Another battle to win

Satin and I had a fabulous time in one of our big pastures yesterday. It was all undemanding, quality time munching on green grass and pulling up poisonous weeds (I was doing the weed pulling ;-) ). I've allowed this 7 acre (approximately) pasture to grow for 30 days and Satin and I went out to patrol the fence line for any flaws and destroy any pesky plants before I turn one of the herds out there.
I was very impressed with her comfort level in a new place with horses whinnying in the distance. She didn't care. She really never has. We have always shared a strong bond and Satin seems to feel safe with me.

Yesterday as we wandered the pasture I started to think back to 10 years ago when we would ride bareback in a halter from our little dirt road to the subdivision near our farm. I would ride her on the sidewalks while little kids would squeal in delight at the sight of her. We would canter up and down the main road to race the cars. We even played in the retention ponds on hot days. It was always just her and I, the environment never mattered. These are the days I long to have again. Peaceful, undemanding, fun. I miss that. I feel like we've strayed so far from what's important - the relationship. Thankfully we have found PNH, a program that bases everything on the relationship. I'm looking forward to that friendship we once had.

Today we played in the arena. We did a circle here and there and popped over a few cavaletties. She's starting to see that I won't punish her. She's starting to see the positive patterns.

And yet we have another battle to win. I think Satin is partially blind in her left eye. She has always been "night blind" - a genetically linked trait in certain Appaloosas (Leopards and snowflaked). As an Appaloosa she's predisposed to both night blindness and plain ol' blindness. Here's what I noticed:
Trotting on a circle to the left (left eye inside) she rolled her eye back so that mostly white sclera was visible. She was balanced and collected. We switched sides (left eye out) and she turned her nose to the outside, head was up, she was not collected and kind of discombobulated. I switched several times and she showed this same behavior at the walk and the trot.
Well, the good news is if she's going blind then I have caught it early. Plus, our relationship is getting stronger so if she does lose her sight then she will have a much easier time adjusting with me as her leader.

I'll try to get some pictures of this weirdness!

A New Game!

I discovered a new game that not only helps engage Satin's mind, but it gives me a way to direct my energy instead of my normal tense and frustrated feeling. Why am I frustrated, you ask?
Well, Satin is an avid cribber (to put it lightly) and prefers to crib than to do anything else, aside from eating. And if given the choice between cribbing and eating food from a toy, she'll play with the toy until it's no longer easy to get the food and then off she goes to get her fix.
The habit was a big issue from the time she was a foal until she was about 5 years old. She colicked many times a year; almost always "gas colic". But as she aged her body adjusted and she hasn't had any health issues associated with the cribbing. The veterinarian dentist assures me there is no real harm in having no front incisors besides potentially dropping food, but this mare doesn't drop a crumb from her lips.

Needless to say, I subconsciously hate that any horse would be afflicted with such a powerful addiction to something that has no benefits and may be a symptom of something more serious (mentally, physically, or emotionally). So I find myself throwing things at her to break the pattern, hence my frustration.

For a more constructive way to 'deal' with this behavior, I've started making it into a game. She can crib any day or time so long as I am not in ear shot, because if I am in ear shot I will quickly be in reach. "Don't make me pick up the stick!" has become our new game and she really seems to be having a lot of fun which is surprising because I thought it would just annoy the heck out of her. It turns out that she probably would rather be doing something with her mind. Surprise, surprise!

A scenario:
Satin is free-roaming in the barn and sidles up to a stall to crib. I stand relaxed with the CS and wait, smiling. I'll do friendly game with her, then go about my business, always staying juuust in reach. She waits and waits at the stall door (outside of the stall), and watches me closely, waiting for me to turn my back or get too far away. As soon as she plants her teeth on the stall I put a lot of rhythmic pressure on her with the CS and she trots out of the barn. She turns and looks at me and I just wander off and ignore her. The game quickly becomes "What can I get in to to make the human chase me! This is fun!" And I know she's enjoying it because she's constantly asking to come back to me and I always allow and do lots of friendly. I bet this would be an excellent way to get her mind warmed up to play with me. Maybe I can put an obstacle at the end of the barn so that she'll have to jump it. I need to get creative!
We did this for over an hour yesterday. I have to say that it was quite a challenge for me to do very little "work" for an hour, but I took it as quality down-time and a much needed break from farm chores. My clever Satin would nibble a piece of hay on the ground while watching me, then sniff this and touch that, doing all sorts of random behaviors to see what made me pick up the stick. She would even go as far as stand in position to crib, lip hovering above the wood, and just wait there, her on on my relaxed body.
Her extrovert side was displaying loudly as she trotted away playfully, then she would swing back around and look at me. Next time I will have to get it on video because you can just see the fun she's having in her expression!

This doesn't address the issue of cribbing when I am not around and I have been strongly considering a new type of device (her windsucking muscles are so strong that the miracle collar can't stop her any more). But to what end?

I'll discuss my theory on cribbing in another note! For now I am just thrilled to have found the creativity to turn something negative into a game!

Early Stages

How interesting. Satin is either incredibly bored or very confused... or a mixture of both.

I played with her a second time yesterday and yes, it was hot, but she generally doesn't appear as affected by the heat as many other horses (and people, for that matter). She wasn't sweaty or sluggish, but when we played she just seemed... bored. I get distracted by her expressions while we play and I find myself saying, "C'mon Satin, how come you're not having fun?"
I guess I must be forcing the issue.

Here's an example:
On a 12' line, send her on the circle. She goes with a decent amount of energy and pep in her step. But she's kind of pulling and looking the other way. I allow her to disengage, but she's so lost in her own little bored world that she doesn't see me blatantly saying "You can stop now". So I slowly reel her in, still staring at her zone 5, when finally she snaps out of it and the tires screech to a halt. "Oh! I can stop now!"
Hmmm, how interesting. She goes introverted when she's bored. Or maybe she goes introverted when she feels pushed?
Oh boy! A new challenge!
The early stages of any learning is always tumultuous! 

I'm glad I'm laughing!

Satin was free roaming the barn this morning, munching on scraps of hay, visiting the other horses in the stalls, and just searching, searching, searching for her next score in the form of food or cribbing. She started cribbing on a stall and usually I will quietly go to her and put on her cribbing collar. I don't mind the damage to the barn, but her front teeth are almost gone! So I try to crib her cribbing, pun intended.
As usual, I picked up the collar and started to approach. She pinned her ears and skipped away with that "Teehee, you can't catch me" look on her face. No big deal. I put her collar on a stall door and went back to what I was doing.
She sneaked back over to a stall, ears forward and watching my every move, and slooowly she started to put her lip on the stall... criiiib, then looked at me. I smiled, picked up the collar and approached. She swished her tail and skidaddled.
So I thought that maybe I should play with her a bit and get her mind off cribbing. I grabbed her halter and asked her to come to me from the other side of the barn.
She came to me, was haltered, and off we went doing sideways out the barn.

Okay, so I'm trying to think of something creative that will get her interested and distract her from thinking about cribbing. How about "put your nose on it"? So we yo-yo'd a bit, then send gently to the fence.
She was a little wired because she was annoyed that I kept her from windsucking and so she kept running her chest into the fence that I would send her to. I attempted to stop her 2,3, and 4 feet before the fence but she was being unengaged and then frustrated. She didn't want to try. She kept trotting back and forth, fence to fence, without me asking, threatening to jump each fence. And she wasn't thinking. I wouldn't say she was right-brained, but she was unconfident.
I didn't stop her soon enough and she decided that she wanted to go AWAY. And she did. Pulled the 12' line until I couldn't hold her anymore (she knows how to pivot her body just right until she has all the leverage and can pull the rope from me). Off she went at a full-on gallop.

I made myself smile and said out loud "How interesting."

About 10 minutes of crazy LBE naughty galloping around the farm playing "hide your hiney" and she finally turned to look at me. "Well hello, Beautiful!" I said with a smile, 15 feet from her. She stood, head high, somewhat RB but blinking, licking, and chewing as she was coming off the adrenaline. I invited her to come to me and she took one step forward as if to say "I'm done playing! Please let me stop running!"
I allowed her to come in, did some friendly, then did a little sideways and yo-yo.

I'm still chuckling about the whole episode because I'm thrilled that I responded positively instead of getting angry.

I need more savvy arrows to deal with this girl!

It finally clicked!

"I think we'll work on yo-yo. Maybe I can get her to do some side-ways. Hmmm. I'll try for 3 laps on the circle this time..."

That was previously my thought process as I haltered Satin and started to work with her. And when she didn't accomplish whatever task I was demanding, I would try, try, try again. But yesterday IT CLICKED! It's really not about the circle or the trailer or the yo-yo or the task! It is about ME being clear in my language, putting the relationship first, and taking responsibility as a leader should. BAM. It finally clicked.

And boy, did Satin respond! I could see her thinking and anticipating my old reactions "Mom is going to be upset because I am not getting this right." She would get nervous when she did something "wrong". But guess what? There is no wrong! There is only clear communication or a lack of communication. And when I assured her that what she was doing was great, whether or not we were doing anything, she responded so positively. She wanted to be with me more than she ever has. She wanted to try for me. And her reward wasn't material. She wasn't doing it for a prize. She just wanted to be my partner. Like a foal using the left side of their brain to follow their mother's every whim, Satin was by my side loyally.

So now instead of planning my sessions ahead of time, I plan to work on myself during the session. "What will I be conscious of today? My body language? My expression?"
It really helps to say things aloud when I play with the horses because it keeps me "self conscious".

Hooray! I knew I would finally have a revelation!

I've got a 3-hour session scheduled for July 18th with 2* Parelli trainer, Karen Woodbury. Super excited!

Letting Go of Old Expectations

It was absolutely pouring rain and luckily I rescued Satin from the downpour just in time. I just opened her pasture gate and allowed her and her pasture mate to take refuge in the barn where the spoiled stalled horses were quietly munching their coastal hay.

Satin immediately started searching for food in every nook and cranny. I just watched her as I went about my business. She started cribbing on a stall door, so instead of squelching her addiction I decided to play with her and attempt to engage her mind.
I basically played at liberty doing the driving game from stall to stall. The rain was working in my benefit because if it hadn't been for the dark sky opening up on us she probably would have left the barn!
I worked particularly on the driving game with her head and shoulder. When she would respond I would reward with friendly game and then driving game in zone 4/5.
It's interesting, when I drive her head away she simply squints and bends her neck away from me, keeping her hooves planted. I start my phases slow and obvious in the beginning and once she gets the hang of it I become more particular. If she doesn't move the front end with loooong phase 1... almost phase 2 - then PHASE 4! She responds. I stop, smile, relax, friendly. Now move zone 5 - very good. Now move zone 1 - Phase 1... She responds! How nice!

But I'm perplexed as to why she finds this game so... pointless. It's as if she's asking me, "What is the point of me moving around the barn? Can't we stand and eat now?" I wonder if my "demands" are keeping the relationship first. Being the leader is good for our relationship, but I want to be sure I am not pushing her to a level of unhappiness. My old expectations consisted of  "You will do what I say, when I say it." It's hard not to have those same expectations, expecially when she responds in a way that is opposite of "what I want." I have to keep repeating to myself, "Relationship first, relationship first, it's not about the trailer..."

Still trying to get her engaged. She's a challenging girl and will make me a great horseman!

Getting Creative and Play Drive

I am shocked at how stumped I get when it's time to get creative. Back through some jump standards. Okay, um, yo-yo back to me through jump standards. Okay, now... Um.

Satin is thinking, "BORING! Why are we doing this?"

Circles:
I am getting more particular with her circles. One thing she likes to do when she is annoyed with me, whether it be because I ask for a trot from the walk or ask her to continue the circle, she crowds me with her shoulder and collapses the circle. I use phase 4 with the end of my carrot stick on her shoulder and she throws her front legs out and will even kick out at me if she's really bothered. I'm left asking myself "What am I doing wrong? Is this part of the learning process? Am I pushing her? Making her feel unconfident?"

My last less with Karen showed me that I really need to focus on the first three games. If I am having an issue with her in my space, then we clearly have a porcupine game issue. Satin is LB so she has trouble getting that front end responsive. She doesn't want to move her head or neck but especially doesn't want to move her shoulder away from me. So I worked on the porcupine game, trying to mix it up and keep it interesting. Satin always seems so unengaged. Maybe it's time to break out the treats and reward her slightest try with a carrot. Funny how different she is than Dancer (RBE). Dancer won't put a treat to her lips - She is very satisfied with her reward being 'the pressure is off'!

The good news is, many of my questions will be answered as I begin to take 3-hour workshops with Karen (2* Junior Parelli Trainer) starting next month. For $100 I get a 3-hour lesson tailored to me in a small group of 4-6 students. I love this idea! I like the thought of being in a group setting so the focus isn't always directed at me. I guess I don't like all that pressure either! Plus, 3-hours for that price is really awesome. I am selling some of my tack and gear to pay for several of these workshops between now and when I start back to classes in late August.

I'm also saving up for a 4-week course sometime next year. It will have to be late 2011, but I am definitely planning on signing up soon!

Staying cool in this amazingly hot Florida weather and trying to focus on having fun!

Satin looking terribly bored while introducing her to Max, the mini-Zebu steer.

I'm still trying to read Satin's behavior on the circle as play or annoyed. She sometimes leaps into an angry-looking gallop when asked to continue on the circle or change gate. Is this play, I wonder? Or is it her voicing her frustration? Hmmm...

2* Trainer Lesson

It's been over a week since my lesson with wonderful 2* trainer, Karen Woodbury. She's fantastic. When she speaks it's as if Parelli is speaking through her. She has been trained very well and is an extension of Parelli - exactly what Parelli is probably going for when they train their students!

One thing she clarified for me has helped shape my thinking with the circling game. Satin and I have gone back to the 12' line because she seemed incredibly unconfident on the 22' line - whether this is because I was pushing her way too much too soon or because she simply has no confidence at that distance yet, I'm not sure. But I'd rather go too slow than too fast - the whole reason we quit traditional riding & training is because I felt like I was forcing her to do things that she did not enjoy. I want to make sure our sessions are enjoyable for her! I do have to keep in mind that it is not about "keeping her in shape", it is about our relationship. She can be a sloppy fatty for the rest of her years so long as she is content. The good news is she can develop a strong work ethic AND be happy!

Karen commented on Satin's dominant tendencies. When we were standing and discussing our goals, Satin was munching grass near my feet, stepping in front of me, putting her shoulder in my space, oblivious to my personal boundaries. This was clearly a passive dominance assertion. Karen reminded me that I need to keep from confusing Satin - I have to be consistently the leader and keep my feet firmly planted in that alpha position. So even while we are just hanging out, I need to tell Satin that "This is my space, step back or..."

We focused on the first three games: Friendly, Porcupine, Yo-yo.  I didn't realize just how critical it was to master these concepts. If you have an issue with anything, you have an issue that starts with one of these games. When I would ask Satin to back up, she would lazily take a step back, leaving one foot forward as if to say "You're not going to really MAKE me back." I started to get particular with her and when I would see these signs of non-compliance, I would ask for more, always reinforcing with allowing her to come back to me.

What I walked away from this lesson with ringing loudly in my mind was "It is ME who needs to learn, not the horse!" Satin is equipped with the natural ability to respond to my behaviors. It's my responsibility as a good leader to make my requests clear and consistent. I think now I will be more "Me conscious."

The more I realize how I need to develop, the more I love my horse just the way she is!

Karen is offering group sessions at her farm over the summer. I will be attending several of these 3 hour sessions!