Trying to figure out this life . . .

No homework in the evenings seems to be giving me plenty of time to think about things. Got Spike to eat his breakfast on the trailer and messed with his back end. Still not a big fan of me messing with his back legs, but we worked on it. He backed out once I sent him back in to get a little more grain and that time he was more confidant and messed with the hay bag. Did the squeeze simulation, which he did rather well with, actually and called it a day with him.

Went and got Rhap out and did the trailer simulation with him as well, no problems. Groomed him and saddled him, then went to play. Apparently he has a issue with feet/being over things, so that’s the new thing with him. Sidewaysed over the mounting block, got on the tire and then tried some trotting with me. Squeezed over the jump and then backed over a jump, which apparently was cause for some rearing. Walked and trotted a weave then headed back to round pen.

Had an amusing/interesting riding session with him and Elise. He’s just so, so dulled out from the way he was trained, fast phases were not working for us at all. Slow, deliberate phases on the other hand worked really, really well. Did some follow the rail with hindquarter disengagements, walking, stopping the backing up. Did a figure eight and then worked on getting some impulsion, the hardest thing with Rhapsody. Got a few bucks, but there were in “slow-motion” and not really even bucks. I just pushed and let him buck, then asked him to do the thing again. Finally started getting walks at phase one or two and a few phase two trots. He also trotted around with a whip in his mouth and was coming up with ingenious ways to get it off the ground, silly pony. He was thinking and interested by the end of the ride, I think he’s really going to end up enjoying himself with Parelli. Good for me too, helped my focus, intention, working with a young horse, ect. All things I need to get better at.

Got Mocachee out this afternoon and shouldn’t have ridden him, I knew better, he was annoyed with me and wanted his grain. Feed up and then got him back out, put the bareback pad on him and went out front to graze. Trotted from patch of grass to patch of grass, which I think he found fun. Walked him into the barn and he let me get my stick, then we went and opened the paddock gate so he could go get a drink. He wanted to canter after that, so we did the canter figure eight. Walked down to the round pen and opened that gate, then opened the gate behind the round pen. Jumped the jumps, at a canter no less, a few times since he was in the mood. Then we went and got on the tire and I got him to sideways around it with his front feet on the tire. We’d been working on that online for a bit but somehow got away from it, something to get back into. Went back through the gate and tried to close it, but he would not sideways over to it. I was starting to get frustrated and he finally spun around and lined me up perfectly with the gate. Apologized and gave him a cookie, I forgot last time we did it “my way” I almost fell off. He takes such good care of me.

Rode him back to the barn and then decided for the heck of it I’d try riding him back to the field if he’d let me get the gate. Did perfectly opening and closing that gate out to the field and get gave me a really nice, collected canter out there. Had him stop once we were through the gate and the herd came flying. I was really glad I’d tied my string around his neck, lol. Almost got off, but then he started to go after Rhap so we had an exciting “cutting/herding” session with Rhap and Charlie. I somehow managed to not fall off, thanks to the sticky pad. There was even one point where Rhap took off galloping and Mocachee went galloping right after him and I managed to push and stay on.  I think it was good for Mocachee and I to just go out and have FUN. I think “cow sorting” might be a good way for us to do that and keep me from getting to particular all the time when we’re riding. Moved from Rhap to Charlie when Rhap got a little too excited and started bucking. Mocachee and Charlie told me when they were done and I walked Mocachee back to the trough to get a drink. Took off the bareback pad, popped him a treat and took his halter/reins off.

I think I need to get back to that with him, that whole having fun thing. I think we’ve been so focused on getting things accomplished, it somehow got lost along the way. I also really to start asking for way less. He’s trying his heart out and I’m saying, “Try harder!” That’s when he goes right brain, when I miss the try and ask for more and he’s already giving me everything he has. I need to listen to him better, he’s smart as anything and he seems to already “know” half this stuff.

If it doesn’t rain all day tomorrow, I’m getting him out. If it does rain, I’ll get him out Friday. Also need to make myself a “flag” so we can start playing around with that. And more extreme friendly. Barn probably 6 days a week before I leave, at least 5 days.

Also, stumbled across this quote

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

-Mark Twain, American Author

Tai’s blog…with a little Spike and Woodstock for good measure.

Since Kerry’s visit, Tai and I have been pretty much cantering a few strides at a time each day we’ve been riding.  Yippee!  I really need to work on my cantering, he seems to be picking up his leads nicely.  Now if I could sit still perhaps we could go for longer distance.

Haven’t been doing cantering patterns on the ground either, like we should, or that would probably improve things as well.  Have been trying to help Spike with his feet and Woody with his, too.  The tire is a valuable asset to trailering or foot handling.  Seems to have translated well for Maryann and Tom, too.  Somehow though we missed the “feet on the ramp sideways” but not in the trailer with Woods…oh, well.  Working on that now.  Maryann got Spike to go in the trailer following her on Saturday, but that is overwith now as Hannah finally got him to go in on his own.  He also didn’t want to come out, which is a good sign.  Tom can get Woody to go in, but I see the RBI possibility of danger with Woody when things begin to change up.  Like make any noises, or touch him even for a moment…need to work on squeezes around the trailer, and all seven games with food in the trailer, but never asking him to go in to get it.  We’ll be doing the opposite with Woods and going “SLOWER” on Wednesday’s session.  I will also rewatch on Hannah’s advice the “Trailering by Horsenality”  savvy Club DVD with Pat to see what else we can throw in.  Jeez thanks, Hannah-you’re done with school and now I’ve got homework!

I don’t know if it was the wind yesterday, or the fact that there is so much construction going on in every direction around the barn, but Tai was pretty RBI .  I’m oddly more comfortable with that lately, don’t know if it’s because I suspect he may be innately RBI or what.  Can’t wait to see what they have to say in Florida.  Still has many LB qualities, but now I’m not sure if he got those from me or if he had them all along.  Didn’t do much groundwork with Tai since I spent 1 and 1/2 hours on Woody earlier.  Tai and I just ate lunch in the barn and I tacked up in there, which really just contributes to his RB, but maybe the practice is good?  I have a fifty/fifty chance of being right…

Decided to try riding with his bit and bridle on.  That went pretty well after multiple tension “spooks” in the saddle and roundpen.  Don’t even touch the reins/bit at all and Tai acts like he did when we first started riding 2 and 1/2 years ago.  Head tossing before thinking.  We just go slow and when he can “think”, things seem better.  At least grazing and eating treats with his bit in is not a problem.  Decided not to try cantering today, so left the bridle on for the entire ride.  He did fine.  I hate to think what our winter is going to be like, Tai’s coat is something akin to the Abominable Snowman/Yeti’s.

Don’t you shiver . . .

Messed with Spike with the trailer today, and probably going to be messing with him with it a lot. He’s got a clinic in two weeks, so we need to be able to load and unload him. Played with his feet with the rope and picking them up, which is getting better. Then went and did some sideways in the round pen, which went pretty well. He still wants to be right on top of you initially but a few phase 4′s fixed that. Did the figure eight and got him to trot the center. Initially he was a little right brain about trotting, but then he chilled out. Got front feet on the tire and then worked on all four feet. Headed back into the round pen and did some work with the squeeze and me actually sending him instead of leading him through the squeeze.

Then it was trailer time. Got the back feet on the ramp and front feet, then it was time to try loading. After a frustrating 15-20 minutes, I brought my energy up and was finally just like, “Spike, we are going in the trailer!” And, shockingly, he went right in. Didn’t have to phase four him or anything. Let him eat his grain, did some friendly and then backed him out. Brought him back later to eat dinner by the trailer and he still liked me, lol. More trailer stuff Wednesday and probably Friday.

One step . . .er, dinner plate at a time . . .

Played with Spike this morning, working on getting his back feet on the trailer ramp. Got him out of the paddock and did some friendly really quick, then just picked his feet up. Initially he wasn’t so sure he had to do that for me, but I just held the porcupine until he picked his foot up. Popped him a carrot and we were good after that. Headed over to the trailer and started with just the front feet on the ramp and then pretty easily transferred to the back feet. The work that Elise has been doing with has made a huge difference in him. Started with just one to cocked up on the trailer and went from that to one foot flat on the trailer. Took it nice and slow on the second back foot and kept my phases fairly light, but still asking, since I could tell he was trying to figure out what I wanted. Got the back toe up on the ramp and gave him a treat, then got both back entire feet on the ramp and called it a day. He was licking and chewing when we went out and stood at the gate with a look on his face like, “That’s it?” He’s a super fast learner and it was good for me to mess with him. I had to slow it down and change a few tactics. I knew how to handle him when he was LBI, but I had to give him lots and lots of time, really read him and look for his try when he was RBI. I think that boy’s going on a trailer soon though . . .

and time is on your side…

Yesterday I worked with the gentle giant, aka Spike! It was quite interesting and challenging for me, because I’m used to left brains and mostly extroverts….this right brain introvert was unknown territory for me. I took is slow, but firm. You only had to tell him once, and after that you didn’t have to ask twice. I worked on all his problems like the lateral flexion and disengagement – he can do it no problem now.We even got two feet on the tire and walked across the tire.

I tried trotting him, but he needs more consistent playing with, he is so emotionally unfit. He struggled to trot.

The weather was rainy and rather pleasant after the heat of the beginning of the week. We played in the round pen, then wandered out of the round pen. He was a good boy.

one small step…

Well, today I attempted to work with Spike for a while, though the heat got the best of us.  The little while we were out we did get stuff done.  We were saddled and everything. We played with Hannah and Lucy in the arena. Spike can now disengage like a pro, and lateral flex on the ground. The little that was done, I think it was good for him. I will ride him on Thursday for sure. He’s a good boy, and loves you as long as you get his flies

Spike doing some transitions on the circle

More transitons on the circle

Circling Game

Spike was happy to come in

Spike

Spike is an awesome horse he just calls for a lot of love and patience’s. Katina and miss Maryann  play with him every Saturday. Compared to when i arrived last year he has made a lot of progress. But he still needs to improve a lot. i have played with him a couple of times so i know how it is to pretty much just walk while all the others are trotting and cantering.  you wish he was better but you have to work to get there It could take a long time but you will arrive eventually and when you get there you will be the happiest person in the world so keap it up Katina and Miss Maryann your doing great !!!

Big Peanut Hug

~Juliana