Sorry I have been absent, I was waiting to post until I had all good news to share. Unfortunately that won't be happening so I might as well let everyone know how things are going. Last week I had received an email from Kota's new owner asking if I would be willing to give her a lesson, she really loved him but wanted me to show her the buttons that he knew. Kota had been becoming mobile in both the cross ties and at the mounting block so she wanted to know what I suggested for that.
I went out last Sunday and gave her a 2 hour lesson. The first hour we worked on ground work and I reminded Kota of his manners and showed her how to handle him and move his quarters. I showed her that Whoa means Whoa and how to remind Kota of that and then worked with her until she was able to get the same results. After that part of the lesson she said she was already 50% more confident with him and very happy with the lesson. For the second part of the lesson I rode him and found he had reverted back to two of his favorite tricks, keeping his head in the air like a llama and bracing and locking his inside shoulder. We worked a bit on those items and while we weren't able to completely fix them in the ride, I was able to give his new owner tips on how to fix them. At the end of my ride I even asked for the canter both directions and he gave me the correct lead each time. I was so pleased!
His owner rode next and overall it went well. She could benefit greatly from some equitation lessons however she never seemed in danger of falling off and the two of them got along really well. I was very happy to hear that she not only could feel when Kota locked his shoulder but now knew how to fix it and actively fixed the issue when it arose. She even cantered him and he behaved wonderfully. At the end of the lesson each of us was sweaty and tired but the new owner was extremely happy with how things went. She said she felt much better about Kota, handling him and his training after the session. She is really looking forward to using the new skills on him to make him a better horse and is willing to put the effort into fixing is bad habits. I am really happy for them!
Unfortunately my bad news is that my MRI results came back and they are bad. Pretty bad. The reconstructive work I had done in 2004 was destroyed, the ACL graft that was put in has been completely severed and there is severe meniscus damage. The family physician who ordered the MRI wasn't sure from the results if the damage was new or existing but it doesn't sound good. I am now searching for a really good ortho guy and looking at surgery. Family physician wants it done ASAP and wants me back on crutches and being non-weight bearing, I figure it will be done by July and I will walk with the cane that SO made me buy. I am extremely disappointed and very upset with myself in not listening to my gut that the horse would hurt me, I even blogged about it and didn't do anything about it. As a result things are very bad for my poor leg and my show season is completely shot. Hopefully I don't fall too far into this depression I am falling into, looking for some more good news to lift my spirits.
Showing posts with label Kota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kota. Show all posts
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Feeling good, emotionally at least. And a Kota update!
I am not sure what is up, I am normally a very healthy, accident free person but 2012 has it in for me. Between the New Years Eve fiasco to the torn calf muscle to now I am pretty sick and thinking it is pneumonia, this has been an unfair year for me. Starting Monday my allergies went on the war front and started making me miserable. Tuesday night I got very little sleep as I would wake up when I couldn't breathe, which was constantly. Wednesday I took the full arsenal of drugs, including my rarely used inhaler and super expensive Singular, and got through the day and this morning I feel like a sack of poo. Hurts to breathe deeply, minor coughing starting, sore throat, sore sinuses, sore nose, joint pain, lethargic, headaches, you name it. I found the antibiotics I hadn't finished from my New Years Eve fiasco, since my Dr told me I didn't need them since it was a vaccinated, indoor cat, and am taking that with Dayquil and Advil. Blech. Hopefully I don't have to go to the Dr yet again.
On the flip side I am feeling really good mentally. I had my instructor compliment me on my training of the App, I am riding again and last night I got a call from RB3. She decided she needed to sell Kota as she still had fear when on him, she doesn't trust him. Her boyfriend, which is the reason she bought Kota in the first place, doesn't really want to ride period so RB3 decided to sell him while he is still fresh out of training. She said she had someone over to look at him and they loved him but she said they couldn't get Kota to canter without him bucking. Say what?? I never had that issue when he was here. She begged me to come ride him for the next people that were coming out, she said now that she knows he will buck she will never ride him again. *sigh*.
So I changed my plans, left work about 20 mins earlier than I planned on, ate about half of my dinner and brought my wheezing self to her barn. It was about an hour before the people were to show up so I worked with Kota to see what was going on. I did about 5 mins of groundwork to remind him of space and manners and hopped on. He was a little speedy, not unexpected considering the riding he has had for the past 2.5 weeks. I slowed him down and worked on his lateral movements and they are still nicely installed. I asked for a left lead canter, his good direction, and it felt like he kicked out so I brought his nose to his haunches and kicked him hard for a few circles before letting him rest. It wasn't even close to a buck but nothing out of line will be tolerated at this point. I asked for a canter again and not only got one, it was a fairly nicely balanced canter!
His right lead was a bit stickier, he had problems giving it to me but I got it and there was no hooves stepping out of line. RB3 was happy but a little frustrated and said she just doesn't click with him so she is glad she is selling him. Personally I think it probably has to do with either her riding or the saddle she had bought for him (I was using the one we trained with at the end, she bought him a new one after he went home since the first saddle didn't fit) but either way I am glad he rode well.
The people showed up about a half hour later and fell in LOVE with him. It was an older lady who has a horse who is currently trying to kill her (her words). She says she is thrown from him about every third ride and she wants something she clicks with better. I rode Kota and showed her the buttons as well as the walk, trot and canter and she was happy even when it took Kota 3 tries to get his right lead. She rode him and while she was very tense, she seems to be a decent rider and was able to get him to do everything she asked including a left lead canter.
They bought him right then and there and are picking him up Thursday, today. She will be doing lower level dressage and using him as a trail horse. Here's to hoping he has a good life, it appears his training has set him on the course for a better things. I am very proud that my training has got him here too. Happy Trails Kota!
On the flip side I am feeling really good mentally. I had my instructor compliment me on my training of the App, I am riding again and last night I got a call from RB3. She decided she needed to sell Kota as she still had fear when on him, she doesn't trust him. Her boyfriend, which is the reason she bought Kota in the first place, doesn't really want to ride period so RB3 decided to sell him while he is still fresh out of training. She said she had someone over to look at him and they loved him but she said they couldn't get Kota to canter without him bucking. Say what?? I never had that issue when he was here. She begged me to come ride him for the next people that were coming out, she said now that she knows he will buck she will never ride him again. *sigh*.
So I changed my plans, left work about 20 mins earlier than I planned on, ate about half of my dinner and brought my wheezing self to her barn. It was about an hour before the people were to show up so I worked with Kota to see what was going on. I did about 5 mins of groundwork to remind him of space and manners and hopped on. He was a little speedy, not unexpected considering the riding he has had for the past 2.5 weeks. I slowed him down and worked on his lateral movements and they are still nicely installed. I asked for a left lead canter, his good direction, and it felt like he kicked out so I brought his nose to his haunches and kicked him hard for a few circles before letting him rest. It wasn't even close to a buck but nothing out of line will be tolerated at this point. I asked for a canter again and not only got one, it was a fairly nicely balanced canter!
His right lead was a bit stickier, he had problems giving it to me but I got it and there was no hooves stepping out of line. RB3 was happy but a little frustrated and said she just doesn't click with him so she is glad she is selling him. Personally I think it probably has to do with either her riding or the saddle she had bought for him (I was using the one we trained with at the end, she bought him a new one after he went home since the first saddle didn't fit) but either way I am glad he rode well.
The people showed up about a half hour later and fell in LOVE with him. It was an older lady who has a horse who is currently trying to kill her (her words). She says she is thrown from him about every third ride and she wants something she clicks with better. I rode Kota and showed her the buttons as well as the walk, trot and canter and she was happy even when it took Kota 3 tries to get his right lead. She rode him and while she was very tense, she seems to be a decent rider and was able to get him to do everything she asked including a left lead canter.
They bought him right then and there and are picking him up Thursday, today. She will be doing lower level dressage and using him as a trail horse. Here's to hoping he has a good life, it appears his training has set him on the course for a better things. I am very proud that my training has got him here too. Happy Trails Kota!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Kota - Last ride
It is really hard to imagine that Kota has been here for a full 30 days. Or that April is about over though I knew April would fly by with as busy as it was supposed to be. I was reading my previous post looking at all Kota has accomplished in the short time here and it makes me proud. He has a good foundation to bring him through life and I am looking forward to see how things play out for him.
For our last ride I kept things simple. I worked on groundwork again to make sure he was nice and sharp for when he goes home. Move haunches, move shoulders, back, forward, halt, the meaning of whoa. He had almost forgotten some of the basics and didn't immediately move when I asked for a command so I am glad I took the time to review. He was a good boy and after about 10 mins I hopped on. Kota stayed stock still for mounting and we spent most of the ride at a walk and trot. We worked on half passes some more, practiced the turn on the haunches, forehand, side pass and back. We played with the trot and keeping it nice and slow with both big and small circles and changes of direction. We even played with a small jump, having him walk over a 15 inch crossrail and even trotting over it. Though admittedly there wasn't a trot over the crossrail, he trotted up to it, slowed to a walk, stepped over it and trotted off. I will give him props for not refusing or trying to duck out, he just went over it like he had been doing it the whole time. It was a nice ride to finish our month together.
Kota will be leaving this afternoon and I will have 2 days of only having my critters here before the new boarder comes. I shall thoroughly enjoy these next two days of only 3 stalls to clean, especially since Kota is far from a good stall keeper. Hopefully this new gelding will be a better stall keeper, the owner says he is rarely in a stall now so she can't say how he is. It shall be a surprise!
For our last ride I kept things simple. I worked on groundwork again to make sure he was nice and sharp for when he goes home. Move haunches, move shoulders, back, forward, halt, the meaning of whoa. He had almost forgotten some of the basics and didn't immediately move when I asked for a command so I am glad I took the time to review. He was a good boy and after about 10 mins I hopped on. Kota stayed stock still for mounting and we spent most of the ride at a walk and trot. We worked on half passes some more, practiced the turn on the haunches, forehand, side pass and back. We played with the trot and keeping it nice and slow with both big and small circles and changes of direction. We even played with a small jump, having him walk over a 15 inch crossrail and even trotting over it. Though admittedly there wasn't a trot over the crossrail, he trotted up to it, slowed to a walk, stepped over it and trotted off. I will give him props for not refusing or trying to duck out, he just went over it like he had been doing it the whole time. It was a nice ride to finish our month together.
Kota will be leaving this afternoon and I will have 2 days of only having my critters here before the new boarder comes. I shall thoroughly enjoy these next two days of only 3 stalls to clean, especially since Kota is far from a good stall keeper. Hopefully this new gelding will be a better stall keeper, the owner says he is rarely in a stall now so she can't say how he is. It shall be a surprise!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Kota and the TWH - total uneventful goings
Kota is here for only two more nights and is leaving Thursday afternoon. I am excited for him and hope his owner enjoys all of the toys I installed on him. I was thinking about everything I have taught him in a short 30 days and Kota can now correctly perform the following, of which he could not do upon arrival:
Standing while grooming
Standing while mounting/dismounting
Put head down on command
Walk/trot with head down on command
Trot slowly with some collection and lots of balance
Walk and trot large and small circles
Change direction in the trot with balance
Bend his body
Move hindquarters on command, both on the ground and under saddle
Move shoulders on command, both on the ground and under saddle
Back on command, both on the ground and under saddle
Canter with some balance
Canter with ability to steer
Canter via leg cue, which is not "more kicking", with correct lead
Half pass - a real one too, no leading shoulders
Side pass
Knows the meaning of the word Whoa
Will walk beside a person with his head at their shoulder
Halt when a person on the ground stops
Load "by himself" in a trailer
Allow entire face to be clipped with clippers
I am pretty happy with this list and I am sure there is something I am forgetting. His owner will ride him again tonight and I will ride him tomorrow and that will be it for my first training horse in MI and first training horse in several years. Success!
The ride last night was pretty boring, we walked, trotted and did some canter. Worked on some lateral movements, just reinforcing what he has learned with nothing notable to even talk about. I will do the same stuff on Wednesday and will be surprised if I have anything notable to talk about then either. I did have RB4 ride the TWH while I rode Kota though, she did some walk and flatwalk and she said she could certainly tell he was out of shape. He was even slightly sweaty after walking for an hour, poor guy. The TWH being the true gem that he is, however, walked along like he hadn't just had over 2 months off. No spooking, no being fast, just plodding along like he had been doing it all along. Not sure how much he will be ridden right away as I will be getting the App ready for our show May 6th but he will now be available and he has pounds to walk off.
Standing while grooming
Standing while mounting/dismounting
Put head down on command
Walk/trot with head down on command
Trot slowly with some collection and lots of balance
Walk and trot large and small circles
Change direction in the trot with balance
Bend his body
Move hindquarters on command, both on the ground and under saddle
Move shoulders on command, both on the ground and under saddle
Back on command, both on the ground and under saddle
Canter with some balance
Canter with ability to steer
Canter via leg cue, which is not "more kicking", with correct lead
Half pass - a real one too, no leading shoulders
Side pass
Knows the meaning of the word Whoa
Will walk beside a person with his head at their shoulder
Halt when a person on the ground stops
Load "by himself" in a trailer
Allow entire face to be clipped with clippers
I am pretty happy with this list and I am sure there is something I am forgetting. His owner will ride him again tonight and I will ride him tomorrow and that will be it for my first training horse in MI and first training horse in several years. Success!
The ride last night was pretty boring, we walked, trotted and did some canter. Worked on some lateral movements, just reinforcing what he has learned with nothing notable to even talk about. I will do the same stuff on Wednesday and will be surprised if I have anything notable to talk about then either. I did have RB4 ride the TWH while I rode Kota though, she did some walk and flatwalk and she said she could certainly tell he was out of shape. He was even slightly sweaty after walking for an hour, poor guy. The TWH being the true gem that he is, however, walked along like he hadn't just had over 2 months off. No spooking, no being fast, just plodding along like he had been doing it all along. Not sure how much he will be ridden right away as I will be getting the App ready for our show May 6th but he will now be available and he has pounds to walk off.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Kota - Kota and the trail ride
Saturday I hauled Kota out for a trail ride with his owner, she wanted me to "challenge him" through some parts
of a trail she frequents. One of the requests for training was to get
him to load better and, preferably, to load "by himself". Since this is the one part of training I haven't even touched on, I figured we might as well try it now. I went to
load him and he walked on fine. I backed him off and put him back on,
no problems. I backed him off and asked him to load again but this time
I didn't walk in the trailer with him and he stopped. I backed him up
and tried again and he refused. I tried a third time and he reared.
Uhhh, Kota don't you think that is a bad idea? I have been told rearing is
his answer to things he doesn't want to do so after he reared a second time I put the chain
over his nose. When he reared the third time and hit the chain he
almost fell over but still offered another rear when I again asked him to walk forward towards the trailer. I changed tactics and aggressively backed him up
and made him move his haunches and shoulders. When he refused to walk
forward I would then ask very agrresively for sideways movement and would only let him
"rest" if he was near the trailer. After about 10 mins I let him rest facing the trailer and then represented
the trailer to him. No real surprise when I walked on with him, he walked on perfectly. I
backed him off and repeated and had no issues so I backed him off one
last time and asked him to load without me walking on with him. And he
did it! I asked him to back again and loaded him again without my
walking in with him and he didn't give any problems. Hopefully that is the last of that issue, crazy horse.
We got to the trails only about 10 minutes late and he was really good the rest of the time. He tacked up quietly and while standing, he stood quietly while being mounted and he had no problems being in the front, back or middle of our 3 horse pack. When he refused to go down a small "drop" and instead wanted to walk around it, I took the time to remind him that if I want him to go down a step then he shall and he obliged. He handled mud with no problems and wasn't spooky at the "scary trees" his owner says he always spooks at.
His shining moment, however, was when I had him go down a very steep hill. It had a couple of small drops, a few turns and a small gulley. I let him have his head, pushed him on and he went all the way down and then went all the way back up without a single refusal. The gal we were riding with was super impressed and his owner seemed happy with his efforts.
I am happy to report that when we got back to the trailer he loaded up with me and "by himself" without giving a single problem or even thinking about rearing. He trailered fine and when we got home I unloaded/loaded him several times without any drama. Sunday I will ride him (and the TWH!!!) with his owner and show her some of his new buttons again. T minus 4 days and he leaves!
We got to the trails only about 10 minutes late and he was really good the rest of the time. He tacked up quietly and while standing, he stood quietly while being mounted and he had no problems being in the front, back or middle of our 3 horse pack. When he refused to go down a small "drop" and instead wanted to walk around it, I took the time to remind him that if I want him to go down a step then he shall and he obliged. He handled mud with no problems and wasn't spooky at the "scary trees" his owner says he always spooks at.
His shining moment, however, was when I had him go down a very steep hill. It had a couple of small drops, a few turns and a small gulley. I let him have his head, pushed him on and he went all the way down and then went all the way back up without a single refusal. The gal we were riding with was super impressed and his owner seemed happy with his efforts.
I am happy to report that when we got back to the trailer he loaded up with me and "by himself" without giving a single problem or even thinking about rearing. He trailered fine and when we got home I unloaded/loaded him several times without any drama. Sunday I will ride him (and the TWH!!!) with his owner and show her some of his new buttons again. T minus 4 days and he leaves!
Kota - The final week
Many apologies in the absence, I was out of town last week and wasn't able to post anything, read blogs or even hop on Facebook because I was so busy. Thankfully I am back and am in the swing of things so things are getting done.
I have ridden Kota a couple of times since being back and am extremely happy with his progress. Friday I rode with the intention of a normal ride but there was a super scary TARP(!!!!) covering our wood splitter. And despite Kota being turned out all day Friday with said TARP(!!!!), he obviously didn't see it until I was riding him. He first wouldn't even approach it but every time he would try to turn away I would make him face it. Every time he took a step backwards I would make him circle his haunches or shoulder several times so that it was more work to go backwards than it was to face the scary TARP(!!!!). Finally after about 15 mins of making it more difficult for him to not touch the tarp, he decided it was okay to touch the tarp. Though the first time he did I thought his elbows were going to touch the ground as he dropped his front end so low to the ground and was ready to bolt. He was really good though and didn't bolt and after a couple more convincings he decided to touch the tarp again.
We worked on trotting correctly while neck reining, did serpentines and halts before moving off into the canter. I will say, he has only been here a month and we have only done canter for a couple of weeks but he has really developed a nice canter (for him anyway). We were able to get both leads, though the right lead is still pretty sticky to get, and he is balancing well enough we were able to do the 3 circle exercise, a circle, straight for a third of the arena, circle again, straight to the end of the arena and circle again. It is a deceptively hard exercise to do correctly as the horse needs to stay balanced and rhythmic through the entire exercise. All in all things went very well. He even learned the elusive sidepass!
Am very excited about his progress, he leaves Thursday night so I am going to ride every day until he leaves. Here's to hoping he behaves when he goes home!
I have ridden Kota a couple of times since being back and am extremely happy with his progress. Friday I rode with the intention of a normal ride but there was a super scary TARP(!!!!) covering our wood splitter. And despite Kota being turned out all day Friday with said TARP(!!!!), he obviously didn't see it until I was riding him. He first wouldn't even approach it but every time he would try to turn away I would make him face it. Every time he took a step backwards I would make him circle his haunches or shoulder several times so that it was more work to go backwards than it was to face the scary TARP(!!!!). Finally after about 15 mins of making it more difficult for him to not touch the tarp, he decided it was okay to touch the tarp. Though the first time he did I thought his elbows were going to touch the ground as he dropped his front end so low to the ground and was ready to bolt. He was really good though and didn't bolt and after a couple more convincings he decided to touch the tarp again.
We worked on trotting correctly while neck reining, did serpentines and halts before moving off into the canter. I will say, he has only been here a month and we have only done canter for a couple of weeks but he has really developed a nice canter (for him anyway). We were able to get both leads, though the right lead is still pretty sticky to get, and he is balancing well enough we were able to do the 3 circle exercise, a circle, straight for a third of the arena, circle again, straight to the end of the arena and circle again. It is a deceptively hard exercise to do correctly as the horse needs to stay balanced and rhythmic through the entire exercise. All in all things went very well. He even learned the elusive sidepass!
Am very excited about his progress, he leaves Thursday night so I am going to ride every day until he leaves. Here's to hoping he behaves when he goes home!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Kota - The first review
Kota was a good boy last night and is coming along nicely. His owner came out to ride and see how he was doing. He had a bit of an issue being tied, a first with me so far, and danced much more than I would have liked but under saddle he was very good. Standing while being mounted appears to be installed nicely which was the biggest request of his training. Once we started riding we were able to get real half passes and some actual turns on the forehand and also some turns on the haunches. The owner is anxious to have him sidepass so I need to start working on that now that we have both the shoulders and haunches moving when being asked.
The trot is also coming along with fewer and fewer corrections being needed. I was able to ride one handed and correct him when he would go faster and he responded the first time almost every time. His owner was happy that the neck reining hadn't been "uninstalled" and that he will do some of the things he is learning without holding onto both reins. I did advise that since he is leaving in a couple of weeks these things won't be hard coded in his mind yet, she will need to ride him with two hands for at least another month until he learns his new behaviors as a habit. She seemed okay with that so hopefully she can keep up on the training aspect of it.
I did show her our canter and she was impressed I was able to keep him on a circle as her biggest complaint in the canter is the complete lack of steering. I told her that is due to his being so heavy on his forehand and that he has has zero balance so he has a hard time/is unable to respond to directional requests as he is working so hard to just canter. I suggested to put him on a circle in a field and keep working at getting him to push with his haunches versus his shoulders and that will help him be balanced, once balanced the steering would come easily. I explained the difference in feel and demonstrated it a few times, she said she was able to see when he would dive onto his forehand versus when I would put him onto his haunches and see the difference it made. This makes me happy as I wasn't sure if she could see it and am still uncertain if she can feel it. Hopefully I can get his canter a little more solid before he goes home. I should be able to, I just hope he can keep it. He is, however, pretty good with responding to the canter cue and we were able to get both leads last night. Progress is being made!
At the end of the ride I had her ride him so she could experience some of his new buttons. She was extremely happy with his standing while being mounted and not moving until being asked. It is such an easy thing to teach compared to everything else we have been doing but this is what she was most excited about. Quite amusing IMO. I guided her through a few half passes each direction and then some trotting each direction. She said his trot is 100% better, before he would be so bouncy she would almost fall off if she didn't post. I believe the issue was he was so heavy on his forehand that he was just going fast without balance, thankfully I never gave him the opportunity to show that part of himself to me. I gave her some tips on how to keep him in the "new" trot and that he shouldn't do any other kind of trot for another 60 days so that it becomes habit and he doesn't revert. He needs to build the correct muscles, once he builds them it will be easier for him to trot "good" versus "bad". We finished up with my guiding her through some turning on the forehand/haunches and backing. She seems happy and I hope it makes them partner better. Only 2 weeks left with him!
The trot is also coming along with fewer and fewer corrections being needed. I was able to ride one handed and correct him when he would go faster and he responded the first time almost every time. His owner was happy that the neck reining hadn't been "uninstalled" and that he will do some of the things he is learning without holding onto both reins. I did advise that since he is leaving in a couple of weeks these things won't be hard coded in his mind yet, she will need to ride him with two hands for at least another month until he learns his new behaviors as a habit. She seemed okay with that so hopefully she can keep up on the training aspect of it.
I did show her our canter and she was impressed I was able to keep him on a circle as her biggest complaint in the canter is the complete lack of steering. I told her that is due to his being so heavy on his forehand and that he has has zero balance so he has a hard time/is unable to respond to directional requests as he is working so hard to just canter. I suggested to put him on a circle in a field and keep working at getting him to push with his haunches versus his shoulders and that will help him be balanced, once balanced the steering would come easily. I explained the difference in feel and demonstrated it a few times, she said she was able to see when he would dive onto his forehand versus when I would put him onto his haunches and see the difference it made. This makes me happy as I wasn't sure if she could see it and am still uncertain if she can feel it. Hopefully I can get his canter a little more solid before he goes home. I should be able to, I just hope he can keep it. He is, however, pretty good with responding to the canter cue and we were able to get both leads last night. Progress is being made!
At the end of the ride I had her ride him so she could experience some of his new buttons. She was extremely happy with his standing while being mounted and not moving until being asked. It is such an easy thing to teach compared to everything else we have been doing but this is what she was most excited about. Quite amusing IMO. I guided her through a few half passes each direction and then some trotting each direction. She said his trot is 100% better, before he would be so bouncy she would almost fall off if she didn't post. I believe the issue was he was so heavy on his forehand that he was just going fast without balance, thankfully I never gave him the opportunity to show that part of himself to me. I gave her some tips on how to keep him in the "new" trot and that he shouldn't do any other kind of trot for another 60 days so that it becomes habit and he doesn't revert. He needs to build the correct muscles, once he builds them it will be easier for him to trot "good" versus "bad". We finished up with my guiding her through some turning on the forehand/haunches and backing. She seems happy and I hope it makes them partner better. Only 2 weeks left with him!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Kota - 2 and a half weeks in
Kota is moving along spectacularly in his training though I really wish I could have another 30 days to solidify some things because time is moving really fast right now. On Friday Kota went on his first trail ride with me and was awesome. He even kept a correct trot for about a minute all on his own, a huge improvement for him. He wasn't spooky at the flapping flag, the kids playing basketball nor even the other kids playing volleyball. He was well mannered, listened to leg cues and didn't give any trouble.
Last night we worked on leg commands more, introducing the turn on the forehand as well as a half-pass. The turn on the forehand was difficult for him to grasp during the last ride so I rode in spurs which made a big difference. He was very confused about what to do and it certainly took longer for him to "get it" then the turn on the haunches but in the end he figured it out. At the end of the ride I could get him to move all 4 quarters independently of each other and without using spurs. Success!! The half pass isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds as he seemed to understand it pretty quickly after figuring out "move haunches". We were able to do a half pass from the rail into the quarter line each direction so I called that part good for the day.
We then worked on the dreaded...CANTER. He has a right lead canter but when I cantered before he refused to offer a left lead canter. No worries though as I was on a mission to try to get both. His canter feels like he is 95% on his front end, has no balance and he has virtually no steering, you just power along and hope walls or horses don't get in your way. I am trying to also teach him a canter cue, inside leg on/outside leg back, at the same time as I am running out of time, I am only hoping he gets it before time is up. We started with his right lead canter and I was able to get him into a circle by pushing him into the reins for balance or really pulling into the correct direction couple of times. Once he understood circle I tried to get him to balance a little and he finally offered me a stride and a half of balanced canter. Wahoo! Big steps for him, he even offered it a couple more times despite not keeping it for more than two strides.
With the success of the right lead, I figured I would try the left lead, we got the right lead. We tried again, and got the same result. I tried a circle without success and then tried a sharp turn to force him to push off with the correct lead and voila, he gave a flying change and the left lead introduced itself. The left lead is just as bad as the right but in the end he gave me a single stride of semi-balanced canter and was halfway decent with steering. I didn't push the canter much as this is only the third time we have cantered and I know he isn't strong enough to carry himself but it is nice to know he is willing to try a new way.
Only a couple of weeks left and I am gone for 4 days of it. Have a lot of riding to get done, time for someone to get some serious learn on.
Last night we worked on leg commands more, introducing the turn on the forehand as well as a half-pass. The turn on the forehand was difficult for him to grasp during the last ride so I rode in spurs which made a big difference. He was very confused about what to do and it certainly took longer for him to "get it" then the turn on the haunches but in the end he figured it out. At the end of the ride I could get him to move all 4 quarters independently of each other and without using spurs. Success!! The half pass isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds as he seemed to understand it pretty quickly after figuring out "move haunches". We were able to do a half pass from the rail into the quarter line each direction so I called that part good for the day.
We then worked on the dreaded...CANTER. He has a right lead canter but when I cantered before he refused to offer a left lead canter. No worries though as I was on a mission to try to get both. His canter feels like he is 95% on his front end, has no balance and he has virtually no steering, you just power along and hope walls or horses don't get in your way. I am trying to also teach him a canter cue, inside leg on/outside leg back, at the same time as I am running out of time, I am only hoping he gets it before time is up. We started with his right lead canter and I was able to get him into a circle by pushing him into the reins for balance or really pulling into the correct direction couple of times. Once he understood circle I tried to get him to balance a little and he finally offered me a stride and a half of balanced canter. Wahoo! Big steps for him, he even offered it a couple more times despite not keeping it for more than two strides.
With the success of the right lead, I figured I would try the left lead, we got the right lead. We tried again, and got the same result. I tried a circle without success and then tried a sharp turn to force him to push off with the correct lead and voila, he gave a flying change and the left lead introduced itself. The left lead is just as bad as the right but in the end he gave me a single stride of semi-balanced canter and was halfway decent with steering. I didn't push the canter much as this is only the third time we have cantered and I know he isn't strong enough to carry himself but it is nice to know he is willing to try a new way.
Only a couple of weeks left and I am gone for 4 days of it. Have a lot of riding to get done, time for someone to get some serious learn on.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Kota - Day seven - Moving away from pressure
Kota is making advances and is learning quite nicely. Tuesday became it a "spa day" for my lame one, the TWH, and thus he got curried, brushed and clipped so he would look like a respectable beast again. When I was done I remembered clipping is one of the things I was asked to work on so out Kota came. Overall he did really well. We started really slow and he was very good for most of it. I was able to trim his muzzle, beard hairs and his left ear without almost any reaction. On the last section though, his right ear, he threw a fit. He reared and backed several times, cutting my thumb and rearranging all of my aisle mats in the process. Yanking on the halter wasn't making a difference so I brought out the stud chain to remind him that rearing is never the answer and when he reared I backed him at least 150 feet each time. In the end he seemed to have gotten it as he let me hold the clipper to his right ear three times and we called it a night. Last night I started with a review of the clipper session and was very pleased that while Kota threw his head a couple of times, his feet stayed firmly on the ground and he allowed the clippers on both ears. Progress!
When I had ridden him on Monday I had noticed his saddle really doesn't fit. He had a nice sweat pattern everywhere but his withers and his rump so today I took some time to investigate. Unfortunately the saddle sits directly on his withers and is completely bridged over his back and doesn't make contact again until right behind the cantle. Damn. I dug out one of my sheepskin pads and a gel pad and with some creative stacking/folding I was able to get the saddle to sit on him fairly properly. I, however, was perched about 3 inches above him. The owner won't be pleased to realize her saddle doesn't fit, hopefully she can get another saddle or find a pad(s) that will work in the interim.
The ride itself went really well, the best ride yet in fact! Kota stood like a good horse while I mounted, stood while I picked up the reins and walked off nicely when asked. He bent pretty well both directions at the walk, willingly gave a shoulder in both directions and even offered a baby halfpass. Wahoo! He didn't offer to stiffen and blow through my leg a single time (and I wasn't riding with spurs) and was easy-peasy. His trot is coming along as well, last night we worked on getting him to rate his own speed and it was a success. We worked on getting a good, slow trot, having me let him go and not touching him unless he sped up. By the end of the ride we were able to make one lap around the arena with only one correction. That is a huge step for him in my book. We also worked on figure 8's and this time he was finally able to get the change of direction without falling apart.
To finish the ride we worked on some turn on the haunches with success and tried a turn on the forehand with complete failure. I may need the spurs or a crop again to get him to understand to move the haunches away from the leg pressure. No biggie though, we are still taking baby steps. We also worked on backing with a leg cue instead of yanking on his mouth, personally I hate seeing people pulling to get a horse to back. IMO a horse should back with light pressure from the bit or with a leg cue so I am installing a leg cue as his current "button" is pulling. A night off tonight, ride tomorrow and the Crazy April starts.
When I had ridden him on Monday I had noticed his saddle really doesn't fit. He had a nice sweat pattern everywhere but his withers and his rump so today I took some time to investigate. Unfortunately the saddle sits directly on his withers and is completely bridged over his back and doesn't make contact again until right behind the cantle. Damn. I dug out one of my sheepskin pads and a gel pad and with some creative stacking/folding I was able to get the saddle to sit on him fairly properly. I, however, was perched about 3 inches above him. The owner won't be pleased to realize her saddle doesn't fit, hopefully she can get another saddle or find a pad(s) that will work in the interim.
The ride itself went really well, the best ride yet in fact! Kota stood like a good horse while I mounted, stood while I picked up the reins and walked off nicely when asked. He bent pretty well both directions at the walk, willingly gave a shoulder in both directions and even offered a baby halfpass. Wahoo! He didn't offer to stiffen and blow through my leg a single time (and I wasn't riding with spurs) and was easy-peasy. His trot is coming along as well, last night we worked on getting him to rate his own speed and it was a success. We worked on getting a good, slow trot, having me let him go and not touching him unless he sped up. By the end of the ride we were able to make one lap around the arena with only one correction. That is a huge step for him in my book. We also worked on figure 8's and this time he was finally able to get the change of direction without falling apart.
To finish the ride we worked on some turn on the haunches with success and tried a turn on the forehand with complete failure. I may need the spurs or a crop again to get him to understand to move the haunches away from the leg pressure. No biggie though, we are still taking baby steps. We also worked on backing with a leg cue instead of yanking on his mouth, personally I hate seeing people pulling to get a horse to back. IMO a horse should back with light pressure from the bit or with a leg cue so I am installing a leg cue as his current "button" is pulling. A night off tonight, ride tomorrow and the Crazy April starts.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Kota - Day six - Bird? Nope. Bend is the word.
Things have started to bubble around LDA as April roars in. April is a very busy month and this is the calm before the storm, after this I won't have a relaxing weekend until May as I will either have people in (the in-laws), I will be out of town or SO will be out of town. Hoping I stay sane but there aren't any guarantees! Anyway, I rode Kota last night and am pretty impressed with the results. I did about 5 mins of groundwork after saddling him and was able to get on and pick up the reins before he moved. I got off, moved him back and did it again and he stood stock still. Progress indeed and it makes me very happy.
Due to being in a rush I had forgotten to change boots and so I was riding without spurs. I almost went back into the barn to get them but figured why not, I should see what I have first. We walked around and did some basic bending and I am thrilled that Kota is "getting it". Of the entire ride he stiffened and blew through my inside leg only about a dozen times, big improvement! He is getting better at bending and I was able to get him to move shoulders-in both directions a few times. He is also starting to understand the turn on the haunches better and will do it correctly for a couple of steps about 75% of the time.
We did a lot of trotting this ride, a first for us. I worked really hard on getting him to trot at a medium pace, without him changing pace even when I am not touching his face. It is going to take some time but I think I can get it by the end of the 30 days. We worked a little on bending at the trot and were able to get a 20m circle at the trot without him locking his shoulder, another big accomplishment for him.
Overall things went very well. I am happy with his progress and am optimistic on what we will be able to accomplish. Today is a day off and then will ride on Wednesday and Friday and probably the weekend too. At some point he needs to go on a lunge so we can try that canter again too. Anyone have some time I can borrow?
Due to being in a rush I had forgotten to change boots and so I was riding without spurs. I almost went back into the barn to get them but figured why not, I should see what I have first. We walked around and did some basic bending and I am thrilled that Kota is "getting it". Of the entire ride he stiffened and blew through my inside leg only about a dozen times, big improvement! He is getting better at bending and I was able to get him to move shoulders-in both directions a few times. He is also starting to understand the turn on the haunches better and will do it correctly for a couple of steps about 75% of the time.
We did a lot of trotting this ride, a first for us. I worked really hard on getting him to trot at a medium pace, without him changing pace even when I am not touching his face. It is going to take some time but I think I can get it by the end of the 30 days. We worked a little on bending at the trot and were able to get a 20m circle at the trot without him locking his shoulder, another big accomplishment for him.
Overall things went very well. I am happy with his progress and am optimistic on what we will be able to accomplish. Today is a day off and then will ride on Wednesday and Friday and probably the weekend too. At some point he needs to go on a lunge so we can try that canter again too. Anyone have some time I can borrow?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Kota - Progress being made
This weekend went by too fast but I suppose that is how things go anymore. Saturday Kota's owner came over and rode the App while she watched me ride Kota. She was very, very happy (as was I!) that Kota is walking with his head down, that he stood still for mounting AND stood still while I picked up the reins. Wahoo! Progress is being made. She wasn't as concerned about him walking like a giraffe under saddle as I am but I will continue on the course of "Horse, head down!". It will only help him in the long run as he develops correct muscles and can then use his back more.
Since we had such a time with bending and blowing through my leg on Thursday, Saturday I upped the ante by wearing my spurs. Note my spurs are very small, blunt english nubs. Kota's owner was concerned that I would A) train him to not be neck reined anymore and B)train him to only ride with spurs. It took some convincing that I was not removing his neck reining training but I need to direct rein to install some buttons, like installing her desire to have him move away from leg pressure. Finally I told her I would re-install neck reining if I needed to. I also reminded her that none of my horses have to be ridden in spurs and that spurs are a reinforcement aid. I then showed her how to tell when I was even applying the spurs so she could see I wasn't using them all of the time.
This ride went much, much better than the first ride. There were several times he tried very hard to blow through my inside leg when bending but he respects my little spurs and gave a decent effort of trying. He only tried his sit back/not rear a couple of times which is a big improvement as well. I tried his trot and he can have a nice slow western pleasure type jog when he stays balanced. When he gets unbalanced or isn't being rated he will gladly fall onto his forehand and go faster, something the owner would like "fixed". I told her I can't completely "fix" it with 30 days of training but I that I will try to get him trotting slower more than he will trot faster. We will see. She also wanted me to slow his canter so I decided to tried it out. He only seems to be able to canter on the left lead under saddle and has no education about his canter. He is very heavy, very fast and very unbalanced. I will need to try some lunge/long line sessions to get him balanced a little. I again told her I can't "fix" it with the time frame she has given me but I can get his training started. She will need to finish it.
Overall it was a nice ride. We accomplished the basics of a turn on the haunches, we got a little bend to the right and we got a decent trot. I will be riding again today, Wednesday and probably Friday. Hoping he will have enough of a foundation to ride him on the road this weekend and maybe trails next weekend. Time to get in the saddle!
Since we had such a time with bending and blowing through my leg on Thursday, Saturday I upped the ante by wearing my spurs. Note my spurs are very small, blunt english nubs. Kota's owner was concerned that I would A) train him to not be neck reined anymore and B)train him to only ride with spurs. It took some convincing that I was not removing his neck reining training but I need to direct rein to install some buttons, like installing her desire to have him move away from leg pressure. Finally I told her I would re-install neck reining if I needed to. I also reminded her that none of my horses have to be ridden in spurs and that spurs are a reinforcement aid. I then showed her how to tell when I was even applying the spurs so she could see I wasn't using them all of the time.
This ride went much, much better than the first ride. There were several times he tried very hard to blow through my inside leg when bending but he respects my little spurs and gave a decent effort of trying. He only tried his sit back/not rear a couple of times which is a big improvement as well. I tried his trot and he can have a nice slow western pleasure type jog when he stays balanced. When he gets unbalanced or isn't being rated he will gladly fall onto his forehand and go faster, something the owner would like "fixed". I told her I can't completely "fix" it with 30 days of training but I that I will try to get him trotting slower more than he will trot faster. We will see. She also wanted me to slow his canter so I decided to tried it out. He only seems to be able to canter on the left lead under saddle and has no education about his canter. He is very heavy, very fast and very unbalanced. I will need to try some lunge/long line sessions to get him balanced a little. I again told her I can't "fix" it with the time frame she has given me but I can get his training started. She will need to finish it.
Overall it was a nice ride. We accomplished the basics of a turn on the haunches, we got a little bend to the right and we got a decent trot. I will be riding again today, Wednesday and probably Friday. Hoping he will have enough of a foundation to ride him on the road this weekend and maybe trails next weekend. Time to get in the saddle!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Kota - Day three - Kota is a giraffe
Yesterday was our first ride and it was interesting. Poor guy has the very basic of skills and not a horribly good set at that. No fear though as I shall whip him into shape in no time. RB4 was nice enough to ride the App while I worked with Kota, she was interested in seeing and I was interested in the safety in numbers. We started our session with the basic groundwork, walking with head down, halting, backing and such. I spent about 5 mins on it, figured he was doing well so I went to hop on. I knew one of his big issues that need resolved was his walking off while being mounted. Despite a good strong whoa, he was true to history and walked right off. A couple of quarter yieldings later I tried again with the same results. I then went back to groundwork and worked on that for about 5 more mins, this time with the intensity ramped up and making him respond much faster. This time he appreciated the whoa as a resting reward much more.
We practiced whoa while I walk away and when he was good with that, I moved on. We lined up to the mounting block again and I put my foot in the stirrup and said whoa and stood in it for a second and got back down. Kota didn't move! I repeated this exercise several times on each side with him behaving quite well. I then swung a leg over, patted him and hopped off and he put his head super high but stood still. Good boy! We repeated that a few times before I swung a leg over and picked up the reins. And off he went. I pulled him to a stop and repeated the exercise until he stood even if I picked the reins up. All in all, mounting took about 20 mins but I think he finally understood and learned what to do, we will see if he acts correctly when I hop on next.
After mounting we went at a walk around the arena, I wanted to see what he did. What he did was act like a giraffe and kept his head in my face the entire time. Very. Irritating. Despite having the App in the arena with RB4 (so he wouldn't panic about being alone), he was very tense and nervous. I slowly started to see-saw to get him to drop his head a little and EVENTUALLY got him to understand that an outward pull means put your head down. As soon as he figured that out, he really relaxed and starting moving much better.
After some circles, changes of direction, going the direction of the App and against the direction of the App and realizing Kota has no idea what legs mean, all with his head sort of down, we worked on halts. I found Kota loves to curl up way behind the bit to evade contact. It took a few different ways of asking before I eventually got halts without yanking on him and/or him putting his head to his chest. Once we cleared that hurdle however, Kota's inner giraffe came out and his head would go straight up as soon as his feet stopped moving. We spent about 10 mins working on halting and keeping our head down and while it isn't 100%, or even 80%, it is coming along.
The only real issue I found so far is bending to the right. He will bend his body to the left and he will bend his neck to the right but if you try to bend his body to the right he will stiffen and pivot through your inside leg despite your outside rein trying to keep him straight. When I started forcing the issue he started to really act up and I thought he was going to rear several times. Thankfully, for both him and I, he kept his feet planted but we will have a lot to work to do on that.
Tonight is a day off for him, he will be worked twice on Saturday, off on Sunday and worked on Monday. Another busy weekend ahead and then April will be really crazy. Does anyone have a week or so they can send my way???
We practiced whoa while I walk away and when he was good with that, I moved on. We lined up to the mounting block again and I put my foot in the stirrup and said whoa and stood in it for a second and got back down. Kota didn't move! I repeated this exercise several times on each side with him behaving quite well. I then swung a leg over, patted him and hopped off and he put his head super high but stood still. Good boy! We repeated that a few times before I swung a leg over and picked up the reins. And off he went. I pulled him to a stop and repeated the exercise until he stood even if I picked the reins up. All in all, mounting took about 20 mins but I think he finally understood and learned what to do, we will see if he acts correctly when I hop on next.
After mounting we went at a walk around the arena, I wanted to see what he did. What he did was act like a giraffe and kept his head in my face the entire time. Very. Irritating. Despite having the App in the arena with RB4 (so he wouldn't panic about being alone), he was very tense and nervous. I slowly started to see-saw to get him to drop his head a little and EVENTUALLY got him to understand that an outward pull means put your head down. As soon as he figured that out, he really relaxed and starting moving much better.
After some circles, changes of direction, going the direction of the App and against the direction of the App and realizing Kota has no idea what legs mean, all with his head sort of down, we worked on halts. I found Kota loves to curl up way behind the bit to evade contact. It took a few different ways of asking before I eventually got halts without yanking on him and/or him putting his head to his chest. Once we cleared that hurdle however, Kota's inner giraffe came out and his head would go straight up as soon as his feet stopped moving. We spent about 10 mins working on halting and keeping our head down and while it isn't 100%, or even 80%, it is coming along.
The only real issue I found so far is bending to the right. He will bend his body to the left and he will bend his neck to the right but if you try to bend his body to the right he will stiffen and pivot through your inside leg despite your outside rein trying to keep him straight. When I started forcing the issue he started to really act up and I thought he was going to rear several times. Thankfully, for both him and I, he kept his feet planted but we will have a lot to work to do on that.
Tonight is a day off for him, he will be worked twice on Saturday, off on Sunday and worked on Monday. Another busy weekend ahead and then April will be really crazy. Does anyone have a week or so they can send my way???
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Kota - Day two-The meaning of whoa
Yesterday was fairly uneventful, at least compared to Tuesday. I finally got my DSL back so I am not operating on an air card. We will see how long it lasts, hopefully more than the 3 days it stayed on last time. I have been without DSL in the month of March more than I have had it. Grrr.
The equines seem to be getting along okay, Kota and Chip aren't fighting and Kota doesn't have any pieces missing out of him. That's a big step for my bully of an App! Yesterday at lunch I saw the TWH licking Kota, the TWH doesn't "groom" horses normally, he licks them instead. It is pretty gross as then you have a soaked horse and the TWH has a hairy tongue. Blech. Kota seems more comfortable around the donkey though he clearly isn't thrilled, at least everyone is integrating.
Last night was day two of groundwork and tonight will be our first mounted session. We worked on the groundwork basics more, especially the WHOA. Because, of course, the whoa was nonexistent when he came here and I feel it is a pretty important part of training. We did lots of softening in the beginning by making him walk with his head down, showing him he can walk at different speeds with his head down, stopping at different speeds with I stop with his head down, moving his quarters away and such. Then we worked on moving the quarters until I said whoa and then not moving even if I continue moving. Then we worked on my saying whoa and not moving even if I walked all the way around him, this one was extremely hard for him. After we had that down fairly well we worked on the beginnings of lunging again. At a walk he walks on a circle at the end of his lead line until I say whoa and then getting him to stop and not face me or step to the outside. Pretty tough stuff for him.
Overall things went pretty well. In the end he will halt 90% of the time when asked and will stand until there is pressure to move. I was even able to get a few trot steps and then go back to walk/whoa without any explosions or big corrections. Kota only had one almost-meltdown, when we were finishing I switched from leading on the left to leading on the right and he thought he would be a donkey about it, butt planted and refused to move. He got several hard jerks from the halter which lead to him almost freaking out but was able to contain himself and think about it and then we finished without an issue. Funny how these animals can be sometimes. We will see how he goes under saddle tonight, stay tuned!
The equines seem to be getting along okay, Kota and Chip aren't fighting and Kota doesn't have any pieces missing out of him. That's a big step for my bully of an App! Yesterday at lunch I saw the TWH licking Kota, the TWH doesn't "groom" horses normally, he licks them instead. It is pretty gross as then you have a soaked horse and the TWH has a hairy tongue. Blech. Kota seems more comfortable around the donkey though he clearly isn't thrilled, at least everyone is integrating.
Last night was day two of groundwork and tonight will be our first mounted session. We worked on the groundwork basics more, especially the WHOA. Because, of course, the whoa was nonexistent when he came here and I feel it is a pretty important part of training. We did lots of softening in the beginning by making him walk with his head down, showing him he can walk at different speeds with his head down, stopping at different speeds with I stop with his head down, moving his quarters away and such. Then we worked on moving the quarters until I said whoa and then not moving even if I continue moving. Then we worked on my saying whoa and not moving even if I walked all the way around him, this one was extremely hard for him. After we had that down fairly well we worked on the beginnings of lunging again. At a walk he walks on a circle at the end of his lead line until I say whoa and then getting him to stop and not face me or step to the outside. Pretty tough stuff for him.
Overall things went pretty well. In the end he will halt 90% of the time when asked and will stand until there is pressure to move. I was even able to get a few trot steps and then go back to walk/whoa without any explosions or big corrections. Kota only had one almost-meltdown, when we were finishing I switched from leading on the left to leading on the right and he thought he would be a donkey about it, butt planted and refused to move. He got several hard jerks from the halter which lead to him almost freaking out but was able to contain himself and think about it and then we finished without an issue. Funny how these animals can be sometimes. We will see how he goes under saddle tonight, stay tuned!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Kota - Day one in review
So the pony left for his new home and the horse in training came yesterday and things went pretty well. With the new arrival, the TWH was getting excited and started running around (a lot, bad horse!) so he got a bit of ace (obtained in case he was going crazy on stall rest) and was confined to his stall. He is still on very strict and controlled movement for 3 more days and he isn't going to be running on my watch! The new horse is nick named 'Kota and he had NO idea what to think of my poor donkey. After I put the TWH away I turned Kota in with the donkey as I knew she won't bother him. Kota stared at her with huge eyes and kept running up to her and stopping about 3 feet away and trying to stretch to sniff her. It was quite amusing. After a couple of hours he seemed to relax though he surely isn't thrilled about her.
Amazingly enough the App wasn't nearly the bully I expected him to be and they seem to get along. There was some mare-ish screaming and ear pinning but nothing bad. They are stalled next to each other and can touch one another and they were fine last night and again this morning so I turned those two out together this morning. I kept the TWH and the donkey together to keep the TWH bored, everyone was more interested in hay than anything else and things are still quiet out there.
Last night I worked Kota for the first time and the owner stuck around to see how things went. She has owned him for about 2 months and is getting frustrated over some of his quirks and thus he came here. He is a 6-8 year old paint who is a strict trail horse per the vet due to some severe conformational flaws. His front leg is angled very strangely due to ligament issues not treated as a baby and his hind legs are almost completely vertical, up and down with almost no bending at the stifle or hocks. I warned her that good training sessions are supposed to be boring and it was. It is obvious he hasn't had any groundwork done with him and thus he has almost no manners. Starting with basics, I worked on groundwork and getting him to respect space and pressure. He likes to walk with his head at/above the height of my head as he thinks he is part giraffe and has no idea that he isn't supposed to walk on top of me if I stop. We spent the first 20 mins learning to walk with our head at shoulder height and how to stop when I stop, back when I back. We worked on moving the quarters, which he did really well, and learning what Whoa means, which he has no idea the word even existed. We worked a little on lunging basics, walk and whoa, with moderate success. It should go better when the Whoa is installed better.
The change in an hour was pretty dramatic in terms of his manners. Even this morning he is walking with his head down, even though he wanted to lookie-loo around, and stopped when I did with only gentle reminders. I think he will be pretty easy to fix up, he just needed someone to explain the rules to him. Groundwork again tonight and then Thursday will be my first ride!
Amazingly enough the App wasn't nearly the bully I expected him to be and they seem to get along. There was some mare-ish screaming and ear pinning but nothing bad. They are stalled next to each other and can touch one another and they were fine last night and again this morning so I turned those two out together this morning. I kept the TWH and the donkey together to keep the TWH bored, everyone was more interested in hay than anything else and things are still quiet out there.
Last night I worked Kota for the first time and the owner stuck around to see how things went. She has owned him for about 2 months and is getting frustrated over some of his quirks and thus he came here. He is a 6-8 year old paint who is a strict trail horse per the vet due to some severe conformational flaws. His front leg is angled very strangely due to ligament issues not treated as a baby and his hind legs are almost completely vertical, up and down with almost no bending at the stifle or hocks. I warned her that good training sessions are supposed to be boring and it was. It is obvious he hasn't had any groundwork done with him and thus he has almost no manners. Starting with basics, I worked on groundwork and getting him to respect space and pressure. He likes to walk with his head at/above the height of my head as he thinks he is part giraffe and has no idea that he isn't supposed to walk on top of me if I stop. We spent the first 20 mins learning to walk with our head at shoulder height and how to stop when I stop, back when I back. We worked on moving the quarters, which he did really well, and learning what Whoa means, which he has no idea the word even existed. We worked a little on lunging basics, walk and whoa, with moderate success. It should go better when the Whoa is installed better.
The change in an hour was pretty dramatic in terms of his manners. Even this morning he is walking with his head down, even though he wanted to lookie-loo around, and stopped when I did with only gentle reminders. I think he will be pretty easy to fix up, he just needed someone to explain the rules to him. Groundwork again tonight and then Thursday will be my first ride!
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