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Ivan Update 3-31

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Ivan has learned a few new things in his progress toward being ridden

He is now lunging with the saddle.  He can wear a snaffle over his bosal.  He accepted the snaffle easily and had a good time chewing on it at first, like most young horses,  then carried it like a big boy.

After saddling him in the barn and leading him to the indoor, I lunged him at the walk and trot.  It was VERY windy and the indoor was making all kinds of noises.  He did not react to the extra noise at all.  He concentrated on what I was telling him with no extra creative suggestions.  After walking and trotting both ways , I reversed and walked, trotted and cantered each way.  Once he had cantered a few times around I asked him to stop on the verbal command HO.  He did this very well and stopped without a signal on the bosal.  Then I trotted and said easy signally him to walk.  I always End  the lunging at a walk so the horse would be calm and quiet the next session.  The horse is Learning that walking is the way to end work, not going fast. This also helps to keep them thinking instead of going into flight and then getting to quit. 

I had a student that was interested in learning how to ground drive so Ivan got his first chance to be a lesson horse.  After lunging him, I showed the student how to walk behind him as  he was standing and get him to see me out of the other eye then signal him to turn following the feel of the pull rather than sight to turn to face me.  I did this each way.

Then I tied the stirrups under the saddle with a piece of  rope.  This helps the stirrups from flipping over the saddle.  I attached the second line to the bottom of the bosal.  He was not wearing the bit today.  This second line (on the right) I fed through the off stirrup and then tossed the rope over the seat of the saddle to the other side. (Left)  Now I have one line in a straight line to me as we lunge and the second line is over the seat of the saddle.  I asked Ivan to walk and he did without any concern over the rope. 

Once he was able to chew and blink, I put the line over his saddle around the back of his rump but above his hocks. Then lunged him again.    Then I had the student give a try and she worked on her body position so she could signal him to keep circling.  If she backed her feet up or faced his head, he would stop and face her as that is what her body language told him to do.  I walked behind her and helped her keep her body facing toward his hip.  Then he walked well in the circle. 

The outside line is used to signal him to make a wider or larger circle. Then the inside line which is NOT through the stirrup is used to guide him to continue in the circle and make it smaller. 

My student was getting it and we did this on both sides.  Ivan was very patient with the student learning. 

Next step was to ground drive.  I put both lines through the stirrups, one on each side.  As my student was still learning how to handle the lines I led Ivan so he would not get too confused. I love to include this  step if I have the help.   The horse is less confused when one is leading and gradually transferring guidance to the person driving.  As my student improved in her skills guiding him I gradually did less and less till she was driving him around in the arena. Ivan understood VERY well how to follow the feel and bend to the signals on the bosal.  So when she guided him he turned his head in the direction of the signal walking that direction without any fuss.  All this was done at a walk.  Both did well.

The next step was in the barn.  I slap the stirrups and make noise with them without actually hitting him with the fender.  I do this till he chews telling me he is no afraid of the noise.  At first he raised his head and looked a bit alarmed at the noise I was making.  He did not move his feet but was unsure.  After a few minutes he realized he was not being hurt and licked and chewed.  This told me he had accepted the movement of the stirrup and noise.  I will continue to do this for several sessions till he is totally unconcerned with anything I do with the saddle. 

The next step is to put on a white helmet and jump up and down next to the saddle where I would mount.  I give the horse a handful of oats to encourage the horse to chew.   I kept jumping up and down till he chewed. Thankfully he chewed fairly quick, as It is very tiring to jump up and down J.   I did this on both sides.  Then I jumped again pulling on the saddle simulating mounting, again giving oats.

I only use oats as the horse can choke on any other treat.

Mounting is next!

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Lila Update 3-21

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Lila is growing very tall with legs that grow and grow.  I want to call her Missy Stilts.   She continues to be a very good girl in her training sessions.  I love how she and her buddy Iris run to the gate everytime someone comes to the pen.  They just love people to visit. 

I have not done a lot with them new, mostly review of the things she already knows, bending her nose to her shoulder, lowering her head on cue, moving her shoulder away from pressure, boy can she cross those long legs.  She is moving her hips away from pressure, trotting while led, walking over the bridge and poles, and walking in a circle like lunging.

The newer things I have been working her on are leading on the off side, her right.   She is also learning to walk with her head down more constantly and soon to teach to trot with her head down.

She continues to have a great attitude.  When I am leading from her off side if she get confused she stops and tries to see me out of the other eye.  I just keep her head so she has to look at me out of her right eye.  Then cue her to walk on.  She does.   She is a little unsure yet to keep her head low out of the right eye.  She can keep her head down walking out of the left eye pretty well.  We have just started trotting from the right eye.  She did this pretty well.  I used the wand to tap her on her croup if she does not trot when I lean forward a little and start walking faster.

Despooking  Classes will start soon for Lila.

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Ivan update 3-14

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

 

Ivan Update 3-14

 Prevous updates are on our facebook page

Ivan has progressing in his training sense our last post, he has participated in two despooking classes. In these classes we have a calm horse (Tara, 26 yrs old and BOOM proof) and others that are learning to trust their owners while exposing them to many different sounds and sights. 

The first class was the first of this year, at the start of the class the horses got excited with tails in the air and prancing when the heard the new sounds of the plastic bottles crunching under foot.  This was before the Tara was brought in.  Ivan was not in yet. Once she was in the horses quieted down.  It was icy outside (so the horses could not play outside) and good footing inside; this combined with cold weather can make horses much more reactive.  We worked on keeping their heads low (poll below the withers keeps a horse out of flight) and if one horse got excited we moved them next to Tara and her calm attitude helped them calm down.  This program DOES NOT WORK unless you have a calm horse to help the scared ones calm down.  In a herd, it only takes one horse to calm a whole herd, but if there is NO horse that is calm horse telling the others not to worry about it, the WHOLE herd will become excited at the excitement of one horse. 

The other key to the despooking class is to have MANY things so the horse can’t fix on one thing.  There is NO where to run too as there is new stuff everywhere.  This method is called flooding.  Without being able to run away and get away from ALL the scary stuff the horse will not pump adrenaline and get more excited.   We also keep their heads low and have oats in pans near the scary stuff, so they are chewing and thinking.  Instead of going into flight at new things, the horses learn to think.  Once thinking they are learning that scary stuff may provide some oats and are actually curious to go see if there are any oats around.  Only oats are used as a scared horse can choke on any other type of food.

 This first class had the large heavy printed rug, pile of plastic bottles, pile of fluffed up news papers, large blow up plastic hammer that squeaked, Plastic triangle banners on a string, Someone walking around  on crouches, a baby stroller with balloons tied on it, balloons tied on the wall, and the frame with pool noodles standing up for them to walk through so it rubbed on their bellies.  We also opened up the people back door at the far end of the arena and played trick or treat,   door is opened, then the person outside offered oats in a pan to the horse.  This door is not normally used, so the horses do not see it opened.

The second session we made a lane with the triangle banner and put the pile of bottles at the end of the lane which  was wider where the bottles were, added a flag on a jump standard so it was above the head of the horses, put up a couple of  Halloween figures on the jump standards at different places,  pulled a plastic sled with oats in it and later the umbrella on the sled ,  put up a latter with a sheet on it,  and put a umbrella on the ground with oats on it, it is broken so it lays flat on one side.

Ivan is not frightened of things and had to work more on just walking around looking but not wanting to go up to sniff the other horses.   He did well both times.  Even though he does not react to the different objects and sounds he is still learning that they will not hurt him and is becoming desensitized to them.  This is important s later in his life when he sees things and there is NO safe herd horse, he will realize scary things will not hurt him and he will remain calm.  He is young enough that he follows the herd (tara) leader and his personality is such he does not question her authority.  If she says it is safe, and then it is, this transfers to the handler.  If the handler says it is safe then he just calmly goes where he is told.  He walked through everything and even under the triangle flags.  When the jump standards holding the flags fell down he did not react only looked to see if there were any oats involved.   He LIKES oats!

For his under saddle work, he is learning to carry a saddle.  He previously carried a blanket with the surcingle holding it on his back.  This session I introduced the saddle,  once in the arena and after lunging with the blanket and surcingle walk, trot and canter.  I put on the western saddle without stirrups.  I made the girth snug enough that it would not slip around his belly but not tight enough to mount.  I lunged him at a walk for 10 min both directions till I was sure he looked as it out of both eyes and chewed telling me he knew it was there.  I did not want him to suddenly realize he had a saddle on and have it scare him.  Once he chewed, I asked him to trot and stopped on HO after a half a round.  Then walked the other way, repeating the short trot, this gave him a chance to see the fenders flap and not react to the movement by going fast.  I want him to learn to stop when things are scary not run from them.  He did not act scared, but I go through ALL the steps anyway so he has time to get used to it.  Calm colts sometimes don’t look at what is on them.  Then they can be startled later because they never actually saw the saddle on their back.  Because he was calm with the short trot, I reversed and walked and trotted several rounds making sure he did not speed up. I repeated the longer trot the other way, ending with a quiet walk for several minutes.  I ended the session with a good stop on HO.

This is where I say HO and give no other signals with my body or line; he stops quickly and faces me.    If he did not stop I would give a firm signal on the lunge line hooked to the bosal. Then once stopped walk up, make him chew, if he did not already, with a finger in his mouth and rub his forehead, holding his head low with both eyes facing me.  The rub is calming, both eyes keeps him from going into flight as does the low head. Then I send him out to lunge again and repeat the HO verbal command.  At this point in his training I end all sessions with a good stop on the verbal command HO.   Ivan is laid back so stopping is usually his favorite part. 

Next session I saddled him in the barn again without the stirrups, today I added a snaffle with no reins, I put it over the bosal.  He took the bit willingly and mouthed it like all colts do.    Then I  took him to the indoor and lunged him walk and trot.   He did well.   

Next session I repeated the last session with no stirrups and with snaffle.  The only new thing was adding the canter to the lunging. This also went well.    He is progressing nicely.

One thing he is learning is not to play when lunged.  The ground is bad for playing in his pen so he is learning to control his play while working. I don’t allow a horse to buck, spook, run fast or play while lunging.  He can control his energy and be obedient. Ivan does very well for a colt his age.   Ivan has an occasional indiscretion of going fast or wanting to play.  He is learning that these are not allowed.  I stay VERY GROUNDED and CALM, if I got excited I would only add to his excitement and he would become the herd leader as he could change my behavior.   Staying grounded,  I stop him instantly on HO with a firm signal on the bosal, walk up to him with no pet, moves his shoulders making me leader,  change directions which also often can change the horses thought by switching to the other eye.  Then I give him some commands to think about instead of playing, circling bigger, smaller, slower and faster.   He is learning fast and is not offering to play often especially for a horse his age. If the ground is good outside he does not want to play but if he has not been able to play outside because of bad footing, like all young horses he is more likely to want to play when on good footing.  This is a great opportunity to teach him to be a good student.

I believe a horse should not play on the lunge, when he is in hand or tacked up he should be focused on the handler.  If he has lots of energy, I will ask the horse to do lots of transitions between trot and canter, and transitions within the gaits trotting slow then fast then slow.  This lets them get warm, use some energy up and not learn playing is a good idea.  My horses are turned out 24/7 or at least all day. Then can play then not with me.  If they get in the habit of playing while on the lunge then it can become  a game and they will also think it is OK to play under saddle.  I found if playing is allowed lunging, then once no longer lunged before the ride and the horse is energetic, bucking and spooking is a normal creative suggestion when ridden.    It is much easier to eliminate these behaviors from their creative suggestions tool box, when I am consistent and never allow these behaviors.

Next session with Ivan, I saddled in the barn then added stirrups once we were in the arena, I put them up as high as possible as if the rider had very short legs.   If the horse kicks at the stirrups it keeps them from putting a foot in the stirrup.  Ivan did not care about the stirrups.  I walked and trotted and worked on slowing to the walk from the trot.  I say easy and wave the line that is hooked to the bosal.  If he stops which he did at times then I just ask him to walk again.  He figured out that I wanted him to go to the walk from a trot fairly easily.  

This session I also asked him to bend and turn getting ready for ground driving.    I walked to his hip and gently tugged and released on the lunge line hooked to the bosal.  He turned his neck and walked toward me easily.  Then I did it on the other side.  He wanted to follow me so, Said HO, then I walked right next to his body till I was at his hip.  Then I signaled him to come to be on the line.  He did this VERY easily.

Next step is to walk around his rump so I am standing on the opposite side. The line is going around his rump and up to the bosal.    The line is on his right side, I walk along his right side behind his rump till he can see me out of his left eye.  Then I give a tug and release signal on the line till he turns toward me.  He has to follow the feel of the signal to turn to the right and face me, and not follow his eyes to face me.  Since he has been bending from the pressure on his nose from newborn on, he knew right away what I wanted and turned easily till he faced me, even though he had to change eyes.  I did this both directions.

He is standing quite cross tying in the stall where we groom and saddle. He is comfortable alone in the barn.

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TTEAM TTOUCH class starting March 23

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

I am starting a class teaching TTOUCH  by Linda Tellington Jones.  Class will be for 3 weeks and will be two hours each class.  Staring Tues March 23 at 630 to 830  and continue for the next two Tuesdays  ending on April 6.  Class will be held at On Eagles Wings Equine Center and cost will be $75 for the class. 

We will learn the many TTOUCHES that can be used on Horses, Dogs, Cats and many other animals including humans.

Go to http://www.lindatellingtonjones.com/  to learn more about the Linda Tellington Jones Methods.  I have been a practitioner for the past 17 years teaching many clinics and use  these techniques on a regular basis. 

Contact Marie at Mariehorse@aol.com if you would like to attend

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RZ Update 3-6-10

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

He loaded great this session and just walked into the trailer, the two year olds were playing in a pen behind him where he could see them and that worried him, but nothing more than big eyes.  I encouraged him to chew and by sticking my fingers in his mouth and moving them around.   When a horse is chewing he is thinking and able to use the non instinctive side of his brain.  A horse can’t retain what is taught if he is not in thought.  Thinking instead of reacting is a KEY for a calm horse. 

Once he chewed he relaxed and though was still worried, he realized he was ok. 

When other horses play and are frisky, RZ does not know yet they are just playing or if they are acting that way because predators are after them.  I find this happens when a young horse sees a reining horse spin or a horse jumping over jumps and even just cantering in a group.  The young horse instinctively wants to react to get away to be safe.  

Next session he walked right in the trailer again and I had a friend close the trailer door behind us.  I had some hay for him to eat and we stood in there for about 5 min then I had her open the door and we backed out.  He backed out nicely one step at a time.

The next session was time for a ride in the trailer.  It was a slant trailer opened up like a stock trailer.  RZ walked right in and I had him turn around so he was facing the back.  Horses usually like to ride this way.

I took off his halter so he could not catch it on anything.  I left him, shut the doors, and drove around our driveway.  We have a large drive where I can make right and left turns.  I drove VERY slow letting him get the feel of the floor moving.  I stopped and went back to get him out.  He was standing braced in the middle of the trailer with very wide eyes.  Once he saw me he relaxed and I haltered him.  I had him chew using fingers wiggling on his tongue.  He did.  I turned him around and backed him out.  He backed out well.  He was getting the hang of it pretty well.

Next session we did a video of his baby exercises in the indoor.  The video has the cues I use to signal him to do his baby exercises.

The day is here for RZ to go home.  I fed him his breakfast and turned him out as usual.  The owners arrived late morning, I had the owners park the trailer in the same area as I had been loading him.  If possible I like to make as few changes as necessary when a horse is learning a stressful thing.  The trailer changed but the place was the same and the type of trailer was mostly the same, except this one had a ramp.

When it was time to load him I led him up to the back of the trailer.  The ramp did not lay flat on the ground, before I could say anything, the new owner’s dad realizing this, stood with his foot on the corner so it did not wobble.   A wobbly Ramp would be harder for RZ to realize he was safe to walk on it. 

Loading took under two minutes for him to figure out it was OK to walk on the ramp.  He resisted by not moving, then pawed it with one front foot, then sniffed it and licked it then chewed on it.  This is the normal way a foal investigates his world.  Though usually it is sniff, lick, chew then paw.    Once he was done investigating he stood on it with his front foot on the edge, and then backed off a couple of times.  He did this to test if it was safe.  I just signaled him to get back on.  He decided it was safe and walked in, he slipped a little on the way up but loaded great. 

He was quiet in the trailer.  They had previously removed all partitions so it was like a stock trailer and very safe.  We took off his halter and shut the door.  He had a LONG ride home.  He was a bit sweaty at the first stop but ate hay.  The  rest of the stops he was no longer sweaty and doing well.

He arrived and is doing great in his new home. I am confident that he will do well with his new owners!

This will be the last post for RZ. 

Watch for future updates from his new owners under the category of Updates for Indian Artbeat foals.

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RZ update 2-28

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

RZ update 2-28-10

By Marie Hoffman

Indian Rizing has graduated to being turned out without his pony friend and will be alone in the barn tonight.  I turned him out in to his pen and took the pony back up to the field with the Lila and Iris

RZ adjusted   well and actually could exercise more, to help the swelling from his gelding. Though he is only swollen a little in his sheath.

Today I took him into the indoor and there was another 3 yr old in there that is very green.  RZ bounced around a bit when the other horse was playing on the lunge line with his owner holding him.  But then RZ settled nicely and we walked on the bridge and backed off very nice, one step at a time on cue.  We then did his baby   exercises of bending and moving away from pressure.  Then we worked on our walking lunging.  His lunging to the right was not round but we ended up good.  Worked on head down leading, he is getting better where he can walk some with his poll lower than his withers. 

RZ was perfect in his next session.  He did all of his arena lessons very well then we went for a walk around the farm, we even went into the hay shed to get his hay for his eve feed.  I carried the hay in one arm and led him with the other.  He also was good in the barn all by himself.

The next session we loaded in the trailer 3 times.  

The first time he tried his options, just backing up, and going sideways.  No kicking or rearing.  Then he put two feet in, his whole body shook and he stepped back out.  The trailer was pretty scary with no other horse in it.

Then it took a few min for him to figure he wanted to go in.  When we signaled ( not hit just a firm tap)him with a whip on the rump to go in.  He just stood at first then he walked forward till his front legs touched the back of the trailer,  then he leaped in.  Once in I stood with him doing ttouches till he relaxed and looked around. Then I had him back out,  he had no trouble with this but he just keep going backwards slowly without stopping, we need to work on stopping at the edge then walking back after signaled.   Then after a  few moments, we loaded him again which only took a few signals with the wand on his croup.  Then he leaped in again. 

Once in again we waited till he was calm. He bumped his side on the slant partitions when he jumped in this second time.  So I loaded him one more time making sure the partitions would not bump him.  Again he leaped in. We have to work on that.  But he loaded without any hesitation the last  time.  It was important that we waited till he was quiet and thinking then backed him out.    I wanted him to realize he was safe and that being in a trailer was not going to harm him in any way.  If I would have unloaded him before he thought and was just in freeze because he was scared he would not have realized he was safe and the trailer was ok.  By taking the time to make sure he was blinking and chewing and looking around I knew he was in thought and would come to realize the trailer was safe to be in.  we have not shut any doors yet. That is the next session.

Every night he is now in the barn all night alone with no other horses in sight. He is VERY quiet in his stall.   He is excellent to halter and quiet to turn out every day.

RZ had a great trailer lesson on his next session.   I took him to the back and let him sniff around and eat the scraps of hay that was on the floor by the door

Then I had my friend stand behind him like she did yesterday and tap on his rump with a stiff whip.  When he leaned, stepped or moved forward in any way she stopped tapping.  I just made sure his head was in the door opening but did not pull on the halter.  He put one foot in and pawed the floor a couple of times then stepped back out.  We praised him.  Then in a few min he did the same with the other front foot. Again we praised him and let him stand a few min.  He was investigating the floor of the trailer by pawing with his front foot on it.

 Then we backed him up so he could find it easier to step up as the trailer floor was just below his knees and he was having a hard time trying to figure out how to step up that high.  He just walked forward till his front legs bumped into the rubber edge of the trailer.  We tried this couple of times then just let him stand at the back with his front legs against the trailer bumper.  Any time he leaned forward or moved a foot forward we stopped tapping and praise him, if he moved back my friend tapped much harder to discourage that direction, stopping when he went or thought forward again. 

He stood at the back of the trailer in this position for several minutes, with us occasionally asking him to move forward tapping till he leaned or moved a foot forward.  At this point it was only his hind feet that could move. 

Then one time we taped he just stepped into the trailer in a normal way and walked right in. 
He was much calmer today and not as scared and did not shake.  I stood there with him doing TTOUCHES on him and waited for him to think, look around and sniff things. 

When it was time to back out and I did not want him to back out fast as he did yesterday.  He backs not listening to my signals because he is nervous about the big step down.

I asked him to take one step at a time and he did great till he was about 4 steps to go , then he just backed out quickly.  I had my friend send him back in using firm taps with the whip till he went forward.  He walked back into the trailer in a few taps.  I let him settle then asked him to back one step, stop and repeat, again

This time we got to just 2 steps before he backed out even though we were tapping to go forward.  Again my friend sent him right back into the trailer, he walked right in.  I let him settle then we asked again and I had my friend stand where he could see her.   He backed out one step at a time all the way to the edge.  I had him stop for one min at each step so he understood he was to stop unless signaled to move.  He was backing fast because he was nervous this pause helped take the pressure off so he could think about what was happening and not just react.  When I wanted him to back out, I told him DOWN, Down, down and signaled him to back.  He stepped out very slow and controlled.  I rewarded him and took him back to his pen.

RZ has had a couple days off from extra work. But has been VERY quiet and good about normal leading out and living in the barn alone

Next week he goes home to his new owners

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Lila training 2-20 Marie Hoffman trainer

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Lila 2-20

The first session of the week we went to the indoor to walk and do our exercised without the confidence pony. This was the first time without the pony.

We walked over poles, over the bridge, she did not realize it was a step up and tripped onto it.  But she recovered fine and walked up the second time much better.  We walked over the bridge and she stepped down just fine.  Then we went over the poles again and again over the bridge.  She had figured it out and just walked up on it like a pro.  She was very calm and seemed to like the new tasks.

,  then did our baby exercises in the same area as always near the gate, bending , shoulder over, hip over and walk lunging.  She was perfect so I turned her out, she is really starting to get the idea of leading with her head lower.  She is not perfect but learning.

Next lesson was walking on the off side, the non normal leading side.  Again we worked alone in the indoor without the pony friend, we walked over poles, walked up on bridge then backed off of it then back on it and then walked forward off of the bridge. Lila handled this well and was not at all unbalanced backing off. Then I led her over poles again and over the bridge again.  Then did baby exercise and walk lunging.  All went VERY well. Then walked her again on the off side back to her buddies, she led quite well on her off side.

Lila got the rest of the week off as RZ is learning his alone training and I don’t bring the pen buddies near where he is turned out.

So she just did her baby exercises up in her pen.  She does these very well.

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RZ update 2-20 Marie Hoffman trainer

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

RZ 2-20

Indian Rizing , AKA RZ is sold and the next couple of weeks will be his time to be weaned from his childhood buddies and learn to be in the barn alone and trailer load.

Took pony and RZ to trailer, my friend brought her horses over and has a slant load so we used it.

Loaded the pony and RZ walked right in, kind of tripped on the way in  but stood calmly and after 5 min we backed out , I did like I usually do where I back them close to the edge and then push them out so they don’t hop back in when they feel the drop,  he was calm,

So we went to the indoor to walk and do our exercised without the confidence pony. This was the first time without the pony.

We walked over poles, over the bridge, which after the trailer he thought it was no big deal, then did our baby exercises in the same area as always near the gate, bending , shoulder over, hip over and walk lunging.  He was perfect so I turned him out, he only whinnied a couple of times.

Next lesson was walking on the off side, the non normal leading side.  Worked in the indoor without the pony friend, we walked over poles, walked up on bridge then backed off of it then back on it and then walked forward off of the bridge. Then I led him over poles again and over the bridge again.  Then did baby exercise and walk lunging.  All went VERY well. Then walked him again on the off side back to his buddies

Tonight he was put in the broodmare barn with his pony buddy stalled next to him.  He settled quickly once we gave him some hay.  There are no other horses in this barn.

He was quiet when we went in for the night

Wednesday he was gelded, so no working and he has to stay in a stall for 24 hours

Thursday he can be turned out again

When it was time to be turned out, I turn him out first then go back and get the pony friend.

Thursday he was less wiggly and able to focus on me, than the day before.

It greatly helped that the pony friend did not call for him today, when the leader calls for a youngster when the youngster is in the same pen, that youngster had better go to the leader or ELSE he is in big trouble and will get scolded from the leader. I have seen this MANY times.  That is why some times the young horses are so herd bound they are just being obedient.  It is their nature because in the wild they would be dead if they did not stay with the herd.

I led him into his stall in the barn and he was the only horse.  Food was more important to him than his buddy.  He was quiet till the pony called for him then he just whinnied back but was calm

I put the pony across the alley and RZ was good with that and continued to eat his supper and look out into the drive where he could see activity of the cars and horses led. Up until now the pony was in the stall next to him with bars between them so they could see each other.

We have to lead two horses through that barn right past his stall and he did not care

On future days I lead RZ out and the pony joined him several hours later.  And for coming back into the barn it was the same.  I led RZ in and a while later led the pony in to put across the alley. RZ was adjusting well to being alone.

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Rz update 2-14-10

Monday, February 15th, 2010

  This week’s focus has been on leading in the indoor arena, starting to lead with the head lowered, trotting in hand, walking in a circle lunging and doing baby exercises in the indoor arena, and being calm as the snow slides off the roof.

As usual I tied the pony friend along the arena wall for confidence.  Today we led both directions about 2/3rds down the arena stopping often and each time we stopped I asked him to lower his head, which he did.  When I asked him to walk again it his head went right back up as that is how he is used to balancing.  We walked two times around each direction of the arena.  He did this rather uneventful besides whinnying back to his buddies outside who were calling to him.   Then I asked him to trot along the wall toward the pony friend.  ( Mr Dobbs)  Going toward the pony gives the foal extra reason to go forward.  When I signaled RZ he cantered toward the pony with me running alongside.  Actually his canter was quite slow as he did not pass me but not what I wanted.  So I took him to the other side of the arena along the wall and asked him to trot away from the end of the arena where the pony was.  He trotted very nice for about 10 steps and then I asked him to walk with a signal toward his chest with the wand.  He did and I gave him a good rub on his forehead saying good boy.

Next we went back in the area by Mr Dobbs the pony and did our bending, moving the shoulder, moving the hip and backing exercises which he did well as he usually does. 

Next was to work on lunging at the walk.  On a short rope I signaled with the wand toward his hip/tail to go forward, signaled toward his withers to move his shoulder away from me, signaled behind his poll to move his head and neck out and toward the side of his face by his cheek bone to keep away.  The signals were light touches or just pushing the air in that area.  He moved away ok but needed reminders with taps on his rump to go forward.  He wanted to go by the pony and so I was sure to be driving him to keep his feet moving till he figured out I wanted him to keep going and he could not stop by the pony.  It went rather easy and we did a few circles each way. 

The next lesson was basically the same except we were in the middle of a snow storm and snow was sliding off the roof.   The first time he heard the ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ and poof of snow (it was right above him), he took off to go back by the pony.  I held on to him so he actually only got a few feet from me.  He stopped and was able to chew and think once I put my fingers in, we went on with our walking lesson as if nothing had happened.  The next time snow slid, he reacted about half as much and by the 3rd time he only moved away a few inches and by the 4th time he only crouched a bit but went on leading like a pro.  The snow slid while we were doing our baby exercises and he did not react at all.  What a good boy he was! We finished with our walking lunging which he was much better at not stopping by the pony today.

We had two more lessons doing the same routine and he was good for those sessions. The snow noise did not bother him at all.    He lifted his head or cocked and ear but basically ignored it.

Sat he had some visitors and was sold. He will go to his new home in a couple of weeks.

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Lila Update 2-7-10

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

The focus this week was to learn to lead in the indoor with no buddies just the pony tied to the wall.  I led Lila around the indoor arena.  She learned to stop and walk using the wand for signals.  We walked both directions two times around.  Then went back by the confidence pony and did our baby exercises of bending, yielding the shoulders and hip and backing.  Then I added the new exercise of moving the hip from my body language and the wand waving in the air but close to the ground. She responded to this RIGHT away.  What a good girl

Her first day there was another horse in the indoor being ridden.  She though he was going to get her when he canter by close to us.  I used this as a good learning experience because she was scared and tried to get away from him.  I took her back to where we were standing and asked him to trot the same path but slow, then trot fast a pass  then canter a pass further way.  I took her for a short walk after each pass.  She figured out that he was not going to chase her and accepted him going by at a distance.  This is a great lesson because some day she will be in an arena with lots of horses and the sooner she learns she is safe when a horse has a rider on its back the better.

Tues was shoer day and she was good, we work on tying by looping the lead rope around a barn in the stall where she is being trimmed.

She was VERY calm and listened to my instructions very well.  She is starting to learn to walk with her head low while led.

I was able to ask her to start learning to trot while led on her second lesson in the indoor.  I led her down the wall toward the pony and asked her to trot using dingo (whip tapping her croup).  It took a couple times up and down the wall but she trotted a couple of steps with me.   Then baby exercises and time to be turned out.

She was very good the next session and cooperated in all that was asked. It was short and sweet lasting about 4 or 5 min.  What a good girl she is!

A person wanted a video so we took a video on the next session she was cooperative again, but did enjoy the chance to play in the good footing in the indoor, as it is  icy and snowy out in her pen

Here is a video of her baby exercises:

Because of weather and other commitments the rest of the week I just did backing exercises with pressure on the nose, or move the shoulders over before I took her feed back off when she was done eating.

Today she showed her over achiever attitude.  When I asked her to back more steps (7) with pressure on her nose she hesitated then moved her shoulders with a good cross of the front legs, I kept the pressure on her and without resistance she backed up a few more steps. When she did not understand why I had not taken the pressure off her nose after she had done the usual 4 steps, she thought maybe I wanted her to move her shoulders, so she tried that, then when I still kept the pressure on she backed up to finish her steps.  She lowered her head to get her feed bag off and got her rub for being a good girl.  It is very clear that Lila understand her exercises she is to do and is MORE than willing to please you by doing them with the slightest of cues.  I really like her TRY!

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