Progression

Date: Sunday, May 25th





Calypso:


I did not ride Calypso that day, too tired. D=





Sunchip:


I longed him first. =D He was a little slow that day, I chalked it up to the weather. We ended up working on whip toleration, and frankly he handled it the best. I led him up to the mounting block and had him stand there patiently while I crawled all over him and bounced around as much as possible to test him. Of course he stood perfectly still. =D Besides that, we worked on picking up all four feet without a hassle, which he did.





Magic:


Poor Magic, he tries soooo hard to please it is so cute. But sad when he doesn't get it because he tries, so I make sure that he does eventually understand what I want. xD So what we reviewed was the inside turn, leading, and tolerating the whip. This lead to tolerating flyspray (note to self: save owner's money and use water in a spray bottle next time xD), something he had NEVER been good with and the owner didn't anticipate him being good with. I started out with the bottle in hand and boy did he know what was coming! Took off like a rocket and away we went with the longeing (he was on a lead rope at the time so I could get his attention more readily). I eventually calmed him down and got to the point where I could rub the bottle all over him, and I tapped the trigger for the bottle (just tapping, not releasing spray), which he tolerated. We've got it to the point now where he would stand still for his left side to be sprayed, but he wasn't as willing as I wanted for his right side. Something to work on. =D Also, Magic has stiffness issues at the canter I need to figure out for sure.











Midnight:


I delibrately choose to work with Midnight last, due to a talk on the phone with L, his owner. She had said that the last time she had ridden him alone, he got to a certain spot and absolutely refused to move- he even started to be a turd and back up rapidly. Did I mention Minigh is an ex ranch horse? He knows his shit. xD Sooo, we started out like we always do, a short reassessment session in the round pen. He refused to turn with his head in when we were longeing to the right, but we fixed that eventually. Once he was warmed up (and since I noticed he was developing some lather between his hind quarters), I asked L to help me get his tack and grooming supplies so I could see just what she meant about his behavior under saddle. Groomed him, tacked him in the english saddle (the endurance didn't fit me well, twisted my knee a bit). That horse really does require balance though. He's got to be a poster child for mutton withers, and he's very round, though not fat. So yeah, if you lack balance, you're coming off. xD So, I got on him after waiting a bit on the mounting block for him to make a move (he isn't known for standing still for mounting). He stood like a good old boy, though I can't decide if it was because he knows I'd work him for not being still, or if he really is catching on that this is something he must do for anyone and everyone. xD So, I got on him and took a few laps in the round pen testing him out to see if he would try anything. He was very good, but we couldn't do too much because of his rollypollyness, and the size of the pen. Just fast gaiting, a canter, but mostly trying to stay consistant in gaits.



Once I determined he wasn't going to start anything, I took him outside the pen and rode him down the drive way at a walk. We got down past the house and I started thinking about what exactly I was to do.... So, considering I'm mostly self/horse taught and this horse is known for stopping and not moving/backing when alone (and sometimes in groups), I decided to try something new. We went up to a horse length or two before I thought he would choose to stop and I would personally stop him. Then, I would turn him around, pick a spot a horse and a half in front of me, and ride to it. At the spot, I'd stop him, turn him around, and ride down the driveway and past the spot we had stopped at last. To the owner (I found out later) it actually looked like he was stopping on his own and turning around. I guess that is a good thing, because he was simply doing what he was told to do. We continued like this for a fair distance actually, because it was what worked for him. We made it almost halfway down the driveway this way, with the pasture and his buddies a fair distance behind us (this driveway is LOOOOOOONG, I mean holy....) before I choose to drop that method and have him move on his own. This worked very well, and I had him in a nice gait right up until his habitualy "problem spot." He stops at this point when alone, and sometimes when he's leading in a group. For some horses, I would have gotten off and lead them, but according to the owner he's fine being lead, so that wouldn't really be progress for him. Said problem spot was a nice view of the neighbor's unridden TWH mares, and a few trees bordering their fenceline. I got him to move a few steps before he just plain would not MOVE. I think he could compete with Fugly's stud in that department, he's got a strong neck too. xD



SOOOOO, the battle began. I kicked and kicked, when that was only yeilding a bit, I decided to yeild to the advice I had seen on VLC and just keep a consistant pressure. He moved forward a bit more, but not much. I praised and petted him. @_@ Cue the husband driving down, we chat, he leaves, we're still standing there. I discovered that yelling at him and kicking did get some progress, but then he'd just plant his feet again. xD Mule horse! So, I was losing my temper, but I still didn't want to get off, especially now that he had initiated backing. So I decided to just let him back up on my terms (smooth, no? =P). I whipped him around, leaned back a bit, and back we went, past the horses, five or so horses from the end of the driveway. I turn him around, give him a kick and a smack from the reins and yell, and off he goes. At first there was hesitation, but then he discovered that being down there by himself wasn't scary at all, but fun! So we picked up a fast fox trot down by the ex-arena (by now it is covered with low grass, but you can tell it was an arena by the shorter grass on the inside). We went around twice in each direction, and even picked up a slow canter before I stopped him (awww for both of us). I then took him back to the drive way and had him go down the other way. Our only troubleshooting was the scary giant trash can on its side, but he eventually walked past it, and on the way back it didn't bother him at all. I honestly think I can get him to the point where he can sometimes lead the trail in groups!

And I did do one naughty thing. >.> OMG, a lot of people will freak on me, but oh well, I'm admitting to it and admitting to not doing it again. xD We galloped back up the driveway as a reward for us both. OMG it was amazing, he was so smooth. He choose the pavement as opposed to the grass, and I was fine with that as I loved hearing the buddabumpcludaclap of his hooves. Man, I've never sat to a gallop so smooth. L and my mom said they saw me at one point and liked my seat, but too bad they didn't hear us. They did say they knew Midnight and I were coming back up when Sunchip, Wazzi (Nokoto L is playing hostess to), and Magic took off from their side of the pasture and galloped down to meet us (which was cool to see on our side). Once we got all the way up we gradually slowed down and that was that. I got off, cooled him off, hosed him off, and turned him out with the others.

Do as I say, not as I do! D= xD

My mom made a good point though, no one is riding Midnight because of his behavior and that only makes it worse. 1) It doesn't get corrected and 2) he knows why he isn't being ridden and is reasonably jealous/otherwise upset by this. I have no issue riding him and I think I prefer it, seeing as he is a challenge, so I will try and be out there more so he can trail ride with his buddies more.

I told L that next week I try and help her gain respect from her own horses as well, because especially in Midnight's case, that's all she has to overcome to get the best out of them.



Torreign


My GSD puppy! =D This was her adventure!

The story goes, we had tentatively arranged with L to take our 1+ year old GSD out to get socialized. We were each nervous for our own reasons. My mom was afraid that since L's place is like a never ending field, that Torreign would get loose and we wouldn't be able to catch her. I was afraid that she would see the horses, run after them, bite them, get kicked, and die since that is how all the stories I've heard of GSD + horse ends. L of course is very laid back and said she would be fine. xD Also, everyone has told us that you MUST get a dog socialized as a real baby or they're ruined. Well, she didn't want to get socialized, and we couldn't handle her as a 4 month-7 month year old screaming like you were skinning her alive whenever a dog or PUPPY approached her. We took her to puppy training, didn't work out. 1) the trainer sucked 2)...well, the trainer sucked.

So, my mom bought a seperator so she could stay in the trunk as opposed to jumping from trunk to backseat like she used to do. We packed her up with a kong, a GIANT rawhide bone, some squeeky toys, and she was also wearing an electric collar just in case things got out of hand with either L's two labs (Pearl, the youngest, and Chelsie, the old lady) or the horses. We also bought her a little water carrier. xD So we drove from our house to West Chester, and it was the longest drive Teetle (my mom's nick for Torreign, dunno how she got it) had ever taken. I have to say, she handled it very well!

We arrived at L's on time, and omg my heart was racing because the first thing that happened was L's dog Pearl came barreling out barking like a vicious dog (she ALWAYS does this and is really friendly, but I wasn't sure how Torreign would handle it). Soon after, Chelsie had made her way to Pearl and both were looking in the trunk up at Torreign. All Torreign did was growl, which was very good on her part. My mom and I opened the trunk and spent a 10 second scuffle over the leash. I was yelling at her to just let Torreign hop out, since between us trying to grab the leash, T trying to get out, and C and P trying to get in, I didn't think it was worth it. Plus, it is apparently more stressful for dogs to meet when you're holding their leash, especially if only one is being held back. So we let T go, with her leash on, and Pearl and Chelsie took off after her.

They were great, no barking or biting, even though T was nervous and her hackles were raised. Eventually everyone settled down and everyone was friends! It was great, prior socialization my ass! They just ran and ran and played! Chelsie took Torreign's rawhide and Pearl took Torreign's puppy (headless squeeky toy dog), but Torreign could care less, she was busy trailing Pearl and sniffing everything else. Whenever I threw a toy and Pearly took off, Torreign would be on Pearl's heels herding her, as oppsed to chasing the toy- man she's got strong lines! We really need to pay for her to herd some sheep! But that's all she wanted to do; herd, herd, herd!

When I was in the round pen (RP) with the horses she had to hang back with my mom (and did a pretty good job at that), but whenever the horse was being a punk and I got after it, she'd come charging down and bark at it as my back up. xD Every so often she'd try to crawl through (she's a freaking rat, she can squeeze herself anywhere, including up and over the narrow space- less than a foot- that was between the seperator and the trunk), but I yelled at her no and she backed off.

She's truly honing her herding skills though, she's past practicing on our cats. xD When I was hosing off Midnight, he escaped with his rope halter on and was running away to go roll (oh noez). I was running after him and she sensed my focus on him, took off, circled in front of him, got down low and started barking at him! Lucky for her, he stopped and turned around where I caught him and took off the halter. She's nuts though, and thought the herding game was still on. xD He went to roll and she was barking at him and hopping around his belly and I am screaming at her, "NONONONONO!" and luckily she listened. xD But she's now great with the horses, she used to bark at them viciously at the last barn we were at, but that place had bad vibes anyway.

Unfortunately, when she came with us into L's house she was limping. We lifted up her pays and the pads were just shredded =( We really need to toughen them up with more walks on pavement. So, we ended up putting bagbalm or however you spell it on them, and she did well. She's still limpy, and we're wrapping her paws. Hopefully she'll be healed by next Sunday so she can go back to L's with us instead of being left behind. =( Keep your fingers crossed!