I finally feel like I am fully equipped. No more gerry-rigging, duck tape, or wanna-be gear. I now have all the tools I need to fit the situation as well as the education to get me where I want to go!
I finally got my new equipment kits from Parelli. So now my inventory includes:
-3 warmblood halters
-1 horse size halter (I had two but broke one already :-(, and it wasn't because the equipment was faulty)
-3 12' lines
-2 22' lines (1 professional snap, 1 swivel snap)
-1 warmblood size hackamore
-1 horse size hackamore (just have to go pick it up_
-3 carrot sticks with savvy strings
-1 mecate 22' reins (was purchased off ebay as a 22' line, turned out to be reins, but it was a good deal so I saved it instead of returning it)
-Level 1 DVDs (just the dvds)
-Level 1 Partnership set (VHS, plus all pocket guides)
-Level 2 DVDs (just the dvds)
-Level 2 Harmony set (VHS & pocket guides)
-Liberty and Horse Behavior
-NEW Level 1/2 (in the mail on it's way!)
Now I don't feel like I have to sit around and wait to do something because I wasn't equipped. This was a huge cause of hesitation in the past, but I decided to be truly dedicated to this and went all the way. I am so glad I did!
I am looking into completing my education library with the Success Series and some of the Patterns.
It is going to be a very busy few weeks for me with exams, starting my new job in addition to my current job and running the barn, John's mom starting chemotherapy, and physical therapy on my silly hip. Satin and Dancer will be my much needed vacations from the hustle and bustle of life. I feel like I am still on track with my New Year's goal to pass Level 2 with both girls. Once I find the power cord to my digital video camera, Satin and I will be filming our Level 1 assessment!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Not just a walk...
Satin and I went on a little walk yesterday (Tuesday, 23rd).
I was headed down the road to see if my packages had arrived yet and decided to bring my girl along. She was happy to come!
We lazily wandered down the road, eating Spanish moss and anything green along the way. I had her on the 22' line just to be safe. She was left-brained the entire time, which is not unusual for her. I got to the gate at my landlord's home and it was locked. Hmmm. I needed to get to his front door to see if the packages had been delivered (before the gate was locked). What to do with Satin? She couldn't climb the 6' fence.
So I tied her to the gate, hopped over, and booked it to the front door. Searching, searching.. Nothing. Bummer. Satin watched me the whole time - too cute!
I jogged back to her and she picked her foot up as if to ask, "Did you get me a treat?"
We wandered further down the road, just nibbling the weeds and such (well, she was eating weeds).
I watched her demeanor for any unconfidence. Nothing. Watched for any thresholds. None.
After about 45 minutes we made our way back. As we approached the pastures the herd of mares (there are 3 of them) came galloping towards us. This was what I was waiting for. A perfect opportunity for Satin to "misbehave". I have learned now that this isn't naughtiness (when she blows a cork), it is lack of confidence. She clearly didn't see me as a strong leader in the past or she wouldn't need to throw a fit.
Satin lifted her head as the crazy girls continued their run around the pasture. I anticipated her reaction and asked her quietly to back... then phase two... She backed! And as she was backing she let out the tiniest little whinny that trailed off at the end.
She was so used to responding with a call (which was always followed by bucking, rearing, striking, etc) that she was obviously thinking about it, but I kept her left-brained by getting her to think about backing. She started licking and chewing. Love it!
This was a tiny improvement, but every stepping stone is necessary! We don't have to make leaps and bounds.
All in all it was a wonderfully undemanding day with my spotted girl.
I was headed down the road to see if my packages had arrived yet and decided to bring my girl along. She was happy to come!
We lazily wandered down the road, eating Spanish moss and anything green along the way. I had her on the 22' line just to be safe. She was left-brained the entire time, which is not unusual for her. I got to the gate at my landlord's home and it was locked. Hmmm. I needed to get to his front door to see if the packages had been delivered (before the gate was locked). What to do with Satin? She couldn't climb the 6' fence.
So I tied her to the gate, hopped over, and booked it to the front door. Searching, searching.. Nothing. Bummer. Satin watched me the whole time - too cute!
I jogged back to her and she picked her foot up as if to ask, "Did you get me a treat?"
We wandered further down the road, just nibbling the weeds and such (well, she was eating weeds).
I watched her demeanor for any unconfidence. Nothing. Watched for any thresholds. None.
After about 45 minutes we made our way back. As we approached the pastures the herd of mares (there are 3 of them) came galloping towards us. This was what I was waiting for. A perfect opportunity for Satin to "misbehave". I have learned now that this isn't naughtiness (when she blows a cork), it is lack of confidence. She clearly didn't see me as a strong leader in the past or she wouldn't need to throw a fit.
Satin lifted her head as the crazy girls continued their run around the pasture. I anticipated her reaction and asked her quietly to back... then phase two... She backed! And as she was backing she let out the tiniest little whinny that trailed off at the end.
She was so used to responding with a call (which was always followed by bucking, rearing, striking, etc) that she was obviously thinking about it, but I kept her left-brained by getting her to think about backing. She started licking and chewing. Love it!
This was a tiny improvement, but every stepping stone is necessary! We don't have to make leaps and bounds.
All in all it was a wonderfully undemanding day with my spotted girl.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Silly Satin, tricks are for kids!
If you can't get out of the way... you're too slow! Poor Satin has always been slow to move, whether it be from an alpha horse or under saddle. Not much gets her going, except boredom! She's a complex girl.
Well, combine her night blindness with her lack of momentum and an aggressive alpha mare, and you get bite lacerations and kick hematomas. All well and fine, until it escalates to serious injuries.
There is no one to blame except myself for Satin's most recent injury. She tried to tell me she didn't want to go out into the pasture. I was thinking, "Oh, I can't spoil her so much. She needs to go out like everyone else."
And to show Mommy just how mean she was for not letting her stay in her stall, she gets brought to the barn in the morning with blood dripping down her leg. Oh, Satin.
From the looks of it the alpha mare shoved her into a fence... and here's the results:
Well, combine her night blindness with her lack of momentum and an aggressive alpha mare, and you get bite lacerations and kick hematomas. All well and fine, until it escalates to serious injuries.
There is no one to blame except myself for Satin's most recent injury. She tried to tell me she didn't want to go out into the pasture. I was thinking, "Oh, I can't spoil her so much. She needs to go out like everyone else."
And to show Mommy just how mean she was for not letting her stay in her stall, she gets brought to the barn in the morning with blood dripping down her leg. Oh, Satin.
From the looks of it the alpha mare shoved her into a fence... and here's the results:
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
The age old adage is ringing loud and clear, "Familiarity breeds contempt."
You see this concept in a lot in relationships, particularly marriages. Spouses feel safe that their other-half isn't going and can't go anywhere that sometimes expectations get out of control. I expect you to be sweet to me when I am feeling crummy. I expect you to be there for me. I expect you to be keen to my emotions and respond accordingly.
How soon we forget to appreciate our spouse just because we love them!
I notice this in my relationship with my horse!
Satin grew up with me. She knows me very well and can predict my next move (because for 13 years I have boring and predictable!). The terrible thing is that I have developed expectations simply because she "should know better."
Becoming keenly aware of this is my next big goal. I want to be sure that I have no expectations of my girls so that I can reward the slightest try.
You see this concept in a lot in relationships, particularly marriages. Spouses feel safe that their other-half isn't going and can't go anywhere that sometimes expectations get out of control. I expect you to be sweet to me when I am feeling crummy. I expect you to be there for me. I expect you to be keen to my emotions and respond accordingly.
How soon we forget to appreciate our spouse just because we love them!
I notice this in my relationship with my horse!
Satin grew up with me. She knows me very well and can predict my next move (because for 13 years I have boring and predictable!). The terrible thing is that I have developed expectations simply because she "should know better."
Becoming keenly aware of this is my next big goal. I want to be sure that I have no expectations of my girls so that I can reward the slightest try.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Liberty and Horse Behavior, Hold My Hand
Of course I would love to be dancing on the beach in the light of the moon with my horses, but we aren't quite there yet.
I've been watching the Liberty and Horse Behavior course and it's helping me fine tune my already natural knack of horse behavior observation. I'm only on the second DVD (out of 8, I think) and it's emphasizing the importance of knowing what mind-set your horse is in at every moment.
The challenge for me with Satin is that I assume that I know her so well that I don't take the time to watch her behavior. Now that I am honing my skills and am conscious of the sheer importance of this savvy, I have been watching both Satin and Dancer (and all other horses, for that matter) much, much more closely -- and I think I discovered something I would have never known if it was not for Parelli.
What was my discovery?
Satin has many moments of unconfidence.
You're probably saying, "I don't even know the horse, but even I know that every horse has moments of unconfidence!"
I would have said the same thing! But when it comes to Satin, I think of her as in constant left-brain mode. I have twisted together confident cockiness and unconfident nervousness when these two behaviors are so very different! I was not giving my girl my full attention because I just pinned her as the "bratty" one.
Well, it turns out that Satin has many moments of unconfidence, particularly when she's at a distance from me. She wants to be close to me, touching me. I used to think that was her just pushing me around, and many times it is! But now I am more aware of the difference between when she's trying to be bossy and crowd me and when she's asking me to hold her hand.
So as we journey through our ever-developing relationship I need to remember that there will be times that I will need to hold her hand and times when I need to encourage her to become more confident.
As for Dancer, I am spending a lot of time just watching her in the pasture, watching her at feeding time, etc, etc. I originally, two years ago when I met her, tagged her as a loving, sweet, unconfident horse. And guess what?
That's still the case! She responds very well to being pushed around by the alpha horse. She basically gets out the way without fear - so she's not afraid of submission, she's not afraid of following the leader's orders. What she fears the most is being leaderless. I think if it came down to her having to lead a herd, she might just self combust. She is very eager to please her alpha and takes care of her - she watches her back, follows her everywhere, swishes the flies from her alpha. I expect that once I really start developing her confidence she will be an amazing partner.
Well, back to watching more L&HB - I highly recommend this course to anyone at any level. Understanding horse behavior is crucial even before approaching your horse in the pasture for the first time, let alone starting the "7 games".
I've been watching the Liberty and Horse Behavior course and it's helping me fine tune my already natural knack of horse behavior observation. I'm only on the second DVD (out of 8, I think) and it's emphasizing the importance of knowing what mind-set your horse is in at every moment.
The challenge for me with Satin is that I assume that I know her so well that I don't take the time to watch her behavior. Now that I am honing my skills and am conscious of the sheer importance of this savvy, I have been watching both Satin and Dancer (and all other horses, for that matter) much, much more closely -- and I think I discovered something I would have never known if it was not for Parelli.
What was my discovery?
Satin has many moments of unconfidence.
You're probably saying, "I don't even know the horse, but even I know that every horse has moments of unconfidence!"
I would have said the same thing! But when it comes to Satin, I think of her as in constant left-brain mode. I have twisted together confident cockiness and unconfident nervousness when these two behaviors are so very different! I was not giving my girl my full attention because I just pinned her as the "bratty" one.
Well, it turns out that Satin has many moments of unconfidence, particularly when she's at a distance from me. She wants to be close to me, touching me. I used to think that was her just pushing me around, and many times it is! But now I am more aware of the difference between when she's trying to be bossy and crowd me and when she's asking me to hold her hand.
So as we journey through our ever-developing relationship I need to remember that there will be times that I will need to hold her hand and times when I need to encourage her to become more confident.
As for Dancer, I am spending a lot of time just watching her in the pasture, watching her at feeding time, etc, etc. I originally, two years ago when I met her, tagged her as a loving, sweet, unconfident horse. And guess what?
That's still the case! She responds very well to being pushed around by the alpha horse. She basically gets out the way without fear - so she's not afraid of submission, she's not afraid of following the leader's orders. What she fears the most is being leaderless. I think if it came down to her having to lead a herd, she might just self combust. She is very eager to please her alpha and takes care of her - she watches her back, follows her everywhere, swishes the flies from her alpha. I expect that once I really start developing her confidence she will be an amazing partner.
Well, back to watching more L&HB - I highly recommend this course to anyone at any level. Understanding horse behavior is crucial even before approaching your horse in the pasture for the first time, let alone starting the "7 games".
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The relationship first
An example of when ears pinned don't mean aggression or frustration. Just relaxed and drinking...
Dancer is strikingly beautiful, isn't she?
But look at her nervous eye below!
I got the 22' line and put it to use for the first time. Satin likes to stick to me, whether it's because she gets un-confident when she's confused at the end of the line or she knows she can be lazy and stand still when she's at my side, could be either. But I decided that right now I am working on showing her that I'm not going to get upset with her, no matter what tricks she pulls. She knows how to "get my goat" and has lots of tricks up her spotted sleeves, and she really enjoys getting a rise out of me. Typical LBI!
So I want to show her that her partner is patient now. I can handle anything she throws at me with love.
A few days ago...
I put her on the 22' line and backed her about 15' to start, then sent her on the circle. She walked about 2 steps then turned and asked a question. I just smiled and allowed her to come back to me. We did this a dozen times, each time I let her come right back. Then I started asking her to stop part-way back to me. She didn't seem nervous and responded well. I didn't want to over do it, so we wandered off to do something else.
I was trying to get her to step onto a stump, but she wanted to jump it. So she jumped it back and forth, even when I wasn't asking for it. She really seemed to be having fun just spending time with me (and me being patient and loving instead of demanding).
I've been working with a sensitive alpha mare (one of my boarders), just doing the friendly game and some porcupine with lots of gentleness (she's a RBE TB mare and kicks out when being blanketed). She has shown huge improvement just with a few sessions of friendly game. How cool is that!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Found some time!
The rain let up a bit and the sun started to peak through the gray sky. Satin was happy to see me (maybe because she really wanted to be put out in the pasture!) and lowered her head for the halter. She was very sweet and huggy.
We played the driving game in the barn aisle until the rain lessened to a drizzle. Satin certainly doesn't mind the rain (I do!) so we wandered out into the yard and did some more driving and yo-yo. She was kind of distracted - each time we 'finished' a task she would put her nose down to sniff the ground or try to wander off. So I had to keep her attention. I ran backwards, inviting her to trot with me. She trotted after me, I stopped, she stopped, drove her back a few steps, then transitioned quickly to a trot again. She had a lot of fun! Very alert and asking lots of questions!
She really seems to have fun. We are moving in the right direction and it feels SO GOOD!
Also, I got my 22' professional line in the mail today. Fantastic! Now we can actually work on something other than the 7 games.
Thanks for reading!
We played the driving game in the barn aisle until the rain lessened to a drizzle. Satin certainly doesn't mind the rain (I do!) so we wandered out into the yard and did some more driving and yo-yo. She was kind of distracted - each time we 'finished' a task she would put her nose down to sniff the ground or try to wander off. So I had to keep her attention. I ran backwards, inviting her to trot with me. She trotted after me, I stopped, she stopped, drove her back a few steps, then transitioned quickly to a trot again. She had a lot of fun! Very alert and asking lots of questions!
She really seems to have fun. We are moving in the right direction and it feels SO GOOD!
Also, I got my 22' professional line in the mail today. Fantastic! Now we can actually work on something other than the 7 games.
Thanks for reading!
Rainy day Parelli
Because of the miserable weather and time constraints, I have not set aside play sessions with the girls. I do however enjoy using my new-found philosophies in everyday handling. Dancer especially needs me to be a leader. She has so little confidence and is desperate for someone to show her that humans won't kill her! At feeding time I have been doing lots of undemanding time, petting, rubbing, grooming the spots she likes.
I've been boarded up in the house or library the last few days, but I have managed to sneak in lots of Parelli TV shows or Level 1 DVDs.
I've come to realize that I am naturally a great leader, but I am such a predator! I am hoping to cleanse my thinking of all predatory responses that have been beat into me from traditional training. I see myself getting more and more patient and calm around the horses, even nervous-ninny Dancer.
I had a second opinion on Satin's radiographs from a DVM radiologist specialist. He says that nothing jumps out at him and that the quality of the x-rays could be better. So I am hoping that that means it's something more minor like a bruise that is still healing. She's been on bute for 20 days. I took her off 3 days ago and she seems in relatively decent condition. Her limping is less dramatic.
Once this rain stops I will take her out and see how she's feeling!
I've been boarded up in the house or library the last few days, but I have managed to sneak in lots of Parelli TV shows or Level 1 DVDs.
I've come to realize that I am naturally a great leader, but I am such a predator! I am hoping to cleanse my thinking of all predatory responses that have been beat into me from traditional training. I see myself getting more and more patient and calm around the horses, even nervous-ninny Dancer.
I had a second opinion on Satin's radiographs from a DVM radiologist specialist. He says that nothing jumps out at him and that the quality of the x-rays could be better. So I am hoping that that means it's something more minor like a bruise that is still healing. She's been on bute for 20 days. I took her off 3 days ago and she seems in relatively decent condition. Her limping is less dramatic.
Once this rain stops I will take her out and see how she's feeling!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
So little time
My schedule is generally pretty flexible. I have classes (for my Master's in Public Health) in the early mornings 3 days a week and I can be home by noon every day. But due to some unforeseen obstacles, I've unfortunately gotten behind in my classes and have been trying to play catch-up at the Med School library. John's (my wonderful other half) mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer about 10 days ago. She was quickly scheduled for mutliple appointments with the cardiologists, anesthesiologist, and the oncologist/gynochologist to prepare her for surgery to remove the huge mass on her ovary. Her surgery last week was uneventful and her recovery has been going very well... until yesterday. Needless to say, she's needed our assistance more now than ever, so we've spent huge chunks of time at the hospital or visiting her at her apartment. The good news is we just hired our good friend to help Catherine (John's mom) with household tasks while she recovers from surgery.
That said, I have had so little time to do anything with my girls. It's depressing! I've been getting home late, sometimes after dark, then I have to clean stalls, refill water buckets, dish-out grain and blanket 8 pasture horses, bring in & blanket 7 stall horses, and if I can squeeze it in I try to at least brush Satin & Dancer for a few minutes of quality time.
John usually feeds horses on weekday mornings by 6:30am and I stay inside where it's warm, brewing my coffee and taking care of birds, dogs, cats, and rats. We were racing out at 8:30am (I was late for my 8:30 class!) and were driving down the driveway - I looked over and noticed that John forgot to remove Satin's cribbing collar! I like to let her crib in the pasture and have been keeping it on in the stall at night. Anyway, I stopped and jumped out, climbed the fence (with a painful hip - see my previous post about my arthritis!), and ran towards her, arms spread wide in a goofy way (trying to make John laugh). Of course Satin is totally accustomed to my crazy antics and even grabbed me with her head once I reached her. She pulled me in for a hug and I took the collar off. Just to show John the difference between Satin and Dancer, as I was coming back towards the car I ran towards Dancer, arms spread, "Dancer, gimme a hug!". And Dancer ran like the wind! John was laughing pretty hard!
Poor Dancer! I wish I had time to play with her and show her she doesn't have to be so nervous. In time!
I'm stuck in the library as I type this, longing to be with my horses!
That said, I have had so little time to do anything with my girls. It's depressing! I've been getting home late, sometimes after dark, then I have to clean stalls, refill water buckets, dish-out grain and blanket 8 pasture horses, bring in & blanket 7 stall horses, and if I can squeeze it in I try to at least brush Satin & Dancer for a few minutes of quality time.
John usually feeds horses on weekday mornings by 6:30am and I stay inside where it's warm, brewing my coffee and taking care of birds, dogs, cats, and rats. We were racing out at 8:30am (I was late for my 8:30 class!) and were driving down the driveway - I looked over and noticed that John forgot to remove Satin's cribbing collar! I like to let her crib in the pasture and have been keeping it on in the stall at night. Anyway, I stopped and jumped out, climbed the fence (with a painful hip - see my previous post about my arthritis!), and ran towards her, arms spread wide in a goofy way (trying to make John laugh). Of course Satin is totally accustomed to my crazy antics and even grabbed me with her head once I reached her. She pulled me in for a hug and I took the collar off. Just to show John the difference between Satin and Dancer, as I was coming back towards the car I ran towards Dancer, arms spread, "Dancer, gimme a hug!". And Dancer ran like the wind! John was laughing pretty hard!
Poor Dancer! I wish I had time to play with her and show her she doesn't have to be so nervous. In time!
I'm stuck in the library as I type this, longing to be with my horses!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
A Great Opportunity
I realized a few days ago that owning a boarding facility gives me a fantastic opportunity to play with all sorts of different horses. We have 13 boarders, plus my two mammoth donkeys and my two mares. There is every horsenality here at the farm.
In the past when handling the boarders I would do as little as possible with them. It's not my job to train them. However, I do have to handle them every single day and some of the horses make life incredibly challenging!
Now that I view the world in Parelli-colored glasses, I am taking a few moments every day to establish a bond and leadership with some of the more 'troublesome' horses.
It's been going very well and one horse in particular (RBE/LBE) has already made drastic improvements in her behavior.
As for me and my girls, we've not worked much lately. Satin is still getting 2 grams of bute a day and yet she's still lame. I have not heard back from my vet, which is very frustrating!
Ironically enough I just found out that I have arthritis in my hip! Satin and I are both getting arthritis at an early age...
An athletic, healthy, 27 year old with arthritis. Apparently it's potentially caused by several factors; my mother smoking while she was pregnant (I was also premature) sucks the calcium out of your bones, I have strong upper body but don't spend much time strengthening my lower body, so all the work that I do has caused my lower joints much stress, and I used to eat an unhealthy carnivore diet (lots of meat and gravy, no fruits or veggies), so even though I eat pounds of calcium-packed dark leafy greens, I need a supplement to make up for lost time. So here I am taking calcium and joint supplements just like my horse. Now I know the pain she feels!
I can't wait to play with Satin again. It feels like its been an eternity when it's only been a few days.
Oh! And I got my warmblood size hackamore and halter in the mail (from ebay!) yesterday. Awesome! Now Satin can comfortably fit her fat head into a Parelli halter.
In the past when handling the boarders I would do as little as possible with them. It's not my job to train them. However, I do have to handle them every single day and some of the horses make life incredibly challenging!
Now that I view the world in Parelli-colored glasses, I am taking a few moments every day to establish a bond and leadership with some of the more 'troublesome' horses.
It's been going very well and one horse in particular (RBE/LBE) has already made drastic improvements in her behavior.
As for me and my girls, we've not worked much lately. Satin is still getting 2 grams of bute a day and yet she's still lame. I have not heard back from my vet, which is very frustrating!
Ironically enough I just found out that I have arthritis in my hip! Satin and I are both getting arthritis at an early age...
An athletic, healthy, 27 year old with arthritis. Apparently it's potentially caused by several factors; my mother smoking while she was pregnant (I was also premature) sucks the calcium out of your bones, I have strong upper body but don't spend much time strengthening my lower body, so all the work that I do has caused my lower joints much stress, and I used to eat an unhealthy carnivore diet (lots of meat and gravy, no fruits or veggies), so even though I eat pounds of calcium-packed dark leafy greens, I need a supplement to make up for lost time. So here I am taking calcium and joint supplements just like my horse. Now I know the pain she feels!
I can't wait to play with Satin again. It feels like its been an eternity when it's only been a few days.
Oh! And I got my warmblood size hackamore and halter in the mail (from ebay!) yesterday. Awesome! Now Satin can comfortably fit her fat head into a Parelli halter.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Good times
Satin is still lame but we played on Tuesday and also today. Tuesday's play session was awesome. We had a bit of a break through that got both her and I excited about the next steps.
Tuesday Feb 2nd:
We did some driving games and 'touch its'. She started getting really curious about what I might ask her to touch next. This was the first time we played this game. At first she was like, "Boooring... I'm not listeniiiing..." But I kept switching it up, driving her to a fence, then a tree, then a brick on the ground. She started to look for things to touch. She 's doing wonderful with the yo-yo game and has really started to disengage that dominant front-end.
We moved on to the circling game - another game that we were trying for the first time. She's a total Left Brain Introvert so she's constantly in your space, purposely stepping on the rope and your toes, very nosey and pushy, and on a circle she likes to collapse in to you so that when you get nervous of her trotting into your space and ask her to move away she throws a big tantrum, swinging her head and throwing her front legs into the air and breaks into a crazy canter.
I had her on the 12' line just simply asking her to WALK around me in a circle. This was the first time I politely asked her to yield her shoulder out of my space as she circled (instead of hitting her with the end of a lunge whip). She responded with that habitual tantrum, "I DONT WANT TO!" and BOOM, she exploded and started to gallop. But I stopped her MID-thought by using phase 4 with the rope asking her to back. She slammed to a stop, head in the air with front feet planted. I persisted with phase 4 until she took one little movement backwards, then I relaxed and smiled. She stood perfectly still, licking her lips, nostrils flared, like, "WTF?"
She usually goes bucking in a collapsed circle, me yelling and snapping the lunge whip at her getting her more irritated. This time all it took was to disengage that right-brain thinking with a little bit of leadership in a loving way in a language she could understand.
I really got her attention in a positive way. She WANTED to know what was next and the idea of bucking had drifted off into the wind. I immediately changed games and did some driving, then went back to the circling game. This time she did beautifully. She was calm, asking me questions, and wasn't getting frustrated with mixed messages. She also was being more submissive and willing because she knew I was asserting my alpha leadership.
It was very exciting for the two of us. I am especially proud of myself for not getting frustrated with her! Yay, I am improving!
Thursday 4th:
Satin was asleep in the pasture when I went to say Hi. I decided to play a little game with her off-line until she came to me. Well, she did NOT want to play and did NOT want to come to me! How interesting! She even cantered away (limping :( ). So I didn't want to pressure her with her lameness, so I used gentle approach & retreats, trying to get her interest. Well, it worked. She gave in after a few trots around the pasture. We tried the circling game again and she threw another tantrum, this time even pulling away from me (on the 12' line).
Once I got her to come back to me I switched to the 22' rope. Aaah, much more leverage!
I kept switching things up - asking her to yield, then sending her into a circle, stopping her part way and backing her, then wandering around the pasture, etc. She was NOT getting into it.
But I had planted carrots and treats in strategic locations across the property, so we left the pasture and I played 'driving from zone 3', rewarding her with little piles of carrots when she touched the spot. She was still a little bored and making a cranky face, even after eating the treats, so I played the friendly game and took her grazing. All in all I can tell we are making progress.
Our relationship is improving little by little, for several reasons:
(1) Consistency. Consistency is the key to training any species with any method, from humans to rats.
(2) Patience. No longer am I trying to achieve some goal. We're not working on getting the side-pass by next week or perfecting our trot-canter transitions. I am being patient and simply working on developing a more positive relationship. Putting the relationship first.
(3) Education. The tools are all laid out for me. I don't have to hire a trainer (and hope I get a good one!) or buy books and try to read about 'how to ride', or watch a dozen Olympic dressage trials to try to figure it out on my own. My education is set up for me, step-by-step, in such a way that anyone can understand, from an Olympic jumper to a first-time horse owner.
There are dozens of horse "training" methods being taught across the world, so how does anyone know what the "right" method is? Is it a combination of several methods?
It's easy to rule out the extremes like using physical pain or letting a horse walk all over you. But where is that in-between?
Is the scientific behavioral training the key (operant conditioning (OC)/positive reinforcement (PR))? With strict science you cannot account for the multifaceted emotional side of the horse. When you're using OC/PR, what do you do when your horse spooks and blows a cork? Are their strategies to work through those issues? When a horse goes completely right-brained, say a feral Mustang, and your job is to load this Mustang from the corral into a trailer - can you spend the necessary time conditioning this Mustang until it loads? I have my doubts.
But if you respond to the horses' behavior the way another horse would respond, the horses will understand you (and much of the horse language is simple behavioral conditioning and behavior reinforcement).
Oftentimes we think of "pressure" as negative reinforcement, where in fact pressure is natural and normal in horse communication. Is there 'negative' and 'positive' pressure? Sure! A pinned-eared look is negative pressure. A kick is certainly negative pressure (just taken up a notch). What about positive pressure? Two horses grooming one another is positive pressure. Is there neutral pressure? In my opinion, absolutely. Pressure is how horses communicate at a basic level. I move towards you, you move away. If you don't, we'll play a game to see who will move first.
These are the basics of "Natural Horsemanship" - communicating with the horse in as "natural" a form as possible. Teaching you to act more like a prey animal than the predators that we are. What's beautiful about horses is that they can view us as either.
Tuesday Feb 2nd:
We did some driving games and 'touch its'. She started getting really curious about what I might ask her to touch next. This was the first time we played this game. At first she was like, "Boooring... I'm not listeniiiing..." But I kept switching it up, driving her to a fence, then a tree, then a brick on the ground. She started to look for things to touch. She 's doing wonderful with the yo-yo game and has really started to disengage that dominant front-end.
We moved on to the circling game - another game that we were trying for the first time. She's a total Left Brain Introvert so she's constantly in your space, purposely stepping on the rope and your toes, very nosey and pushy, and on a circle she likes to collapse in to you so that when you get nervous of her trotting into your space and ask her to move away she throws a big tantrum, swinging her head and throwing her front legs into the air and breaks into a crazy canter.
I had her on the 12' line just simply asking her to WALK around me in a circle. This was the first time I politely asked her to yield her shoulder out of my space as she circled (instead of hitting her with the end of a lunge whip). She responded with that habitual tantrum, "I DONT WANT TO!" and BOOM, she exploded and started to gallop. But I stopped her MID-thought by using phase 4 with the rope asking her to back. She slammed to a stop, head in the air with front feet planted. I persisted with phase 4 until she took one little movement backwards, then I relaxed and smiled. She stood perfectly still, licking her lips, nostrils flared, like, "WTF?"
She usually goes bucking in a collapsed circle, me yelling and snapping the lunge whip at her getting her more irritated. This time all it took was to disengage that right-brain thinking with a little bit of leadership in a loving way in a language she could understand.
I really got her attention in a positive way. She WANTED to know what was next and the idea of bucking had drifted off into the wind. I immediately changed games and did some driving, then went back to the circling game. This time she did beautifully. She was calm, asking me questions, and wasn't getting frustrated with mixed messages. She also was being more submissive and willing because she knew I was asserting my alpha leadership.
It was very exciting for the two of us. I am especially proud of myself for not getting frustrated with her! Yay, I am improving!
Thursday 4th:
Satin was asleep in the pasture when I went to say Hi. I decided to play a little game with her off-line until she came to me. Well, she did NOT want to play and did NOT want to come to me! How interesting! She even cantered away (limping :( ). So I didn't want to pressure her with her lameness, so I used gentle approach & retreats, trying to get her interest. Well, it worked. She gave in after a few trots around the pasture. We tried the circling game again and she threw another tantrum, this time even pulling away from me (on the 12' line).
Once I got her to come back to me I switched to the 22' rope. Aaah, much more leverage!
I kept switching things up - asking her to yield, then sending her into a circle, stopping her part way and backing her, then wandering around the pasture, etc. She was NOT getting into it.
But I had planted carrots and treats in strategic locations across the property, so we left the pasture and I played 'driving from zone 3', rewarding her with little piles of carrots when she touched the spot. She was still a little bored and making a cranky face, even after eating the treats, so I played the friendly game and took her grazing. All in all I can tell we are making progress.
Our relationship is improving little by little, for several reasons:
(1) Consistency. Consistency is the key to training any species with any method, from humans to rats.
(2) Patience. No longer am I trying to achieve some goal. We're not working on getting the side-pass by next week or perfecting our trot-canter transitions. I am being patient and simply working on developing a more positive relationship. Putting the relationship first.
(3) Education. The tools are all laid out for me. I don't have to hire a trainer (and hope I get a good one!) or buy books and try to read about 'how to ride', or watch a dozen Olympic dressage trials to try to figure it out on my own. My education is set up for me, step-by-step, in such a way that anyone can understand, from an Olympic jumper to a first-time horse owner.
There are dozens of horse "training" methods being taught across the world, so how does anyone know what the "right" method is? Is it a combination of several methods?
It's easy to rule out the extremes like using physical pain or letting a horse walk all over you. But where is that in-between?
Is the scientific behavioral training the key (operant conditioning (OC)/positive reinforcement (PR))? With strict science you cannot account for the multifaceted emotional side of the horse. When you're using OC/PR, what do you do when your horse spooks and blows a cork? Are their strategies to work through those issues? When a horse goes completely right-brained, say a feral Mustang, and your job is to load this Mustang from the corral into a trailer - can you spend the necessary time conditioning this Mustang until it loads? I have my doubts.
But if you respond to the horses' behavior the way another horse would respond, the horses will understand you (and much of the horse language is simple behavioral conditioning and behavior reinforcement).
Oftentimes we think of "pressure" as negative reinforcement, where in fact pressure is natural and normal in horse communication. Is there 'negative' and 'positive' pressure? Sure! A pinned-eared look is negative pressure. A kick is certainly negative pressure (just taken up a notch). What about positive pressure? Two horses grooming one another is positive pressure. Is there neutral pressure? In my opinion, absolutely. Pressure is how horses communicate at a basic level. I move towards you, you move away. If you don't, we'll play a game to see who will move first.
These are the basics of "Natural Horsemanship" - communicating with the horse in as "natural" a form as possible. Teaching you to act more like a prey animal than the predators that we are. What's beautiful about horses is that they can view us as either.
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