6/20

This was day 29 of their training. I used Moon first. I got him saddled with no problems and then moved him around a bit. Put on the bridle and started to circle drive him with the long lines. He made a lot of improvement. There were still some issues, but he settled down much quicker and started to do some turns much better. Then I got on him and rode him with the bit. I wanted to get him really soft. He is still resistant, but is making improvement in that area too. I could only get him into a canter once and then he would not do it. But he would trot and walk and give me those transitions. He did pretty good all in all. So Grand it was decided I would not ride him because of sore withers. So I introduced the bit to him. After saddling and playing with the pad again. He does what I want from the ground without resistance. Anyway, I put the bridle on him and really didn't have a problem with it, though he played with it a lot. I flexed him several times and then put the long lines on and lunged him just with the bit. I didn't start driving him yet but hope to next time.

6/19

Today's sessions were insightful for me. I worked with So Grand first. I again played with some padding to shim up the saddle. Then saddled him. I worked him a bit from the ground first. Then I got on and started to move him around. I wanted to get up to a canter today. I had no problem with the walk or trot going to the right, but to the left still there is resistance. I even got him up to canter once going right, but he immediately bucked. I continued to try to get him to move, but there is much resistance. So when I finally got off and took the saddle off I examined him and am convinced it has to do with the mechanics of the saddle and his back. He such a sway back I have not found a way to shim it high enough so that it does not bother his withers. He was real sensitive there. He will trot and canter without resistance on the ground, but not under saddle. So I have to figure something else out. My dad helped with this dynamic too as he was able to get the horse into a canter by compelling him forward from the fence. Moon did well too. I put the bit in with no problem and started to ground drive him. It wasn't too long and was relaxed enough to start asking for some changes of directions with the rein. We had some mild hiccups, but he soon calmed down and started to offer changes of direction and would even stop for me in a calm manner. So we worked on change of direction using the rein and when he was real calm with them I let him quit.

6/18

I counted up the days I have been working with these guys and this was day 28. They are not at too bad of a level. I mean I would like to have been further along, but I can only go as fast their confidence level and mine. As long as we are in sync in our confidence we make progress. When I got So Grand out I again played with the saddle pad trying to shim it in a way that will make it more comfortable for him when I ride. I am thinking that his unwillingness to go forward might be because the mechanics of saddle fit with him. So I want to eliminate as many possibilities as I can. Well, I saddled him and put him a liberty for a few minutes and had him follow me around. Then I did some of my gw exercises. Then I got on him. We made some progress in terms of his forward. I can get him to walk and trot pretty easy going to the right, but not so to the left. However, by the time we were done he was going into a trot when I asked and even offering it. In fact, when he offered me a trot and stayed consistent with that we stopped. I flexed him a few times and finished. Thought I would let him think about it that trotting wasn't so bad. Moon went pretty good. I saddled him and moved him around a bit. Then I introduced him to my snaffle bit. He didn't resist taking it at all. I put it on and off a couple times. Then hooked the line to it and flexed and did some YH on both sides. Then started to circle drive him. I put the other line on too so that both lines were being used. He got a little scared but soon he started to settle down and just walk. Then I started to ask for direction changes and at first it was somewhat like a wreck, but he started to catch on. After about 1/2 hour of this he started to move more fluidly into a direction change without going into a fast trot or canter. When he gave me a couple of relaxed changes at the walk in both directions I put him up. So in both cases it went pretty well.

6/17

Ok, I need to catch up with what is going on with these Arabs. Friday I wanted to continue to work with So Grand and really develop that connection with him. I put the saddle on and let him stand free a few minutes then I started to move around and he followed me all over. I did some more liberty work with him and then put the halter back on him. We went over all the ground work as a review, then I got on him. He has really sticky feet, so I kept working on getting him to go forward. He does pretty good going to the right, he even offers to trot for me. However, going to the left is another story. He keeps wanting to stop. On the ground he doesn't seem to have trouble going forward, though there is some slight resistance at times. It just shows up when I am in the saddle. Somehow my being in the saddle magnifies his resistance. Anyway, I was able to get some trotting out of him. I have been having him go short distances then stopping for a rest. Then I stretch out the distance, more laps and let him stop. He does show improvement. Moon is doing good. I am trying to get him used to my side pull. It has a different feel than a rope halter. So I have been putting the long lines on him and flexing him with that and then moving him forward. The whole thing with the pressure coming from the saddle is taking him some getting used to. He is unsure of everything when I have two lines on him. But he will get better. Monday, 6/17 I got So Grand out and saddle him up. I took some time to play with the pad and the extra pad I sue trying to get the saddle to fit his back better. Right now the pressure point on him is right behind his shoulder blades. My suspicion is that his forward problem is connected to the fit of the saddle. He is so hollowed out in the back that it is almost like he is sway backed. An examination of his withers shows that he has not carried himself balanced, but high headed, even though it looks like he is balanced. So that could be an issue too. I want to make it as comfortable as possible for him to carry a rider. Anyway, after playing with the pad, I saddle him up and worked him from the ground, then rode him for 1/2 an hour working on going forward, bending laterally, even starting to get some breaking at the poll. When I took the saddle off the pressure point was more wide spread, but still forward behind the shoulder blade. I am going to try something else next time. Moon had a good session too. I saddled him and did some liberty work with him too. I then hooked up the side pull and long line. I flexed him and YH. Then lunged him. Then I put the line back through the saddle ring as though I was riding him. I drove him this way for a few minutes then switched sides and did the same thing. He doesn't like the right side as much as the left. I then hooked both sides up and drove him in a circling fashion just looking for him to drop his head and relax. I noticed that the side pull is rubbing his nose kinda rough so I am going to try the snaffle bit and see what kind of response I get from that next time. Back to the session though, He would move up to a trot or canter no problem. It is like he is scared though and I am wanting him to relax more and start carrying his head lower and respond to the rein in a more yielding fashion. I am trying to help both these horses relax enough to eliminate the resistance that runs through them.

6/12

Moon had an exciting time of it. I drove him with one rein both sides using a side pull. It took him some getting used to. It puts the pressure up on his nose from the sides not from under his jaw. Then when I thought he was comfortable with that I put the other rein on. It always gets exciting at this point because the line gets in his legs and under his tail. But he did normal, lots of running in fear but he would settle down and come to me for support. We did both sides and then tried changing sides. It finally worked out. I picked a good spot to quit. Then took him for a walk outside sans the saddle. I did some sending exercise by tail gate of my truck because he was kinda concerned about it. I put him up after he settled down. I think I had the best session with him yet. And it came after such a disaster yesterday. Just goes to show you that they are very forgiving. Yesterday was definitely all me. I wanted to have a good connection with him today and not have any resistance from him. I brought him into the rd pen and put the pad on him. He moved some, but I just put it on anyway and he stopped. Then I grabbed the saddle and he moved a step, stopped and I put it on him. He started to take off but I got him back and finished cinching up. Then I took the halter off and let him go on his own for about ten minutes. Then I walked up to him sans halter and he started to follow me. Hmmm! I thought. I wonder how much he will follow me. So I started walking all over and he followed me and when I stopped he came up to me and I just rubbed him on the face and ears, all over his body. Then I would walk off again and he followed. Anytime he got ahead of me or started to move further from me I would change direction and get him back. So I spent the entire time just having him follow me all over and every time I stopped I would rub on him and practice placing his head low and bent toward me. I picked up and cleaned all four feet without him leaning on me. I walked around and he followed me. This was incredible to me, because he would not follow me before except for a step or two. So today was huge. I was tempted to ride him but I thought, "No, I am not going to ruin this." I wanted to let him know that just because the saddle is on doesn't mean he is going to get worked. So today he didn't even break a sweat. He just followed me all over. I felt like I had a real good connection with him. I then put the halter back on and flexed him with the softest feel ever from both sides. I even had him YH with the most softness ever. It was real good. So when I took the saddle off we walked outside and I just led him around. We came to the trailer and he was some concerned about it, so I did the sending exercise between me and the trailer until I was satisfied he was ok with it. Then I put him up for the day. I am still struck by how together we were today. I hope I can get that again tomorrow.

6/11

It seemed to me that So Grand was going to have a good session when I got him out. But he wouldn't stand to let me put the pad on him, so I made him run again. I took the halter off him and made him run for ten laps then changed directions and did ten more laps. Then I had him do five laps in the same way and then down to 2 1/2 laps then one lap then had him changing several times. I only let him slow down when he dropped back to the trot and I couldn't get him to go back into it easily. He was so out of air he couldn't do it anymore. When I let him stop I let him stand for ten minutes. Then I got the pad out again and he stood ok. Then the saddle and he wanted to move, so I kept the pressure on and he stopped and let me saddle him. Then I moved him around at a walk and trot going through everything. The thing I wanted most was that he would flex at a stand still and YH when I lifted the rein and put pressure where my leg would go. I don't want him getting stuck again. However, I have to admit that I let it get into a fight. Would flex but keep YH when I wanted him to stand still. So I kept him flexed waiting for him to stop and be soft. This went on and on, til finally he gave up and just leaned on the halter and tried to take it away from me. I really yanked on the lead and, well, it wasn't pretty. I had let it degenerate to the point where we were not working together and he became more resistant, which in hindsight was entirely my fault. When I realized that he was having trouble with what I was asking I should have rewarded the slightest try and built off of that. But I didn't and it just fell apart from there. I just stopped and went to having him move out and back up and send him forward, YH and YF and backup and send. We did this all around the arena a few times then I stopped and let him rest and went back to flexing on the other side. He was real soft then to the side I had trouble on and he was better. Anyway, we worked through it. Then I got on him and wanted to get a good walk and trot out of him. He was still blowing quite a bit though so I knew I couldn't ask for much from him. I wanted some soft YH and one rein stops, some flexing, etc. I had about a ten minute ride on him. Then took the saddle off and walked him around the rd pen, then outdoors around the barn all the while just asking him to follow without resistance. I did some sending throughout and when I put him up he was more relaxed. Although when I took the halter off and was trying to rub his face and ears his resistance came out again. I had to move him around in his stall just to put his halter back on. Hopefully things will be better next time. Moon was real good to work with. I got him saddled and moved him around a bit to see where his mind was ate. Then I started to drive him with one rein. He did pretty good. Then I did the other side. I only did one side at a time and that took up our time. Next is to begin to drive with two reins.

Starting to Drive

My plan for Moon was to drive him today. While I was putting the halter on I found another hole in my training. It was that he should hold his head in the position I want his head while I put on and take off the halter. I want his head low and flexed softly to whatever side I am on. Since he would not do that, I decided to work on that first. I finally got him to be without resistance on either side. It took much repositioning of his head, but he finally would leave it in position consistently for the count of five. I went on to saddling him and working a bit of GW with him then put the long line on him using a ring on the girth buckle to pass it through to the halter. It took a few tries and the use of my lead for support for him to finally get relaxed. Then I took the lead off and just used the long line. He would sometimes turn the wrong way, get tangled in the line and scare. But he came to me to get him out of it. It wasn't long and we got it on both sides. So I took them off and went back to playing with his head. I found I have to be more of a stickler to do things all the way and right rather than sloughing off a bit. Then I put him up. On the other hand So Grand, the resistant, showed up today. I could tell in the stall. When I brought him in the rd pen he wouldn't let me get the halter off so I had to really move him around. Then took it off. I let him stand looking at me for a few minutes. Then walked up to him and he decided to go. So I let him move up to a canter for about 10 laps then switched sides for 10 more than started switching every lap or so, even some half laps or quarter laps. This went on for twenty minutes. Then he started to go to a trot. I bumped him to a canter and did this til I thought he was going to shut down. The sand in here is pretty deep and wet. He's been resting now for seven minutes and still has not caught his breath. I waited another couple minutes. Put the halter on. Put the saddle on and he stood there with no problem. Then I moved him around circling YH YF a few times both sides. Then got on. The last ten minutes or so I rode him around. Had to get after him a time or two to keep moving his feet, but the more I wouldn't tolerate sticky feet the better he became in responding to my cues. I wasn't about to let him get stuck and frustrated somewhere and then buck. Now I did do one rein stops and let him stand some. But it was when I asked, not when he wanted. Sometimes we coincided. When I thought it was a good time I got off and flexed him took the saddle off and walked him around. Once he had an attitude change it went well.