Ok, who switched my horse??

Well, I took him for a ride through my backyard and fields and he was a "good ol'Cowboy". No shenanigans like last Sunday. I wonder if he was like that because there were 5 other horses? Well, he's gonna have to learn to deal with it, cuz its way better to ride with a group in these great places than just in my postage-stamp yard. I'm graduating to working on loping on the longe line, but need some pointers of how to make corrections. Funny thing is he is very tempermental about going to the right at lope. He started in with the old stop and back up routine. He lopes to the left much more willingly. (Opposite of his trot history...??) My bow practice has fallen flat because I can't get the rope to stay on his foot long enough...it keeps slipping up his leg. He does try, so it's still there...but very uncoordinated. (me, that is...)

Trail Ride!

Cowboy and I joined up with folks for a ride that was a RIDE! 4-5 hours up and down, through woods, fields, streams, mud. Weather wise couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! God know what was going through Cowboy's head, but he was READY to ROCK AND ROLL! We hit a downhill of gravel, and he wanted to run down it. I tried to get him to slolem down like they do in CR, and we ended up walking down BACKWARDS! Uh, NOOOO! Then I heard LeeAnn say, Oh, that's how s0-and-so broke her leg yesterday...*right* All modesty aside, I got off that equine right quick, and we walked down the rest of the way (heart pounding, and feeling quite ashamed..) Great, I'm gonna be the leper of the group today. After stopping for some water, we had to go uphill, and again, arched neck, muscles tense, he's ready to do something stupid and run up the hill. I got him stopped halfway and we both just huffed and puffed. Oh, do I walk back to the trailer and let the group go on??? I didn't want the day to be an all day fight. Luckily, he seemed to calm down (or got tired hauling my heavy butt) and only had a few isolated incidents. What's with running down hill?? At the very end, he ran me through some trees when I tried to turn him sideways down a hill, the little snot...now, facing down hill, he was all chargey, neck flexed and ready to rumble. Hmm, no go, I hopped off and we walked down. After 4 plus hours of riding, I wanted to end on a positive note, not my head. So my to do list: 1. how do I get down hills safely and without running? 2. how do I get him to wind DOWN when he's all chargey so I don't end up on my head. Right now, he's getting me off his back. Not a good pattern.

Going for a nice walk

Well, we did some longeing, and he's doing better and better, but keeps walking towards me after stopping. He's now able to go left and turn and go right, but vice versa is still sticky without any stopping. I did forget to cluck a few times, and just used my arms...oops, so much to keep track of simultaneously! Then my arm that's holding the whip may be confusing the direction signal when we go left? Will have to keep an eye on that. He's not pulling as much at the trot, and on the lope, I caught the lead change misfire so at least I know what to look for as we add that in more...On the ground, I'm trying to get him to differentiate between picking his leg up to be cleaned, stretching his leg when adjusting the girth, and bowing by using three different cues. (Waiting to hear what the farrier reports...hope he didn't sit on her! )He's getting it, but holding him in the bow is taking more time. Poco a poco...

It was such a beautiful day that I took him out into the back fields. He was GREAT! Extremely attentive...I don't think his ears could have been any straighter, and he just walked very carefully. Deer, rabbits, birds, a cat..no problem. SOMETHING spooked him-just a shiver--a Mustang moment I guess. Expected. Just breathe, everything is fine. At least it wasn't that dang earthquake shake he does from nose to tail! Of course, I went back the same way, and when I changed my mind midway to investigate something, wouldn't you know he put ME back on track...uh, yo, you're going the wrong way... ok. Home it is. There was some torn up terrain to navigate, and as the track got narrower, I wondered how he would negotiate it. It kind of reminded me of Costa Rica trails. He kept going, until it became a step up onto uneven, hard mud. Trooper that he was, he stumbled up it and kept on going! (That's m'boy!). I can't wait to get him on the trails!

Ok, I can deal with this now...

I've gotten Cowboy in the ring a few more times, and he's doing MUCH better. (and so am I.) He now seems to get the arm signal for direction, and I'm trying to get him to really attend by switching it up some rather than automatically go the opposite direction (I told you he was smart!) I can definately see a preference for turning to the right, and he cuts shorter circles to the left (stiffer). His trot is relaxing now that he knows he doesn't have to GO unless I tell him to. Walking IS ok, too. He's been able to stay reasonably focused despite Isaac's antics, and 6 or 7 huge construction machines tearing up the side of the yard. (I'm so proud of him!). I went to clean his hooves the other night, and he started to squat into a bow! Poor boy! I wasn't asking him to but he was trying! Bless his heart...we've gotta get the signal re-established otherwise he might give the farrier quite a surprise next week! Riding has been a little more of a chore. I think his bit was a little too loose...he kept grating it through his teeth. seems I put it on the wrong hole when I switched bits. He responded much better the other day, but I need to keep remembering to put the "reminders" more in my legs than my hands. We set up an obstacle course in the new field, which helped give us some goals to work on. I think some suppling excercises in his neck are gonna be needed. He's stiff as a board sometimes! The ride at Zaleski is only a little over aweek away...still no ride firmed up...I hope we can get ourselves there!

Getting better...

We worked a little before the rain came in this morning. He picked up to the right with no problem. I worked in that direction stopping and starting about 5 times...(more???) with positive reinforcements. Then tried left...again, the stopping game, but not quite as bad...he actually took some stepts in the correct direction so I was able to get him going easier than yesterday. but he was quick to stop. I dropped the neatness of the circle in favor of getting the directions. He ended up hopping over landscape timbers a few times, but we didn't struggle as much. At one point when he started pulling back, he actually raised up on his hind legs about a foot and a half (slowly, like he was waiting for the fall out). I pulled out the whip and made some noise to his right shoulder to get him to move out to the left. Again, some crowding as he moved toward my left shoulder rather than out to the left. Hmm....a few attitude kicks, and he settled in. I stopped him after a couple of good circles in both directions. Then I actually saddled him up. Its frustrating feeling like I'm starting all over again on directions. elbow up, out, give him a chance to respond to the signal before demanding it...yeah, I was heavier on my arms than my legs....(sorry Scott!) We've got a problem now with herd-bound behavior to contend with too. Cowboy loses his focus very easily when Isaac is screeching. Christine is working with him to keep him off the gate (he tore it down the other day...). Oh the DRAMA!

Mixed signals?

Well, I took him on the longeline, and he did good moving to the right, stopping. Moving to left was challenge. My whip is too short to tap his shoulder, and the string is too wild to hit accurately with so I end up flopping it and brushing it around his neck and ankles. Then he pulls back. when I wait for him to step forward and release the pressure, I try to move him at the shoulder again, and he just tries to wait me out. (I win...) When he finally gets going to the left, he goes about half way and stops/turns. I'm wondering if he's(me?) confusing the pull/step of whoa witth the pulling that's happening as he steps to the outside. I had to get a little testy when he wouldn't move out to the left, and when he would finally move, but sort of crowd my space...moving towards my shoulder than moving around me. At one (no two) points, he was pulling back and lifted up his front legs in a pseudo-challenge (?) or am I reading way to much into it?? I got him around to the right and then around to the left (with a few steps I interpreted as "snotty attitude" at the start) before stopping. I did give praise on the good turns and when he finally got what I wanted. Try again tomorrow.

Back from School

Ok, it's been almost two weeks since Cowboy has returned from a month of training. The first time out was exactly a week after returning. I was busy with equine affaire and got him a recommended bit (5"snaffle with 7"shank), a curb chain, and heavier reins, and a shorter blanket. Of course, any free time I had, the weather did not cooperate: cold and raining. So it was a week before I got him out to practice.

The first 15 minutes or so went fine...then he stopped listening. I was working on the trot, bumping him off when he tugged to the outside, and moved up to a lope a few times. I messed up somewhere. He kept taking a step, turning, stopping and backing up. So I wrestled with my patience to wait till he stopped pulling and stepped forward. But its like he forgot the direction signals. After about 45 minutes of , step, stop, turn, back up, wait, step forward, I lost my patience and cracked the whip while he backed up all over the place. I just wanted him to go round successfully before I put him up, and I was already late for work. FINALLY he did it, and I got him around twice and called it quits.

I was feeling stupid, defeated, mad at myself, and wondered if I was all the problem, or was he challenging the new rules at home. I tried to remember Scott's earlier assessment of who was higher on the frustration scale (most likely me, not Cowboy). I don't want the great month of training to go down the toilet because of me! I retrospect, maybe I was trying to do too much at once. I'm still getting the longe part worked out never mind the bumping. Maybe I should have focused on just the direction and forego the form for now.? Pressuring myself...

The next time out was yesterday-almost another week and when I came up with this blog idea to vent, track my experience and h0pefully get feedback. No training halter, just his bridle and the longe line that I hate. He was already distracted with Isaac and Christine nearby eating grass. He did take a few circles, so I kept it short. Moved to the bow. I wasn't prepared, and just ended up backing him up. I went back to get a lead rope, but wasn't sure how to loosely tie it so it would not get stuck on him. I'm still pretty klutzy on the maneuvering, and I've decided I hate my new reins. I did get him to bow three times, but I know my signal was not always clear, and then he started backing up for no reason. I walked him around to break it up, and got him to follow me a little, then he stopped listening. I got on him (yeah, I know, bad move...but I was feeling like a failure) and the new reins were so cumbersome and kept torquing the bit. It wasn't going well. I got off him before it got really bad. Not his fault. But I have to say I was pretty down on myself.

Again in retrospect, I'm rushing for MY sake. My ego keeps regressing to the 6 year old..."I'm never gonna get it," "I just want to RIDE him!" But I want to have some substantial improvements in our communication by the time the ride in May comes up. 4 weeks! I'm considering therapy for myself...