Sara took a lesson today on Peanut and we worked on lateral work (she needed confirmation of the aids). I taught her how to influence his straightness by asking him to move over off of the right leg. We worked on making it clear to Peanut when a rider asks "over" or "forward" with the whip. Whip tickling on the hip means "over" while whip behind the leg means "over".
We worked on driveway work at the end and tied the lateral work into the gait improvement work. Peanut needs more right leg, left seat and slight touches of the whip to keep him straight. Once straight, his gait smooths out, his head-wag really starts and he racks on. Sara has really only ridden his flatwalk, so the faster gait was a new experience. She was working injured, though, so she could not quite apply the aides as uniformly as she wanted to. Because of this, she got to practice a one-rein stop when Peanut decided to canter instead of gait :-) Overall, though, a great learning experience for Sara as she was really starting to react to Peanut's shifting balance in the gait and guide him more effectively.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Peanut 5/5 Trail Work
Peanut went out to Susquehanna State Park today to do trail training. He's been very quiet and responsive on trail, so we brought along a completely green, never been ridden on train before horse named Lori. It ends up Peanut was "having a day" and Lori ended up being the rock on trail LOL!
The ride started with us rounding the corner and immediately seeing all kinds of dead farm equipment, old round bales, and large construction sized piles of dirt and cement blocks scattered all around the trail. We had to walk right between all of them, and I admit if I were a horse, I'd think all that stuff looked strange. Peanut stopped, planted, snorted, and sidestepped until Lori walked up beside him. What an example, eh? But overall, he was good--just evasive for about 10 seconds until he realized that not starting the ride wasn't an option. He was tense, so I asked him to relax at the poll, put his head down and walk forward. He did a fast powerwalk, tense but obedient on past all the obstacles. It set the tone for the ride, though, so he was reactive to any stimulus the rest of the time.
We saw more round bales scattered around in an open field and he tried to turn back once. I simply kept his head pointed where he needed to go, put his head down and send him forward and he was tense, but went forward. As we passed the last round bale, I had him walk up to it and sniff it. He took a bite, relaxed and walked on LOL!
We ran into several bikers on trail and he did well. He did the quick "startled" jump in place and then would walk past them with encouragement. Lori thought Peanut was silly and would jump when he jumped, but then walked by the bikes too.
He crossed every water obstacle and bridge with no problems or hestitation and relaxed in the woods. I worked on keeping him STRAIGHT between my aides (he escapes with his right hind and requires left seat/rein and right leg to keep him straight) and really focused on building his hindquarters on the uphills. His balance has truly gotten better since last year and he was able to negotiate the downhills and large steps down very well.
On the way back, we did some gentle cantering and he was excellent! Very good day overall. A little spooky, but under control and came back to relaxation well.
The ride started with us rounding the corner and immediately seeing all kinds of dead farm equipment, old round bales, and large construction sized piles of dirt and cement blocks scattered all around the trail. We had to walk right between all of them, and I admit if I were a horse, I'd think all that stuff looked strange. Peanut stopped, planted, snorted, and sidestepped until Lori walked up beside him. What an example, eh? But overall, he was good--just evasive for about 10 seconds until he realized that not starting the ride wasn't an option. He was tense, so I asked him to relax at the poll, put his head down and walk forward. He did a fast powerwalk, tense but obedient on past all the obstacles. It set the tone for the ride, though, so he was reactive to any stimulus the rest of the time.
We saw more round bales scattered around in an open field and he tried to turn back once. I simply kept his head pointed where he needed to go, put his head down and send him forward and he was tense, but went forward. As we passed the last round bale, I had him walk up to it and sniff it. He took a bite, relaxed and walked on LOL!
We ran into several bikers on trail and he did well. He did the quick "startled" jump in place and then would walk past them with encouragement. Lori thought Peanut was silly and would jump when he jumped, but then walked by the bikes too.
He crossed every water obstacle and bridge with no problems or hestitation and relaxed in the woods. I worked on keeping him STRAIGHT between my aides (he escapes with his right hind and requires left seat/rein and right leg to keep him straight) and really focused on building his hindquarters on the uphills. His balance has truly gotten better since last year and he was able to negotiate the downhills and large steps down very well.
On the way back, we did some gentle cantering and he was excellent! Very good day overall. A little spooky, but under control and came back to relaxation well.
Scooby 5/5 SCOOBY IS A HORSE AGAIN!!!
He's a real horse! He can WALK, TROT and CANTER on a long, relaxed frame and not skygaze!
Ok, folks--after the last training session with Scooby, he had a bad day and had stepped backwards ALOT. Horses have bad days, they're allowed. And I am HAPPY to out-stubborn a horse all day. I really am. I have the patience of a saint when it comes to training, can do numerous repetitions of boring work (pressure, release, pressure, release, pressure, release). I can sit there and hold a snaffle bit rein for 10 minutes, waiting for the horse to figure out "rein pressure=give". Fact is, Scooby already had the training. But, he also has a hard mouth and was choosing to close his ears and IGNORE any requests from me to give. I am a HUGE proponent of working a horse in a snaffle, all the way up to the highest level of dressage. I'm all about working bitless (I'm doing it now with Peanut!) or just putting on a double bridle for the day of competition. But sometimes, when a horse just BLOCKS YOU OUT, and you KNOW you're being completely ignored BY CHOICE, not by lack of training, it's time to up the ante.
So, I temporarily moved him to a low ported kimberwick, using a single rein and curb chain. Yup, you read that right.
I got on him and was able to ride like I had reins made of thread :-) The angels SUNG, the birds chirped, and Scooby gave to the &%&$^%# bit.
Scooby went back to kindergarten. I didn't just get on and ride him in a new bit. I immediately started over with teaching him "head down" and "nose in". We started at the halt. After about 50 repetitions (and he LISTENED!) of gentle rein pressure, he was giving the moment the rein was picked up. We put some motion to it, and I got him walking and trotting with his nose completely on the ground, brushing in the sand. Brought him back up into frame and got all 3 gaits with his head down and relaxed at the poll, and moving and bending nicely. His gaits were amazing again. He is back to the "weirdness" going to the right (tossing himself WAY in the air in his trot with impulsion well beyond what you're asking for) and I was able to start showing him he didn't have to RACE around in the trot. We were able to go back to working on his original issues! Yeah! He even did some happy "jog" work for me, pretending to be a western pony :-)
He got a major workout, and I was so glad to see him doing so much better. His transitions were still rough at first, but he was able to relax at the poll and transition up without coming too far off the vertical and pretty quickly get himself together up front in the next gait without stressing out, skygazing, trying to grab the bit, or coming against it and panicking. By the end, he was transitioning nice and relaxed through all the gaits.
To test him, Hanna (Brianne's little sister, about 10 years old, I think?) hopped up on him to do walk/trot. He happily walked and trotted around with her, though he did get a little mischeveous and decided to canter off and leave the ring for a few strides. Hanna thought this was the highlight of her day and thought Scooby was amazingly fun to ride. She was able to get him to go right back into the ring, walk, trot, and stop willingly and quietly.
He needs more work now to confirm all of this again, but I can officially say Scooby is a real horse again!
Ok, folks--after the last training session with Scooby, he had a bad day and had stepped backwards ALOT. Horses have bad days, they're allowed. And I am HAPPY to out-stubborn a horse all day. I really am. I have the patience of a saint when it comes to training, can do numerous repetitions of boring work (pressure, release, pressure, release, pressure, release). I can sit there and hold a snaffle bit rein for 10 minutes, waiting for the horse to figure out "rein pressure=give". Fact is, Scooby already had the training. But, he also has a hard mouth and was choosing to close his ears and IGNORE any requests from me to give. I am a HUGE proponent of working a horse in a snaffle, all the way up to the highest level of dressage. I'm all about working bitless (I'm doing it now with Peanut!) or just putting on a double bridle for the day of competition. But sometimes, when a horse just BLOCKS YOU OUT, and you KNOW you're being completely ignored BY CHOICE, not by lack of training, it's time to up the ante.
So, I temporarily moved him to a low ported kimberwick, using a single rein and curb chain. Yup, you read that right.
I got on him and was able to ride like I had reins made of thread :-) The angels SUNG, the birds chirped, and Scooby gave to the &%&$^%# bit.
Scooby went back to kindergarten. I didn't just get on and ride him in a new bit. I immediately started over with teaching him "head down" and "nose in". We started at the halt. After about 50 repetitions (and he LISTENED!) of gentle rein pressure, he was giving the moment the rein was picked up. We put some motion to it, and I got him walking and trotting with his nose completely on the ground, brushing in the sand. Brought him back up into frame and got all 3 gaits with his head down and relaxed at the poll, and moving and bending nicely. His gaits were amazing again. He is back to the "weirdness" going to the right (tossing himself WAY in the air in his trot with impulsion well beyond what you're asking for) and I was able to start showing him he didn't have to RACE around in the trot. We were able to go back to working on his original issues! Yeah! He even did some happy "jog" work for me, pretending to be a western pony :-)
He got a major workout, and I was so glad to see him doing so much better. His transitions were still rough at first, but he was able to relax at the poll and transition up without coming too far off the vertical and pretty quickly get himself together up front in the next gait without stressing out, skygazing, trying to grab the bit, or coming against it and panicking. By the end, he was transitioning nice and relaxed through all the gaits.
To test him, Hanna (Brianne's little sister, about 10 years old, I think?) hopped up on him to do walk/trot. He happily walked and trotted around with her, though he did get a little mischeveous and decided to canter off and leave the ring for a few strides. Hanna thought this was the highlight of her day and thought Scooby was amazingly fun to ride. She was able to get him to go right back into the ring, walk, trot, and stop willingly and quietly.
He needs more work now to confirm all of this again, but I can officially say Scooby is a real horse again!
Peanut 5/3 The "other riders" test
Peanut's work today was focused on "giving results" to other riders. One of the things I do with training horses in the later stages of their training (or a "refresher" horse like Peanut) is giving a lesson on the horse. I choose a level of student appropriate for what I'm looking to get out of the horse. My point in this is to confirm the horse's training. A trained horse that ONLY works for their trainer is useless to an owner. My goal is to give a client back a horse that not just I can ride, but hopefully ANYONE can ride, and get similar results.
I had two people get up on him who had NEVER ridden a gaited horse before and he naturally offered them a decent gait. A little pacey, but not bad overall. I was able to talk them through improving the gait and get the timing to influence the gait to an even step sequence successfully. He also nailed his right lead canter easily.
To end, he was taken onto the driveway for more exact gaitwork. I talked Vicki through adjusting her balance to improve/influence the gait and got on and demonstrated as well. Peanut was excellently behaved for his work, and complied with everyone's requests with good humor, patience, and performed as expected and sought after.
I had two people get up on him who had NEVER ridden a gaited horse before and he naturally offered them a decent gait. A little pacey, but not bad overall. I was able to talk them through improving the gait and get the timing to influence the gait to an even step sequence successfully. He also nailed his right lead canter easily.
To end, he was taken onto the driveway for more exact gaitwork. I talked Vicki through adjusting her balance to improve/influence the gait and got on and demonstrated as well. Peanut was excellently behaved for his work, and complied with everyone's requests with good humor, patience, and performed as expected and sought after.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Peanut 5/2
Peanut's work today consisted completely of groundwork. With many gaited horses, I really like to sort the gait out on the ground and let the horse figure out how to begin to naturally carry the gait without rider interference. While I know I can get a perfect 1-2-3-4 step sequence now from the saddle by rebalancing him, I like to really "teach" the horse the muscle memory to do it more naturally on their own. Sara (his owner) was there and was observing the training session.
We worked on open lunging, and I showed her how to reinforce the lateral in-hand work that I was using to sort out his unilateral weakness in the hind. I was able to demonstrate his weakness/slowness in the left and right hinds and give her a "blow by blow" view of each and every adjustment I make on him in hand to rebalance and guide his movement and why.
In open lunging, Peanut did excellent--he was able to walk, gait, and canter in both directions on a longer lunge line. He showed a lot of progress in his confidence and I explained to Sara as I was working when I would increase or release pressure from Peanut from my body posture and positioning.
We worked on open lunging, and I showed her how to reinforce the lateral in-hand work that I was using to sort out his unilateral weakness in the hind. I was able to demonstrate his weakness/slowness in the left and right hinds and give her a "blow by blow" view of each and every adjustment I make on him in hand to rebalance and guide his movement and why.
In open lunging, Peanut did excellent--he was able to walk, gait, and canter in both directions on a longer lunge line. He showed a lot of progress in his confidence and I explained to Sara as I was working when I would increase or release pressure from Peanut from my body posture and positioning.
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