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 whenMax 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."
And I love it when
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
