Personal clinic

Well it was Saturday and I wanted to have my own clinic. I had intended to go to one but do to truck issues i decided not to go. instead I had my own with Raven and Jake. So I spent about an hour with each of them. Both are at the advanced level, but always need refining of the previous exercises. I worked with Jake on bridle bending, serpentine, lunging stage 3. It is amazing the kind of results you can have when you work consistently for a couple days in a row. Jake is softer than he has ever been. Raven is doing well at all of her work. The lunging stage 3 is getting real good, so is two tracking. We will continue to Progress through. I am thankful for the good weather to ride.

advanced with Raven

Ok, I started to work through the advanced level with Raven the other day. We just worked on Lunging for respect stafge 3 which is using a 14' lead having the horse back away and then send them left or right. My feet stay still and the horse needs to move around me without stopping or breaking gait until I ask them to do either and then draw them back in. This incorporates other exercises: out back, yield hindquarters and forequarters, sending. Raven has done this before so it wasn't that big of a deal. She did try to stop a few times 'cause I don't move she thinks she can stop. So I had to send her off again each time. But she got it. I worked her a second day as well. It worked in great because I had only a little time and didn't need to saddle her. When we are done there will be another 32 exercises to add to her field of knowledge. All 3 levels include more than 90 exercises so that is alot of things to do with your horse.
Many of he advanced exercises she has already done, but just needs to refine better so we are off to a good finish or start here. If the weather will cooperate and not get the footing too chopped up it will be good.

Winter riding

Suggestion for me next time. Wear gloves. I am having a hard time typing this 'cause my hands are in that state of cold and warm where they don't work so good. Thank God for chaps and jackets. They kept me warm and dry for the most part. It was really snowing for a while there. I took Raven out and worked her from the ground a few minutes to warm her up. I wanted to work on three exercises: bending with softness, serpentine and roll backs. So I spent about 15 minutes on each one. She started out a little resistant but  I stuck with it and finally she yielded and gave me the soft feel I was looking for. The serpentine was the best one though. She really got soft for me moving back and forth like a slithering snake across the road. I had her so soft that basically only had to add a feathery soft touch to get her to change shape and direction with a little bit of leg to support her. Then the roll backs. Those she does pretty good. I didn't have a fence to use, so just went back and forth on the road. By this time I was a little damp and chilled so I didn't spend as much time on it as I would have liked. All in all though, the time was well spent and we accomplished much.
til next time.

It's raining, drats!

I thought I would write a little of what has been happening since the last post. I have still been working with Raven, moving her toward the advanced level. She is doing well, because I am learning little subtle details like lifting the outside rein just a little bit will make a difference in moving their butt over, or just holding the outside rein to stop forward motion on a side pass. These little details are what makes the difference between being successful in the manuever or not. Also, I found that if I grit my teeth, which I am known to habitually do, my whole body will be tense and thus that is what the horse feels, from my teeth right through my hands and seat. So I need to be more slack-jawed in order to accomplish softness. I have learned to also talk myself through a move out loud, the horse thinks I am talking to them, but it helps to stay focused on what move I am trying to get. So we have been making good progress. The horses are getting better and the rides more enjoyable for all of us.
I would have liked to ride today, but with the rain as it is I think I will give them a break and let them lounge in the barn for the day.
I watched a flick called, "buck" about Buck Branaman. Wow, is all I can say about that movie. I do have one beef with it though. They claim, Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance are the ones who started this 'natural horsemanship' stuff. Not so, This is nothing new. John Rarey was known for this in the 1800's as was Jesse Beery.  In fact, the US Calvary used this method in training their troopers and horses, see a book titled "The U.S. Calvary Horse, General William H. Carter, Lyons Press, 2003. The first edition was published in 1895. They have been instrumental, though, in repopularizing the method.
I only wish I could get more of it in me so that I could be a better horseman for my horses and students.

Windy

Some people do not ride when it is windy. I like to anyway. I think it is a great time to test my horsemanship. I just have to keep the horses attention on me by moving his feet frontwards,backwards, left and right. So I did. I rode both horses today. That was fun. I took Jake first and worked him through all his paces. He did real good.
Then I got out Raven and worked her for a half an hour. That was all that was needed in order to accomplish what I wanted too. I have few more steps to get her through before taking on the advanced level. If I canvet some good time on her this week maybe next will be the start.

beautiful fall

No, I didn't fall. It is beautiful with the leaves and all though. I haven't been working with the horses much because of time and such, but this week I have been able to work with Raven on saturday and yesterday. I got out with her yesterday and just worked on her backup from the ground. My goal was to get her to back with energy and keep pace with my movement as I walked toward her. I need to remember that I can't expect her to go as fast backwards as I go forwards though. I want to be able to back her in any direction and turn her in any direction without her stopping her feet, by using just my body language. She does pretty good now. I can turn circles and squares etc. They are not the most perfect, but they'll do. The purpose of getting a horse to back with energy in any direction is really to have control of their feet. It builds feel and connection too. By the way, this is an advanced exercise to boot. After about 20 minutes of this she was sweating bullets and I had put my back out again. And I didn't even ride her. Oh, well. Hopefully, I will get out again with her before the nasty weather hits this week.

Refreshing

You know when you are seemingly run down and just not feeling like doing anything. It is time to get on your horse. Yeah. I did tonite and it was like I was recharging my battery. It felt good to be in the saddle again after over a week of not riding. I gave a few lessons, but no riding for me. So tonite after my work was done I saddled up Raven, did a little ground work, with the power line trimmers using their machinery as a distractant. We went through our routine and finally I got on and boy when I did it was like slipping into my lazy-boy chair after a long day. It felt so comfortable up there. She was relaxed and we worked together as one doing all sorts of moves including just walking around doing nothing in particular. We did work on the bending exercise and also lots of rein exercises to work on connecting the rein to her feet. I also worked her on roll backs along the fence and bending along the fence. She is so responisve to me. I just have to pick up a rein practically to get her to collect up. She is such a joy to ride. But I know this makes her better too. Peter Campbell said at his clinic that you shouldn't ride for yourself, but to help the horse. Well, I rode for both tonite and it feels good. I gotta stop letting other things get in the way of my riding. So do you need to be refreshed? get on your horse or whatever gives you pleasure and helps to releave the stress of the day, sans-drugs, alcohol, etc. do something productive.