Day 75

Well, I had one of the moments today. When I was right. I got Star out first and saddled him, worked on the ground with him. Ok. Then got in the saddle and things were fine, normal, you might say. I rode about ten minutes and because things were going pretty good I decided to take him to the outdoor arena. Now this is where I was right. I have been told and come to believe that the response I get in the indoor arena, round pen, etc might be 100% right response to what I ask of the horse once they learn it. However, that drops exponentially when you put them in another environment that they have not been in during the training process, like an outdoor arena or trail, or outside the round pen into an arena. I have been told if I get 80% indoors I will only get about 50% or so in the outdoor arena. That was true of Star. When I took him outside he started to get really nervous. I did some c pattern exercises with him and he was freaking out. Slipped and almost fell on the way to the arena. The grass was wet from dew. When we got in the arena I moved him all around it lunging him and changing directions alot etc. When he seemed to me to be somewhat calm I got on him. I flexed him once and he started to move so, knowing that he was scared, I let him move his feet. Well twenty minutes later he was still moving his feet. I was glad I had such a good start on flexing and collection cause he responded to that. I kept him bent the entire time. I let him straighten out a few times. It wasn't long though, cause I had started right in on the bending. He was doing so well indoors. Outdoors he basically had a meltdown and if I hadn't put a pretty good handle on him indoors it could have been disastrous. Anyway, after he calmed down some and wanted to stop I didn't let him. I kept him going and started doing figure 8's and even had him cantering some. He did offer an attempt at a buck or two, but that was all. He just kept moving around and we did lots of circles. Finally, he started to respond to the rein and started giving and so when we got to the end we walked a little bit and I had him bending laterally and vertically then I asked for a stop and he did. I flexed him a few times and got off. I suspect, as he did indoors, he will get better with each time. Robbie, didn't go outside at all today. I want to make sure I have him as close to 100% responding with softness to the rein before I take him out. But he is not as flighty as Star so maybe he would have been fine. Anyway, I did a little ground work with him, got him saddled, more gw and then I got on him. I flexed him and YH YF and off we went. I immediately started where we left off yesterday with bending at the walk and when he was giving me several steps with that then ask him for vertical. Then we moved up to trot. I think we trotted for a good 15 minutes maybe more just working on bending and collection at the trot. We interspersed that with trotting around the arena on a loose rein and doing figure 8's. He got real good at almost needing no direction from the rein, just my seat and legs as he could feel me switch my posting pattern to the other lead and so on. I almost got him neck reining. Now when I go outside with him I don't expect it will be that good. After that good long trot I let him rest a couple minutes and then we went back to work. I want him following his nose with no resistance before I take him outside. Because I know that I will lose some of that control. He did well all in all. We finished up with walking and bending and vertical, stopping and backup etc. Tomorrows another day.

day 74

Yesterday was a good day with these guys. I got Star out first and groomed and saddled him then worked him a few minutes on the ground to make sure he was with me and relaxed. Then the last 40 minutes we rode. I worked immediately on bending for lateral and vertical softness when he was doing that good we moved up to trotting. For the first time he was carrying his head lower at the trot even giving me softness for a stride or two. I let him trot around doing the cruising exercise on a loose rein for several minutes as well. Robbie was much the same. I saddled him and moved him around through the ground exercises then got on him and worked on bending at the walk and trot. Towards the end he was real stiff lateral so I had to stop and work on lateral softness then move back to the walk and get it and then get the vertical. Then we moved back to the trot. I didn't get as much softness as I would like, but we made progress. I let him trot around even canter on a loose rein for a little while then back to walking. Both guys did well. Next is to move over to the outdoor arena and do the same thing.

day 73

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a Ken McNabb clinic. It was well worth the drive to Sparta, not only to say hi to Ken, but to learn what I could from the day there. I did pick up on somethings that I could use and did put into practice with good success with the guys today. What were they? Well, I was reminded to stick with an exercise until they get it. Sometimes I have a tendency to quite too early or to accept too little too soon. Secondly, just working on the bend on a circle and then once they are soft laterally, pick up the outside rein and hold til they are soft vertically. That can often take quite a few circles. I found that out today with DarkStar. He picked things up right away going to the left, but to the right he was alot more resistant. There could be many reasons for that, but once he got it it went better. I even started him at the trot and he picked up on that and was moving with softness, head down at the trot. Now this is a high headed guy normally, but he was soon carrying his head lower. When I got on star today he usually would want to take right off in a trot, but today when we started he wanted to go, not at a trot, but a fast walk, so I put him right to work on this circling exercise. Almost 30 minutes later he is carrying his head lower and softer and responding to my seat and legs. A third thing I learned or was refreshed on was the stop. We didn't have a lot of time to work on this, but he did get his stop better, now we just have to get his walk to stop to backup better so that it is a walking backup. Robbie, did real good too. I went through my normal gw routine, a shortened version, saddled him up and then got on him and started working on those same things. We progressed to getting some good trotting with softness and even some good cantering around with him. I had a great time an both of them. We made good progress. I only wish I would have had more time with them today. I can't ride again until Tuesday so they are getting some time off. But next week we will pick up where we left off.

Day 71, 72

Well, we got to down to it yesterday and today. Yesterday both horses went through their paces as though they were bored. I did the same things with them went through all the exercises. Star I walk, trot and canter. He started out a bit hyper, but that was scare in him. I bent him to slow. Each day that has even been getting better. Robbie I just walked and trotted. Did alot of work with both of them on giving me vertical softness at the walk and started the trot. Then I took the pen down. Today, was in the big arena. Robbie was real good we did alot of figure 8's at the trot, about 15 minutes worth. I have noticed with both of them that they really don't follow their noses well if they are interested in going another direction. So I gotta get this 100% before I am done with them. I didn't canter him as he still overreaches and the boots don't stay on well. Star was started and he did get antsy at first, but I bent him to a walk and then kept changing directions and pretty soon his head was dropping. THen I started to trot him around. I did alot of serpentines and figure 8's with him trying to work on getting him to follow his nose too. But he did a great job. Was nice and calm pretty much throughout the ride. So we will pick up on Friday at this spot.

day 70

Well this was a good day for riding. These guys were just fine. Robbie had his spunk back. But he did just fine. I was going to remove the round pen today, but didn't have time to do it. So it is set for wednesday, unless I have time tomorrow to do it. They are both pretty calm about everything it seems. I didn't canter Robbie today for the same reason as before. He did pretty good in everything I asked him to do. Darkstar was just fine today as well. He picked up a canter right away when I asked him to. He wanted to start out going fast in the beginning, but I just bent him down to a walk then redirected his feet until I was ready for a trot and canter. He settled down in short order. More of the same tomorrow with them.

Day 69

When I worked with the horses today I put a obstacle in the way. I left the door to the arena open so they could see other horses out in the paddock. When I worked with Darkstar He was a little distracted by it. I put him through his paces then saddled him and went through my usual exercises. Then I got on him and he was really distracted in fact he decided he wanted to just go at a trot. So at first I let him because I don't want to squelch the forward. But when he wanted to stop I didn't let him. Then I had him work on keeping gait whatever it was. Finally, he started settling down especially when I started redirecting his feet every time he broked gait. I had him doing alot of YH and Yf then move off. One rein stops and YF and move off. I started asking for lateral softness with forward and when he was giving me that I started to ask for vertical softness. It took a few times but he started to give me that too. So we worked on that the last 5 mintues or so of our lesson. My plan for Robbie was a little different because the vet thinks he might have an infection. I decided to take it a little easy on him. I did the walk trot canter at liberty with him and then saddled him. Did several sending and circling exercises. He didn't throw up any slime at all. Then I got on him and went through my check list and had him move off. I mainly wanted to work on vertical flexion at the walk. However, I did have him trot some. No cantering. I thought, if he has an infection somewhere in his head I don't want to pull on him much. Anyway he was real good for me and calm. There were a few times he was starting to get focused on the other horses that came into sight, but I just kept his feet moving with YH and YF. So it was a good lesson for him as well.

DAY 68

Had a really good day with both horses today. I found some boots for Robbie to wear so that he will be more apt to canter for me. I started by having him at liberty walk trot and canter and back down to walk for me. He did good in both directions. Then I saddled him and went through all the exercises I know he knows, even sidepassing on the rail and not on the rail. Then I got on him and flexed him. He is super soft. I then did a YF and walked off. Then did some serpentines with him and asked him to trot no problem. Did some more YH and YF and walk off in both directions. I asked him to canter and he didn't really like it til I put the boots on him, he was overreaching and clipping his heel. Then I wasn't really a problem. I then had him working on YH and YF in 360 degrees. Had him walk trot canter a few times and he was just fine. Darkstar did just as well. I went through the same things on the ground as with Robbie. Then I saddled him and did some more. I got on him and flexed and did YF and walked off too. We brushed up against the rail and it scared him and we started trotting so I kept him trotting even after he wanted to stop. We did the other direction and some YH YF and stopped. Then I had him trot and move to canter and he did with a little coaxing. I think he is so out of balance it is hard for him to canter with me on his back. So I was working on getting lateral softness at the walk and then to vertical. He is catching on and is real willing. We ended with the walk trot canter and some flexing at the walk. Both horses are real calm through it all. That is good.