Tina gets started and Gem goes to a show

First for the day was Gemini. I've been wanting to take him to a show and walk him around. I wanted to see how he'd act and expose him to the show environment when we have no agenda, no time limit, no worries. There were two shows going on... one was H/J and the other dressage. There were horses everywhere and people, dogs, flags, excitement, just a great place to take him to let him experience things. He was so calm and cool! He did call once in a while, but I can't help but think that would go away pretty quickly. He was great and I realized he'd be great in that environment with me. I will definitely try some dressage shows with him next spring.

He loaded in the trailer both coming and going with ease and confidence. Our work together is really paying off! Now, we're going to start filming our L3 ground stuff.

When I got home, I did some chores and started next with Tina. I tacked her up with my treeless endurance saddle (great for the young ones!). We went to the round pen some ground work. She's trying very hard and I'm doing my best to reward her slightest tries and mind her sensitive nature. I can make mere suggestions and she's doing her best to accomodate my ask. I want her to be careful about assuming so I gently ask again if she's given the wrong answer. I don't want her to feel wrong and I don't want to stifle her thinking process as much as possible. We're developing quite a language in a short time.



I got my horse play ball out and played with her confidence. We started with just stick and string friendly and she tried to move her feet to shut it down. When she realized if she calmed down the stick would too, she quickly made that part of her plan moving forward. Staying calm! Smart girl. With the ball, I asked her to put her nose on it. She was already curious about this huge ball, so that was easy. Then I rolled it while we followed it. She licked and chewed. Then, I started bouncing it and she thought moving away was wise. However, she quickly learned that, like the stick, the ball calmed down when she did. :-) Then, I challenged her to have the ball in zone 3 and finally on top of zone 3!! Then, with the ball on her back I asked her to walk around. She was trusting that I wouldn't allow this ball to devour her and she took one step, then another, then it was a breeze.

At this point, we'd been playing about 45 - 60 minutes and it was time to put a foot in the stirrup and get her accustomed to the practice of mounting. I asked my husband to help by supporting her in zone 1 with calming words and strokes. At first, my foot in the stirrup was strange for her and she got tight and tense. I stayed there, stayed with her until she got more relaxed, then I rewarded the relaxation by getting my foot out of the stirrup. That made sense to her quickly.

We practiced mounting, rewarding with retreat, relaxation, calmness, and after she seemed ok with mounting, I laid on her back. She was getting better and more relaxed. We got to a point where I thought she was unsure so I stopped kneeled in front of her and waited for her to lick and chew. It took her about 90 seconds. Ahhhh... she needed a minute to think about things. Then, when I want back to mount and lay over her some more, she was a pro. She was fine with it, calm and accepting.

I found a good place to stop the mounting practice, rub her all over, retreat, retreat, retreat. She had her head low, her confidence was high and she was super. Later this week, I'll throw a leg over and make sure she's ok with that, then we'll start the teaching of being a calm, smart, brave mount! She took a huge step forward today. It was a great session.

I will take some more time to shape up her feet this week. She's looking good!!

Horse Play on a Cold, Wet Day!

It was cloudy and foggy and misty! It was not warm, either. However, I had extended an invitation to the Parker Parelli group to come over for some Parelli playtime. I tried to straighten up the play area, I dragged my arena and spread the manure. Only a couple showed up, which was just fine with me.

Tammy, Amy and I had a fun session! Tammy didn't have much time, which was a bummer. Amy brought red ballons! The theme was supposed to be obstacles and desensitizing. I brought out the ball and we just started getting something going. We started with the CAN YOU game.

I actually love that game because I try to be creative and sometimes I can get it done, sometimes we can't. I love that someone else throws an idea out and I can try it with my partner. Tammy's was figure 8 at Liberty. I've NEVER done figure 8 at Liberty! Z and I were just fine with that. Wow!

Amy's was put your hoof on a tire. I tried to do it from the end of the 22 to make it more challenging. We were pretty good with that too. Mine was to yo-yo over cavaletti's from zone 3. That was tough and Z and I couldn't really get it done. The back from zone 3 was not good enough with the obstacle. There! Something to go work on!

We also played find your owner and Z's stick to me was truly awesome. She didn't leave me once. We trotted, we cantered, we chased off other horses and she was always right there. Another Wow! moment for me. I brought the ball into the arena and we kicked it to eachother. Tammy's horse wasn't so sure about that ball, but Molly and Z were fine with it.

Then, Tammy had to go and Amy and I worked with the ballons. I decided to play with Cowboy. I warmed him on first, since we haven't played in at least 2 weeks. He was a little high but he eventually came back to the ground.

When we started approaching the balloons, he wanted no part of it. That was ok, we did a ton of approach and retreat and after about 20 minutes, he was letting the balloons bounce off his nose and actually playing with them!

We then went for the water on my track. Amy's horse has confidence issues with the water and I thought Cowboy was ok with it, but he could certainly use the time partnering up with me. I tried to give Amy some coaching and her horse was eventually getting her front feet into the water. I would have liked to be more effective with her, but we were constrained on the track by the temp fencing. Also, the mud got the savvy string heavy and slow so fast.

All in all, a great day of growth for me, Cowboy and Zarah! I loved it!

At the end, my boarder came back with Gemini. She's leasing Gemini and it was his first show today. It did not go well with Gemini not acting like a partner at all. He bucked madly at the entrance to the dressage arena and Krissy packed him up and brought him home. We talked and I offerred to help her through this, she just has to decide if she wants to do it with him or not. I'm fine either way. I worry about the black marbles getting dropped into his jar from his experience with Krissy, but I like the opportunity for him to try things. We'll see...

Before I wrapped it up, I played with the head shake trick with Z. By George, I think she's got it! She's darn cute about it, too! She did not learn it quickly, but I already see the amazing effect it's having on her desire to be with me. I'll think about the next trick to teach her. She knows the hug, but that's so easy - just porcupine game on her neck. Maybe the nod or counting is next. Eventually, want to teach the bow and lay down.

An hour with Nina!

I'm tasked with playing with Nina two times/month for an hour each. I also trim her hooves, which really need to be soaked (they are thrushy). A couple of my horses have thrushy feet.

Anyway, I took her out and we played with the trailer, did some sideways, squeeze over obstacles, backing, and just general foundational building stuff. She is pretty comfortable with the trailer and there was lots of hay in there from my last adventure to help give her a good incentive. She does not like to "jump" things, she prefers to walk over them or not go over them at all. I have GOT to put something to jump on the track. ARRGGGH!!

I then took her into the round pen and played with the ball. She could probably have a lot of fun with that thing! She mouthed it and I asked her to push it around. All pretty easy. Then, I asked her to hold it on her back - a good prep to having a rider up there. She was fine with it. Absolutely fine. She's a neat filly. And she's HUGE! I bet she'll hit 17 hh.

Fun in the Round Pen!

Had a great session with Z in the round pen. I shouldn't have done it, but my sanity was at stake. Stupid ankle!!

I had a plan. We started cutting (never tried that with her before), getting more serious about the ball staying with her and starting to learn the 360 turn. She was engaged and exhuberant. I was smiling lots and glad I made it out to play with her.

We played a little with change of direction, bowing, and then Kendall got on her bareback so I could help her learn more fluidity and balance.

It was fun!! But, ouch... Wonder how much I set my healing back.

Bowing and Riding Z

I've been practicing the bow with Rain for a few years now. I started about 3 yrs ago and barely new what I was doing. She understands the concept, but she would never stay in the bow for long. Recently, I started working on it with her again and now she bows beautifully. I'm going to get some video and put it on youtube. It's pretty cool.

I recently started teaching Z to bow, as well. I'm using a very different technique with Z. We'll see how that goes. A horse has to have a lot of trust and confidence to get in such a precarious position as the bow. It's much easier for Rain than Z, as Z is not near as trusting. I also asked Z to circle me and practice transitions up and down. Her down transition is not as good and she tends to break back into a trot. This is important for us as we go back and retape L3 Liberty.

Kendall and I rode our horses bareback in the round pen after bowing. I asked Z to follow the rail at the trot. We also had the Equiball with us, so we had our horses kicking the ball around. A fun little session.

Then, I tacked up Z and we went for a ride. We practiced canter/walk transitions in a figure 8, snakey bends, sideways over a log (very softly) and canter transitions in a straight line. She gave me the nicest canter depart and down transition so I hopped off and let her eat grass. She's giving me more and more great stuff. My leadership is better and I'm expecting more. She also offered me a very vertical trot, nearly a piaffe, and a rode that a bit asking her to maintain. So cool.