Love That "Try"...

              Okay-So I had to completely change Max’s routine today because I had a meeting at 9:30 am, so we could not “work out” this morning.  I decided to do a little ground work this evening because I’ll be gone this weekend and won’t get to work with him; which isn’t all bad, and will probably be good, because a routine needs a little shake-up every once in a while and everyone needs a day or two off every once in a while to keep everyone fresh. 

The last time I was gone for a couple of days worked out fine.  Max and I were glad to see each other and he seemed ready to work and so was I.  And we made progress.

However, this evening is another story.  I think I have totally confused Max.  You know, we’ve been working on yielding his forequarters for weeks.  Well, he’s getting pretty good at it, but it seems like every time I make a move he starts yielding his forequarters. 

It makes me wonder if he’s been taught this some time in the past because one day when he kept yielding his forequarters I gently tapped his hip and he yielded his hindquarters a couple of steps so he kind of did a little side pass.  I tapped his forequarters again and he yielded, so I tapped the hindquarters and he yielded. 

              

              I know I probably shouldn't jump a little ahead.  I don't want to really confuse him.  (But he did it pretty well!)

For example, I went back to yielding hindquarters because I feel like he’s not always getting those hindquarters around straight and giving me two eyes when we’re lungeing and I ask him to stop and yield.  So, I lifted my hand up by his eye and tapped the stick 1,2,3,4 in the air, and he started side-passing toward me!

I wasn’t going to stop and make a big deal out of it, so I just kept on and his hip ran into the stick and his rear end jumped around to yield.  We had to do this a few times.  I think I’m going to have to go back and do a little of this when I get back. 

I’m probably not being clear on my signals.  I’ll pay closer attention to exactly what I’m signaling tomorrow morning.  I feel like we’ll work out of it if I’m just patient and stay the course.   
And I love it when Max shows that “try”!  Before I started working with Max and I heard all the RFD TV horse trainers talk about a horse having "a lotta try" or you can tell "he's/she's trying", I wondered how you could tell if a horse was "trying." 

Well, I can't express it in words today, but you can definitely tell that they "try."  I think that's one reason horse lovers are horse lovers.

I think Clinton Anderson addressed confusion in one of his videos.  I think he said to keep the pressure on until the horse finds the right answer.  Then release right away.  And I think I did okay.

(I must admit though, I was a bit nervous with those big hooves side passing right into my toes!  I was stepping lightly there for a minute...)

Have a good ride,

Greenhorn