I went to the barn last night to do some kind of training with Rugby. It was already almost 8:00PM so it was going to be groundwork. Besides, I wanted to see how his gimpiness situation was doing too.
On the way out the door I grabbed a couple of plastic grocery shopping bags. I figured it might be fun to play with him with these and see what he did. I was pleased to see when he led out of the stall he wasn't as ouchy as he had been so I hoped for the best. I picked his hooves and gave him a fast curry and brush, then changed to his rope halter and lunge and went out to the arena behind the barn.
Rugby seemed like he just wanted to stay in his stall. He balked 2 times when I led him out the door and then gave a sigh and followed me out. I rubbed his head and promised him it would be a short, easy and fun training session. Rugby lazily followed me around as I pulled one ground pole out, then flanked it with a white resin lawn chair on each end. Being careful to turn the chairs so the lunge would slide smoothly over the arms and not get caught in the molded lip around the edge of the chair, I sent him out at a walk and lunged him over the pole between the chairs.
He seemed a little more interested and didn't hesitate to stroll over the pole and through the chairs. He was walking well but as soon as I asked to trot, he trotted off reluctantly and very slowly into this half-hearted jog and I could see he was ouchy. Okay, this night's training would just be done at the walk. So then I kept lunging through the chairs, changing direction and closing the gap between the chairs each time we changed. I had the chairs 3 feet apart and he just aimed himself for the middle and walked through. I was happy with that - so was he.
Then I led him through some jump standards that were about 3 feet apart at the posts and only 18 inches apart at the base. He lowered his head down, looked at the squeeze and carefully followed me right through. Nice to know this big horse has no issues with narrow places.
I tried trotting again in a different part of the ring and nope, he still wasn't quite right so I let that go. Then we led across the catwalk. That's become his new favorite exercise. This time I halted him about 1/3rd of the way across. He seemed surprised that I asked him to stop and actually had a look of anticipation on his face. Then I gently touched his shoulder and asked him to step back, without stepping off the catwalk. He carefully took a step and then 2 more for me and I released and let him walk forward. I stopped again just before the end and backed him 3 steps. Perfect. So I let him walk off the ramp and gave him big praise and let him just hang out for a minute or two after that.
Then I reached into my pocket and changed the string on my training stick for the plastic bags. Rugby perked up and watched me attach the bags to the loop on the end of the stick. I stepped back and let him sniff the bag on the stick. He seemed mildly interested at best. I then proceeded to touch him with the bag, first on the shoulder, then down the legs then across his back then back to the shoulder. All he did was roll his eyes and look at the bag but the feet never moved. I just did this for a few seconds and released by stopping touching him with the bag and giving him a neck rub with my hand.
We played with the bag and the stick for about 10-15 minutes. He seemed to find it mildly amusing. He never flinched or spooked. I was passing the bag between the hind legs, over his head, under his tail - nothing. I waved the stick and fluttered the bag over his head - nothing. I took it off the stick and threw it at him - nothing. Then I just took the bag in my hand and "groomed" him with it by rubbing his face, ears, legs and body. Nothing.
Okay, so this horse seems not to give a rat's tail about plastic bags. Rugby is so different so far from most horses I've met. Things that should scare him, generally don't. I see such potential for him as the field hunter I hope he will one day become. Now to get this soundness thing straightened out.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
But I Like my Horse Barefoot
What do you say when you want to keep your horse barefoot(unshod) and you are getting the, "I think he needs shoes up front" suggestion. My horse has been barefoot since I bought him last March. In the beginning my trimmer had work to do to correct the poor trimming my horse came with and get past some minor cracks and flares as they grew out.
At this time his hooves look the best yet. However, in the last 2 weeks, he has been showing an "ouchiness" when led from his stall or if he moves when he's been standing for awhile. There are no cracks. The walls look strong. The frogs have been shedding a lot and the crevices on each side of the frog are kind of deep but there seems to be no tenderness. No bad thrush, although the paddocks have been very wet from the weather we've been having.
I have watched Rugby as I do groundwork with him and once he's moving he seems to work out of it. Occasionally he seems more uncomfortable going over deep footing or uneven ground or he'll take a misstep if he steps on a rock or twig. The best I can do to trace it back is about 2 weeks ago I took him out to do lunging and groundwork in the polo arena and he was feeling very fresh and in his antics on the line I get the feeling he may have overexerted himself and strained something higher up in the limb. There's no heat or swelling anywhere below the knees. Maybe it's a stone bruise to the hoof?
It hasn't gotten worse than what it is. In fact, he gets a lot of time off during the week and it seems a little better. I figured if he strained something, rest is the best thing for it so I let him hang out. When I worked with him this weekend, I tried lunging/riding him in the blue stone ring behind the barn which has harder but more level footing than the polo arena and he seemed to be moving better on that ground than in the softer sand footing of the polo arena. Hmmm...
The barn manager asked me this weekend if I noticed his gimpiness. I told him yes and that it seems to be getting better. Then he told me the vet noticed it too when they were floating Rugby's teeth last week and he thought maybe I should put shoes on Rugby. That maybe his feet are tender from the wet ground and the shoes will give him support. I listened, said thanks and yes I will consider it. My hoof trimmer is scheduled to come work on Rugby's hooves this Sunday. I want to talk to him about it first and see if he notices anything unusual with the feet and if Rugby is better or worse after the trim.
I want to keep the big guy barefoot. Not just because it's less expensive but because he's got good hooves for it and because I'm not convinced that shoes are the "fix" for this. I was always a shoe advocate but I've had my eyes opened to the benefits of barefoot. If I felt that his hooves were not adapting well to being unshod, I would have him on shoes already. Winter is upon us and my training time is impacted by the weather and footing conditions. Rugby will be getting a lot of hanging out time. I'd like to let him stay barefoot, just leave it alone and see where it goes. The horse isn't being asked to compete or even do more than walk/trot when worked.
Has anyone else had a situation like this, where you are being told you should go back to shoes and you just don't feel that's the answer? I want to trust my 35+ years of horseman's intuition on this one but would like to hear from you if you have had a similar circumstance and what the outcome was for you.
At this time his hooves look the best yet. However, in the last 2 weeks, he has been showing an "ouchiness" when led from his stall or if he moves when he's been standing for awhile. There are no cracks. The walls look strong. The frogs have been shedding a lot and the crevices on each side of the frog are kind of deep but there seems to be no tenderness. No bad thrush, although the paddocks have been very wet from the weather we've been having.
I have watched Rugby as I do groundwork with him and once he's moving he seems to work out of it. Occasionally he seems more uncomfortable going over deep footing or uneven ground or he'll take a misstep if he steps on a rock or twig. The best I can do to trace it back is about 2 weeks ago I took him out to do lunging and groundwork in the polo arena and he was feeling very fresh and in his antics on the line I get the feeling he may have overexerted himself and strained something higher up in the limb. There's no heat or swelling anywhere below the knees. Maybe it's a stone bruise to the hoof?
It hasn't gotten worse than what it is. In fact, he gets a lot of time off during the week and it seems a little better. I figured if he strained something, rest is the best thing for it so I let him hang out. When I worked with him this weekend, I tried lunging/riding him in the blue stone ring behind the barn which has harder but more level footing than the polo arena and he seemed to be moving better on that ground than in the softer sand footing of the polo arena. Hmmm...
The barn manager asked me this weekend if I noticed his gimpiness. I told him yes and that it seems to be getting better. Then he told me the vet noticed it too when they were floating Rugby's teeth last week and he thought maybe I should put shoes on Rugby. That maybe his feet are tender from the wet ground and the shoes will give him support. I listened, said thanks and yes I will consider it. My hoof trimmer is scheduled to come work on Rugby's hooves this Sunday. I want to talk to him about it first and see if he notices anything unusual with the feet and if Rugby is better or worse after the trim.
I want to keep the big guy barefoot. Not just because it's less expensive but because he's got good hooves for it and because I'm not convinced that shoes are the "fix" for this. I was always a shoe advocate but I've had my eyes opened to the benefits of barefoot. If I felt that his hooves were not adapting well to being unshod, I would have him on shoes already. Winter is upon us and my training time is impacted by the weather and footing conditions. Rugby will be getting a lot of hanging out time. I'd like to let him stay barefoot, just leave it alone and see where it goes. The horse isn't being asked to compete or even do more than walk/trot when worked.
Has anyone else had a situation like this, where you are being told you should go back to shoes and you just don't feel that's the answer? I want to trust my 35+ years of horseman's intuition on this one but would like to hear from you if you have had a similar circumstance and what the outcome was for you.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Yeah, my horse is a Rock Star :)
So it's been one thing after another. The biggest has been my mom getting sick with pneumonia and being hospitalized. What little extra time I can find to train Rugby was channeled into hospital visits. She was in the hospital for 12 days and now is at a rehab facility getting her strength back. I think she will be home again, soon.
But my progress with Rugby came to a screeching halt. I managed to get to see him just to groom him and play with him in his stall but there was no time or energy to do more. Even on the weekends the weather was not cooperative.
So, since mom is doing so much better, last night I finally made plans to do a training session. I didn't expect much from Rugby and I anticipated a backslide if anything.
Now, there's another part to this I have to explain before I continue. There's been a bit of a "buzz" at my barn over a training device installed for the benefit of one boarder. She owns a Paso Fino who was a show Paso before she bought him. The owner always said she was a pleasure rider and that she just liked the Pasos and always wanted one. When Paso Finos are shown, one of the things they have to do is ride across a wooden "sounding board" (which resembles a catwalk) so the judge can listen to the cadence of the horses' gait to judge how well the animal moves. See picture:
So imagine the other boarder's reaction when one of these "catwalks" was built for her at the barn, right down the center of the smaller riding arena. It's about 6 inches high, 4-5 feet wide and 13 feet long. I heard most people wondered what it was built for unless she was planning on competing with the horse, which from what she said, she was not. So long story short, it's blocking part of the small arena, it's really solid, heavy and permanently built and is seen as an inconvenience and has therefore been the topic of some discussion.
I was asked what I thought since I'm probably the only one who trains after dark in that arena and it would impact me quite a bit. I only said I could offer no comment until I actually tried to work with Rugby out there and to see what his response would be.
So now back to last night's training session. I saddled Rugby, put on his rope halter and lunge line and headed out to the small arena. He must have been thrilled to get some attention because he usually balks a bit before walking out of the barn but this time he willingly followed me right out into the arena.
And of course he noticed the catwalk.
He lowered his head and his ears were pointed forward. But no spooking, he kept walking behind me and just giving it a good look-see. I walked him around it a few times and he just walked quietly around it. So far so good. I proceeded to lunge him at the end of the arena. He did good, didn't forget his cues and even when he got a bit snotty, I straightened him out immediately and he didn't try it again. Then we walked past the catwalk again and I lunged him some more at the other end of the arena. He was excellent. Then I did our usual lateral flexion, backing and moving off the haunches and shoulders. He did okay.
Then I wanted to see for sure the catwalk meant no issue to him. So we walked over to it and I led him around it very close. He simply followed me. Then as we turned to walk around one end, I stepped onto it and kept walking with him. He raised his head and looked at me as if to say, "uh, how did you suddenly get so tall?". I just kept walking along the boards and he walked beside me in the dirt.
When I got to the end, I stopped and extended my arm with the lead and my other arm to send him forward. He hesitated, then figured out I wanted him to walk around the end and follow me as I walked along the boards in the other direction. And he did it! So we did this 2 more times. Then when we changed direction the third time, I stepped off the other side of the board and now he was walking in the dirt on one side and I was on the dirt on the other. We had about 5 feet of catwalk between us and he just kept walking with me. When we met up at the end I praised him very much.
Then I challenged him. I extended my arm in the direction of the catwalk pointed to it and extended my other arm to send him.
And he gently stepped up onto the catwalk and proceeded to slowly walk and sniff the boards as he followed me walking alongside in the dirt!! He walked with me all the way to the end, about 13 feet along, and stepped off like a gentleman.
I was just blown away. I expected him to flat out refuse to do it, or to step off or explode and leap off. I know none of my other horses would have stepped up and strolled along that thing like he did. He had no fear, in fact, it was more curiosity. I praised him like he was a rock star and quit with that. I was just giddy for the rest of the night, it was the same feeling I used to get years ago when I would go to a horse show and ride a flawless jumping round!
(As an afterthought, I don't know what the barn policy is with this thing or if I can even use this at all. If I'm told otherwise, I apologize. We did no harm to it. But - I have the thrill of knowing that he trusted me enough to walk on it, simply because I asked him to.)
But my progress with Rugby came to a screeching halt. I managed to get to see him just to groom him and play with him in his stall but there was no time or energy to do more. Even on the weekends the weather was not cooperative.
So, since mom is doing so much better, last night I finally made plans to do a training session. I didn't expect much from Rugby and I anticipated a backslide if anything.
Now, there's another part to this I have to explain before I continue. There's been a bit of a "buzz" at my barn over a training device installed for the benefit of one boarder. She owns a Paso Fino who was a show Paso before she bought him. The owner always said she was a pleasure rider and that she just liked the Pasos and always wanted one. When Paso Finos are shown, one of the things they have to do is ride across a wooden "sounding board" (which resembles a catwalk) so the judge can listen to the cadence of the horses' gait to judge how well the animal moves. See picture:
So imagine the other boarder's reaction when one of these "catwalks" was built for her at the barn, right down the center of the smaller riding arena. It's about 6 inches high, 4-5 feet wide and 13 feet long. I heard most people wondered what it was built for unless she was planning on competing with the horse, which from what she said, she was not. So long story short, it's blocking part of the small arena, it's really solid, heavy and permanently built and is seen as an inconvenience and has therefore been the topic of some discussion.
I was asked what I thought since I'm probably the only one who trains after dark in that arena and it would impact me quite a bit. I only said I could offer no comment until I actually tried to work with Rugby out there and to see what his response would be.
So now back to last night's training session. I saddled Rugby, put on his rope halter and lunge line and headed out to the small arena. He must have been thrilled to get some attention because he usually balks a bit before walking out of the barn but this time he willingly followed me right out into the arena.
And of course he noticed the catwalk.
He lowered his head and his ears were pointed forward. But no spooking, he kept walking behind me and just giving it a good look-see. I walked him around it a few times and he just walked quietly around it. So far so good. I proceeded to lunge him at the end of the arena. He did good, didn't forget his cues and even when he got a bit snotty, I straightened him out immediately and he didn't try it again. Then we walked past the catwalk again and I lunged him some more at the other end of the arena. He was excellent. Then I did our usual lateral flexion, backing and moving off the haunches and shoulders. He did okay.
Then I wanted to see for sure the catwalk meant no issue to him. So we walked over to it and I led him around it very close. He simply followed me. Then as we turned to walk around one end, I stepped onto it and kept walking with him. He raised his head and looked at me as if to say, "uh, how did you suddenly get so tall?". I just kept walking along the boards and he walked beside me in the dirt.
When I got to the end, I stopped and extended my arm with the lead and my other arm to send him forward. He hesitated, then figured out I wanted him to walk around the end and follow me as I walked along the boards in the other direction. And he did it! So we did this 2 more times. Then when we changed direction the third time, I stepped off the other side of the board and now he was walking in the dirt on one side and I was on the dirt on the other. We had about 5 feet of catwalk between us and he just kept walking with me. When we met up at the end I praised him very much.
Then I challenged him. I extended my arm in the direction of the catwalk pointed to it and extended my other arm to send him.
And he gently stepped up onto the catwalk and proceeded to slowly walk and sniff the boards as he followed me walking alongside in the dirt!! He walked with me all the way to the end, about 13 feet along, and stepped off like a gentleman.
I was just blown away. I expected him to flat out refuse to do it, or to step off or explode and leap off. I know none of my other horses would have stepped up and strolled along that thing like he did. He had no fear, in fact, it was more curiosity. I praised him like he was a rock star and quit with that. I was just giddy for the rest of the night, it was the same feeling I used to get years ago when I would go to a horse show and ride a flawless jumping round!
(As an afterthought, I don't know what the barn policy is with this thing or if I can even use this at all. If I'm told otherwise, I apologize. We did no harm to it. But - I have the thrill of knowing that he trusted me enough to walk on it, simply because I asked him to.)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Clinton Anderson's Groundwork for Under-Saddle Success
Clinton Anderson explains how and why groundwork works, from the editors of Horse & Rider magazine.
By Clinton Anderson with Jennifer Forsberg Meyer
In the July '09 issue of Horse & Rider, Clinton Anderson and his student Renee Humphries demonstrate how to desensitize your horse to your ground-training tools. That segment is the first in a series of basic groundwork exercises designed to increase your horse's respectfulness and make him a pleasure to handle.
Here, Clinton gives a refresher course on exactly why groundwork is so effective, plus offers key tips for getting the most out of every groundwork session. Click the link below for the full article:
Clinton Anderson's Groundwork for Under-Saddle Success
Shared via AddThis
I read this article from my Equine.com newsletter and decided to share it here. Sometimes I wonder how I'm going to get Rugby trained. My time is so very limited, my motivation is often low and now we are heading into the cold dark winter. If I don't have time (since riding requires groundwork time first - which cuts into my saddle time) or feel up to riding, many times lately I'm just opting to do the groundwork and quit with that. That's why this article was of particular interest to me and kind of made me feel better about my less than awesome training schedule.
I happen to like a lot of what Clinton Anderson does in training a horse and I have his book "Downunder Horsemanship". It's one of my go-to reads when working on a training exercise and I especially like that he breaks down each exercise with all the things that can go wrong for the horse and the handler and how to work through it. My book has yellow highlighter pen markings all over it by now!
By Clinton Anderson with Jennifer Forsberg Meyer
In the July '09 issue of Horse & Rider, Clinton Anderson and his student Renee Humphries demonstrate how to desensitize your horse to your ground-training tools. That segment is the first in a series of basic groundwork exercises designed to increase your horse's respectfulness and make him a pleasure to handle.
Here, Clinton gives a refresher course on exactly why groundwork is so effective, plus offers key tips for getting the most out of every groundwork session. Click the link below for the full article:
Clinton Anderson's Groundwork for Under-Saddle Success
Shared via AddThis
I read this article from my Equine.com newsletter and decided to share it here. Sometimes I wonder how I'm going to get Rugby trained. My time is so very limited, my motivation is often low and now we are heading into the cold dark winter. If I don't have time (since riding requires groundwork time first - which cuts into my saddle time) or feel up to riding, many times lately I'm just opting to do the groundwork and quit with that. That's why this article was of particular interest to me and kind of made me feel better about my less than awesome training schedule.
I happen to like a lot of what Clinton Anderson does in training a horse and I have his book "Downunder Horsemanship". It's one of my go-to reads when working on a training exercise and I especially like that he breaks down each exercise with all the things that can go wrong for the horse and the handler and how to work through it. My book has yellow highlighter pen markings all over it by now!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Lost Ground
Meh. I have been sick since late last week. I missed going to the barn at all for 3 days. Sinus pressure is painfully annoying, coughing is no fun and after the fever and sweats I've about had it. It gets better and then when I take the expectorant to get the gunk out of my chest the crappy coughing starts in until my eyeballs ache. My darling children brought this home to me from school and while they needed all of a day or so to burn it off, the germ mutated and moved in with me. Even my husband is over and done with it as it malingers with me.
I wanted so badly to ride Rugby but after 3 days of no interaction with him and my coughing spells, I figured it would be more groundwork and lunging. Saturday I made up for the lost time by sweating through an hour of groundwork with him. At least if start coughing I can just disengage his hindquarters and let him hang out until I'm ready to send him again.
He came out like a freight train. He's not particularly fast, but he's strong and wanted to buck and run on the line. And I let him, in fact I urged him just a little to make him work at playing even harder. Then we did what seems to work for us when he's all full of himself, the disengage, and send to change direction. And then he tried to stop and change direction without waiting for my cue, so I had to get after him about that but kept at it and worked through it and after 20 minutes or so started to have a more cooperative fellow to work with.
By the time we called it quits, I was really tired. I had to waste time before returning him to his stall as there was a truck picking up something in front of my barn and I didn't feel like dealing with any nonsense from him about it so I walked him out and let him graze a bit until the truck left. As I was returning to the barn, my husband showed up with my boys. They made a beeline for Rugby. I gently shooed them back and had them wait until I brought the big guy into the barn and on the cross ties. And then I let the boys play with him.
Rugby loves kids. I mean really loves them. Monty was always well mannered when they were around but I always knew inside him it was a very well-controlled state of nervous. He would allow them to walk around him but when they wanted to rub his nose he always kept it just out of reach. They could brush him but I could see by the way he would stand he was not relaxed, but being very aware of where they were around his legs and feet. He was better when I would give them pony rides on him but I always read his mood first before allowing it.
With Rugby, he just soaks up their affection. He will put his big head to the ground so they can rub and pet his forehead and ears. And he'll keep it there. Since he is not hand fed treats, he's not pushy with them, he knows attention is all he's getting from them. He will watch them move around him (and at this time they are under strict supervision with him and only allowed near his shoulders and chest) but it's more a look of curiosity, not nervous. I even taught them how to move him over using one finger and he will do it for them. He stands relaxed, with one back foot resting and lets the boys brush him. And my children are not quiet, they are chattering and asking questions and talking to Rugby and even the crescendo of children's voices doesn't concern him. He's passing all the tests so far as a great family horse.
Yesterday it rained, a soft steady rain almost all day. I spent the day cleaning house in between coughing and chasing kids. I almost didn't go to the barn at all but my husband tossed me out at around 7:00PM. I'm glad I went. Rugby didn't get turned out as I had hoped and his legs were a little puffy from standing in all day. So I threw on his rope halter and 12 foot lead and did about 20 minutes of walking work with him. I was glad to see some of the puffiness go down from the light exercise. I'm hopeful this cold gets over with so I feel more up to riding.
I wanted so badly to ride Rugby but after 3 days of no interaction with him and my coughing spells, I figured it would be more groundwork and lunging. Saturday I made up for the lost time by sweating through an hour of groundwork with him. At least if start coughing I can just disengage his hindquarters and let him hang out until I'm ready to send him again.
He came out like a freight train. He's not particularly fast, but he's strong and wanted to buck and run on the line. And I let him, in fact I urged him just a little to make him work at playing even harder. Then we did what seems to work for us when he's all full of himself, the disengage, and send to change direction. And then he tried to stop and change direction without waiting for my cue, so I had to get after him about that but kept at it and worked through it and after 20 minutes or so started to have a more cooperative fellow to work with.
By the time we called it quits, I was really tired. I had to waste time before returning him to his stall as there was a truck picking up something in front of my barn and I didn't feel like dealing with any nonsense from him about it so I walked him out and let him graze a bit until the truck left. As I was returning to the barn, my husband showed up with my boys. They made a beeline for Rugby. I gently shooed them back and had them wait until I brought the big guy into the barn and on the cross ties. And then I let the boys play with him.
Rugby loves kids. I mean really loves them. Monty was always well mannered when they were around but I always knew inside him it was a very well-controlled state of nervous. He would allow them to walk around him but when they wanted to rub his nose he always kept it just out of reach. They could brush him but I could see by the way he would stand he was not relaxed, but being very aware of where they were around his legs and feet. He was better when I would give them pony rides on him but I always read his mood first before allowing it.
With Rugby, he just soaks up their affection. He will put his big head to the ground so they can rub and pet his forehead and ears. And he'll keep it there. Since he is not hand fed treats, he's not pushy with them, he knows attention is all he's getting from them. He will watch them move around him (and at this time they are under strict supervision with him and only allowed near his shoulders and chest) but it's more a look of curiosity, not nervous. I even taught them how to move him over using one finger and he will do it for them. He stands relaxed, with one back foot resting and lets the boys brush him. And my children are not quiet, they are chattering and asking questions and talking to Rugby and even the crescendo of children's voices doesn't concern him. He's passing all the tests so far as a great family horse.
Yesterday it rained, a soft steady rain almost all day. I spent the day cleaning house in between coughing and chasing kids. I almost didn't go to the barn at all but my husband tossed me out at around 7:00PM. I'm glad I went. Rugby didn't get turned out as I had hoped and his legs were a little puffy from standing in all day. So I threw on his rope halter and 12 foot lead and did about 20 minutes of walking work with him. I was glad to see some of the puffiness go down from the light exercise. I'm hopeful this cold gets over with so I feel more up to riding.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Bad Riding blog
By now, I'm sure everyone knows about this blog. I have stopped by there once or twice before but for some reason I found it compelling to browse through earlier today. Maybe it's my mood, as I got poor sleep last night with both kids and myself being sick, or maybe I just wondered if any pics of me had made it to the site, LOL. Anyway, here's the link. Sometimes funny, sometimes disturbing and mostly "what the heck?" check out Bad Riding.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Where did I go? LOL!
Yikes, it's been almost a month since I posted anything here! Well, it's really all good. Everything is chugging along. Rugby is continuing to do well with his training. We have our challenging moments but I work through it to get to the good stuff and we have been working at the walk under saddle with no resistance. I am so ready to trot again that I've snuck in a short trot stretch here and there towards the end of each ride. I'm trying to get together with Tony for a progress report and to get some more input for what to work on at the trot.
I am a firm believer in "things happen for a reason - we may not know the reason at the time but as with everything else time reveals all". I wasn't happy to have gotten dumped off Rugby the way I did, when I did but it sent me in search of another answer than what had worked before and forced me re-evaluate my purpose. When I put myself on Rugby's schedule and let the training reflect his needs, not necessarily my wants, it has just flowed. My method now is to always begin with lunging and groundwork. As we progress through the session I evaluate Rugby's mood, willingness to comply with my cues and his attention span. I have become good at "reading" his attitude and when I know the time is right to go under saddle, then I mount up. Sometimes the lunging beforehand will only need to be 20-30 minutes, sometimes almost an hour and occasionally we never go beyond just lunging but we've been riding almost regularly now.
A few weeks ago, circumstances forced me out of my "comfort bubble" in the little riding ring behind the barn and I had to go out into the big polo arena to work with him. There were all sorts of stimuli for him to be reactive to - the tractor grading the far end of the arena, horses coming in and out of turn-out and a teenage boy practicing his roping throws while riding his little Quarter Horse. And Rugby reacted, to the point where I figured I'd just forget about riding and just try to get something positive out of him in the groundwork. He was tearing around on the lunge, tossing in a few hump back bucks, and generally not paying attention well. When he ran, I asked him for a little more, then asked him to stop, disengage and then sent him in the other direction. I kept sending, then changing direction to get him thinking and it worked! We progressed to softer, calmer work as the edge came off and ended up with flexing and moving his haunches and shoulders around and backing up as some more riders came in for their lesson. I then walked Rugby over to where the mounting block was and let him hang out and watch the other horses starting to warm up. At this point he was so focused and settled that I changed my mind, we'd give riding a try. I bridled him, mounted up and rode amidst the lesson. Rugby was happy to calmly work with the other horses and we had a great ride!
I am loving this big horse more and more. Dare I say - he's cuddlier than even Monty was. He will even come over to the feed door opening in his stall wall and give a horsey smooch if you make kissy noises while standing there. He gives me a kiss goodnight with his big wiggly snoot each time before I leave.
My children have also made great strides! One boy is now off the lunge line and rides and steers the lesson pony around at the walk and trot and his brother is in the process of leaving the lunge as well. It's thrilling and scary as hell to watch them get their independence. When they are on the lunge, at least the instructor has the last word with the pony, now it's all up to my boys what the outcome will be. It's kind of funny, because almost simultaneously they have left their training wheels behind on their bikes and are now whizzing around the yard on two wheels. They can even kick off from a standing start! To see the look of pride on a child's face when they "find their wings" continues to be one of the most joyous moments of being a parent. (Then of course, reality pokes you in the butt when same child is whining about not wanting to do their homework!)
Homework - ahh, 1st grade has brought more of that. Math every night which they whiz through and then the writing and spelling in which we deal with staying focused in order to get it done. And so far only English, I'm waiting for the Spanish homework but that's my husband's forté, LOL.
So, that's what's been goin' on these days. Below are some pictures of my boys in recent riding lessons. They are riding at the same time, each with his own instructor and in a separate round pen.
Working on the trot. I love that both boys try very hard to post with only their seat and legs, they only touch the pony's mouth when asking for a "whoa".
Working on his position. Nice straight back and good hands! A little more heels down, please!
First time riding off the lunge line. My son and his favorite lesson pony being watched by "The Master". Go kid, go!
My son's boot heels have finally grown past the flap of the saddle. Now he has to learn that when he squeezes the pony he doesn't have to press through the saddle flaps to get a response!
I am a firm believer in "things happen for a reason - we may not know the reason at the time but as with everything else time reveals all". I wasn't happy to have gotten dumped off Rugby the way I did, when I did but it sent me in search of another answer than what had worked before and forced me re-evaluate my purpose. When I put myself on Rugby's schedule and let the training reflect his needs, not necessarily my wants, it has just flowed. My method now is to always begin with lunging and groundwork. As we progress through the session I evaluate Rugby's mood, willingness to comply with my cues and his attention span. I have become good at "reading" his attitude and when I know the time is right to go under saddle, then I mount up. Sometimes the lunging beforehand will only need to be 20-30 minutes, sometimes almost an hour and occasionally we never go beyond just lunging but we've been riding almost regularly now.
A few weeks ago, circumstances forced me out of my "comfort bubble" in the little riding ring behind the barn and I had to go out into the big polo arena to work with him. There were all sorts of stimuli for him to be reactive to - the tractor grading the far end of the arena, horses coming in and out of turn-out and a teenage boy practicing his roping throws while riding his little Quarter Horse. And Rugby reacted, to the point where I figured I'd just forget about riding and just try to get something positive out of him in the groundwork. He was tearing around on the lunge, tossing in a few hump back bucks, and generally not paying attention well. When he ran, I asked him for a little more, then asked him to stop, disengage and then sent him in the other direction. I kept sending, then changing direction to get him thinking and it worked! We progressed to softer, calmer work as the edge came off and ended up with flexing and moving his haunches and shoulders around and backing up as some more riders came in for their lesson. I then walked Rugby over to where the mounting block was and let him hang out and watch the other horses starting to warm up. At this point he was so focused and settled that I changed my mind, we'd give riding a try. I bridled him, mounted up and rode amidst the lesson. Rugby was happy to calmly work with the other horses and we had a great ride!
I am loving this big horse more and more. Dare I say - he's cuddlier than even Monty was. He will even come over to the feed door opening in his stall wall and give a horsey smooch if you make kissy noises while standing there. He gives me a kiss goodnight with his big wiggly snoot each time before I leave.
My children have also made great strides! One boy is now off the lunge line and rides and steers the lesson pony around at the walk and trot and his brother is in the process of leaving the lunge as well. It's thrilling and scary as hell to watch them get their independence. When they are on the lunge, at least the instructor has the last word with the pony, now it's all up to my boys what the outcome will be. It's kind of funny, because almost simultaneously they have left their training wheels behind on their bikes and are now whizzing around the yard on two wheels. They can even kick off from a standing start! To see the look of pride on a child's face when they "find their wings" continues to be one of the most joyous moments of being a parent. (Then of course, reality pokes you in the butt when same child is whining about not wanting to do their homework!)
Homework - ahh, 1st grade has brought more of that. Math every night which they whiz through and then the writing and spelling in which we deal with staying focused in order to get it done. And so far only English, I'm waiting for the Spanish homework but that's my husband's forté, LOL.
So, that's what's been goin' on these days. Below are some pictures of my boys in recent riding lessons. They are riding at the same time, each with his own instructor and in a separate round pen.
Working on the trot. I love that both boys try very hard to post with only their seat and legs, they only touch the pony's mouth when asking for a "whoa".
Working on his position. Nice straight back and good hands! A little more heels down, please!
First time riding off the lunge line. My son and his favorite lesson pony being watched by "The Master". Go kid, go!
My son's boot heels have finally grown past the flap of the saddle. Now he has to learn that when he squeezes the pony he doesn't have to press through the saddle flaps to get a response!
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