Day 18- Put the saddle on!

Here are some pictures from today- I got the saddle on! woohoo! One might ask while looking at these pictures..."You used an english saddle! What in carnation fer??!" As to which I will reply- I do not feel like repeatedly throwing a heavy western saddle on her back over and over. I will use a western saddle, but I find it is not only easier to carry and throw an english saddle, but it also eases the transition to the later. This particular one is a cheap ebay jumping saddle that I am not particularly fond of- so I somehow feel less guilty if it somehow got tossed in the mud or trampled on.

Sophie took it rather well, actually. I was surprised. She didn't even offer to buck, and I felt like she took to it rather quickly which made me pretty happy. It makes me feel like I did enough work leading up to today that it wasn't a big deal- which is ultimately what I am going for.

Also, I am trying something new that I saw in a Buck Brannaman book that I am trying out...it's called pick me up off the fence (Clinton Anderson does it too). In it, I get her parallel to the fence and just love on her. Gradually, I will be able to move her forward, and desensitize her to me being up high in the process. Ultimately, I'll be able to cue her, have her move right up beside me and have me get on. Pretty spiffy if you ask me. If I can get it to work good than I think I will teach it to all my horses.

Oh and...Merry (almost) Christmas everyone!

The *jingle* of the girth was suspicious.

I tossed it over and over, being really noisy about it all so as not to act suspicious. Then I took it all off and re-did it again so that she knew it was something that could be removed.

And then we did the other side.

This is a critical stage. To do it correctly, you have to do up the girth, get in and get out quick because I had no idea how she would react.

I un-clipped my lead rope and just thread the tail end through the halter so that she could have a quick release if I needed it

Needless to say, she did not get bucky. She was scared and ran around a bit.

But then she came back to me. Thank goodness too, because the girth was too loose!

When she started to look calm, I went over and flapped the saddle to start desensitizing her some more to it.

This is the start of the Pick me up off the fence lesson. I pull straight up on the rope until she moves her haunches parallel. (Baby steps first of course- I want to reward even the slightest try) You can see here that I've got her pretty close. The back right is in motion to being stepped over.

And then I release and *rub**rub**rub! I think she looks pretty in a saddle!

Day 17- Introduction to girth pressure and the saddle pad!

She's more relaxed about her feet

So I moved on to introducing the saddle pad...

"Whoa!!! It might have teeth! I think it's going to kill me!"

"Oh well...I guess it might be ok..."

"Why does she always do BOTH sides!" I love acting like I am drunk with the saddle pad and waving it all over.

Here I am introducing what it's going to feel like when I cinch her for the first time.

And here I am retreating...

To the other side again!

So there's what we did today...the weather cooperated a little bit more. It was just windy! Yeesh, I had to break out my hippie ear protectors. Anyways...if everything goes good tomorrow, I may just throw the saddle on! Yee haw! Happy trails, folks!

Days 14-16

The past few days in Sophie's life have been pretty eventful and we are continuing our steady progress...here's some pics from today--

So it has rained like crazy the past few days...so I figured what the heck! Let's get her to go through some puddles!

I love working the horses through water. It really engages their brain, desensitizes them and gets them trusting my leadership role.

More practice picking up the feet...today we were able to clean them as well as hold it and tap the hoof like a farrier would.

Can't forget the fronts! We also did the other side..whatever you do to one side you have to do to the other!

As you could probably tell from the pictures, we got quite a bit of rain the last couple of days. In fact, yesterday it didn't stop at all! Sophie got a day off because it just poured and I figured she deserved a day off anyways. So today we went right back at it- utilizing all of the puddles I got her to use the thinking side of her brain and then did some more desensitizing. Today I also took an empty feed bag and started desensitizing her to that. Whenever I could, I stopped and rubbed her all over and then practiced picking up her feet some more.

And because I introduced her to tying a few days ago, I am making it a habit to always finish the lesson by tying her up and letting her just sit there and think about everything that was just done with her. I love tying...it really starts to teach the horse patience and that it is easier to just sit there and take a nap than it is to cause a fuss or react. A lot of people's horses don't tie very well because just like anything..it takes practice. I want my horses to stand there like that is the best part of their day...where it's just a nice place to relax. The only way to get there though is to do it everyday...I kid you not, one to four hours at a time. (or more!). This will especially come in handy later when I start riding her. How? Because it makes it so that when you are done riding her she really has no place to go, so she just may as well take a nap and wait on me. I hate it when a horse gets in such a hurry to get home and get put away that he develops bad barn sour habits or other disrespectful issues. I love it when they are relaxed and just waiting on me. Tying really helps.

Days 12 and 13- Intro to Tying and Picking up feet

Day 12- Arnother review day- and this time I feel like Sophie is more confident in our progress. This was the first day that she fully accepted being haltered and caught with a willing and confident attitude. She had no fuss- so I made a big deal out of rewarding her for this. Also, I took her out of the pen and I had a big plastic bag that was just laying around. I figured...Ah what the heck! It's never to early to desensitize if you can achieve a calm frame of mind- so I spent some time sending her between the bag and the fence. When she got comfortable with that, I got her to walking over it. And no, this didn't just magically happen people! We went over and over and over....switching directions, backing her up, sending her the other way....basically getting her to using the thinking side of her brain. And once she WAS thinking and in a calm frame of mind- we quit! I went to do something else with her. Since I had been moving her feet and sensitizing I switched to desensitizing and rubbing her all over (up and down her legs!), throwing the rope, whipping the ground etc. I started asking her for baby gives to pick up her feet....this is important- I was just introducing the idea that she could give me her feet. I didn't just grab them and expect her to stand still. (That would have been a rodeo!) I just want to suggest her picking up her feet until she gives me a micro-give...and then *poof! Release of pressure- Tell her how good she is and put her away.
Did I mention? The weather sucked today too...snow! mud! Ice! I can't wait for spring!

Day 13-Today I just kept building----- Like a pyramid- I take whatever I did the day before and I just keep building on that foundation. I want it solid. I want her good, and I want her to remember for the rest of her life. It's crucial for me to get things right...because I am forming her opinions as to how people will handle her for the rest of her life (actually I think she's formed quite a few of them all by herself, but because she is basically untouched it really doesn't matter). She is like a block of clay and I am the sculptor forming her into the horse citizen she will one day become.

So we worked on picking up her feet again. I made sure I could rub her legs with the rope and with my hands. Soothing, all over up and down movements. Confident full rubs, showing her that she can trust me and whenever I found an area that was ticklish, I just approached and retreated until it was no big deal. I do this over and over and over. Finally, once she understood rubbing = stop= relax I knew I could move on to introducing the cue. Different folks have different ideas about how to cue the foot to pick up. Clinton Anderson actually squeezes the chestnut and the hock for the cue. Other people grab the fetlock, some pull the dangles of the fetlock. I think a traditional approach is to squeeze the back of the cannon bone with light pressure to cue the foot to lift. I like to stick to the traditional way when I first teach because it is most likely that other people will cue the same and I like to eliminate confusion wherever I can. And that's what we worked on until I could get her to give her foot and I could hold onto it for a microsecond (you always want to release before the horse has time to react) and then I let her think about it. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Towards the end of her lesson, I knew it would be as good of a time as any to introduce tying.

Good ponies learn how to stand tied up- it teaches them a good deal of patience

  I like to use the Blocker tie ring whenever I tie my horses up, because it allows them the freedom to move their feet and pull the rope. Horses get claustrophobic and because they are fight or flight creatures, their instincts are to either fight- or run away and pull back. You never want a horse to learn how to pull back because it is a very difficult bad habit to break. With this method, they can pull back if they like, but they still aren't going anywhere (I also use a 14' lead line). So whenever this happens, I just go rub her, pull the slack up and leave her alone. After a couple days, I won't need to babysit so much and she'll have no where to go. So she can learn that A) it's easiest just to take a nap when you are tied up and B) you aren't going anywhere till someone unties you.

Notice also that this is day 13 and I am only just now introducing her to tying. Why wait? Well, because I needed to make sure that when she felt the pressure behind her ears with the halter that she needs to give and not fight. She has been consistently giving to the halter pressure, so I knew that it wouldn't be such a big radical idea for her when the time came to actually tie her up. Even if she pulls back, she immediately takes a step forward because that is what I have already taught her.

So that's about it for today. Sophie is doing pretty well. We'll get those feet trimmed up soon.

Day 11- And in December it starts to snow!

Today it started to snow while I was working Miss Sophie...a reminder that Christmas is only a week away! Anyways- we just kept working on the same things- desensitizing and getting where she moves off the feel of the halter, backing up etc. Everyday I am able to work with her a little bit more- she is getting more comfortable being around me and not over reacting to every little thing. You can always tell when they are holding their breath- it's that moment when the snow starts to fall and I keep throwing the rope over her back until I hear that long exhale followed by her exuberant chewing and licking her lips. Every time she realizes that I am not going to throw her to the lion pit her confidence grows just a little bit...until one day (hopefully not too far down the road!) I will be able to run up to her, throw the rope all around her, rub, pat, and act like a banshee and she won't even blink an eye.

In the next two weeks I hope to have the following done- The Tying Lesson, The Feet Lesson (and her first trim!), The Hobbling Lesson (Yes, I believe in hobbling, and I will tell you why!), and the Sacking out (prep for the saddle!)

Stay tuned and Happy Trails! 

Days 9 and 10

So  we had a couple days where I gave Sophie the day off. It was pretty rainy and nasty for 2 days in a row plus I was pretty busy with other matters. Today and yesterday we practiced haltering some more, and also introduced backing and I was able to rub down her legs. It's pretty boring at this point and I don't have any pictures to show my progress (unfortunately). She is becoming more broke everyday, it's just a gradual transition. She is scared a lot, but she is also pretty resistant to human interaction. I can't really blame her, she is 7 and has never been handled. It's probably amazing that she is as good as she is. However I am still battling her reactive side and having to consistently and effectively engage that thinking side of her brain. I am not sure she has ever thought about much before coming here, that's where training can really pay off. It allows the horse opportunities to make better decisions. That's what horse training is all about, teaching them to make good decisions. It's really not much different than school teachers if you think about it. We all want our kids to be responsible adults that make good decisions. Where does that start? With a good education. That's what we all have to strive for, and horses are no different.

Happy Trails!

Days 7 and 8

No pictures today folks, my photographer is MIA :)

Day 7- I basically repeated everything leading up to today. I practiced taking the halter on and off, introduced her to backing and did some more introductory groundwork and desensitization. Also, I took her out of the arena for the first time today and swapped pens. Now she has the deluxe suite with a  covered shelter and shavings.

Day 8- Gave her the day off (mostly) except I go out there and just rub her a couple times a day. I also brought 2 of our other horses out from the pasture and set them up right across from her. I did this mostly, because she has a high level of anxiety all of the time and I am hoping that the other horses will help calm her nerves. She has a habit of pacing back and forth a lot just by herself. This is a sign that she is really worried and anxious, and I hope I can help her with this. I am not sure if she was ever penned by herself before, and obviously there is going to have to be some adjustment anyways. In fact, other than the previous owner telling me that she was un-handled, I still don't know a lot about her previous environment. I don't know if she was with other horses or locked in a cellar. She certainly thinks she is being tortured and I am doing my best to reassure her that she is not. Her eating habits are finicky at best, and she doesn't have much for stool.

On a different note, I brought in Cowboy and Bonnie. Cowboy had a good time off, but now I think we'll go back to work for a little bit (I just learned an easy way to teach them to sit, lay down and bow!) Hopefully the weather holds up for a little bit more!

Day 6- Got the halter on!

After moving her feet and getting her using the thinking side of her brain this is what we did...Rub Rub Rub! We spend a lot of time just rubbin' and lovin!

And then we desensitize more to the rope- you'd be surprised how many horses can't handle a rope swinging around their legs

Most of our time was spent rubbing her face, letting her know I wasn't going to hurt her

And asking her to give that nose to me a little bit...

Once I got her used to my hands, I rubbed her all over with the other halter.

And retreat!

She said...WHEW That was a close one! I almost died, but I didn't!

Ok...I guess you can rub me!

Don't I look pretty with a halter on!

Today Sophie thought a lot about the halter, wondering if it was really a lion trying to kill her, and trying to trust me enough that I wouldn't unleash the beast to ravage her face! It's hard because it had to ultimately be her decision, all I did was approach her with the idea that the thing wasn't a predator, and I had to take the time to wait for her to decide. And believe me...this took a lot of time! And do you see the expression on her face? It's relaxed. That's the only trick to horse training. You can't push them too far too fast and expect them to learn. How can you learn if you are terrified? If someone was holding a knife or something at you and told you to do a calculus problem OR ELSE...how would you feel? That's how a lot of horses feel I think when they haven't been taught how to A) relax in stressful situations and B) how to respond to whatever it is that you are asking. If I had pushed the haltering situation at best I would have ended up with a terrified horse that got away. At worst? She could have turned violent in an attempt to use that reactive side of her brain and escape! That's how a lot of problems start. Now we just have to repeat this lesson over and over until it becomes second nature...like tying your shoe or putting your underpants on. This is Sophie's first pair of underpants...I think she's wearing them pretty good!

Day 5

We worked a LOT with getting her used to rubbing her face. Sophie is pretty sensitive

And then retreat

And then approach...working my way around her muzzle

She got pretty good on the left side

So I moved her feet a little bit more

And then worked on the right side. I had to work twice as long on this side because she really didn't like looking at me with that right eye.

Day 5! Slow and steady wins the race! I can't even try to put the halter all the way on until she gives me the OK with stuff around her head and muzzle. She is very sensitive about her delicate features, and that's ok too! I just have to spend extra time. If I take the time she needs, I won't have to go back later on and fix problems. Thanks for reading!

Day 4- Real Progress Made!

Whoa there's a rope on tied to me! Sophie had to learn to give to pressure and not run away from it!

Two eyes! I can't train a horse that isn't paying attention to me. Sophie was pretty eager to learn.

We just un-tracked her hind end...To get her focused on me I had to constantly re-direct her feet and teach her to cross her hind.

This is the start of our leading. She did pretty good! Tomorrow will be even better

Today concludes day 4! Basically did the same as I did yesterday, but even more desensitizing and focus on redirecting those crazy feet! She always thinks she has to be moving so I just put her to work, and then when she rests I desensitize her! I rub her alllll over and let her know how nice it is to be next to someone. Also, I use the rope lots and get her used to things flying everywhere. Clinton Anderson says, "Heart attacks are free, so give your horse one!" It really helps especially with Arabians to desensitize them LOTS. And to everything because they really do notice it! Sophie is a good girl though, and I am very happy about her progress so far. You see, horse training is about building blocks and making a strong foundation. I do a little bit, a LOT so that the good things are repeated so often that it becomes second nature to the horse. Sure I could rush things, through a saddle on and YEE HAW TONTO! And pray to God I don't get killed...but I don't believe that is beneficial to either the horse or the rider (You only have one body!) Needless to say, I am happy, she is happy and we are moving forward!

Crash Course! Days 2 and 3

OK so unfortunately my camera battery was dead this morning when my husband went to grab it and take pictures for me...so here is a written re-cap of my progress.

Day 2- Went swimmingly with not as much progress as I had hoped. I re-affirmed my self truth that I am indeed a HORRIBLE roper! But with the help of a smaller arena I was able to approach and retreat over and over and over to this flighty mare until I could confidently rub both of her shoulders. I also did a lot of desensitizing with the rope (since I couldn't get it over her neck and she was just getting worried about it) I would stand away from her and fling the rope back and forth at first a great distance from her and then I was able to throw it right next to her when I stopped. Unfortunately I was not able to get the halter on yet, but sometimes you just have to wait and let the horse give you the green light. I figure it takes about 3 days to get the halter on using this approach and retreat in a smaller pen- as opposed to if I could rope her I could do a lot more in one day. Also, the only way I knew this would work is because she is not belligerent or disrespectful- mostly she was just scared- which is totally workable. I did get a closer look at the cut above her eye and it is not as bad as I originally thought. *whew! I would have had to figure out how to drug her, put her in a trailer and drag her to the vet for stitches if it was any worse. Luckily- It'll heal and it's not infected!

Day 3- (today!) WOW what an awesome change! Today I was able to continue what I started yesterday and after attempting to rope her again (I just thought I'd try!) I ended up with a whole lot more of approach and retreat desensitizing her to myself, and then to a few of my tools and the halter. I was able to rub her all over and she started to relax at my touch which is a HUGE improvement. When they get to the point where they realize being next to someone is the relaxing place to be, that's when you know things are starting to happen. I just loved on her and massaged her up and down her neck and back approaching and retreating and approaching again until I got the halter around her neck. (That was the hard part!) Once I had a line attached to her, it was relatively easy to get her disengaging her hind end and giving me two eyes. After all, you can't teach a horse anything if they are not paying attention to you. She was a very good student once she learned to give to pressure and not push. Sophie gave me a look like "No one has ever made me do this! " Lol! It made me chuckle. She is a sweet girl, tomorrow I hope to work some more on practicing haltering and leading and more desensitizing. One step at a time! She sure is a pretty girl.

Sophie's Orientation Day!

So here is the first post of many that I hope will show my progress with my new project- Sophie (aka the Cowboy lookalike horse!) She was delivered here to Kings River today so that we could start our training. Sophie is a completely un-broke 7 year old Arabian mare. She hasn't even had a halter on, feet trimmed or anything! Needless to say, I think I have my work cut out for me!

We had our first round penning session after lunch (and after the crazy thing settled down a little bit). She did pretty good for the first 20 minutes, and then she saw the horses out in the pasture....it took another 20 minutes to get her attention back on me. But by the end, I was able to approach and retreat up close to her side and get her looking at me consistently. It's a good start :) But tomorrow I think I might just speed things up a bit and rope her. This way I will be much faster and at being able to halter her...I really need to doctor her eye! It's not life threatening or anything, just needing a good cleaning at least. It puts the pressure on me to get the job done and have her desensitized enough that I can get my hand up there. She'd just run away and laugh at me right now if I tried anything like that!

Also, this is day 1 of my pre-mustang Challenge that I am giving myself. After 100 or so days with this mare I am going to see where she's at and see if I can't re-home her. I figure if I can ride this crazy beast, anything is possible!!