I led Newt to the arena. We lunged at the walk, trot and canter in both directions. I soon became obvious that he was full of himself today. We rode the needlepoint and oval exercises and a little on the circle. We did not attempt the canter. He was just a little too full of himself. We worked a little on the turn on the forehand. I just wanted him to step his rear end away from my leg and he did. I got off after the arena work. No trail ride today. I walked him back to the barn. He did a lot of fussing with the bit today. He offered residence today but occasionally he would forget himself and just fall into cooperation with good bend and control.
Tuesday, June 7 2011
I rode Newt to the Oak pasture. Lunged walk, trot and canter in both directions. He was calm at the canter until his foot slipped (dew on the grass). Then he must have been embarrassed for slipping so he bucked a little. Whenever they slip or stumble, they do not like it. I would like to find out what is the best footing. I am riding Newt barefoot with no problems and I want footing that will allow barefoot. I expect shoes would help his traction but then he gets tender-footed when the shoes come off. We rode the needlepoint, oval and circle. He did the exercises better today. He did two good canter circles. The next time he got to the “barn draw” area, he started drifting that way, I applied corrective aids and, whoops, that was too much so he did a little bucking. (obviously not hard bucking or I would not have stayed on) That was clockwise. On the other rein he slipped on the canter depart and did a little more bucking. We are making improvements. We rode the trail all the way to the west end of the pasture.
Magic’s problem with tender feet or whatever gets worse each day since he lost the shoe, off front. He went six weeks and one day before he lost a shoe. I need to get him some boots for a situation like this. I hauled Magic to Sherri Ricketts and Dale put on new shoes. This time he got eight nails in each shoe and Dale liked the results much better. The sore foot did not seem to be sensitive to hammering and only one sore foot. So this time was better. Dale thought the leg was sensitive to lifting up and suggested that we do that foot last next time. This was Magic’s first haul since he got here. Loading at my barn was no problem. No problems while hauling like last time between Diamond T and Conway. He was reluctant to load at Sherri’s. He would not respond to the target or the treats. Response to asking for a step forward with the lunge whip was not good either. He did respond to a rump rope. I make a big loop tied with a bowline, slip it over his rump and pull from the front where I also have the lead rope. It worked. He loaded in about 20 minutes. I was happy to see him respond to pressure. If he does not respond to the clicker target or the treats and does not respond to pressure, then he will not load. I had plenty of that in February. I expect that after a few days, I will be able to ride him again. I hope so.
Monday, June 6 2011
I walked Newt to the arena. We lunged walk, trot and canter in both directions. Only 1 – 2 rounds at the canter. We rode the needlework and oval exercises. I think there was some improvement, maybe not good but better than the worst time we did them. I rode the circle at the walk, trot and then picked up the canter. Newt has a tendency to buck when we canter. We’ll just have to keep after it and not allow the bucking to evolve into something more substantial. He does not seem to have a problem picking up either lead or switching leads at the canter. We rode the trail west 3/4 of the way to the end of the pasture. No problems but Newt does keep his eyes open.
Saturday, June 4 2011
Worked Magic on the lunge in the round pen. I rode him to the arena. We rode the oval and needlepoint exercises. He did good. We started the canter on the circle, left lead, and I rode him for a complete round of the arena. We were not able to get the right lead. What I did not know was that he had lost the right front shoe. I think he lost it while I was riding him. I did not notice it missing when I groomed and tacked. I did not clean his hooves and Mara was there so it is possible that I might not notice a missing shoe. I did notice it when I got off. It is hard to miss since the outside hoof wall is broken about 1/2 inch up from the bottom. Most horses would not break the hoof wall that quickly. While I was riding I did notice that something was a little off on the right front. It was just barley noticeable and he did not noticeably limp after the ride. I would like to get him shod before he bruises the sole. When he was shod 6 weeks and one day ago he had tender feet and was difficult to shoe. Dale only put 3 nails on a side and he usually puts 4.
Friday, June 3 2011
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.
Tuesday, June 1 2011
Lunged Magic in the round pen. Actually today I “lunged” him loose without the lunge line. When I first got him he was accustomed to the lunge line and working him in the round pen without the line excited him. It worked good today. The footing is much better and we cantered a round in each direction. I rode him to the arena. We rode the needlepoint and the oval exercises. We did a lot better today than day before yesterday when we tried these exercises the first time. We rode the 20 meter circle at the walk, trot and canter. It was our first canter. He took the correct lead the first time, counter clockwise, left lead. He took the wrong lead going the other way. I just let him canter down the arena. He has a good canter and it did not seem to excite him too much. I bush hogged some trails going up and down the Oak pasture. Magic and I rode one going up. It is not a good idea as there is too much sticks, stickers and stobs. That will improve with time but it does not work good now. We rode the trail around the Oak pasture and back to the barn. It was a very good ride. We are improving.
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.
Sunday, May 30 2011
Mara was here today and we went to see the chickens and the horses. Mara and I were able to pet the chickens. I put the horses in their stalls and let the ponies out. Of course Laddie and Scottie were wonderful. We brushed them and I put the western saddle on Laddie. Mara rode all the way to the house with me leading and Carole holding her on. I encouraged her to hold on to the horn. I also told her she would not hear those words come out of my mouth very often, just for the next few months maybe. Mara would reach out and pet Laddie on the neck. She really likes animals. She was having a good time. Her father said she would probably be riding next summer. I agreed with him. I also said “Next summer starts June 22.” I expect it will happen pretty quick. Mara just needs to get in several sessions like today.
It was windy today and I thought it best to wait for calm weather to ride Newt in the arena. I lunged and rode Magic in the round pen. Then we rode to the arena. I just got Jec Aristotle Ballou’s book “101 Dressage Exercises”. I have been riding the 20 meter circle repeatedly and I am very happy to have some new options. I got the 20 meter circle exercise from Lynn Palm. It is good but I just do not think repetition is good for training. My experience is that my horse and I can, and often do, get into a rut doing the same thing over and over. I feel blessed that I have so much space and riding options. The horses I am riding are green and we are not yet doing a lot of trail riding variety. We will in the future. I tried “needlepoint” but a bull courting a heifer kept getting in out path. Then we rode the “oval” exercise. Well, we tried. It may be some time before we ride the exercises well but it is something to look forward to. We rode the trail around the Oak pasture. Magic’s front shoes are clicking and I will tighten them to see how that works.
Saturday, May 28 2011
Magic is finally seeming to enjoy grooming. It has taken a while. Lunged Magic in the round pen and rode to the arena. Rode the 20 meter circle and a couple of rounds in the arena both ways. Then we rode an untrod path up to the top of the Oak pasture and then around the pasture. Magic did good.
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.