Small Improvements...

***Go to http://www.tvhorsetalk.blogspot.com/ to read more about how Max and I came to use Clinton Anderson's Downunder Horsemanship methods...



So, for the last couple of weeks we’ve lunged at the canter (We do a lot of resting!) and I swear I’m seeing small improvements each day.  In this short time he seems to be more “athletic” about it.  Smoother, maybe…a little slower… And I saw him correct his lead real quickly today.  Max needed to get his feet moving.  His feet had not moved quickly in a long time.   

We worked a bit on yielding forequarters, backing, lungeing and we did some Sending.  Max did pretty well.  We’ll try Sending again tomorrow. 

It was very windy today and while riding Max spooked big once on the side by the woods, and he spooked a little at the end of the arena near the woods.  As I’ve mentioned ad nauseam, I think this is why I’m stuck at the trot.  I get afraid cruising and get tense and nervous, too afraid to let him trot anywhere he wants (and that’s exactly what “cruising” is…) because he gets spooky when he gets near the woods and I’m afraid he’s going to spook and I’m going to fly off. 

Now don’t get me wrong.  He doesn’t spook like crazy, bolting and running away.  He just kind of jumps.  A couple of times he’s spun around as if to bolt. 

Hopefully, the things I’m doing are what’s stopping him.  Also, hopefully, a little bit of it is him stopping on his own when he sees there’s no threat. 

A trainer told me he “spooks” in a “good” way, really, because he just kind of jumps or starts, then stops.  (It’s a good thing for me!) 

All I know is that it makes me a wreck.

I’ll keep resting him in the “scary” places on the ground and in the saddle, but I’m having a hard time getting over this hump.

Next Training Day:

I’ve been gone for a week.

So, I went out early today.  I had my list of exercises from Clinton Anderson's Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground - I and Riding with Confidence - I in my back pocket for reference, if needed.  We worked on yielding forequarters and backing.

Yielding forequarters is coming along slowly, but steadily.  I did not allow any kind of step but a step across.  When Max tried to step forward or his foot wasn’t all the way across the other front foot I grabbed the clip under his chin and had him back that step so we could do that step again across .  Also, I think that I stop too soon working on this skill. 

Today when I wanted to quit, I took it as a sign to work a while longer. 

Backing up went well.  It was kind of like he just needed a refresher in all four methods.  He does wiggle, wave, walk and whack best and with energy.  I think he does “marching” next best.  “Tap the air” he seems confused about whether to go back or sideways.  “Yielding hindquarters then backing” improved a bit today.  My signals were clearer.  I did not work on any of these for very long, and as I sit here and think back, I probably should have practiced each a few more times.

But did I mention that it’s HOT out here???

I’m learning that any problem not corrected immediately only ensures that that problem will persist.

You know, with regard to our very slow progress with yielding forequarters, the thought has crossed my mind that maybe Max is just not one of those really “athletic” horses that the clinicians talk about.  Will he ever be able to pivot on his hind foot while he crosses his front foot over until he goes a full circle? 

He seems athletic enough to me.  But then, I am a greenhorn.

I do think Max and I can yield forequarters better than what we’re doing now.  I’m committed to working on this each day.  I think I need to approach this with more energy, too.  No more Mrs. Nice and Slow Guy!

Have a good ride
Greenhorn

Way Off the Subject...

This is way off the subject.  As a matter of fact, it’s a completely different subject.  I saw an episode of Craig Cameron’s Ride Smart the other day on RFD TV.  He gave a really good explanation of starting to work on the basic pieces of rollbacks. 

It was actually one of the best explanations I’ve heard him give.  He was talking first about feeling each movement of the horse.  Which foot the horse is moving, etc.  (Now, I know I’m not ready to be doing rollbacks and other fancy stuff, but there’s nothing wrong with being aware of the movements of your horse’s body no matter what your level.) 

So I decided that when I rode that day I was going to make it a point to be aware of each of Max’s footfalls.  I was pleasantly surprised that I could tell quite easily where Max’s weight was and which foot was about to come up and go down. 

Craig Cameron next demonstrated walking parallel with the fence, stopping, backing, and while backing, turn the horse toward the fence to get the horse to move his outside front foot around 180 degrees.  Then repeat in the other direction. 

So Max and I positioned ourselves about 8 – 10 feet from the pasture fence walking parallel.  We stopped, backed and when I could feel his outside front foot get ready to come up, I cued him to turn toward the fence and I’ll be darned if he didn’t step that foot toward the fence and cross the right one over and repeat until we were 180 degrees. 
I guess all that yielding forequarters practice came in handy!  It wasn't perfect.  It wasn't as good as Craig Cameron did it.  We did it just a few time with some good rubs and enthusiastic, “Good Boys!” 

Thanks, Craig… I just wanted to do something totally different today.


Have a good ride

Greenhorn

Stuck in the Saddle

              
               I really need forward movement with my riding.  I’m stuck on cruising at the trot.  I work on cantering.  But it’s really just me trying to stay balanced and not be afraid to keep going at the canter. 

Now I know Clinton Anderson says, “If you want to learn how to stay on at the canter, you have to canter.”  I repeat.  I know that.  I want to canter more.  And I would canter more if I didn’t feel like Max was going to spook every time we got down to the end of the arena and on the north side of the arena.  (That’s using the term “arena” loosely.)

I feel sure he would also say I need to tackle the spook problem I have “straight away.”  I am tackling it, but from the ground right now.  (I have really gained tons of confidence with control on the ground since following CA’s exercises.)  And I realize that I won’t be able to solve all spook problems from the ground.  I won’t even be able to solve all spook problems period.  But I’ll get more confident in handling them when they happen. 

Here are some things I’m doing right now to de-sensitize him to the woodsy area. Clinton Anderson says, “Rest ‘em in a place they don’t like.”  So when Max and I are doing groundwork and it’s time to rest, we rest in the places where he’s most likely to spook. 

And I think we’ve made progress.  But slooooow progress.  When I first started doing this he had a hard time relaxing in those places.  Sometimes it would take a few minutes.  Now, most of the time, he relaxes within several seconds.  I also rest Max up and down those “scary” sides of the arena and in those “scary” corners while I’m riding. 

  And in Max’s defense, he’s not just spooking for no reason.  Thar’s wahld animals in them thar woods!  He does hear things and see things that I just don’t see.

I just want to be able to ride the whole arena without being ready for a bolt 50% of the time I’m riding.  Now I know a horse can spook or bolt at anything, anytime.  And I know that you’re thinking that maybe if I rode him in those spooky areas everyday to de-sensitize him and deal with the problem right now in a direct manner that it would get solved. 

I agree.  That would be ideal. 

But I’m a greenhorn, remember?  I don’t ride that well.  I’m just learning all this stuff.  And I would like to spend the biggest amount of riding time right now learning to stay on while the horse is walking, trotting and cantering around in a non-threatening environment.  I need to keep building confidence. 

How I have the pen situated now seems to bring on some “horse anxiety” in those places close to the woods.  And my body language adds to that.  I get so worried that he’s going to spook that I can’t relax.

Bottom Line:  I want to ride around a little more relaxed for a while.  I need us both to concentrate elsewhere.  I want to work on other control issues right now.  I feel like I need to control the gas pedal and the steering wheel better.  Can’t I come back to that when I can stay on a little better?

That said, I was actually more confident today with the riding part.  I rode him on those two scary sides at a trot.  Rested him on those sides.  Walked up and down those sides.  Then, I took him out in the pasture and trotted him and backed him.  I think I’m okay (confidence-wise) at a walk and trot. 

Max has a fast canter, and that’s where I’m stumped.  And I know, to get a slow canter, you have to canter.  I know.

Sooooo………I think I’m going to move the arena fence.  I don’t know if that sounds like giving up or giving in or what, but that’s what I’m going to do.  If I move the fence (It’s just several 10’ Priefert panels.) then we’ll be at least 50’ feet away from the woods on the north side.  On the east end I’ll have to deal with the woods.  But that’s only 25% of the arena that’ll worry me instead of 50%.  I know I should deal with the spooking issue, but I do deal with it when he does spook. 

I do a one rein stop when he turns to run away from the woods, then I keep him turning or backing or walking around the area.

Now, if he still acts spooky when we’re that far away from the woods, and I can’t get him to get over it, then I’ve got a way bigger problem than I thought. 

With me…

Have a nice ride,

Greenhorn