Month: March 2011

Sunshine today. I groomed and worked and rode Newt in the arena. It has been several day since I worked Newt. And it was about 36 degrees. But Newt remembers what we want to do and did it. He did not fuss or complain, much. He has not decided to devote his interest in the riding relationship but he does have nice balance, transitions, and gaits. When I start posting, I am often on the wrong diagonal. But on Newt I am surprised how often I start on the correct diagonal. We rode the 20 meter circle walk trot both directions middle inside and outside. Then we rode the arena rectangle and then did a few walk trot walk transitions. I enjoyed the ride. Newt just started shedding. He had a little cut on his off hind cannon bone, more like a bad scratch with some dried blood. I washed it, cleaned it and applied neosporin.

Magic stepped all the way up in the trailer today. We walked forward and turned around in the trailer. He was relaxed.

Groomed, worked and rode Newt at the arena. Walk and trot on the 20 meter circle and a round each way on the rectangle. Newt was all work today. He did not seem impatient at all. He sometimes looks off rather that at his work but we are working on paying attention. When we were walking to the arena, he spooked at something on his off side. He reacted by jumping forward. I’m looking at this as an improvement because he did not run over me. In the past he would have shied directly away from the spook. That would be right over me. I’ve had horses before that sometimes shied but it would be posturing and snorting. Dodger did that, anything for a chance to show off. Newt reacts immediately with his whole body which is not endearing. He is making improvement. He did very good today.

I took Magic to the trailer. He put two feet in the trailer, twice. We are going in the right direction.

Groomed, worked and rode Newt in the arena. That is a first. We rode a 20 meter circle both ways at a walk and a trot, four times around total. Then I got off. Success!

Groomed and worked Magic in the round pen. This is the first time I have worked him since he got lame. I noticed the limp 22 days ago on March 1. He trotted sound. We did not do much. I just wanted to see him trot a few rounds.

Then we went by the trailer. I have begun to think this clicker thing might not be working for Magic. Then, bingo, he stepped up in the trailer. Only two feet but it is progress. His interest limit is about four treats. He did it on the fourth. And I did not make it to where he had to get in the trailer to touch the target. He just had to stretch. If I had made it where he had to step up to touch, then if he did not step up, it would have been a failure.  I want to avoid failure. I want to make training successes.

Newt and I did the same thing we did yesterday. He was a lot calmer at the arena and did very good. Again no enthusiasm for riding in the round pen. Newt does like to be groomed.

Magic had a good day. No limp. I cleaned out his hoof and groomed him a little. Magic tolerates grooming. I think he likes me and everything but grooming is not something he enjoys.  I am keeping Newt, Magic and Little More together.  They seem to get along together just fine. Newt has just been with them a few days. He was with the mares until then. And he misses them now. If they go to the far end of their pasture, Newt quits grazing and if they don’t come back soon, then he starts running. It is nerve racking to watch for me. And I was installing the electric fence and watched a lot. I got to see Magic get kicked by Newt and it made one of those sounds that I don’t like to hear. But there seems to be no damage.

I got the electric fence working. A split second electric jolt is much better than cuts that take months to heal, if they do heal. It came to me that I needed to avoid being around when Newt got shocked. The fence was not hot and then it was. Newt would come up to me as I was working on the fence. I worried about it and changed my plans and avoided being there when he touched the fence. And he did. And he had a strong reaction. But I was not there thank goodness. I can hear him thinking “I was beginning to trust John but then he just hauls off and kicked me hard. I’ll watch out for him.”

Newt got over being mister perfect. After grooming and tacking up we walked to the arena in the Oak pasture. It is about 600 feet from the barn. He was perfectly OK with yesterday’s walk halfway to the arena but today he found uncertainty in the last half. We lunged when we got there and he thought I needed to see how he could kick way over my head if I had been on a tall horse while he was bucking just a little. When he acts up he puts his heart into it. I finally got him to walk one round and I thought it was a good time to quit. I walked him back to the barn and rode in the round pen. He was just plum tuckered out and didn’t put much into the ride. It’s simple, I just need to figure out how to channel his energy and effort in the right direction.

Magic had a good day. No limp.

Groomed, worked and rode Newt in the round pen. Then we walked into the front yard and past the garage. He showed no concern or excitement. It was just like old hat to him. He seems like a different horse. When I did that before I kept a straight arm on him at all times to protect me if he bolted towards me. The only difference is time and I changed my attitude toward him. I remember thinking “Newt’s problem is that he does not pay any attention to me. He’s always focused on something else. So I’m going to pay more attention to him and maybe he will pay more attention to me.” There is a big difference in him and that is the only explanation I have.

Magic had another good day. No problems and no limp.