fast horse

Well yesterday it was all I could do to keep Callie moving. Today was a different story. IT all started out innocently enough. I did some ground work with him to see how yielded he would be and he seemed good. I brought him back to my workout area (a big field I have) and saddled him up. After moving him around some I thought all was well. Then I got on and he was resistant to the point of trying to buck a few times. So I thought, he doesn't usually buck so there must be something wrong. I got off and started checking things out just had to reposition the saddle farther forward. I got back on and started working on his softness. He is not very soft at this point. I did some forward and bending exercises and then moved off at the trot. He wanted to gravitate back to his new buddies up at the barn and started to canter so I let him. For the next 30 minutes or so we mostly cantered. Oh, he wanted to slow down, but then he would call to his buddies and I would yield hindquarters, and he would canter so I let him and then when he wanted to slow down I said, NO. When it was all said and done this morning I know that I have to work on his desire to pay attention to the rein and my leg. Right now he wants to do his own thing. I gotta say though, that if I had been eating pasture grass and being left alone for 6 months and someone came along and started messing with me, I probably would not be really happy about it either. So Grand did real well today too. I had to rd pen him a little but he is starting to follow me more and more each day. My goal today was to go through all the exercises then to start driving him in a straight line with the lead rope. It took some work, but he started to go straight rather than go in a circle. I think this helps to get him to really look to me for leadership like where are we going next. My other goal was to start the process of the Jeffrey's method where I get on him bareback. So I bounced around him and then started leaning on him and actually hung over him several times today without so much as a bother to him. I had similar thoughts for Moon. Now moon takes a little rd pen, but then he walks real fast up to me so I don't have to spend much time with that. The other exercises he gets pretty good. He is not as laid back as So Grand, but he catches on quick. I also started flip the rope over his head and around his butt for a turn and go exercise that teaches him to follow his nose. So Grand does the same thing. When I started bouncing for Moon and then leaning on him he moved a few times, but soon just stood there and let me hang over his back. Tomorrow I will attempt to get all the way on both of them if they are calm enough to do so. I keep wanting to push them a further and keep making progress with them.

Slow horse

Well, I got in another Horse yesterday. Callie is one that I have ridden before for his owner. He is real nice paint that doesn't really have a go button. I worked with him this morning did some ground work taking him through all the fundamentals exercises. He is a bit sluggish and resistant to moving in certain areas, but he hasn't been ridden since September of last year. So that is to be expected. I didn't want to work him too hard today knowing he is not in shape. However, after the ground work was satisfactory I mounted and went through my checklist of things like standing still, lateral flexion, yield hindquarters and move his shoulders over. He did fine, but I really had to put some life in him. Then I took him out of the pen and did some walk trot canter around my big field. He doesn't like to canter in in the right lead, but left is ok. Still he needs a lot of prodding to get him going. He is so laid back that it might take a bit of effort to get him with the program. As far as the two Arabs, they are really doing well. I have taken them through all the fundamental ground work for the most part, as of today. I still have to keep reviewing with them. But I have learned that Moon is a right brain introvert on the Parelli scale. He is reactive, distrustful, hesitant, and high headed, but he does move quickly to the thinking side of things. He follows me much better everyday. He will calm down pretty rapidly. I was sending him between me and the fence and he would lunge through to the left, and much calmer to the right. But as we worked through this he calmed down and started going through at a walk. I would say he is doing very well. So Grand is very distrustful, but making progress. He too followed me more today than he ever has. He still had to do some round penning, but not nearly as much. He might be a right brain introvert too. It takes more to get him going than it does Moon, but he is not high headed or really over reactive. He seems to be calm and take things in stride for the most part. Probably the biggest thing about him is that he might get bothered by something, but moves to the thinking side of his brain rather quickly. I've learned I need to give these guys lots of breaks when they show me they are thinking. He is getting really soft in circling and flexing too. My estimation is that both of these horses are coming along nicely. I will soon be getting them ready for introducing the saddle. Should be interesting.

good training week

I guess I need to update on what is happening with the Arabs. They are both doing real well. I have been able to get as far as what Clinton Anderson calls the sending exercise which is number 9 of 14. I have learned that So Grand, the 11 not 14 yr old stallion is one who quickly reverts to the thinking side of his brain. Once he gets something he is good to go with it. I have been working outside with both of these guys and that has been really good. I have got him following better today than all week and he is staying calm most of the time. I am demanding more of them with respect to each exercise and how much I want them to move. He was the really standoffish one but is coming along nicely. Moonie is doing well too. Today I didn't have to rd pen much, he was following me all over. He is a little more reactive but is starting to get to the thinking side of his mind a little more quickly. I really felt like I was connecting with both of them really well today. They were responding to my cues with lighter pressure and giving me more movement. They get two days off and Monday we are back at it.

Started with the Arabs again

Today makes the 3rd day I have been working with So Grand, a 14yr old black Arab Stallion, and Moonie, a 9yr old Black Arab. Both of them I worked with last fall for a month just getting to the point where they could be led and their feet handled. This time I am working towards actually riding them. So I started in the round pen and had two good days with them working on getting them to follow me and then to work on getting them to Yield the hindquarters, forequarters and backup. They weren't too bad at recall from last fall. Today, I worked with them in an outside arena, not a rd pen, but a rectangle of about 40x60 or so. It was a little too big for what I wanted to do, but the footing is much more solid so getting them to canter was better. Moonie, got the most workout today. I did my usual rd pen stuff and then went to pick up his feet and he would not stand still for the hind one to pick out. So I made him move. It was about 15 minutes later of trying to let him know it was better to stand and let me do it. But he would have none of it. It did finally get done, with him picking it up and holding it for me. I think the outdoors adds an advantage to indoor in that there are more distractions so you really know if you have their attention or not. What goes on indoors can be totally different to what happens outdoors. We got through a lot with him and he was following me much better than before. So Grand made some improvements too. He is still standoffish as far as following me, but we did establish some good consistent direction staying in gait and got some good changes of direction. He let me pick up his feet with no problem either. Because we were outside we didn't get as far as I had hoped, but we will make more progress tomorrow I'm sure. I don't think I will have to run as much.

spring is here and riding too

I thought I would get on here and let those who are interested know that I am finally back at it. I attended Equine Affaire over the weekend and had a blast. Attended several clinics and picked up a few tips. I got home and couldn't wait to start riding again. I found that my riding boots will work for me after all. I thought that after my foot surgery I would have to get another pair, but these work just fine. I simply shouldn't walk miles in them. Since Monday I have been riding both my horses just getting the bugs out and reinforcing a few things. Raven is sure a lot farther along then Jake is. I have been refining their stop on whoa and also their response to my leg cues. Yesterday I worked Raven and then decided to pony Skye the yearling stud colt. I had to dr. him above the eye so I thought since he loves to be next to Raven ponying him would help to settle him. I worked on him leading around. He had some trouble with that but it all worked out. Then when I thought it was time I got around to dring his wound. He must have hit his head on something in the hollow spot above his left eye. I noticed when the farrier was here on Monday that something didn't look right and when I peeled away the crusties there was some puss oozing out. I got ahold of some furazone and yesterday dred him. He didn't like it one bit. I don't have a twitch so I just took it real slow and rinsed it off as best I could then applied the furazone. it doesn't seem to bother him much and doesn't appear to be swelled much. I will keep an eye on it. I hope I don't have to call the vet. Today I got out there before all the rain and rode Raven. She is so out of shape that after a few minutes of loping around she is heaving so I gotta take it easy on her. I want to get her stops real good. I hope to have her doing sliding stops before long. I also want to work on flying lead changes. I have never done them intentionally. I noticed to that like riding a bike riding a horse comes back real easy. I hadn't been on one since January and was somewhat concerned that I would not be able to pick up there footfalls very easy, but it was like it was second nature again. More and more an indoor riding arena looks real good. I had to stop because of the rain and thunder. I am getting ready to start with two Arabs next week too and then also I have Callie coming in May. So it will be real busy real soon.

liberty

I walked into he pen today, Raven came out of her stall with Skye on her tail and Jake stood off about 30 feet. I walked in and Raven didn't walk off but stood as did Skye with me within 5 feet of her. I just stood there. Jake looked to me and stood watching. Skye was all over me sniffing, nudging. I just stood with my hands in my pockets doing nothing. I was ready to wake Skye up should he decide to nibble but other than that I was just there to observe what they would do. I was glad Raven just stood there and didn't wander off. Skye became bored with me after 5 or 10 minutes and walked off. Raven stood with head down periodically throwing a glance my way. I decided to walk over to Jake not acting as a predator. He stood there for me. It was like he was asking me to come over. I stood there and let him sniff and nuzzle my coat and jeans. Skye started to come over so I stepped across Jakes front to his left side so that he could do as he pleased with Skye. It was interesting watching Skye ask to come over. Jake let him get a little closer and let him know by lungeing at him that he was too close. Jaked walked down to the other part of the paddock turned and started back. Raven moved him to his left with just her body movement and position to ensure that he would not come a way she didn't like. He was about 20' from her but she was real clear and he showed he got her message. He then walked right down to me and stopped about 6 feet away. I stepped away with my back to him and that drew him in closer. He nuzzled and smelled again. I rubbed him between the eyes and he lowered his head. I stopped and the did it again and he lowered his head. Then I just stood there with his head next to my right arm and did nothing. Skye started to come closer again and Jake again moved him off and then came right back to me. It was like Jake was telling him I was his. I stood with Jake for a time and then did some liberty work with him, asking for disengagement and moving his shoulders over from both sides. Not a lot, just once or twice from each side. Then walked off and he followed me so I stopped again and let him stand next to me. After several minutes I freed him and walked over to Raven. She moved off so I kept repositioning myself as Skye got in between us. I did this ever so softly making her change directions the same way she made Jake move. Then when she stood I walked up to her and stood with her head next to me on her left side. Skye came up and she didn't care so I let him. We stood several minutes then I rubbed her between the eyes. Skye moved around behind her to her right side and then came up. I guess he wanted some rubbing too. I just stood there and observed how she handled Skye. Jake in the mean time wanted to come up to me too, but Raven wouldn't let him. I don't know how she told him know but he turned and walked toward the barn and just watched. Soon I was too cold and gave her and Skye one last rub and walked over to Jake and rubbed on him a moment then walked out of the pen. It may not sound like alot was accomplished, but to me it was huge. I didn't have to chase them down, they stood for me and let me just observe. I sort of asked them if I could come over and pet on them and just be with them. Skye does the same thing, but Jake won't let him. It was fun. Oh, I should say that I did some liberty work with Raven also and it worked out fine.

waitin'

It has been since January 12 that I have rode my horses. I had the foot surgery on the 14th. Today was the first day that I got out there in the muck and the mud and the rain to just stand and observe them in the paddock. I have done some reading from Mark Rashid's books and wanted to just try out a theory that I caught to mean "think it visual it and given patience the horse will do it.' My goal was to have my horses just gather around me after I stood in the paddock. So that is what I did. I walked into the muck and then they sort of scattered and then stood. I began to think, 'Raven come to me, Jake come to me' Skye got the message and within 5 minutes he was standing next to me nibbling, smelling, anything but just stand next to me. So I rubbed on him abit. Obviously, my communication with Raven and Jake was broken so I went back to thinking them over to me. 'How did that work,' you ask? Well, I think there was too much confusion going in my mind. Although, when I focused on Jake and not Raven too, He immediately perked up and looked at me, stepped his shoulder over to face me better, cocked his rt. hind leg and watched me. I kept thinking and trying to visualize, 'come to me Jake.' Nothing happened. Ten minutes went by then 20 and 30 minutes. Nothing. He was going to sleep. I must not have been thinking loud enough. Skye came back about that time and we scratched each other for a few minutes. Then I decided to make the first move and step toward Jake. I ambled over to him and rubbed on him. He didn't show any sign of moving away so I asked him if I could come in to say hi and he stood. I watched him with Skye. Skye a little too close for Jake and he shoved him away with a stretching out of neck and shake of his head. Skye got the message loud and clear and scrambled off a few steps. Jake did this a time or two. Then I moved over to Raven and she moved off. So I went back to jake until she settled back down and then I walked over to her and rubbed on her. Skye was right in on this too. Raven didn't seem to mind. In evaluting this session I learned I need to concentrate on one horse at a time and make sure my energy is off and my mind is focused and that I have alot of time and patience. I will revisit this again.