Progress After Katy...

After the trip to Katy for Clinton Anderson’s Walkabout Tour, I was re-pumped, ready to get home and make progress with my groundwork and riding.

I bought his halter and 14’ rope while I was at the show.  I was thinking that I can really use the extra control that this halter is supposed to give.  It uses stiff rope and four knots across the nose.

I liked the 14’ training rope because it had a nice big clip that’s easy to open.  The one I have been using is a pain in the neck.  It’s the kind of fastener that’s not even a clip.  You have to twist it around to open it.  Most of the time it won’t twist.  I finally had to clip another clip that opens easily to it so I can get it open and off and on the halter quickly.  It made a really heavy, bulky hunk of metal under Max’s chin, and it was hard to manage.  It worked, but it was far from ideal.

I began using my new halter and rope this week.  It works great.  I do think I’m getting better results with the stiffer, knotted halter.  The clip on the rope works easily.

Max and I, again, have taken a step backwards in yielding forequarters to the left.  I know I said I was going to leave it alone for a while, but it’s hard to leave alone.  One thing Clinton said at the tour was, “Sometimes things get worse before they get better.”  He said many people quit when they get worse and don’t work through to the “better”.  So, I’m going to keep working on it.  I’m not leaving it alone…yet… 

We are making good progress with the touch and rub exercise.  We worked on it for a couple of days this past week.  I’m still a little awkward with it every once in a while, but most times I’m giving clear signals and we’re getting it. 

We’ve got one step across pretty consistently.  Now I’m working on more steps.  Max doesn’t like to cross his feet over, so it’s always a challenge.

I had a very short ride today.  I needed to ride though, no matter how briefly, to keep my confidence going.  It was a good ride.  We trotted, backed, cantered a couple of times, practiced the one-rein stop and that was about it.  I need to get some long rides going again to make real progress in the saddle.

Have a good ride

Greenhorn

My Training Begins...

Like I said in the previous blog post, someone must have trained Max well.  (I wouldn’t have him if he wasn’t.)  And, like I said previously, I don’t know if his trainer used Clinton Anderson’s “method” or not.  I understand that pressure and release methods are what many trainers use.  

I could tell Max had been desensitized at some point.  Neither the rope nor the stick and string seemed to bother him.  I could also touch, pat, rub all over his body and head.  He was a little sticky with his ears, but after watching Clinton’s approach and retreat technique on an RFD-TV episode, and trying it out on Max, he was soon okay with his ears, too. 

Max is pretty easy to catch.  He just about always comes to me and lets me put a rope or halter on him.  I’m working on those kinds of things, too.  I have a Clinton Anderson dvd on Problem Solving that I thought might help me gain some confidence in just being in the company of horses while working around the barn, etc.   It has great tips and techniques for handling everyday-type “horse business”, like catching them, bridling, worming, etc.

But, back to our lesson in Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground-Series I (GRCG-I)   

Max seemed adequately desensitized so we moved on to yielding hindquarters.

I watched the segment on yielding hindquarters a few times to really memorize what the teaching looked like.  I wanted to give clear signals.  I followed the directions as exactly as I could. 

I’m a bit clumsy with the equipment and the movements, but I guess it was clear enough to Max.  He moved his hindquarters.  He was a bit clumsy at first, too.  But we practiced and he got it and he crossed his hind foot in front of the other.  We did one step first.  Then, went on to two steps and three. 

I am definitely not as fast as CA.  But I’m pretty sure that’s normal!  I’m not used to using the tools and I’m just learning about handling horses.  We didn’t perfect it today, but we got a good start.

It’s pretty amazing that if you do what these folks tell you to do just like they do it, it works!  Hopefully, it will keep working like that as Max and I move forward.

I feel a little better…

Have a good ride,

Greenhorn