Month: March 2012

Magic and I rode this morning. We did no lunge or cavaletti work this morning. We went straight to the arena. He did seem more fidgety, less relaxed. I have never considered it necessary to take the “edge off” with lunge work with Magic but I need to notice if there is any correlation. James Brady came on his motor scooter to look at the Shirey pasture option while Magic and I were in the arena. We stopped our work and rode over to talk with James. Somebody came by the other day to talk, same situation, just a truck rather than a motor scooter. Magic did not like talking to them. He got fidgety, backing up, doing everything but standing still. When we went back to work he was less focused and impatient. He did good anyway. No cantering today. We rode up and around on Shirey mountain. York jumped a turkey that flew over us. It made enough noise that I noticed it. Magic paid it very little attention although it does seem like he noticed the turkey. It was a good ride.

Magic has a half brother, Fund the Minister, same sire, that was also adopted from New Vocations. The owner(s) also have a wordpress blog. There was a post today about Minister’s progress with his new trainer, Erica.  Minister sometimes does not have perfect initial reactions to a new situation. It was nice to read that the trainer accepted the less than perfect initial reactions and had arranged the training session in a way that Minister’s reluctance was not a problem, not a failure. The next session, Minister had very good attitude and performance. A good example to follow. The link is Fund The Minister .

Magic and I rode this morning. We worked on the lunge and the cavaletti. When he pays attention, and he usually does, his feet land in the middle between the poles just like they should. He seemed more inclined to break into a canter today which he did I think three times. Possibly he is getting more balanced and able to slow down a bit. I rode him around the lunge area and around the bull pen. When we practiced stopping, he stopped straight and stood still, just like he should. I think this is the first time he stopped without stepping sideways before and after and the first time he did not move while stopped. I thought it might be an accident the first time. We did it again and he did it right again. I told him he was a good boy and we quit the “work session”.  I think he has it. I do not like to reach a goal, such as this, and then to practice it again and again. Practice does not make perfect for me and my animals. My feeling is that if I repeat it over and over, my horse will think “Well, this must not be the right way because he keeps doing it over and over. He must want something different.” I do know good trainers that repeat and test but that does not work for me. I think it is my personality or id that causes it. Magic might improve with practice, practice, practice with somebody else but it does not work with me.

We rode around the Sycamore pasture. Spring is about two weeks early this year. It was good weather and a good ride.

Magic and I rode this morning. We did just about the same thing we did yesterday. I enjoyed every step of the way.

Magic and I rode this morning. We worked the cavaletti on the lunge. I have a set of 3 poles set for trotting. Magic is skilled in putting his feet where he wants them. Now that he is comfortable with these poles, if he is paying attention, he places his feet precisely in the middle where they should be. The canter set-up jump has produced the correct lead several times but he is not comfortable with the situation. These poles are two strides apart, not one like the three poles. I remembered that Julian Westall said to bring this combination in gradually and that I had not allowed him to practice these two poles without the jump. So I have set the second pole on the ground. Magic did show some lack of understanding of this distance by trying to do three strides. We did do the canter setup and he took the right lead correctly and did three rounds. He has not relaxed at the canter yet and still has a little too much speed. I want to be careful and not create a problem by cantering on the lunge too much before he settles down.

We worked in the arena. I painted the marks for the 20 meter circle in the arena this morning. It was fun to ride this exercise with Magic again. We have improved.

We rode up on Shirey Mountain. Justin put a tall, about 210 feet, deer stand on a platform in the middle of the oat patch on Shirey. It has a canvas cover with widows that have flaps to cover them or hang loose like they are now. It was flapping and snapping in the wind. Magic eyed it carefully and we went on our way. Magic has confidence. I enjoy riding him.

Magic and I rode this morning. We worked on the lunge with cavaletti. Magic is improving. He took the correct leads off the little jumps. We cantered about three rounds each way.  It was warm. Magic is shedding. It was a short ride.

Newt and Little More were in the pasture where I have the cavaletti set up and I wanted to move them before Magic and I went in. Somehow in the transition, Newt went into the Sycamore pasture but Little More decided that he would go to the oak barn. Newt has a history of going bonkers when he is left alone which he considers “abandoned”.  I noticed what was happening and set about fixing the problem. Newt ran around the pasture and would slide to a stop at the gate. I was concerned that he might hurt himself as ridiculous as it seems. When I went to get him he did have a small cut on his head. He has issues that are difficult to deal with. He is nice in the barn but goes off the deep end for the smallest provocation.

Magic and I went to ride the Old River Trail on the Buffalo at Ponca today. The river was too high (14 inches airspace at Ponca Bridge) and everybody had left when I got there and I was 10 minutes early. Anyway I found Susan House in Ponca and we rode up above Ponca to some of her family’s old places. Bill Kenter, Margorie Heacock and Ginger Richard also rode with us. It is a steep climb up the hill. Magic was a little fidgety at first but settled down and walked up the hill and worked up a sweat. I think the horses enjoy these social trail rides. They like to see all the other horses. Occasionally a horse, usually a mare, shows irritation about the other horses but most of them get along like they are old friends. It seems to improve Magic’s attitude, even days later. We went down the Clark Creek Spring Trail to the spring and returned. It was a nice ride.

Magic and I had a great ride this morning. We worked on the lunge over cavalitti. I put some corral panels after the little set up canter jumps. Magic took both leads correctly! We only cantered a little (one round) as this is new activity for us. He is trotting the cavalitti with big, high strides, placing his feet deliberately. We rode a little in the bull pen working on going straight, transitions and stops. I feel progress. We rode around the Ash pasture. Magic is just the horse I need. We are learning.

Magic and I rode this morning. We worked on the lunge line with the cavaletti and small jumps. Magic handles trotting the ground poles with ease. We moved to the small jumps whose purpose is to get the correct lead “every time”. It did not work for Magic. He really likes that left lead. We rode the ground poles and perimeter of the Bull pen and then in the Ash pasture. We spooked some deer but they did not spook Magic. He was very well behaved today. It was a good, but short, ride.

Magic and I went on a trail ride with BRBCHA. We rode from Pruitt upstream. It was a workday for trail maintenance but not heavy work. Magic has become very good on these trail rides. He loads very good if the trailer height is 14″ or less. I can tie him to the trailer and go to the bathroom. When we first went on rides he would get nervous at times but experience has solved all his jitters. I can stay behind to do some work on the trail while the main group rides ahead without having a fidgety horse. Underneath all the calmness is a horse willing to go forward when asked. Magic is a very good horse. We rode about 14 miles in 50 degree weather with high winds. The winds on the Buffalo are not as severe as here on Pinnacle Mountain.

I did a bad thing. Ted Spears was riding beside me as we rode along a gravel road headed back to the trail after lunch at Cedar Grove picnic area. He asked me if I had ever let Magic run. I said no and certainly not on a gravel road. He said “Come on John”, spurred his horse and took off. I had not been in this situation in 50 years but it all came back quick. Magic and I were off! Ted passed some riders on the left and I went on the right. Magic was under control as a horse veered away from Ted into our path. We got past them with no injury and caught Ted in about two strides. It was fun to see the wind knock his hat off as we passed. It was soon clear that we won and I pulled Magic up with no trouble. Horse racing in this situation was a bad thing. It is dangerous to the horses and very inconsiderate of the other riders and their safety. I did apologize and promised never to do it again. Magic was very well behaved during the whole thing. I am very lucky that he suffered no injury. I hope to resist any such temptation in the future.