I walked Newt to the arena. We lunged at the walk, trot and canter. Today he seemed like he was looking for a spook. Not real bad but he kept his eyes open and his attention was not focused on me as much as I like. He felt that way when I rode also. We rode the needlework and oval exercises. Not as good as last time. We rode the 20 meter circle at a walk trot and canter in the counter clockwise direction. We made a full round at the canter with no problems. In the clockwise direction, he immediately bucked when we started the canter. Not bad hard buck and I was able to stay on and apply the one rein stop. We rode 3/4 of the length of the Oak pasture trail with no problems. I dismounted and got the lunge equipment and walked back to the barn. No sense in tempting a frisky horse. It was hot and we worked up enough sweat to hose Newt off.
Monday, May 31 2011
I walked Newt to the arena. He was completely cooperative on the lunge with no bucking or kicking and only one head shake. We walked and trotted. His past few outings to the arena lead me to be cautious. It was a calm morning with little wind and Newt was not excited. I rode him in the arena. We did “needlepoint” and “Oval” exercises. Newt did very good for the first time at these exercises. My mounting process seems to be much better this spring on both Newt and Magic. They stand still, pretty much, to accommodate me getting in the saddle and set to go. In the past horses moving off when I was mounting happened all the time. I expect that I have improved my process and it is easier for them to stand than it might have been when I just hauled myself into the saddle. Let’s hope this is true. We rode in the Oak pasture up to the pond. Just about the time we arrived at the bottom of the dam, York showed up. I knew to watch out because a lab will often run up and dive into the pond with a big splash. Just such a situation spooked Tut so much one time that I “stepped off” as he bolted for the barn. Anyway I was able to control the situation enough that there was no problem and we rode back to the gate. After getting through the gate, I rode Newt to the barn. He was looking for a spook and several times I could feel an alert in his body. I talked to him and petted him and reassured him. He did not do a full spook and we made it successfully to the barn. (I have experienced a full spook with Newt. It is very violent and I hit the good soft grass hard.) I think Newt was trusting me and thinking control rather than calamity. That is good progress. It was a good ride.
Friday, May 27 2011
I walked Newt out to the arena. It was not windy but he was full of himself. It has been windy the past several times Newt has been to the arena. The wind excites him. Possibly he has begun to think that he should be excited when he goes to the arena rather than just when it is blowing. Also he is looking good and I expect it is from the regular workouts. It does not seem like we are doing a lot but it is regular. He and I have come a long way since January or whenever it was that I said “You are not paying attention to me. I am going to pay more attention to you and see if that makes you pay more attention to me.” I changed my attitude / demeanor and, bam!, he changed his attitude. That’s all there was to it. Our relationship is much better now. We will make a good team. I don’t know if he will ever make a good trail horse to ride on the Buffalo but I am pretty sure it won’t be this year. He will make a very good horse to ride in the arena. He has plenty of energy and seems to like to show off. Anyway, there was plenty of bucking and kicking on the lunge. I was able to control him and calm him down. He did walk a couple of rounds in each direction before we stopped lunging. One time when he was carrying on, I noticed that I had forgotten my helmet. I used good judgement and did not ride in the arena without my helmet. It may have been a good idea even it I had my helmet. We went back to the barn. I got my helmet. We rode a little in the round pen. He did good.
I learned the importance of paying attention to animals from Joe Hefley. Joe and I bird hunted together. Joe was always having trouble loosing his dog. Joe did have some skills with bird dogs. He could make one hunt dead (look for a dead bird) better than anybody. He would really get into it and all the dogs would be looking hard, pulling sticks out of the brushpile, digging. They all wanted to find the dead bird. Then we would find it and walk on. This was where I learned from Joe. Most of the time he would be looking at the cover, trying to remember where he found the birds last time, anything but look at his dog. And I noticed his dog would stop and look at Joe but Joe was trying to find birds and paid no attention to his dog. Pretty soon, the dog paid very little attention to Joe. The dog, Spot was his name, would get to hunting, wander over the hill or on the other side of the thicket, and then he was lost. Joe had long legs and a voice like thunder. When his dog was lost, he would take three strides and yell “Spot, Here Spot!” and then do it again. It drove everybody crazy and we would wander off. One time in Texas Joe got to yelling for Spot and pretty soon everybody, dogs and people, were a long way from Joe. In new country Joe was always worried about getting lost so he was glad to see us when Spot came in and he stopped yelling. Joe said “John, Spot finally heard me and came back.” I said “Hell Joe everybody in west Texas heard you every time you yelled.” Anyway, I learned from Joe. I would watch my dogs. When they looked my way, I always did something to acknowledge the contact. I’d whistle or move off in a new direction, anything to communicate that we’d made contact. And it works. My dogs would always hunt with me. That is why I told Newt that I would start paying more attention to him. And that’s why he started paying more attention to me.
Monday, May 23 2011
Today I walked Newt out to the arena and lunged and rode him. It has been a while since we were both fit to ride so it was all new again. Well almost, except that I do have confidence in Newt and he has confidence in me. There was a lot of head shaking and inclination to speed up but I was not worried that he was thinking of dumping me and head back to the barn. He was able to canter on the lunge a little longer and not progress into a bucking runaway. We have made progress. It may be small progress but we are going in the right direction. Now we just need to keep up the work and make progress.
Saturday, May 21 2011
Worked Newt on the lunge in front of the barn. He did good. He cantered a little. I am cautious about cantering on the lunge because of the footing. It is grass or dirt which can be wet and was today. Newt did slip. Rather than push the situation I will put it off until I get good footing. I will read Julian Westall and see what he says. He is very cautious and often mentions even the slight possibility of a future problem.
Saturday, May 14 2011
Windy and cold today. Gusts to 30 mph. I groomed Newt and took him to the arena. It was really windy and he got fired up. When we got to arena I thought I would let him calm down by giving him an opportunity to graze. He started grazing in a minute or two and I thought this will be good for him to experience calming down in such exciting weather. Then the reins fell down his neck and on the ground just as he took a step forward, the foot landed on the reins about a foot from the bit, he felt it and pulled up. I was looking at the bit with my lunge line attached laying on the ground. Newt and I realized he was loose just about the same time and he had not forgotten that it was windy. He took off. The reins were still around his neck but they broke so easily that I did not notice it. It was just like the bridle evaporated. It is a big pasture with cows. Newt ran up among them. I started walking to the gate where we came in and whistling for him to come. He did not seem to be paying much attention and ran out of sight. Then he came around the trees and started bucking trying to get the saddle off. It stayed on and he thought he’d just run flat out. They never would have sold him if they saw how he ran this morning. He was coming my way. One of two things was going to happen and the one I did not want was for him to run straight through the fence. This is not a horse safe pasture. It has barbed wire. Luckily I got him to stop. Maybe it was the tone in my voice. I got my hands on him and he let me put the lunge line around his neck. He was excited and it was difficult getting the loop around his nose. He was jumping around with every gust of wind and I somehow got mixed up with his hind feet. I think he realized it and avoided a problem rather than take advantage of it and hurting me so he could get loose. We went back to the barn but you would not call it a walk. At the barn I put on a halter and we lunged in the round pen. He was completely controllable in this environment. I put Newt in a situation he could not handle and it was a mistake. Thank goodness there was no injury.
I groomed and worked Magic in the round pen. He did good and was not bothered by his feet. I am still applying Venice Turpentine to Magic and Newt feet soles daily.
It was a brisk day in May. I need to remember not to extend my training on days like this. It is best to pull back a little and do something we are sure we can accomplish. Avoid potential problems on days like this.
Tuesday, May 10 2011
Groomed, worked and rode Newt in the round pen. It has been a while since his feet would stand me riding. He did good today although we did not do much. After a little ride in the round pen, I had him step up to the gate, bent down and untied it, and eased it open. He was perfectly comfortable with the opening of the gate from his back. We rode up to the garden and turned around. I might have ridden out into the Ash pasture but his tender footedness was very obvious when we hit the gravel in the hallway.
Magic walked normal today. He also showed an interest in life. It was very good to see him feeling better. I think it was just his feet. I took his temperature when he was so despondent but it was always normal. I removed the duct tape soak boot and painted the soles with Venice Turpentine (Newt too). I has been some time since I gave him a good grooming and he had some waxy gunk in the base of his mane. I thought he had a scab and a wound under his mane near the crest but it was only a big wad of that wax and a wet spot in the middle. He seems to benefit from grooming the most of any horse I have and he likes it the least. He did not complain much today though.
Saturday, May 7 2011
I groomed Newt this morning but he did not seem like he wanted to ride. I lunged him just a little at the walk. I could find nothing wrong but I did not ride, just turned him out in the pasture. I later saw him race Little More down the fence line so there is nothing wrong.
Checked Magic’s hoofs. He seems better this morning. I was expecting to have to get the shoes off today but I will wait and see. If the shoes are not the problem then they will protect his tender feet. I saw him walk in the pasture this afternoon and he is better.
I groomed and rode Little More. I have not ridden him in almost a year. He is a lot of horse and I thought I might see if he can be ridden at a walk. I learned a lot from him when I was riding him last year. He had not been groomed in some time and it was nice to get it combed. His mane would probably mat-up if not combed occasionally as it seems to retain the dead hair rather than let it fall out. Little More was restrained. We were in the round pen and the footing is not the best.
Friday, May 6 2011
Lunged Newt in the bull pen. It is still very wet and I was running short on time so I did not go to the arena. He lunged with control. When I rode I could tell he had lots of energy just wanting to express itself. I thought if it did express itself, it very well might not be in the direction I wanted. So we just did an approximate circle in each direction at a walk. I had intended to do some trotting and then ride the extent of the bull pen. I decided it best to keep control so we went to the round pen. Newt did good in the round pen. Walk and trot different size circles in both directions. The footing was not the best. His feet would slip a little at the trot in the wet places. When he slips or stumbles, it embarrass him, he will shake his head and maybe do a little crow hop. I enjoy riding Newt. Today on the lunge, I was happy with the control and how he was acting. I told him “You are the turn around horse. You da Man!”. He immediately tucked his head and lifted his front end to start a trot. I think he understood my happiness and pride and he reacted with a controlled expression of energy.
Magic has foot problems. Dale put shoes on a week ago Thursday. I had him on bute until Wednesday. Thursday I noticed he seemed somewhat stiff. Today he was keeping weight off the off front by always having it bent with only the toe touching when he stood. Tonight it was no better. He nickered when I walked up to him in the pasture. I guess he is nicked and getting an abscess. This is just like last shoeing just the other foot. Dale says he is very thin walled. He was not lame at all when I first got him. I admired his feet. They are all black with good concave. But we are having bad luck. This is not good. The only option I can see is just to remove his shoes and wait until his feet improve. Each time we shoe him, his behavior deteriorates. His feet are sore and the hammering is intolerable. Continuing down this road will ingrain a bad habit. It seems like it took Newt almost a year to get past the tender-foot stage. Newt is flat footed but has thicker hoof walls. It was pitiful to watch him limp around. One time the infection ruptured on the coronary band, commonly described as “he had a gravel”, and he was better almost immediately. I called Dale and left a message.
Wednesday, April 20 2011
I rode Newt this morning. I walked him to the Oak pasture and arena. On the lunge we went clockwise first and he did all three gaits with control. I thought “Well, patience pays. He is very calm this morning and this is the direction he always acts up. When we went the other way, he showed me that he could buck and kick on the left rein making my discussion of the hard and soft side mere speculation. Lots of energy this morning. It was brisk for a day in April. He kept a keen eye on everything in the pasture, cattle, dogs, and some other things he said I was unaware of. I enjoy a ride when there is plenty of energy. On the trail around the pasture I played it safe and turned around earlier than last time. Honey and York were hunting in the woods and I knew this was not the morning I wanted to face the test where Honey jumps a bear and… . Newt loaded in the trailer easily and calmly this morning.
Sophie and Maggie from New York visited the ponies this afternoon. Laddie and Scottie quickly won their hearts. These girls brought
their boots, chaps, and helmets. They ride at a barn in New York and are good riders. Sophie is about 12 and Maggie is maybe 8. They came to ride. The ponies really enjoy petting and leading (the ponies lead the kids most of the time) more than riding. Treats are the best. They rode in the round pen, a good safe place. After a while I suggested Sophie ride a larger horse. I was thinking of CeCe but Glory was looking over the fence like she wanted some of the action. Sophie rides a big horse at her barn so I just got Glory. Glory is so pretty that everybody just
loves her. Sophie rode bareback and looked like she was comfortable on a big horse. I got Glory’s saddle and bridle. Sophie could control Glory’s gaits, walk and trot, and get her to start and stop. Sophie rode very good and Glory was on very good behavior. For some reason all the other horses thought this was a good time to come running. Little More was loose and ran around the round pen. Sophie and Glory took it all in stride and had no problems. I enjoyed watching. Maggie kept her mother occupied leading her around the pasture on Laddie the whole time Sophie rode Glory. (It may seem like I am careless letting little girls ride big horses but I did have enough sense to get Maggie and Laddie out of the way.) After we put Glory back in the pasture, Sophie immediately went and got Scottie to ride some more. After a
while, just to give the ponies a break, I suggested that we work the ponies together loose in the round pen. Laddie and Scottie show no reserve when they do this. They like to go fast and fight over who leads. The one in the lead play kicks and the other bites his butt. It was all fun. I finally said the ponies had enough and we put them up. Sophie and Maggie had a big time and so did the ponies. I think Glory enjoyed it too.