Wednesday, June 28 (Chesna) Day 24

 

Before any thought of riding today Kelsy and I wanted to test out our new jump sets. So just for kicks we grabbed Stuey for some free jumping. We set up two jumps along the length of our arena, the first a short vertical and the second an oxar. There was one stride between the jumps, and ground poles for both. By setting a low first jump the horses are able to come into the second with the correct striding every time (the second is the one we build higher). To discourage turning out, we set guard poles on the sides of the jumps to direct them over.

 

Before we turned Stuey loose Kelsy led him over and introduced him to the jumps. She sent him over each (set very low) on the end of the halter rope. Then we turned him loose at liberty and sent him cantering around the arena using the lunge whip for warm-up. It's good for him to practice being chased and sent away, especially now that he knows to always turn and come to people. Then we began sending him through the line of jumps. Once he began jumping he was committed to going and went through like a champ. By the end of the session we had him easily clearing a 2'9" oxar. Because he is young there was no need to go any higher or spend lots of time on this activity. We did just enough for him to learn how to organize his feet and balance in a manner befitting to jumping and to see what he's made of. His jump is very similar to his mother, Marlee’s. He is clean and has plenty of clearance in the air, plus he seemed to enjoy it!

 

 

Later that day I pulled him in for a ride. Stuey’s feet are sore right now. He is barefoot, recently trimmed, and has kind of flat soles. Around our farm we have very hard, rocky ground that he lives and rides on. He is not accustomed to this kind of terrain, so he is toughening his feet up by the day but in the process is sore on rocks. There is no reason that with continued exposure his feet will not get better and better, it is just a matter of time. In the meantime though I want to avoid riding on rocky ground. He does fine on the grass and sand arena, so I limited my ride to his turnout field.

 

Stuey has reached the point where I need to shift my training focus. He is now sufficiently people-oriented and open to learning. He is rarely goosey to touch and doesn’t startle easily. Any spooking he does now is not really fear based, rather more like a habit. He knows the basic cues: stop, go, hindquarters, forequarters, bend. He has been exposed to many new things and environments, and he is comfortable in all his gear. He has established his unique personality and is now confident enough to handle more demanding expectations. Basically, it’s time to move onto more refined activities and for me to demand a higher level of behavior from Stuey.

 

So on the agenda tonight was backing up, moving off of leg sideways, more canter transitions, and speed control (to mention the more obvious things). The agenda is always open to changes, of course, but it’s nice to have a remnant of a plan sometimes. We started the ride with all the things we do well and progressed to backing up after every “whoa.” To back up I asked with rein pressure and released the second he stepped up and back. Once he understood to step back, I waited to release until he took a more enthusiastic step. Sometimes I waited to release until his head settled (in an effort to find a release from the rein he would shake his head up and down and left and right before moving his feet in the beginning). Throughout the ride we practiced this and by the end he clearly knew the routine.

 

I also introduced moving off of leg sideways. I knew this was going to be a mental challenge for Stuey, so I had waited to push him to it until today. When I began working the cues he became very confused, understandably. I kept repeating and repeating my cues, waiting for the correct response to release on. He wanted to try and move forward, and then backwards, and then into my leg, and then up, and every time I just kept asking. He became frustrated with not finding the release, so as a last ditch effort he kicked his hindquarters into the air a few feet. I corrected this by exaggerating my leg cues, and then I continued asking for a sideways step. After all the confusion he finally moved a hair sideways, and I released and rubbed him. From then on he knew to go sideways, but still would try other options before sideways at times. He also wanted to drag his hindquarters along by his forehand, and was very befuddled and upset when I kept asking more of him even when he was going sideways. He was having to think through the new cues each time, and it was a big challenge for him. As mentioned in previous updates, Stuey went his whole life not having to think for himself (he had his mother and then his sister to do that), so he’s now having to exercise his own brain and is finding it a rewarding but difficult task!

 

We also toyed with adjusting Stuey’s speed in the walk and trot from my seat aids. The idea here is that I set a speed with my seat, and enforce it with my leg and rein cues if necessary. Like anything else it’s about feel and releasing, and it’s difficult to explain the feeling of a horse responding to seat cues. Anyhow, Stuey was great about listening to the subtle cues of my seat. In the trot he wants to run with joy, bouncing like a bunny rabbit through the grass. He was a little disappointed when I asked him to stay in a boring jog around the pasture, especially when we were headed towards his pasture-mate Reggie. However, I was able to use very light cues to maintain changes in speed, so I was pleased and he settled into this activity nicely.

 

To avoid monotony I spread all the many activities we worked on throughout the ride. I didn’t drill one activity until it was perfect. Especially with a horse like Stuey, it is to their benefit to move onto new things and keep checking back on the old, lest he get himself all stuck or overzealous on one. For example, I kept our sideways sessions to one or two goods steps, and then went and worked on something completely different, like canter transitions. He appreciates the mental break from the more challenging activities, and it keeps him focused on the tasks at hand.

 

After the ride I hosed Stuey down. Because today my expectations increased across the board, I demanded that he stand while I washed his entire body down with water. Usually I let him move around me for a few steps if he felt he needed to, but today I corrected him and made him stand. He was a bit unhappy about not being able to turn his hindquarters away from the water, but I assured him he should know by now it is a painless procedure.

 

Stuey has lots to stew over (excuse my pun) overnight. I am ready to continue that which we worked on today, tomorrow. I will expect him to resume work at the level we left it and build from there.

Thursday, June 29 (Chesna) Day 25

 

In the morning I went out to Stuey’s field to capture one of his pasture buddies. Kelsy came along with me, and go figure all the horses were at the farthest end from the gate. We are lazy, and to exemplify our motto of “safety first,” Kelsy hopped on Stuey for a ride up to the gate (bareback, in a halter, with no helmet, having never ridden him before with only three weeks of riding). Whatever. Stuey was fine, of course, and didn’t seem to mind being Kelsy’s personal taxi service when she dismounted with a pat of approval at the gate.

 

Later that afternoon I collected Stuey up and adorned him with the necessary tack for a ride. I reminded myself today to practice lifting his feet every time I work with him, in case someone might actually want to do that in the future. He has no feet problems I can see, and Kelsy said that when she trimmed him last week he behaved well.

 

For our ride today we headed back out to the Stuey’s field (if only we could get a fast forward button for all the coming and going and back and forth we have to do). The lazy vibe of the day must have hit me too, so I refused to dismount to open the swinging metal gate. Stuey sidled up and allowed me to unhook the chain. He walked through calmly as the gate bounced behind him and stood while I refastened the chain closed (I only had to reach for the gate a little, small compromises for a green horse). 

 

I brought along our 60 foot lariat rope all coiled up. As we walked around on a loose rein I rubbed him allover with it. With no hesitation I threw it out in a long stream in front of us, still holding onto an end. I cued Stuey to back away from the dragging rope. This gave backing up a purpose and it peaked his interest in the rope. I then walked forward towards the rope and turned onto a circle with the rope at the center, allowing him to see the rope clearly with his inside eye. Soon I was dragging it off behind us from both sides, allowing the rope to slide against his flank and hindquarters. He was far more interested in his pasture friends and grass than the rope, and when Kelsy joined us with Gunnar she commented on Stuey’s “high level of concern.” That made me drop the rope and get to work on something that might actually bother him.

 

During the ride we worked on the activities from the previous day. Backing and sideways were much improved (less hyperactive) and he only fussed when he got his feet stuck in confusion. We worked the canter transitions, which were alright, but the canter itself was, as our friend would put it, “rocketing.” Stuey just goes goes goes like a ray of speeding light without a target. It is fair to say his canter will require some improvement, but in the meantime it is so funny that Kelsy and I spend minutes laughing over it every time. We’d hate to “crush his spirit” and bring him down to earthly speed too soon, but alas his date with destiny must come in the near future.

 

After his “rocketing” Stuey was pooped so I took advantage of that and worked on jogging. I also practiced all the usual stuff and am very pleased with the ease and timeliness he does his forequarters now. He is almost like riding a cutting horse (ok, maybe I exaggerate a little). But it was nice to see that Stuey is headed down the right path regarding my new expectations.

Friday, June 30 (Chesna) Day 26

 

Today we rode in the backfield and on our hill with Cheryl and Kelsy. Our back-up was much steadier and more obedient. It’s still a little slow, but we’re going to practice consistency at this level first. We had terrible canter transitions today. The field is uneven and occasionally rocky and his focus was allover, so there were lots of running transitions. I tried to use natural advantages to my benefit, such as asking for the canter when we were headed towards the other two horses. I stopped when I got some good upwards each direction. I also sent Stuey cantering up the hill a couple of times. This encourages engagement behind, slows down the canter, helps him find balance, and gives him something to really focus on. He is having a difficult time figuring out what to do with himself in the canter. I am not really concerned about this. I think that by riding him and working on all sorts of exercises and practicing canter it will come to him in time. He has the potential to have a nice canter.

 

I’ve decided Stuey needs to learn a trick. Something really impressive to wow the world and potential buyers. Something unconventional for an alleged “scaredy, green broke horse.” I’m not going to disclose the trick outright, but I will write about the steps each day. I’m sure you’ll be able to guess the trick by reading the learning steps. But if not, it will be that much more of a cool surprise when he can do it! When he can do the trick I’ll take pictures. So for today, Trick Training Day One: Stand behind Stuey and jump up and down. Pet his bottom. Slide down slowly over his hindquarters to dismount. Be sure to watch his hindquarters as I land behind him on the ground.

 

Saturday, July 1 (Chesna) Day 27

 

I’m getting sick of all this hot weather, it’s hard for riding four or five horses a day. To escape the sun Kelsy and I decided to head for the elk trails in our neighbors’ woods. She was riding Perry, so the dynamic duo was together again. I wanted to take our camera along for pictures, so I put the pocket pad on underneath my bareback pad. The camera went into the pocket and off we went, like a genuine pack pony (well, maybe a lightweight pack pony).

 

Stuey was very happy to follow his sister along. He was not so happy when I told him he was going to lead the way. It worked perfectly, because Perry needs to practice waiting and Stuey needs to practice going forward with confidence.

The first time we trotted through the tall grass in the field the camera started bouncing on Stuey’s flank. He twitched an ear back to it but then ignored it for the rest of ride. He was excellent about me constantly reaching back to unvelcro and revelcro the pocket into place, even when walking or trotting. When we came to the bog before the woods, I had Perry go first with the camera so she could get a picture of Stuey making the crossing.

 

The only time Stuey tries to exhibit moronic behavior is when his sister is in the picture. For him, she is the ultimate pacifier and the center of his old universe. When she is around I have to remind him to listen up to me and have manners. In the woods we practiced lots of standing and waiting and trotting off ahead by ourselves. He needs to understand that his rider will direct him even when his sister leaves him behind. At one point we were up on a semi-steep hill with very dense underbrush. Kelsy and Perry were on some sort of mission up the hill, and I told Stuey we were going to walk the whole way, even as Perry’s golden bottom bounced out of sight. The footing couldn’t have been more perfect.

 

Stuey tried to step into a trot and found himself stepping into a tangle of sticks and logs. Stuey tried to step into a trot again and found himself stepping into a hole. Stuey tried to step into a trot one more time and found himself steeping down an unexpected hill. Stuey, I hate to say I told you so. Amazingly, after that Stuey could walk through the thick ferns and salal obediently, splitting his attention between the task at hand and his vanished sister.

 

You don’t have to have an arena to work on things. It is much more fun to apply your horse’s skills to a real environment. Stuey practiced cantering up the longggg hill once and walking back down alone. He practiced backing up, both downhill and uphill. He practiced stepping sideways off of the trail and moving his forequarters on the face of the hill. On the way home through the field Stuey outwalked his sister (who was also practicing waiting) and was soon alone on the path home. We walked on a long rein, stopped and stood when asked, backed-up smoothly, stepped sideways each direction, trotted, and even cantered on the galloping path. He did all of this with a workman’s attitude and was very cool and collected throughout.

 

There are lots of unknowns when you are out and about, and not many people are comfortable riding a young horse in these environments. As Cheryl and I had been discussing earlier, people worry way too much on the behalf of their horses. They are so preoccupied with what might happen or if the horse is ok, that they loose self-confidence. People make silly excuses about what horses can and can’t do. And guess what? If you don’t think you can do it or the horse can do it, then you both can’t! If you are confident in your ability to handle yourself in a situation, and stop trying to control the horse and environment every second, you and the horse will be fine. Worse case scenario, you fall off (gravity is inevitable). For a horse like Stuey especially, I show him no fear and because of that he sheds his. (I’m not suggesting you just go and start doing crazy things, part of having self-confidence is knowing your limitations and knowing when you are over your head!)

 

In the evening we were moving horses around to their nighttime turnout and Stuey was at the far end of his field. Following Kelsy’s example I hopped on him then and there for a ride to the gate. I didn’t have a halter, but I used a leadrope through the bottom of his flymask to pretend like I had reins. It was a primitive steering device, but it got my point across and Stuey the taxicab made it up to the gate.

 

Trick Training Day Two: Stand behind Stuey and bounce around while bumping into his hindquarters and exhibiting a lot of energy. Fall against his tail repetitively until he stops squishing his hindquarters up each time. Slide down his hindquarters when dismounting again, with a little more gusto this time.