 month old tobiano paint colt. He is a nice little guy. We got him home to our barn all safe and sound. Today I was able to get a small round pen up. I plan on letting him roam in that for a few days, instead on in the bigger pen. I also spent about 30 minutes just rubbing on him and brushing him. He has so much mud caked on him I wonder how I am going to get him cleaned up. But it serves as a chance to get my hands all over him and for him to learn to trust me. THen I took him out in the pen and walked him around the electric fence in both directions/horses are two sided, meaning it is like they are two different horses. I then just wanted to desensitize him to the lead rope, so I kept tossing it on his back and butt and legs, etc. til he stood still. He did pretty good. His right side he was a little apprenhensive. Then I did the stick and string the same way. He did good with that too. But again on the right side he needed a little more work. Then I wanted to get him to move out for me so he would get some exercise. Once he got going he wanted to run and buck and have some fun, but on the lead I just bent him back and got him moving out at a walk and trot. I don't want to work him too hard because his joints are not developed for a lot of moving out like that. He is a fast learner it seems and takes to being rubbed and scratched all over. I think he is going to be a fun one for me.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

day 79, 80

Yesterday was the most fun of all. I got Robbie out and started to ride him. He was hurting on his left foreleg so I didn't work him too hard. We just walked around at a faster pace. He would only limp when he was trotting so he would only take a few strides and then slow to a walk. Riding outside was just fine with him. Star was his usual self. I worked him on the ground outside til he was showing signs of relaxing then I got on him. He still wanted to go, but not as much. I finally got to the point where I made him trot and canter in circles, changing directions on the fence. But the time I was done he was not wanting to go faster than a walk without a lot of compulsion. I then walked him on a loose rein all the way around the arena on the rail and then back again. Anytime he got antsy we went back to that spot and started again. It was the best ride yet. Today, I got Star out and showed Karen what was up with him and rode him around. Then we switched saddles and she rode him. He was so nice and calm. We were indoors. Then We got Robbie out. I didn't trot or canter him because of his leg, but he did good at the walk and She got to ride him too. It was real nice. I would say that we accomplished what we set out to do as far as getting them to be able to ride. I am on to my own horses for a week or so then on to another horse and then after that back to Karen for 3 more horses. Stay tuned.

Monday, October 1, 2012

day 78

Ok, I had a good day with the arabs this morning. I worked Robbie first. I did some gw just to get a sense of where his head was at. Then I saddled him and and worked him some more. I got on and we did some walk and trot exercises. But we were both bored so outdoors we went to the arena. I walked him around and did a few gw exercises then got on him. He was real good. The horses in the neighboring paddock started running and that got his attention for a minute. I just bent him around and had him changing directions. He did some YH and slow spins for me and we trotted around like it was no big deal. Darkstar was pretty good too. I also did some gw inside and rode him around inside working on the bending exercises at walk trot and canter. Then we went outside. I walked around the arena and then did some sending exercises. He gets real excited going to the right, but to the left he is calm as can be. But we did some work sideways on a circle around a barrel a few times then I got on him and he got a little excited but was soon quieting down and I had him trotting big circles in both directions. By the time we were done he was walking and giving softness calmly. I worked at a walk for a few minutes and then our time was up. Tomorrow is another day.