6 years ago
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Ouch.
If you don't follow my Facebook, then you might know that I'm hurt. Nine was hyper, he bucked, and I can only stay with it for so long, as we all know from repeated past experiences :P I have never hit the ground so hard! Well I am okay, but my helmet is ruined. And my back (my right erector spinae muscle) is in extreme pain when moved wrong. But no bones broken, just some scraped skin and a pulled muscle. I start school on Tuesday, so it will likely be a while before I post anything interesting here. Sorry :/
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Antelope Attack!
I'm not sure why I haven't posted this yet... Friday was me and Paul's 5th anniversary so I suppose I had other things on my mind.
On Thursday we rode again, me on Nine, my mother in law on Tiny, my brother in law on Ashley, and this time Hammer followed along. We saw some pronghorn along the way, and at first they ran from us. We didn't see the whole herd at once because they were in the trees, but we could tell it was a huge herd! Well, they went parallel to the road we were on so we saw them again, in a really bad spot, too! There was a barbed wire fence on our right, and an old abandoned house with junk scattered all over the yard on our left. Remember, this is a very open area in general, so "yard" means 10 acres. Anyways, the pronghorn spotted us and started running strait for us, from the left. Apparently this is a tactic they use to scare off predators. Well, the herd was probably some 30-40 antelope, and the scare tactic basically worked! Hammer, who I frequently chase pronghorn with (I know, I'm a sinner) was all worked up, running back and forth, wondering why we weren't going after the antelope! Ashley was an angel; she was focused on the antelope charge, but she didn't spook. And as such, Nine followed her example. He didn't like it, but he didn't run from the pronghorn, either. He just kept trotting (VERY animatedly!) a few steps, stopping, snorting, then trotting forward again. Tiny, though, was terrified. Kate had to get off of him to work him in some circles. He was behind us, so I didn't see, but she said he had started bucking! I had to tell Katie, my dog, to get after the pronghorn so they would change course. She ended up just cutting the herd, so most went across the road behind us, but some stayed in a parallel course with us. We had to just stop and stand for like 10 minutes waiting for them to cross. It worked out for the best, though, because Kate was able to lead Tiny a ways to catch up with us, which allowed him to relax a little. Nine also got a very good lesson in standing still. Hammer has big issues with this - the slightest shift in my position, and he starts moving off again. So I was glad to nip this habit in the bud with Nine. He is so good - he was solid as a statue, not even trying to eat! He kept looking back to watch Tiny coming, and while his head was back there, he slobbered on my pants. :P I took this as a very good sign - he had to feel pretty comfortable with me up there, no fear at all, to give me a kiss. He is also really good at giving "kisses" these days. He's learned not to use teeth, he just leaves a slobber mark, lol. :P I tried to nip that habit in teh bud, too, when he started giving love bites. But he still does it, just without teeth. So I don't punish him. I don't mind a little spit.
Well, Kate and Tiny caught up with us, the rest of the pronghorn crossed the road, and off we went again. Nine was in the lead at this point, and doing awesome at it. He usually walks slow, like Ashley, but this time he really started moving out and swinging those long legs of his. There is a house with sheep and other horses (and dogs), but other than one stop to look at the sheep, Nine was perfect. He really took charge and showed Tiny how to be a good boy. The three dogs at this house are not chained or anything, but so long as we stay on the road, they stay in their yard. I ride past here on my own rather a lot, but usually on Hammer at a canter, so I wasn't sure how it would be with 4 horses at the walk, but it was fine. Nine didn't mind their barking, Ashley of course was perfect, and so Tiny was okay. He was still shaken up from the antelope, and Kate will never admit it, but I'm sure she was shaken up as well, which is a bad mix, but since Nine was being so awesome, and Ashley and Hammer were their usual perfect selves, Tiny and Kate came through just fine.
The way back was uneventful, even though we went back on the pipeline road, which took us next to a generating station or something; lots of noise and gas smells. Ash and Hammer have been past there plenty of times, but it was a first for Nine and Tiny, but there were both perfect gentlemen. And When Ashley cantered a few strides up a small hill, and Hammer took off in between me and Kate, smooshing all three horses together, Tiny spooked a little, and Nine wasn't happy, but we all stayed in one piece.
Can you believe it? Eight rides, and Nine is behaving better than Tiny, the "veteran" tourist trail mount! Apparently there weren't antelope where he came from, some place in Colorado, I think. Serious discrepancies there. Tiny got a LOOOOOONG lesson in the round pen on Friday. He was broke the "old fashioned" way, and it took 45 minutes to an hour of round penning before he finally lowered his head, then came to me in the center of the pen. When round penning, I try Monty Robert's methods to try to get something close to Join-Up. It doesn't always work perfect, like with Ashley, for example (she starts kicking; she lunges like a dream, but her dominant mare streak blazes when you put her in a round pen). Hammer joins up in about 10 seconds, Nine takes more like 10-20 minutes, and usually just gets to Follow-Up. But I stuck with it yesterday, and Tiny finally did it. I guess he was trained to just go round and round until told to stop by his handler, at some random point that makes no sense to the horse. So we had to do lots of direction changes (which I stole from Clinton Anderson; think lunging for respect, but in a round pen) to keep him mind on me. Took ages, but we did it. I got his attention on me, I got his trust. I put a bed sheet on him, and over his head so he couldn't see, and lead him around the pen. He didn't like it, but he had no choice but to trust me and follow my cues. He knows all sorts of cues - he has some very solid training buried deep in his past, but it's all covered in his stubborn, spoiled attitude. He doesn't respect his handler or rider, so when something happens out on the trail, he usually sticks his nose in the horse's tail in front of him. But we are trying to break him of that habit and have him listen to his rider, so when Kate told him to bend his head and circle, and thus ignore the pronghorn, he panicked. Lots of issues in that horse, but until yesterday he wasn't unsafe. We will just lunge or round pen him to get that respect and acceptance and attention before every ride from now on. It should take less time every time we do it.
Wow, that's a long post. If you read the whole thing, kudos to you! Now go get a life. :P I might ride Nine today, with Paul on Ash, if he still wants to (he has to work tonight). And Monday with be my last chance to have a free day - I get my wisdom teeth pulled Tuesday morning, and school starts next week. So, I may post again, I may not.
On Thursday we rode again, me on Nine, my mother in law on Tiny, my brother in law on Ashley, and this time Hammer followed along. We saw some pronghorn along the way, and at first they ran from us. We didn't see the whole herd at once because they were in the trees, but we could tell it was a huge herd! Well, they went parallel to the road we were on so we saw them again, in a really bad spot, too! There was a barbed wire fence on our right, and an old abandoned house with junk scattered all over the yard on our left. Remember, this is a very open area in general, so "yard" means 10 acres. Anyways, the pronghorn spotted us and started running strait for us, from the left. Apparently this is a tactic they use to scare off predators. Well, the herd was probably some 30-40 antelope, and the scare tactic basically worked! Hammer, who I frequently chase pronghorn with (I know, I'm a sinner) was all worked up, running back and forth, wondering why we weren't going after the antelope! Ashley was an angel; she was focused on the antelope charge, but she didn't spook. And as such, Nine followed her example. He didn't like it, but he didn't run from the pronghorn, either. He just kept trotting (VERY animatedly!) a few steps, stopping, snorting, then trotting forward again. Tiny, though, was terrified. Kate had to get off of him to work him in some circles. He was behind us, so I didn't see, but she said he had started bucking! I had to tell Katie, my dog, to get after the pronghorn so they would change course. She ended up just cutting the herd, so most went across the road behind us, but some stayed in a parallel course with us. We had to just stop and stand for like 10 minutes waiting for them to cross. It worked out for the best, though, because Kate was able to lead Tiny a ways to catch up with us, which allowed him to relax a little. Nine also got a very good lesson in standing still. Hammer has big issues with this - the slightest shift in my position, and he starts moving off again. So I was glad to nip this habit in the bud with Nine. He is so good - he was solid as a statue, not even trying to eat! He kept looking back to watch Tiny coming, and while his head was back there, he slobbered on my pants. :P I took this as a very good sign - he had to feel pretty comfortable with me up there, no fear at all, to give me a kiss. He is also really good at giving "kisses" these days. He's learned not to use teeth, he just leaves a slobber mark, lol. :P I tried to nip that habit in teh bud, too, when he started giving love bites. But he still does it, just without teeth. So I don't punish him. I don't mind a little spit.
Well, Kate and Tiny caught up with us, the rest of the pronghorn crossed the road, and off we went again. Nine was in the lead at this point, and doing awesome at it. He usually walks slow, like Ashley, but this time he really started moving out and swinging those long legs of his. There is a house with sheep and other horses (and dogs), but other than one stop to look at the sheep, Nine was perfect. He really took charge and showed Tiny how to be a good boy. The three dogs at this house are not chained or anything, but so long as we stay on the road, they stay in their yard. I ride past here on my own rather a lot, but usually on Hammer at a canter, so I wasn't sure how it would be with 4 horses at the walk, but it was fine. Nine didn't mind their barking, Ashley of course was perfect, and so Tiny was okay. He was still shaken up from the antelope, and Kate will never admit it, but I'm sure she was shaken up as well, which is a bad mix, but since Nine was being so awesome, and Ashley and Hammer were their usual perfect selves, Tiny and Kate came through just fine.
The way back was uneventful, even though we went back on the pipeline road, which took us next to a generating station or something; lots of noise and gas smells. Ash and Hammer have been past there plenty of times, but it was a first for Nine and Tiny, but there were both perfect gentlemen. And When Ashley cantered a few strides up a small hill, and Hammer took off in between me and Kate, smooshing all three horses together, Tiny spooked a little, and Nine wasn't happy, but we all stayed in one piece.
Can you believe it? Eight rides, and Nine is behaving better than Tiny, the "veteran" tourist trail mount! Apparently there weren't antelope where he came from, some place in Colorado, I think. Serious discrepancies there. Tiny got a LOOOOOONG lesson in the round pen on Friday. He was broke the "old fashioned" way, and it took 45 minutes to an hour of round penning before he finally lowered his head, then came to me in the center of the pen. When round penning, I try Monty Robert's methods to try to get something close to Join-Up. It doesn't always work perfect, like with Ashley, for example (she starts kicking; she lunges like a dream, but her dominant mare streak blazes when you put her in a round pen). Hammer joins up in about 10 seconds, Nine takes more like 10-20 minutes, and usually just gets to Follow-Up. But I stuck with it yesterday, and Tiny finally did it. I guess he was trained to just go round and round until told to stop by his handler, at some random point that makes no sense to the horse. So we had to do lots of direction changes (which I stole from Clinton Anderson; think lunging for respect, but in a round pen) to keep him mind on me. Took ages, but we did it. I got his attention on me, I got his trust. I put a bed sheet on him, and over his head so he couldn't see, and lead him around the pen. He didn't like it, but he had no choice but to trust me and follow my cues. He knows all sorts of cues - he has some very solid training buried deep in his past, but it's all covered in his stubborn, spoiled attitude. He doesn't respect his handler or rider, so when something happens out on the trail, he usually sticks his nose in the horse's tail in front of him. But we are trying to break him of that habit and have him listen to his rider, so when Kate told him to bend his head and circle, and thus ignore the pronghorn, he panicked. Lots of issues in that horse, but until yesterday he wasn't unsafe. We will just lunge or round pen him to get that respect and acceptance and attention before every ride from now on. It should take less time every time we do it.
Wow, that's a long post. If you read the whole thing, kudos to you! Now go get a life. :P I might ride Nine today, with Paul on Ash, if he still wants to (he has to work tonight). And Monday with be my last chance to have a free day - I get my wisdom teeth pulled Tuesday morning, and school starts next week. So, I may post again, I may not.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2011 Off to a Good Start
Nine had an injury on his coronet band last year, around the end of August, so he was put on stall rest and our progress predictably stalled. Then I was in school, and when I got out for Winter Break, so did Elayne. BUT - now E is back in preschool and I don't go back until the 17th! So today I worked with Nine for just a little while in the afternoon, when it was finally warm enough. My plan was to groom him, get the burrs out of his mane and tail, and maybe lunge him a bit to get his wiggles out. Well he was doing so well I saddled him up and lunged him like that, and he was STILL being great, so I got my foot in the stirrup. He was okay, So I hopped up - that made him spook a little, but my fear didn't even show its' face, so I just got his feet moving again, tried again, and so on for a few tries, and then he let me stand in the stirrup without moving his feet. My mother in law was watching, so I figured I would be safe enough to get on. So next try, up I went, all the way over and into the saddle. I just rode him at a walk in a small area, but by golly, he was PERFECT! Last ride last year he had just gotten over spooking when I mounted and dismounted, and this ride was an improvement even over that (if you disregard the refresher session beforehand). AND, he was going in just a halter, no bit. I am going to keep him going like that now; he's figured out the cues with the bit so why not? He still doesn't like to stand still, but he will figure it out in no time. His responsiveness amazes me - after 4 months off, I had no idea that a green horse would remember so much (read: everything) and actually be better! I am so in love with that boy. He's staying with me for a long, long time.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Nine's Progress
Since my last post, I have ridden Nine three more times, all out in the open. Kate and I trailered to the same spot and rode home from there. Nine didn't buck or bolt and was pretty much an angel. The next day we rode out from the house. Nine was good until I asked him to trot in a large circle. He tested me and tried to bolt, but I wouldn't let him and he bucked instead. I came off, but I held tight to the lead rope and he stopped. I have to resaddle him because the lead ended up UNDER the saddle, but after that we was fine.
Then he had a few days off, until today my mom and I rode again. We went out from the house and didn't go far. Nine was very hyper, however, and bolted - twice - when I asked him to trot. But this time I let him go for a few strides before I very firmly but steadily asked - no, told - him to slow down and turn. I think he's figured it out! Riding = pleasure! Below is a good picture my mom took today. See my Facebook for a video.
Then he had a few days off, until today my mom and I rode again. We went out from the house and didn't go far. Nine was very hyper, however, and bolted - twice - when I asked him to trot. But this time I let him go for a few strides before I very firmly but steadily asked - no, told - him to slow down and turn. I think he's figured it out! Riding = pleasure! Below is a good picture my mom took today. See my Facebook for a video.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Nine again
Wow! Long time, no post! Haven't really had anything to post, I suppose.
Well, I do now. My mom and I tried to work with Nine yesterday, but he was being very flighty. I rode him in the round pen a bit, but he was very tense so I didn't want to ride him in the open, which was our goal for the day. So, instead, I rode Ashley and, ponying Nine, we trotted a loop around Saddle Crater (about 7 miles). We trotted about half that distance, walked the rest. When we got back Nine was dragging at the lead rope and he had an even sheen of sweat, so it seems we definitely took the edge off his energy!
Today we trailered Nine and Ash a few miles out to a spot I know where there is a stretch of sand clear of brush. It's about 1/2 mile from the road to the sand, so you can imagine I was disappointed when Nine dropped me at the trailer. He was fine when I mounted, and when I asked him to flex his head each way, but then he tried to walk off so I pulled his head back around and told him to "whoa", but he just started spinning! Wow, can he spin! My mom said I made it about three spins, and I was off. After about 10 minutes of hiking around before I caught him, I lead him all the way to the sand so if he tried that again, I would have a softer landing and he would have to work harder to get me off.
Well, it worked, mostly. He kept scooting away when I tried to get on, trying to take off, but after he realized all that earned him was a jerk to the mouth from the bit, he stopped and let me get on. He was a perfect angel until we started trotting. He did about four or five strides just fine, but then decided he was done, so he turned 100 degrees and started bucking. I stuck it though, barely. After he stopped, I rearranged his mess of a mane (which is ridiculously long and thick now) and we went back to my mom. Then he was fine again. We trotted again and he was a dream. He was perfect back to the trailer, but again didn't want to stand still. And when I insisted, off he went, crow-hopping, then he bolted. But he turned when I asked, about ran into a dead tree, bucked again, then planted his rear into a tree, haha! When I asked, he got out of the tree, returned to the trailer and stood while I started to get off. He had one moment of sideways as I dismounted, but he stopped as soon as he felt that rein tighten. He loaded like an angel and the ride home went smooth, other than the fact that we had to unload the horses to get the truck and trailer up a steep bit of hill, then reload them! :P
Yay! I rode him out in the open!
Well, I do now. My mom and I tried to work with Nine yesterday, but he was being very flighty. I rode him in the round pen a bit, but he was very tense so I didn't want to ride him in the open, which was our goal for the day. So, instead, I rode Ashley and, ponying Nine, we trotted a loop around Saddle Crater (about 7 miles). We trotted about half that distance, walked the rest. When we got back Nine was dragging at the lead rope and he had an even sheen of sweat, so it seems we definitely took the edge off his energy!
Today we trailered Nine and Ash a few miles out to a spot I know where there is a stretch of sand clear of brush. It's about 1/2 mile from the road to the sand, so you can imagine I was disappointed when Nine dropped me at the trailer. He was fine when I mounted, and when I asked him to flex his head each way, but then he tried to walk off so I pulled his head back around and told him to "whoa", but he just started spinning! Wow, can he spin! My mom said I made it about three spins, and I was off. After about 10 minutes of hiking around before I caught him, I lead him all the way to the sand so if he tried that again, I would have a softer landing and he would have to work harder to get me off.
Well, it worked, mostly. He kept scooting away when I tried to get on, trying to take off, but after he realized all that earned him was a jerk to the mouth from the bit, he stopped and let me get on. He was a perfect angel until we started trotting. He did about four or five strides just fine, but then decided he was done, so he turned 100 degrees and started bucking. I stuck it though, barely. After he stopped, I rearranged his mess of a mane (which is ridiculously long and thick now) and we went back to my mom. Then he was fine again. We trotted again and he was a dream. He was perfect back to the trailer, but again didn't want to stand still. And when I insisted, off he went, crow-hopping, then he bolted. But he turned when I asked, about ran into a dead tree, bucked again, then planted his rear into a tree, haha! When I asked, he got out of the tree, returned to the trailer and stood while I started to get off. He had one moment of sideways as I dismounted, but he stopped as soon as he felt that rein tighten. He loaded like an angel and the ride home went smooth, other than the fact that we had to unload the horses to get the truck and trailer up a steep bit of hill, then reload them! :P
Yay! I rode him out in the open!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Trick Training
Paul and I went on a nice little ride yesterday. Paul is quite sick and I am getting there (just a sore throat and possible sinus infection, but it does make one feel like crap) so it wasn't a long ride, but it was productive. Ashley likes to really test her rider - she was trying to eat, trying to turn off the road, changing gaits, all sorts of stuff; but Paul really stepped up and didn't let her get away with it, but he didn't loose his temper either (which is impressive because he is sick - we all know how our tempers are when we are not feeling well). Hammer was awesome - he hasn't been ridden in a couple weeks, and I could tell he REALLY wanted to let loose and GO! He gets very annoyed at Ashley's slow Quarter Horse pace :P But he held himself back. It was hard for both of us, but we did it. :P We even canter some circles, showing Paul some tricks to keep Ashley in a consistent diameter (how to make circle smaller or larger, and how to keep the horse where you put it, basically). But then Hammer calmed back down and we walked home at a mostly calm and reasonable pace! I swear, that horse MUST be gaited because he can do some sort of "walk" that feels sooo nice (not exactly smooth, but rolling) and he can do it as fast as Ashley does a working trot - that's right, WORKING trot, not collected trot or jog! Then again, Hammer can trot (definitely NOT smoothly at this speed!) as fast as Ashley canters. He's just fast at all gaits :P
Anyways, both horses got in some good training. Ashley got work with going where she's told and staying in that direction, plus keeping her mouth off the grass, and I even rode her for a minute at the corrals, showing Paul how to get her to side-pass (she doesn't do it yet very well - in fact yesterday was the first time she got a real lesson). So now he knows how to ask for it and she knows what he is asking for. Hammer got a lesson in calming down because I will let him move, I promise! He just has to chill out while we do it :D
Then later than afternoon I worked with hammer on the ground. I got him bowing a lot better - as in, he stays on the ground for more than a split millisecond :P I even got him to stay bowed while I got on, then got him to bow again with me on him. We did that a couple times, then i got off while he was bowed. Very cool :P Not yet very graceful with the dismount because the ground wasn't exactly where I thought it was, but it was still cool. Then I worked with nine on the same thing, but he isn't nearly as far along as Hammer. I got one good bow out of Nine, though. That was the first time he had gotten his knee all the way to the ground. He is starting to trust that I won't kill him while he is down :P
And today I am even more sick! So even though it is a fairly nice day, I am stuck inside resting and down (yuck) homework.
Anyways, both horses got in some good training. Ashley got work with going where she's told and staying in that direction, plus keeping her mouth off the grass, and I even rode her for a minute at the corrals, showing Paul how to get her to side-pass (she doesn't do it yet very well - in fact yesterday was the first time she got a real lesson). So now he knows how to ask for it and she knows what he is asking for. Hammer got a lesson in calming down because I will let him move, I promise! He just has to chill out while we do it :D
Then later than afternoon I worked with hammer on the ground. I got him bowing a lot better - as in, he stays on the ground for more than a split millisecond :P I even got him to stay bowed while I got on, then got him to bow again with me on him. We did that a couple times, then i got off while he was bowed. Very cool :P Not yet very graceful with the dismount because the ground wasn't exactly where I thought it was, but it was still cool. Then I worked with nine on the same thing, but he isn't nearly as far along as Hammer. I got one good bow out of Nine, though. That was the first time he had gotten his knee all the way to the ground. He is starting to trust that I won't kill him while he is down :P
And today I am even more sick! So even though it is a fairly nice day, I am stuck inside resting and down (yuck) homework.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
I rode Nine!
This will be short, but in a nutshell - Yesterday we ponied Nine about 9 miles, with me on him. This did wonders for my confidence! Today I rode Nine alone, in the large pen (because I don't have an arena). It was only 20 minutes or so, but it was great. I would love to say that I will ride him tomorrow outside the pen after I get out of class, but I would be lying. You see, I hopped on Hammer to chase some frisky donkeys back into the pen, and didn't realize how frisky he was himself. He tossed me, not once, but twice! Well geez, now my ankle is sprained.
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