Obstacle Course January 3, 2010

The ponies and I had a wonderful afternoon today.  I set up an obstacle course out of left over fence posts and did some exercise with all three of them.  I started out with Rosie, walking her back and forth next to the posts.  She did her usual sniff and paw routine to check them out and then walked over them, no problem.  The posts were laid flat on the snow so she didn’t have to pick up her feet very much to get over them.  I then stacked some posts on top of the other ones so they were off the snow completely.

Stepping

I led her through again and she got a little nervous when her hooves bumped the posts while she stepped over them.  After a few times through, she was picking up her feet nicely and not bumping the posts.  She was doing well so I decided try lunging her over the flat posts.  We did a couple circles just to freshen her up and then moved onto the posts.  She did really good with the flat posts but I couldn’t get her to move smoothly through the raised ones. I then tried to move over the flat posts, then change direction go back over them.

Coming around

I really worked on my body position in relation to her when changing directions.  We kind of struggle with the transition when she gets on a longer lead.  I picked up on one of sources of confusion for us.  When I’m on her off-side I tend to step in front of her shoulders more while trying to keep her moving.  This is confusing because I’ve used stepping ahead of her shoulders to slow down or stop movement.  I was always so focused on keeping her moving in a circle I lost track of where I was in relation to her.  After I adjusted my body, she was able to make the change of direction more smoothly without us running around each other all confused

Miss leading through

Miss did excellent as well when it was her turn to go through the obstacle course.  We did the same exercises that I did with Rosie.  Miss is better on a longer lead than Rosie is and we were able to go through the raised posts, change direction and go back through smoothly.

Paisano

Paisano was next.  I rode Paisano instead of leading him.  I jumped on bareback and we took a few passes walking over and around the posts.  I really like riding bareback and it’s a great way to strengthen my balance.  We even did a little trotting and I hope to get up to a canter some time soon

Cody and Paisano

Cody did some riding with Pai as well.  They did well and I got a chance to finally get some pictures of them together.  It was a beautiful day and we were able to put in some quality time with the ponies.

The rest of the photos can be found on my flickr page.

Herd update November 11, 2009

The herd at the Earth Dancer Ranch has come into full swing.  Paisano has been here less than a week and we already have a routine established.  I wake up, get ready for work and go out to say good morning to everyone.  Each one of them gets a good scratching and an alfalfa cube.  Then I fed them a little and go to work.  I get home and try to get one of them into the round pen for a short training session.  With the girls we work on the basics, developing a strong ground foundation.  If  I’m with Paisano, I will lunge him a little and then get on and work on talking to each other.  We communicate pretty good but we are still getting to know all the little and subtle things.  He is so patient with everyone and we couldn’t have a better mentor in Paisano.  He doesn’t even chase the dogs around   As a matter of fact I don’t even think he cares too much about them.  After our training session, I feed them all.  I give Paisano his oat/flax mixture and he usually shares it with Rosie.  Lil’ Miss is still being proud and won’t even give it the time of day.  I give them all hay and some alfalfa cubes.  They definitely know when it’s feeding time, ha ha ha.  If I’m running late in the morning, I can count on Rosie to be standing at the gate staring at the house whinnying.  The other two are there as well but she is the most vocal about it

 

We are working on getting my stadium lighting put up on the round pen and should be able train after hours soon!

 

What a man!

 

Girlfriends November 9, 2009

Oh boy does Paisano love his girls  

I turned them all out together later in the afternoon yesterday.  After a couple hours Paisano seemed to be pretty relaxed and the girls were getting bored in the round pen.  Me and my dad figured they are going to have to get to know one each other eventually and like I said Pai was relaxed so I felt comfortable trying it out.  When I turned the girls loose Paisano came rushing over to investigate.  Simrat told me he was in between to old geldings at his barn so a couple fresh young fillies were very exciting to him.  Miss of course tried to show him she was boss.  She sniffed him and then turned around to strike at him but ran away instead with Rosie in tow.  It was really funny to watch Miss.  I think she knew that Paisano was going to be the man and she was just putting up a fuss to show him that he better be careful or else. Ha, ha, ha.  I couldn’t even take her serious ;D

When Miss took off running Paisano didn’t miss a beat, he was after those girls so fast!  They all made a few laps around the pasture running, snorting, bucking and sniffing.  After about a minute they stopped, all took turns sniffing each other and then started grazing like nothing happened.  I was amazed!  Miss still tried to push him around a little but he put her in her place right away.  Rosie would only pay attention to him if Miss did almost like she was doing it just so she wouldn’t be left out of the action ::)  They were doing really well together so I went inside to eat something and get back to real life for a minute, kind of re-group my head and stuff. 

Just about dusk I went out to put Paisano in the round pen for the night just to be safe.  I put him in and got his dinner for him and started walking away when he started whinnying and running around.  I turned around to see what the fuss was and he was looking at the girls and calling to them.  They both came running over and stood next to him at the round pen.  Then they all looked at me  like “well, fix this lady”.  So I decided that everything was fine and I fed them all together without any drama or fuss.

I felt comfortable enough to leave them over night together.  I checked on them this morning and they were fine.  None of them had a scratch on them.  I can’t believe how smoothly the transition has been so far.  It’s like he has always been here and part of the herd. 

Bareback on Pai

Paisano and his girls

Warts be gone! September 2, 2009

The warts are finally subsiding!   Miss’s are all gone and Rosie’s are shrinking fast.  I was starting to get a little worried but patients paid off once again. 

Last night was very enjoyable.  We didn’t do much actual training, the flies were out in full force so I just wanted to get some fly spray on them before they lost their minds.  I haltered Miss got her covered in fly spray and then we just spent some time doing some TTouches and walking around the yard.  I worked on getting some tangles out of her forelock and it had a very calming effect on her.  All I did was gently pull her hair through my hands with a slow constant rhythm and she became relaxed right away.  I did this for about 15 minutes pulling and trying to gently work some tangles out of it.  The more I did it, the lower and lower her head got.  She almost had it completely dropped to the ground.  She lifted her head once only to arch her back and give a big stretch.  It reminded me of when I stretch in bed trying to wake up in the morning.  I think doing this on a regular basis will build trust and help her get over her head shyness.

I did the same with Rosie, getting her doused in fly spray and some grooming.  We went walking around the yard as well but she wanted to do her own thing.  I am really going to have to be careful not to let her get away with too much.  She has earned the name Twinkle Toes because she always prances around and acts like a princess.  She also is becoming quite the drama queen.  Whenever something spooks her, she often runs off bucking and tossing her bed about.  It doesn’t sway her curiosity though which is a good thing.  As we were wandering around the yard, she kept wanting to go off and do her own thing.  When I wouldn’t let her she would give me this look like “What! I want to go over therrrrrre!”  I was just waiting for her to throw herself on the ground kicking and screaming like a child. ;D I thought it was hilarious.

Rosie is also developing these little brown spots over her body….. I’m very intersted to see what happens with them

Sponge bath & Strange Behavior August 18, 2009

Both girls had a sponge bath last night.  Well actually it was more like a sponge rinse.  I didn’t want to try and give a full on bath on their first time so I just got a bucket of water and a sponge and wet them down pretty good.  Next time I’ll introduce them to the hose and see how far we can get.  I’m sure they won’t mind too much because they already go stand in the sprinklers when they come on.  Their manes are getting pretty wild so it would be nice to get them cleaned up and combed through. 

Rosie is still becoming more and more curious everyday.  Yesterday morning she was up on the porch behind my parents house.  I couldn’t believe it when my dad told me.  She walked up 4 stairs onto the wood porch and started to poke around in his tomatoes!  Ha Ha Ha…..  She is really going to be a handful   She is starting to lead very well and she is responding to hand signals which makes me very excited.  She is very sensitive to pressure and I’ve tried to keep her as light as possible during our training.  I laid the lead rope on her back while I went to grab a curry comb and she didn’t like it so she reached around and pulled the rope of her back.  When she tried to walk away to graze, the weight of the rope dragging on the ground made her yield which was very cool to see.  I would love to get her so I can ride her bareback will only a neck ring to guide her.

Lil’ Miss had a hard time with the hoof trimmer last week.  I wasn’t able to be there when our appointment was scheduled.  I had a conflict with my work schedule.  Rosie was the first to go and she had no problems what so ever.  I only have one halter at the moment (I know, I need to get another one made ASAP).  So when it came time to halter Miss for her trim she couldn’t be caught.  Neither the trimmer or my dad was able to get her.  Hmmmm, that surprised me a little.  Usually, Miss is the one who doesn’t care about anything and goes along with the program.  I went to work with them a couple days later and she became very nervous the minute I got her in the round pen.  I started moving her in a circle to get her thinking.  I noticed right away she wasn’t thinking at all she was just reacting.  She did her change of direction exercisesvery well but she was more nervous and jumpy than I have ever seen her.  I backed off and slowed things down.  Instead of just making her run in circles, I tried approaching her.  She immediately started running in circles again so I stepped in front of her path and made her draw into me.  I approached her again and the same thing happened.  So we did this about five or times until I was able to calmly walk up close to her and pet her on the head and so on.  Once she calmed down enough to let me pet her, I did some TTouch exercises with her.  After about an hour, we were all relaxed, I was able to halter her calmly, and she started to be her old ornery self again which made me happy.  I trust that old ornery horse, she wasn’t herself when I showed up that day. 

After this incident I have decided that I’m going to do as much hoof maintenance on my own as I am able to do.  I know they need to start being socialized with other humans but I would rather be there to help control the situation than have a reaction like the one Miss did.  We are so close to having their new home ready, I really can’t wait!

After I got the girl calmed down

There is a very tender side to Miss that I can't wait to get out

Who me? Yes, you.

I don't want this on my back

Itchy spot. She is flexible

 

Runway Rosie

August 7, 2009 August 7, 2009

I visited the girls tonight.  It finally cooled down a little so we could do some ground work exercises.  We had a refresher course on changing leads in the round pen and lots of grooming.  They are such good therapy for me.  I can go out there and work with them without speaking a single word sometimes.  I have developed a bond with Rosie that is going to be life-long and she will always hold a special place in my life.

Miss is always a little hesitant at first but it doesn’t take long for her to come around.  I really need to spend a little more time with her.  It would benefit us both so much.  My connection with her is different than it is with Rosie.  She refuses to be treated like a little girl so she feels more like a sister to me where as Rosie is always looking for reassurance and guidance like a child would.  Its amazing how much a couple weeks makes in their development and our relationships.

War Paint

July 28, 2009 July 28, 2009

With all the excitment lately I haven’t been with the girls too much.  We had my 1/2 sister in town for a week organizing a garage sale for all the junk at my house.  My mother had a birthday, my good friend had breast cancer surgery, I reconnected with my best friend, my car was in and out of commission and Cody proposed   .  
I was able to show my sister and my mom a few round penning exercises for them to do while I’m not there.  It will be good for them to get really comfortable with the horses as well as having the horses get worked by someone other than me.  They really have come a long way and I’m very proud of myself and them for not giving up so far.  I can’t wait to get them into their new home in my backyard where we will have lots more room and I can be with them everyday.  

July 20, 2009 July 21, 2009

As I started to do some round pen exercises with Miss tonight, I noticed that she is limping.   It isn’t very noticeable when she is walking but when she picks up the speed you can tell she has a definite limp.  I think it’s her left front leg.  I made her do a few circles just to make sure she wasn’t being lazy.  I cleaned her hoofs and massaged her legs.  She didn’t react suddenly to the massaging but she didn’t like her front right hoof being held up for very long.  I don’t see any swelling which is a good sign.  I guess I’ll just have to watch her this week and see if it gets better, worse or stays the same.  I haven’t seen them for a few days so I don’t know when she started to limp.  

Rosie on the other hand is doing better with her lunging but we are still struggling a little bit.  The warts on Miss’s nose seem to be going away but Rosie’s seem to be getting worse.  
I really need to get these girls in there new place where I can be with them everyday…. Patients grasshopper  

July 16, 2009

Last night, the Lazy One (Miss) and I had a great session.  She was quick to move and she doesn’t need as many reminders to keep “both eyes” on me.  I’ve definitely had to earn her trust and respect which she is still a little apprehensive about.  She is very poised and proud of herself.  She isn’t one to wear her emotions on her sleeve but once she opens up just a little she is very calm and gentle.  Rambler’s Mist would be the equivalent to the wife of an American Indian chief.  A proud woman who is strong for her people and capable of great compassion when needed.  A woman who if shown respect will return it and won’t be taken for a fool.  
I love her!!!!  

I need to get a video camera so I can share her with more than pictures…..  Maybe Santa will bring me one this year  

 

Now Rosie is a different story… I am really having problems getting her to lunge away from me.  Following Clinton Anderson’s example, I point and twirl the end of my lead.  That usually doesn’t trigger an immediate response so I start to push into her space while twirling the rope, this makes her move backwards.  Unless we are standing still, she will do anything to keep her front square with me like she is glued to it.  I actually had her spinning in circles around her front without her front feet moving a step!  I tried standing still moving to her side and then proceeding with the point and lunge.  She did better when I did that but it wasn’t 100%  Once I had her started in the circle, I yield her hindquarters and stop all of which she does beautifully.  When I try to lunge her again and we are back to the beginning pointing, twirling, pushing, backing, confusion.    
I also tried the yielding the forequarters exercises in the Clinton tapes but they were not very successful.

June 10, 2009

I’m just starting to get both girls to lead.  I’m using Buck Branamann as my guiding light right now.  It’s been kind of a long process with this being my “first rodeo” I’m not always on the spot with the right commands, reactions or corrections… I know I’m on the right track and I’m getting better everyday.  I really depend on my horses’ feedback as well.  I can instantly tell the minute they are confused  , at that point we stop and take a deep breath then I try to figure out a way to help them understand what I’m wanting.  Some days we are more tuned into each other and other days all I do is spend time massaging and grooming them.  
I am getting some real help from the man who did their first trim.  He really took the time to do it right and I was very impressed with him.  Thankfully he is willing to stop by about once a month and give me some guidance.

I’m always looking for good books or dvd’s on training so if anyone has any good suggestions let me know….

I also started using the Tellington Touch methods to bond and help create a strong connection between me and my horses.  I’m hoping that it will help me in gaining Lil’ Miss’s trust and strengthen our bond.