Belles last ride! Craig and Cheryl came today to pick her up. I hope they were pleased with her progress.
I worked her today starting in the round pen. I did more ground work than I have done in the past several days. This was to show Craig and Cheryl some of the things they should be doing before they ride her. She may be a four year old, but mentally she is still a baby. TAKE THE TIME IT TAKES NOW, SO THAT IT WILL TAKE LESS TIME IN THE FUTURE! I can't stress this enough!
We loped circles, trotted long straight lines and showed off her stop. By no means is she a reining horse, but she does have a pretty good foundation on her now. Craig and Cheryl can now do what it take to move her to the next level. That next level is more about what they want to do with her, it should be fun for them!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Belle....11/18/11
I am a little late posting this, but here it is...
The ride today went very well. Worked a little in the round pen, but moved out to the big pen pretty fast. Belle is doing very well and today I worked on straight lines. Lots and lots of long straight lines trotting. The more you do of this sort of thing, the better she will be about just traveling out without of of the movement in her shoulders (the back and forth, wanting to lead with her shoulders).
The ride today went very well. Worked a little in the round pen, but moved out to the big pen pretty fast. Belle is doing very well and today I worked on straight lines. Lots and lots of long straight lines trotting. The more you do of this sort of thing, the better she will be about just traveling out without of of the movement in her shoulders (the back and forth, wanting to lead with her shoulders).
Friday, November 18, 2011
Belle....11/17/11
I did something I normally don't do anymore, I rushed the ride. Between the dark and a 4H meeting, I knew I didn't have much time on Belle. So, I didn't do any groundwork today. It showed a little when I first got on, BUT Belle is progressing nicely and she got "right" pretty quickly.
We spent most of the ride in our big pen. Worked on trotting a lot of straight lines. As with most young horses, she wants to push her shoulders back and forth. But with just some minor corrections, she travels pretty straight. We also worked on stops. Stops are pretty important for everyone, you want your horse responsive and soft when asking for that release from the bit. So once she was a little winded (it's easier to ask for a stop when the horse wants to stop!), I put a little pressure on the bit. The reward is in the release, so as soon as she stopped and gave me a little release at the mouth....I released the pressure on her. I had stated awhile back that horse training is pretty boring to the untrained eye.....there are three keys....repetition, repetition, repetition! Doing the same things, the same way...consistently!
We spent most of the ride in our big pen. Worked on trotting a lot of straight lines. As with most young horses, she wants to push her shoulders back and forth. But with just some minor corrections, she travels pretty straight. We also worked on stops. Stops are pretty important for everyone, you want your horse responsive and soft when asking for that release from the bit. So once she was a little winded (it's easier to ask for a stop when the horse wants to stop!), I put a little pressure on the bit. The reward is in the release, so as soon as she stopped and gave me a little release at the mouth....I released the pressure on her. I had stated awhile back that horse training is pretty boring to the untrained eye.....there are three keys....repetition, repetition, repetition! Doing the same things, the same way...consistently!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Belle....11/16/11
We started with the groundwork. I cannot emphasize this enough. If you get her mind engaged, her body will soon follow. We quickly moved into the ride, I did a lot of turning her into and away from the fence. This kinda teaches her to move her front end over, while stepping over. We also worked on vertical and lateral flexion. I would like to see her much softer and am working to that end A continuation for Cheryl and Craig will be to follow this same program with her. She is doing really well and if I can find one, I will start working her with a slicker tomorrow.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Belle....11/13/11
We got back, Sunday afternoon, from the World Paint Show (watched my wife's cousins win a reserve open and a non-pro world championship in the Team sorting) and rode Belle pretty hard. She had a couple of days off, so of course the groundwork is required.
What I call groundwork has changed over the years and now means something totally different to me than it did back then. Back then, the ground work was a shortlived concept that basically did not take the horse into account. It was only there so I could get them tired and get in the saddle. NOW, it means getting the horse' mind activated. Is she paying attention to what I asked her to do on the ground? Will she yeild her hind end and step over in the front? How is she when you are just swinging your lead (or stick/string) around? All of this will translate to what you are doing on her back. Getting connected with her mind sure makes things go alot easier.
Spent most of the ride time in our big pen, working on trotting in straight lines. Most horses have a little trouble staying straight when you take them out of confinement. Belle had not troubles with staying straight as long as we were in the round pen. Once she got outside, the open space was something new to adjust too. So, we did long straight lines. Lotsa trotting and extending that trot. One of the things to keep in mind with increasing your speed is the hole / ditch / canyon concept. Belle is exactly where she needs to be right now. Weather willing, there should be a lot of good rides this week.
She is scheduled to go home on the 19th, and Cheryl had asked me to ride her with a slicker. Well, we will see by the end of the week where we are on that. Never should you push a horse farther that they are able to handle (wish I had paid attention to that when I was younger!)
What I call groundwork has changed over the years and now means something totally different to me than it did back then. Back then, the ground work was a shortlived concept that basically did not take the horse into account. It was only there so I could get them tired and get in the saddle. NOW, it means getting the horse' mind activated. Is she paying attention to what I asked her to do on the ground? Will she yeild her hind end and step over in the front? How is she when you are just swinging your lead (or stick/string) around? All of this will translate to what you are doing on her back. Getting connected with her mind sure makes things go alot easier.
Spent most of the ride time in our big pen, working on trotting in straight lines. Most horses have a little trouble staying straight when you take them out of confinement. Belle had not troubles with staying straight as long as we were in the round pen. Once she got outside, the open space was something new to adjust too. So, we did long straight lines. Lotsa trotting and extending that trot. One of the things to keep in mind with increasing your speed is the hole / ditch / canyon concept. Belle is exactly where she needs to be right now. Weather willing, there should be a lot of good rides this week.
She is scheduled to go home on the 19th, and Cheryl had asked me to ride her with a slicker. Well, we will see by the end of the week where we are on that. Never should you push a horse farther that they are able to handle (wish I had paid attention to that when I was younger!)
Friday, November 11, 2011
Belle....11/10/11
Since Belle has had 3 days off, I was prudent of me to make sure the ground work is good. Meaning "how's her mind?"
She is still a little twitchy about anything behind her and as I was twirling my stick and string around, just being friendly with her, I remembered a story I wrote awhile back about learning to handle your tools . I am much better with mine, but sometimes I still get wrapped around the axel...learn to use the tools you have and if you don't have very good ones, save your money to get you some!
Anyway, I worked her on the ground quite a bit and when she was better than we started...I got on. We started out in the round pen and worked on flexing laterally and vertically. She is pretty good laterally, and will get better the more you ride. Vertically she is a little more challenged, but then again...the more you ride, the easier it gets for her. Worked inside the pen until I couldn't see anymore and jsut spent a few minutes outside the pen walking around looking at boogers again. Pretty good day for coming off a 3 day rest!
She is still a little twitchy about anything behind her and as I was twirling my stick and string around, just being friendly with her, I remembered a story I wrote awhile back about learning to handle your tools . I am much better with mine, but sometimes I still get wrapped around the axel...learn to use the tools you have and if you don't have very good ones, save your money to get you some!
Anyway, I worked her on the ground quite a bit and when she was better than we started...I got on. We started out in the round pen and worked on flexing laterally and vertically. She is pretty good laterally, and will get better the more you ride. Vertically she is a little more challenged, but then again...the more you ride, the easier it gets for her. Worked inside the pen until I couldn't see anymore and jsut spent a few minutes outside the pen walking around looking at boogers again. Pretty good day for coming off a 3 day rest!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Belle....11/5/11
Started the day with ground work (you might get tired of hearing that, but that is what you are supposed to do with a young horse), she moved through them pretty well. So we moved on the the next item of the day. Yesterday I mentioned a hole with how she was traveling, the pushy shoulder thing. Today I addressed that by asking her to move away from the fence in the round pen. Meaning I asked her to travel in straight lines across the round pen. She got a lot better about staying straight.
When all seemed like it was going well, I asked her to lope. She picked up the lope slick a you please and acted like I asked all the time. We loped a little in both directions and she stopped excellent both ways. THIS was a good place to stop for the day!
When all seemed like it was going well, I asked her to lope. She picked up the lope slick a you please and acted like I asked all the time. We loped a little in both directions and she stopped excellent both ways. THIS was a good place to stop for the day!
Belle....11/4/11
Started with the ground work today, really an excellent day for her! Really stopping pretty well and turns are greatly improving. Spend probably an hour just tuning her a little in the round pen. Then the fun part...
The first time in the big pen. She traveled ok, but was really pushy with her shoulders. Which is perfectly normal, now there was not a fence to guide her. But it did open some holes in what she understood. And it is alwasy important to go back a step or two when you find a hole. I tried to make this first trip outside one that she would not be afraid of, so we finished with some easy straight lines down the fence line.
The first time in the big pen. She traveled ok, but was really pushy with her shoulders. Which is perfectly normal, now there was not a fence to guide her. But it did open some holes in what she understood. And it is alwasy important to go back a step or two when you find a hole. I tried to make this first trip outside one that she would not be afraid of, so we finished with some easy straight lines down the fence line.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Belle....11/2/11
Another good day for Belle! The ground work still needs to be done, she still just tolerates any work around her hind end. Once she figures out that I am not back there to beat on her, then everything will click for her.
The ride was excellent. Stopping and turning at the walk are pretty good and she is getting better at both from the trot. The thing that is working the best is her mindset. She doesn't get two excited about the work and is willing to try. You cannot ask for more than that. Things went so well, I pushed up the timetable and rode her outside the round pen. Nothing fancy, just let her piddle around the barn area. See what all of the boogers were about. All in all, a really good day!
The ride was excellent. Stopping and turning at the walk are pretty good and she is getting better at both from the trot. The thing that is working the best is her mindset. She doesn't get two excited about the work and is willing to try. You cannot ask for more than that. Things went so well, I pushed up the timetable and rode her outside the round pen. Nothing fancy, just let her piddle around the barn area. See what all of the boogers were about. All in all, a really good day!
Belle....11/1/11
Belle is making excellent progress. Stops and turns are going great, not as refined as we would like yet....but for the few rides she has, she is going great!
I work the groundwork everyday, she is still a little iffy about any movement around her hind end. But if I continue on the same course, she will get better about that. The ride was good! Stops and turns are getting smoother at a walk. Yesterday I trotted her quite a bit, just gettting her to travel out. Today I started asking her to turn and stop from the trot. Of course when you add a little speed, things get a little sloppy. The smoothness she developed at the walk, got rough at the trot. But she is willing, so it will get better with more work.
I work the groundwork everyday, she is still a little iffy about any movement around her hind end. But if I continue on the same course, she will get better about that. The ride was good! Stops and turns are getting smoother at a walk. Yesterday I trotted her quite a bit, just gettting her to travel out. Today I started asking her to turn and stop from the trot. Of course when you add a little speed, things get a little sloppy. The smoothness she developed at the walk, got rough at the trot. But she is willing, so it will get better with more work.
Belle....10/31/11
Another good day today! I have said that most of horse training is pretty boring to someone watching, unless you know something about what is going on. It appears boring because it is all about repitition. Doing the same thing, the same way until the horse understands what you want.
I said today was a good day because I saw some good progress from Belle. We worked on stopping and turning again. I have pretty much stayed with these two items because when I ride her out of the round pen, I want to do both and have it happen fairly easy. Her turns are going really good, she has her mind on the inside of the turn (meaning her front legs are crossing over, instead of under each other). She is stopping pretty well too, although there is not much finesse yet. In the future of her stops, I want her to give to the bit faster. That's part of the finesse, but not all of it....I will fill in the gaps here as we get to that point.
I said today was a good day because I saw some good progress from Belle. We worked on stopping and turning again. I have pretty much stayed with these two items because when I ride her out of the round pen, I want to do both and have it happen fairly easy. Her turns are going really good, she has her mind on the inside of the turn (meaning her front legs are crossing over, instead of under each other). She is stopping pretty well too, although there is not much finesse yet. In the future of her stops, I want her to give to the bit faster. That's part of the finesse, but not all of it....I will fill in the gaps here as we get to that point.
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