Christmas Ponying

Well I am now on winter break. In theory, I should have plenty of free time to play with the boys, however my job and the winter weather seem to have their own agendas. Barn visits have been few and far between and so I was really looking forward to spending some time there on Christmas. I woke up yesterday morning and quickly realized I was sick with a sore throat and fever. With this latest realization it started to feel like there was some conspiracy keeping me from the barn. I was very disappointed but thought it would be best if I took things easy and stayed at home. That idea lasted a few hours and somehow I found myself driving to the barn; I just couldn't stand it any longer.

I didn't have a plan but when I arrived I discovered that Calatar and Eclipse were both covered in mud from head to toe. After thoroughly grooming the two of them, I decided to tack up Calatar. A nice ride would be the perfect Christmas present to myself but as I was tacking up, I started to feel guilty. I knew that I should really spend some time with Eclipse and that I would be exhausted after riding. It dawned on me that now would be the perfect day to pony Eclipse and I could kill two birds with one stone. We started off in the ring and it was an interesting experience to say the least. Calatar is very sensitive and Eclipse is not. When I tried to play some of the games with Eclipse, Calatar responded and Eclipse didn't. It took some time for Cal to settle and realize that the energy that I was putting on the rope was not directed at him. Eventually Eclipse became more responsive and I felt comfortable riding around the farm for a cool down. 

All things considered, the two of them did exceptionally well. I plan to do some ponying simulations with Calatar to get him more comfortable and I now have a new respect for Magic. Her ability to distinguish what energy is directed at her versus another horse is amazing. I think back to demonstrations where Pat was using her as his legs and have a new appreciation for how difficult that is. I am excited to continue developing my horsemanship skills and playing with two horses simultaneously has opened a new frontier. 

Patch of Heaven

Unfortunately it has been a long, boring, and horse deprived week. I have been visiting family in Kannapolis, North Carolina and there is just not a whole lot to do here. After a few days of sitting around, watching TV, and hanging out on the Savvy Club Forum, I decided to take action. I have been active on the Savvy Club Forum since July of this year and I started following Mariah Helms' blog around the same time. She is truly an inspiration in that she has only been doing Parelli for three years, is well into Level 3, and oh did I mention that she is just now turning 17! Knowing that this very talented Parelli student was in the area, I sent Mariah a message and asked if I could come for a visit; thankfully she said yes.

When I arrived this morning Mariah was brushing Sundance aka Fabio, a stunning sorrel APHA. After our initial meeting, she introduced me to Bebe, a bay AQHA, and my play mate for the day. We started off playing in the arena and I had so much fun working with Bebe and watching Mariah and Sundance. After warming up on the ground we did some ring riding before embarking on a trail ride around the farm. Our ride ended with a venture into the pond that Bebe thoroughly enjoyed. I had such a wonderful time and have made a great new friend.

Hoof Dissection

This past weekend was part two of Marian Figley's natural hoof care clinic. My original plan was to attend both days of the clinic which would include trimming (Saturday) and dissection (Sunday) however due to limited finances I decided to forego the trimming. The tools for the dissection were nippers, box cutters, and strength. As it turns out, even unhealthy hooves are pretty darn tough and it was a real workout removing the sole and hoof wall. After that, the work was less physically demanding and consisted of more intricate cutting with box cutters. I had a really good time at the dissection and learned a lot.

Dan Thompson Clinic

I can't believe it has been almost two weeks! It's taken me this long to write because things have been extremely busy with school. Anyhoo, I had a wonderful weekend in Fort Valley, GA at the Dan Thompson clinic. This was Eclipse's first trip with me and he did exceptionally well. We left on a rainy Friday afternoon and thankfully he loaded nicely. The drive through Atlanta was surprisingly smooth and just when I started to get the feeling that it was too good to be true, we got stuck in stop and go traffic south of the city. As it turned out, there was a bad accident and so we were slowed down for a little over an hour. The rest of the drive went well and Eclipse unloaded smoothly. I got him settled into his stall and tried to contain my excitement so I could get some sleep.

The morning started off with everyone introducing themselves and stating what their clinic objectives were. I believe there were six participants including myself which seemed like a good number. The clinic format worked really well for me; Dan would give some information and then allow everyone to do their own thing. During the first session, the goal was to use an obstacle as a focus point while driving backwards. I chose a barrel and quickly realized that I had not yet worked with Eclipse on driving backwards. Once I slowed thing down, he picked it up quickly and definitely became more aware of my focus. The goal for the next session was to create a sweet spot and use it to your advantage. I knew I wanted to use the car wash obstacle for this! In Eclipse's eyes the car wash was a fire breathing dragon and so this strategy would be a great way to get him more comfortable around it. We made our way closer to it and his eyes grew bigger with each step. I decided that I would play the circling game and then allow him to stand only if he was near the car wash. Eclipse developed a sweet spot and his confidence level increased dramatically. He would still move away if the wind blew it towards him but all in all, it was a big improvement for this "crazy" horse. After lunch, there was one last session using the figure eight pattern. Eclipse was doing well at the walk and so I decided to ask for a trot...and I quickly discovered that my draw was broken. I did some trouble shooting and played with the yo-yo game. His draw would improve so I would go back to the figure eight and then it would be broken again. At this point, I called Dan over and he did a demonstration with Eclipse with some tips for improving draw. 

The clinic was a lot of fun and gave me some new ideas for working with Eclipse. I now realize how quickly you can bring a horse through the levels when you have the savvy. I am doing my best to stay provocative and not bore him, especially since Eclipse is showing that he is innately a left brain introvert. He is not near as sensitive as Calatar and although finding an effective phase four can be a challenge, it's all worth it because I love seeing him progress. 

Preparation for Thompson Clinic

Today I decided to have another session with Eclipse since I am taking him to a Dan Thompson clinic this Saturday. On the release form I said that we had achieved Level 1 and since I would rather not make fools of ourselves, I thought it might be a good idea to work with him a time or two before we get there. The session started with games 1-4 which we went through fairly quickly. Although Eclipse needs a little refinement with driving and yo-yo, he seems to be a quick learner. 

The circling game was an interesting experience, to say the least. I started to ask more of him in this session and decided to see what he would offer if I asked for the canter. On the left lead he tore off the first few times but eventually offered a softer transition.  I realize it might take a little while for him to feel comfortable circling, as it appears that his previous experience consisted of being chased around on a lunge line. While going to the right, Eclipse was looking out when we started but made some improvements and I decided to ask for the right lead. When I did, I discovered that I have yet another horse with right lead issues...oh boy! Initially, he would make the transition but would cow-canter a few strides before switching. I did not want to end on a bad note, so we worked on trot-canter transitions until he picked it up correctly and then we stopped. I know that this is going to take some time but all in all I think he did well.

After circling, it seemed like the perfect time to introduce the saber tooth tarp. As it turns out, the saber tooth bag was good preparation for the tarp and this turned out to be a lot less uneventful than I was expecting. I was able to send him over the tarp within a matter of minutes. It took a little longer to convince him that the tarp was not going to eat him if I held it beside him but all things considered he did very well. The session ended nicely and I was able to place the tarp on him and rub him with it. He stood still and showed some slight skepticism but it was a huge improvement from "*SNORT*,What the hell is that thing!?"

Natural Hoofcare Clinic I

Today was part one of Marian Figley's natural hoof care clinic. My previous barefoot trimmer transitioned Calatar over five years ago and Marian is currently transitioning Eclipse. I am always interested in learning as much as possible so when I discovered that Marian was having a clinic I signed up right away. I have no plans to start trimming my guys anytime soon but I do want to learn how to trim before I move out west (which gives me a good two years). 

After sleeping through the alarm I drove down to Winston, GA as quickly as I could. When I arrived I met the other clinic participants and we started talking about various horse-related topics. It was nice to be around so many like minded people and we had many interesting conversations throughout the day. The clinic was excellent and it started off with us reviewing both the external and internal structures of the hoof. As a prerequisite for the clinic, Marian recommended reading Pete Ramey's Making Natural Hoof Care Work For You. I read this in addition to Jaime Jackson's Horse Owner's Guide to Natural Hoof Care and have been very satisfied with both books. Keeping horses barefoot has always made so much sense to me but these books are excellent resources and are quite informative for those still unsure about the benefits of barefoot horses. The next topic of discussion was common hoof pathologies and Marian shared her experiences of how natural hoof care can rehabilitate horses suffering from such conditions. We also talked about the crucial role that diet and environment play in hoof health and briefly discussed Jaime Jackson's Paddock Paradise, a book that I plan on reading before I purchase my own property. After lunch, Marian showed us some maintenance type trimming and made it look so easy. Many of her horses have not been trimmed in over two years but thanks to their diet and environment their feet looked amazing and actually needed very little trimming. 

When Marian was done trimming the first horse, we took a break to watch a clicker training demonstration with Meg Eades. It was very interesting and is something I would like to learn more about. I had some misconceptions about clicker training and thought that it would surely result in pushy, mouthy horses but Meg showed that this is not the case when it's done correctly. I could see how much more the horses offered and it reminded me of when Linda was using cookies to reward Remmer when he was learning passage at liberty. I think that clicker training has the potential to work really well with the principles of natural horsemanship and I am looking forward to trying it out when I have some extra time.

Saber Tooth Bag

Today was deworming day for the boys...I really want to learn more about doing fecals and "natural" deworming alternatives but until then I am still using chemical dewormer. Today was the first time I have used dewormer with Eclipse and he did very well. I didn't have a lot of time to do much else and so after deworming him, I put the empty tube back in the plastic shopping bag and went to untie his halter with the bag still in my hand. Well Eclipse thought it was going to eat him so I used this wonderful opportunity to desensitize him to the saber tooth bag. It took a while but he eventually became calm and confident with the bag all over and around him.

Session Two

I had some time to play with Eclipse today and we had a very productive session. I noticed that he was uncomfortable with the carrot stick around his back legs (he would kick out and jump away at the same time) so I spent a good amount of time desensitizing him to that. He became more confident in this session but I definitely want to expose him to this and leading by the leg as I can only imagine how he would react if his leg were to get caught on a vine or something. Next I decided to try some lateral flexion and although he was confused at first, he picked it up rather quickly. I asked Eclipse for some circles as well and he stayed left brain the majority of the time. Currently I am just working on "don't change direction" and have let him pick gait; he tries to come in or stop sometimes when he is behind me but other than that he did well. Eclipse is a lot of fun to play with and he is getting more confident by the day.

Our "First" Session

Eclipse has been here for almost a month now and today we had our "first" session. I have been getting out a few times each week but have been taking things slow since his foundation has so many holes in it. My first goal was for him to develop a positive association with people and to accomplish this, most of our time together has been undemanding time. Calatar has been setting a good example and with the help of the catching game, Eclipse now approaches me enthusiastically in the pasture. Eclipse halters nicely, is making improvement with ground tying, is much better about picking up his feet, and is getting accustomed to fly spray. All this is well and good but until today I had not had a real play "session" with him. This actually worked out well because it allowed my new client to watch and see just how quickly horses respond to natural horsemanship. 

Today I introduced him to games 3, 4, and 5 (in day to day life we have already used games 1 and 2 quite a bit). The driving game went well however he did show opposition reflex, in the form of a kick or two, when I asked him to yield his hind quarters. Eclipse picked up the yo-yo game quickly and  he did alright with the circling game. He was more confident going to the left and had a few right brain explosions but it wasn't bad for his first time. All in all, it was a really great session and I am amazed at Eclipse's ability to regain his trust in people. What is most exciting is Eclipse seems to have some play in him and it looks like he might be innately left brain extrovert. I can't wait to see what the future holds and only time will tell...

He's Finally Here!

Today was the day; I picked up Eclipse from his previous owner and hauled him to the new private farm we will be boarding at. When I first walked up to him his eyes were wide and unsure so I took my time and allowed him to approach me. He walked forward slowly and after sniffing my hand he quickly relaxed and sighed. It is so apparent that Eclipse really wants to trust people but it is equally apparent that he has baggage from his negative experiences with us predators. Today I was also hauling another horse from the camp to Canton for one of the counselors. Both horses were not accustomed to using a ramp and while it took the first horse several minutes to sort out this new contraption, Eclipse followed me on fairly smoothly. I was thankful that our first trailer loading experience was more of less positive, however I am looking forward to building his confidence so that I can teach him to self load. 

The trip went well and when we arrived at Fly Away Farms, Eclipse tentatively backed off the trailer. Once off he did what any sensible horse would do, he started grazing; this was a pleasant surprise for me as I had expected him to be more unsettled in a strange environment. I led him down to the pasture and began calling for Calatar who must have been hiding behind a tree because the next thing I know I hear him whinny from behind us. I took the halter off Eclipse so he could meet Cal and it was the smoothest introduction I have ever seen; they just sniffed each other and then started grazing. After setting up an array of salt and mineral blocks I went to check on them and they were still grazing together as if they were long lost friends. I stood in amazement and disbelief that I am now the proud owner of two horses! I have to say it was such a wonderful feeling and I can't wait to see where these guys will take me.

Magnolia Creek Farm

I had such a wonderful time at Magnolia Creek Farm; it was a wonderful opportunity to work with some beautiful Friesians! I played with Piterke on four more occasions and she was so wonderful. Piterke's experiences before arriving at Magnolia Creek Farm were all with traditional training and as a result she really seems to have developed resentment for being told what to do. After our first two sessions Piterke was mentally avoidant of me and I decided that we needed to play the catching game. It seemed to have made a big impression on her and she started acting more like a partner. When she realized I was asking her to do things instead of telling her she really started to offer more and her driving game improved considerably. Piterke did very well with her first natural under saddle experience. She was predictably dull since she had always been ridden with spurs and a bit but she stayed calm and confident throughout the session. When I asked her for the trot she swished her tail and threatened to buck but I stayed passively persistent and she eventually offered five strides at the trot. I was very excited because I knew that was the first time that she had willingly trotted under saddle; I decided to end on that good note. 

I played with Tori on three more occasions and my main focus was on desensitizing her to a spray bottle. She did alright on the left side but the right side took considerably longer. Tori showed improvement but she still needs some more practice with it. One session I also decided to put a bareback pad on her and it was a piece of cake. She bucked a little when I asked her for the trot on the circle but other than that it really didn't seem to phase her at all. Tori's mother, Sami, was also fun to play with. Sami needed a little practice with yielding her shoulder but she caught on very quickly and she should be able to go sideways in no time. Under saddle Sami was a little hesitant to go forward at first but she settled into things and eventually offered a very nice trot. My time at Magnolia Creek Farm was wonderful but it went by so quickly. I felt so at home with Lisa and her family and I would love to come back if I can find the time.

Toriana & Piterke

Well my love affair with Friesians is official. I arrived at Magnolia Creek Farm yesterday and have already had the wonderful opportunity to play with both Toriana and Piterke. The forecast called for brutal heat but I was able to work with Toriana some this morning and it was so much fun. Tori is so left brain and easy going (I can't believe she is only two!); you can tell that her owner has done a wonderful job raising her. I have to admit she was a little pushy but as I have learned that is not uncommon for Friesians. I didn't do too much with her, but we played with the first four games and she showed good improvement. 

Thankfully we had some rain in the afternoon and it brought the temperature down considerably. I played with Piterke in the evening and she was excellent with friendly and yo-yo and did alright with porcupine. Her driving was a little rusty but she did make improvement. Mares are so interesting because they really have their own thoughts about everything! You have to do so much more to impress them and they really "don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Piterke is such a beautiful mover on the circle and I introduced zone one pressure to ask for a downward transition. She was unsure of what I wanted at first and really moved out (WOW) but after a few tries she started to get the hang of it. I am having such a wonderful time here and I can't wait to ride a Friesian for the first time!

Dream Summer Job

While on the Parelli™ boards this morning I found an excuse for not getting a "real" job for at least another week. There is a farm in north-east North Carolina that has been looking for someone to come and help play with their horses for a week...how could I resist, especially when the horses are Friesians and a Dutch Warmblood! It just so happened that I was already going to North Carolina this weekend to visit my grandparents and so why not stay an extra week for a wonderful learning experience? Since I have more experience working with geldings this is going to be an excellent opportunity for me seeing as there are four mares at the farm. I plan on taking lots of pictures and I will keep my notebook handy to record all of my experiences. Wish me luck!