Day 11

Ok, this was a good day even better than yesterday. I found a very willing horse to work with. A short time in the rd pen and then off to the back field. I had the trailer all set up so I wasn't really trying to get him in it because I still had the gw and riding to do, but I did the gw and let him rest next to the trailer. He even put both feet in. But we had other things to do yet. So I saddled him and boy did that go real well. He stood and took it like a good horse should. Even when we moved off and did YH and YF and back ups. He was so relaxed that by the time I asked him to trot he had no problem. Then it was time to get on. He flexed real good and we started off. Do you know he offered to trot and then canter right away. However, when we got to the other end where we were stopping yesterday he did not like it that we kept going after a minute or so. But we did some laps trotting and if he offered a nice lope I let him go. We did this a few laps around and then just worked on getting him to follow his nose. When it was time I took the saddle off and started working with him to go into the trailer. We just did the progressive thing getting him to put his head in then both feet and finally without too much pressure I walked him right in. Let him have a good rest. Then back out to do all over. All in all he went in and out 4 times. Now I led him in, but that is ok. Tomorrow we will workon getting him more used to being in the trailer and even wanting to be sent into it.
He goes home on Thursday evening so he is going to have to get good at loading before then.

day 10

I had to give C the day off yesterday. We had the grandkids over for the night. We rode my horses instead among other things. However, today I was able to go to work with him this afternoon. We started off great in the round pen then moved to the riding area. Here I
we went through the gw and went back to the water trough ditch and worked on that for a while. When we got back I saddled him and started sending him off a little to early cause he got a little antsy with me. Then when I started YH he bit me on the elbow to which I responded like a banshee and made him think he was going to die, literally. Then he straightened right up. I lunged him some more than got on and rode around for a while at the trot. He still is having a hard time following his nose in certain spots and at certain times. It will just take time to work that out of him. I loped him from one end of the arena to the other several times giving him a rest at each end. IT wasn't long before he was loping when asked with my seat position rather than squeezing with legs or spanking.
Lisa, his owner came over for a lesson with him. We started off with going over the gw and then she saddled him and he did very well. He remained relaxed, even when she finally asked for a trot from him. Then it was time to get on him. He did well for her, but exhibited some of the same traits of wanting to be done so he would drift over to where he goes back to the barn or he would want to stop. However, she did a good job at keeping him on task even though he had been worked longer than he ever has in his life. It was good for him.
Tomorrow will be more of the same, only I am going to work with him going in and out of the trailer. I got that fixed today so we are ready to go with that.
That is all for now.

Day 9

He went to work with me again today. I started out in the pen where he did real good and relaxed. I only did a few exercises with him as I wanted to take him to the back field. So we left and backed all the way down the trail. We had a few stops cause he just needed to look at what he was backing into. Then when we got to the field I saddled him up and went through all the exercises, using obstacles like logs, etc. We walked down the power line just kind of looping through several exercises and did them on the hill with me up top and he down below and vice versa. We got to the big water hole, which was ideal. I ran along the top as he ran through the watertrough like pond. Then had him jumping up the edge and then back down the edge. I thought I was at CA's ranch in Texas with his big water obstacle the horses go through. I didn't pay anything to go there. Then we worked our way back. That entire time took an hour. He wasn't done yet. Oh no! No it was riding time. So I put the bridle on him, flexed him several times and then got on. I flexed him some more. He started to move off a few times, but I gather that before long he is going to want to stand when he gets a chance. Then we walked a few strides and the trotting/cruising lesson began. We went around 3x in each direction. He hasn't got that idea of just going straight and follow the path. But his trot was nice and relaxed. I got him to canter a few times, but really wanted to work on him following his nose so we did the circle ess exercise a bunch at the trot. Then we worked on bending exercises at walk and trot. I also worked on touch and rub, and moving his hindquarters over and shoulders. He is real dull in both spots so he gets spurs tomorrow in order to just give him a gentle nudge. He knows what to do, but is real slow about doing it in his own time. I want to up that response time exponentially. Of course, if I am not careful he might respond too much. So it will be tested on the ground, then gently under saddle. My guess is it will go well. He doesn't seem to spook at many things at all either which is real good. He does ok on one rein stops, he just needs to be softer laterally. He backs ok and gets verticalls soft real easy. He just has to learn to hold it longer. So I would say he knows all 27 exercises of the foundation level and some more from the intermediate level. Now these are by no means all A+ grades, but they can be improved on. And that is where we will go. Oh, and by the way, no bucking as of yet.

Day 8

Did a good ride with C today. We spent about 30 minutes w/ gw got him saddled and road in the pen a few minutes. Then took him out back did the exercises on the way back there and In the field. I got on him and wked on mounted exercises. We trotted 20 minutes wking on just staying in gait and following his nose. He did real good. It was a good lesson.

day 7

Today's lesson went really well. We went to work together immediately and let him rest while I rubbed and brushed him. Then 6 quick inside turns while I merely stood while he went around me. We then took the next half hour and went over all the exercises just to get them a little tighter on his responses. I did the Jeffries method just enough to let him know I was coming and to stay consistent with what we have done over the last two days. Then I put the pad on him and then the saddle with the same kind of sacking him out. When I asked him to move off we just did everything the same and he was real calm through the entire exercise. Then I asked him to move off in a trot and canter and no bucking no problems at all. He has high energy but that is a good thing. Then I got on him and went through the same process. We did the walk, trot, canter with YH at throughout and then he did real good. Not balking not bucking not giving me any sense of attitude except, what do you want me to do. So after a short time of this we quick. We had about an hour and a half into this lesson which has been the least of them yet.
He is coming along real nice and relaxed.

Day 6

Ok, let me get this one out of the way. WOW! that is all I can say. It took no more than about a minute til he decided to go to work with me today. I rubbed on him and brushed on him. With in the next 5 minutes he did 6 great inside turns immediately. These were 'A+' moves. We quickly went through all the exercises in under 30 minutes he did great on them all. I did the Jeffries method with him again. He moved off a few times, but I just stayed with him and he got real relaxed and was actually moving into position so I could get on, I figured that out after a few times. I was the slow one there. Then I got the pad and saddle out and before long he was wearing the saddle, not real excited. I did several YHqtrs and Yforequarters and moved him off like that letting him take few more strides each time til he was walking calmly around me. We did a lot of stopping and resting in between and desensitizing. Then it was time to see if he would trot for me. I sent him off a few strides and YHqtrs and backup, rest. Repeat several times then switched sides. and same thing all over. He got a little more excited on the right side but he handled it and even went right into a nice lope for me in both directions and then relaxed to a trot. Then I started some of the other exercises with saddle on him. He got excited doing the Lunging stage 2 but he settled down. It was mainly his anticipation of my asking to change directions. I just have to tone down my cues a little more. He is getting real soft on flexion. Tomorrow I have big plans for him. If it is anything like today it will be even better.

Day 5

Today started a little rougher. He didn't want to go to work with me, but after a few suggestions he decided it was more relaxing to be next to me even if I was in the rd pen. So then we rested good and he got a good rubbing. Then I rd penned and he did great for several turns and then regressed and then came back again. He went from an 'A' to a 'C' back to an b+ and I let him rest. That was all in 5 minutes. I got through all 13 exercises in about an hour. I let him have good rests in between and then at the end he had a good 5 minute rest. Then introduced the saddle pad all over again and then the saddle. He has been saddled before and ridden lots, but my main goal he to be able to saddle him and have him move off without bucking no matter what gait he is in. So after sacking him out to saddle and pad several times, boy my saddle is heavy, I cinched it up. He stood the whole time without so much as a twitch or irritated swish of his tail. Then I just started disengaging the hindquarters and backing him up then let him rest. I did this several times both sides. He was nice and relaxed. I asked him to move forward as though circle driving would let him take 3-4 steps then yield hdqtrs 360 degrees and contine forward. It was as if I was riding for the first time and didn't want the horse to take off to far forward. I did this all the way around the pen a couple times both directions and let him rest in between real good. Then I started moving forward yield hdqtrs move shoulders and go in opposite direction. All of this was at the walk. He was real relaxed not showing any irritation at all. I started to circle drive more letting him ger farther away from me go one circle then yield and go in opposite direction. Then we quit. I didn't ask him to trot yet, that will come next time providing he is nice and relaxed. Next lesson is planned for Wednesday. He has worked hard for six days so he is due a good rest.