Day 3

I just got home from the stable and am flushed with success!

I got there a little early for Phoenix who wasn't quite finished with breakfast so I walked into the paddock and said good morning from a distance and waited patiently for him to come to me.  When he was done eating he came to say hello and we started our session for the day.

I had no set goals today; I simply wanted to ensure that we both made some progress and I think that's how it's going to remain.  If we're not BOTH progressing, learning something new or reinforcing  something which needs to be reinforced, then I'm doing things wrong.

I realized today that one of the biggest dangers I'm going to face with this little guy is boredom.  He's very smart and gets bored fairly quickly so I have to work to keep him engaged.

Phoenix getting ready to come say "Good morning!"

Anyway, so after our good morning hello, I spent about an hour working on getting him comfortable with me handling him on his terms, that is, no halter, no restraint.  When he needed a break I let him walk away, gave him a rest and then approached him again once he relaxed.  My thinking was this:  I wanted him to understand that there's absolutely NO danger in approaching me and that if he needed to relieve the pressure of my presence, he could.  But, I also wanted to make it easier to hang out with me than to not.

The small though significant victory here was that he very quickly came to realize that if he came & hung out with me, I'd help him keep flies away. 

During that 1st hour, I spent a lot of it working on getting him used to my hands moving on and around his head, neck, shoulders and front legs continuing where we started yesterday.  Today I REALLY focused on getting him used to having my arms on and around his neck from the underside as well as from above though, as I'd noticed yesterday that he has a tendency to fling his head in the air and back away if I put my hands close to or above his hears or high above and behind his upper neck.  It's interesting, he's actually more comfortable with me picking up his feet than he is with me touching his neck between the poll and the crest.

Anyway, after the first hour, we took about a 15 minute break where I left the paddock, walked around a bit and just gave him some "away from the crazy girl" time.

2nd hour, I'd thought we'd just continue with what we'd worked on during the 1st hour but I could see almost immediately that Phoenix was getting bored so I brought out the rag and the halter/lead rope.

I started by making sure he say both items.  Then holding one or the other I'd just kind of hold it with my arms lowered and wave it a little to get him curious.  He'd come to me and I'd let him check it out (this guy has to explore EVERYTHING with his lips, it seems) and then I'd slowly raise it to see if he'd let me rub it 1st on his nose and forehead and 2nd from the poll to the withers.

He was having none of it past sniffing and lipping both items.  So, new tactic:  I coiled up the halter and lead rope, tied it so it wouldn't turn into a big long mess, let it fall to the ground and then walked away.  Phoenix immediately approached, sniffed, picked it up in his teeth, swung it around and played with it, dropped it and then pawed at it.  I repeated the same thing with the rag once he decided that the halter/lead were harmless and relaxed. He handled the rag the same way: pick it up, wave it around, toss it on the ground, paw at it, decide it's harmless and walk away.  I think he just needs to see that there's nothing to be fearful of.  Yesterday, he wouldn't even get near the halter and lead on the ground or the rag (which I sprayed with fly spray before our session started because I want him to get used to the scent) so, as far as I'm concerned, that's victory number 2. Yay!

Next, it was break time again and I broke out the carrots.  The last half hour I decided we'd do something that I personally hadn't done with him yet: I did a little reading up last night and one of the things I read suggested that if you have a difficult to catch and halter horse, initially, bribery with treats can help.  Right now, even though he's ok-ish (that is, you can lead him around and he's jittery but he'll stand still for a bit) once the halter's on, Phoenix does NOT associate it with anything positive so he's absolutely NOT interested in allowing anyone to put a halter on him.  I decided that we're going to make it "fun" to be haltered.  Every time he comes to me, stands and allows me to halter him, he gets a piece of carrot.

I started by giving him a small piece to let him know I had goodies.  Next,I walked away and I gave the command "Phoenix, come here" and when he did, he got his carrot bit (that was easy, of COURSE he'll come for the carrot!)  Did that a couple of times and then progressed to  "Phoenix, come here," and then when he came, holding my left  hand lightly on the bridge of his nose and  my right hand on his withers, I'd say "stand" until he stood still and relaxed (that was actually a little scary as I was concerned about getting kicked or stomped on as he tried to sidle away).  Once he calmed down and stood still, he got his carrot bit.  Finally, after I think he figured out I wanted him to be still, we did "come here" and "stand" and I looped the lead around his neck, haltered him, told him what a good boy he is and gave him another bit of carrot.

Once we got the halter on the 1st time, I led him around a bit(he gets SO bored with it that I don't actually lead him around as much as I should, to be honest.  I need to work on that) and introduced the rag again and tried to get him to let me rub his shoulders and front legs with the rag.  That was a mixed success as he'd only let me do his left side.  For some reason, with the hater on, he's not OK with me approaching his right side... it takes a lot of coaxing and repetition and that wasn't our main goal at the time, so I didn't push the issue.  After just a few minutes, I let him go, gave him a break, repeated the whole process and then called it a day.

I can't wait to go back tomorrow!  I'll work on getting better pictures but for now, crappy shots from afar are going to have to do.  He's not quite ready to deal with me waving a camera around yet.

Day 2

Day 2 was yesterday.  I'm almost caught up!

I had to buy a halter and lead for P yesterday and found a softer brush as well seeing he was officially not OK with a curry, as I found out day 1.  Also picked up some wipe on fly spray because he's getting eaten alive.

One of the other boarders took pity on P recently and tried to put some fly spray on him.  Apparently he freaked out when she sprayed it near him so I figured now's as good a time as any to try to start getting him used to the smells/sounds/feel of the rag and spray.

Headed up to the stable with a new rope halter, lead, assortment of brushes, fly spray, a few carrots and a white wash rag.

One thing I noticed on Day 1 was that Phoenix is pretty friendly... until you pick up a halter.  If he's loose and you walk into the paddock with a halter in your hand, he won't let you get very close at all.

So, I decided that Day 2 was going to be a step back but hopefully a step in the right direction.  No haltering.  My goal for the day was just to work on getting to know him, getting him to know that I'd like to be buds and getting him to follow me as well as allow me to touch him and handle him w/out him running away.  I hoped I might be able to get him to stand still for  a swipe or three of the rag sans fly spray but I wasn't counting on it.

Day 2 was a success!  Phoenix did very well and I didn't do too shabby either!  We spent a couple of hours (with breaks) just getting to know one another.  He's a little bitey but pushing his muzzle away with a firm but quiet "NO" seems to be working pretty well.

I got to see 1st hand a few times, the "scratch my butt" request but Kay helped me with that.  After the first time, on Kay's advice, when he did it again, a short, sharp stamp and clamp got the point across that presenting me with his rear end is NOT an option.  Only had to do that a couple of times for him to "get it."  Awesome!

We, Kay and I, also discussed treats.  I don't want P to be spoiled and I need to really discourage the nipping so, no treats by hand, only in his bucket and I need to not "over treat" which can be tempting.  I want him to understand that sniffing is OK but around me/my hands, teeth stay closed. Period.

I tried the fly spray and failed but that's OK.

Once I had the smell of the stuff on me, P and I were back to square one.  He does NOT like the smell at all. So, for now, everything we do... I'll have fly spray on my hands or on a rag in my pocket until he gets used to it.

We also worked with the rag a little bit.  I let him check it out rubbed it on his forehead, waved it around and that was about it.  I just wanted him to accept it without spooking and he did and that's more than good enough for me for one day.

Hopefully we'll get some pictures up here soon!

Day 1

That 1st day, T had Phoenix haltered for me when I got to the stable.  Apparently, it took him over half an hour to get the thing on the little guy.  Phoenix is actually quite friendly, he just hasn't had the opportunity to build any relationships based on trust. So, that's going to be one of our very first goals.

I basically used that 1st day to try to evaluate Phoenix and see what he was all about.

Once he's haltered he'll lead but he needs work there.  He does NOT appreciate grooming very much at all but will pick up his feet very nicely if asked.  He doesn't mind being touched anywhere except his rear.  Touching his rear end while I'm standing at his side sends him running every time.  I did not try to handle his tail.

As of now, I'm going to have a super tough time getting a halter on him.  I think he associates the halter with being annoyed by people who he doesn't know or trust (me as well as others) and I wonder if chasing him down and forcing him to be haltered is simply negative reinforcement.

The only thing I can see being a real problem at this point is that Phoenix is SMART and because he's smart, he gets bored easily.  Because I'm learning, I move a little slower than Phoenix does in that regard because I'm concerned with giving him mixed or unclear cues.

I overdid things that 1st day, spent way too long feeling him out (I was there with him for about 4 hours), to the point that he let me know he was done (got very mouthy).

So lessons learned day one:  Need to speed myself up so P doesn't get so bored.  Shorter sessions (no more than an hour or so). Pay attention! 

One other thing I learned about that I didn't see on that 1st day: D & T warned me that somewhere along the way, Phoenix learned that if he presents a person with his butt, they'll scratch it for him.

Other boarders at the stable (unfortunately) have encouraged this behavior.  They are on the other side of a fence and don't see the harm, think it's "cute." Not a good idea.

Day 0

This is where I'm going to record what happens as my relationship with Phoenix evolves.

 Who's Phoenix? He's an approximately 9 year old BLM mustang gelding. I don't know a ton about him at this point but I'm learning new things from him and about him every day. Here's what I do know about Phoenix:

 He was 3rd striker and accordingly, his most recent adopter saved him from slaughter. Unfortunately, the man who adopted Phoenix from BLM the last time didn't have time for him and/or couldn't afford him (or the 3 other horses he owned) and Phoenix was abandoned at the boarding stable where he was being kept. The owners of the facility are wonderful people, horse people, and I think they see the potential in this little guy so they've been feeding him and taking care of him for quite a while now in hopes of finding him a new family. They were able to sell the other 3 horses to new homes very quickly but no one seemed to want Phoenix. What I've been told (and seen!) is that given the state of the economy there are a lot of horses in need of homes right now; trained horses, horses with pedigrees that will demand little to no training from new families, perfectly wonderful horses whose current families just need to find them a home for a whole host of reasons. Phoenix has neither training nor pedigree.

 From what I understand, he's just too much work for most people to want to take on. Most people looking to buy a horse want a horse that they can ride and Phoenix isn't even close to ready for that! Most people aren't interested in spending the time and $$ it's going to take to feed and care for an animal that they can't ride until he's gentled. Even the few people who are interested in training up a horse are looking for... well, something else. So, Phoenix has been languishing in a paddock for the past year and more without being handled or worked with. His feet haven't seen a farrier in at least 2 years (they look surprisingly good for not having seen a farrier in so long but they're still in desperate need of attention), getting a halter on him is almost impossible and, he's pretty spooky about everything. He's basically wild.

 Here's where I come in.

 Being an equine enthusiast, (that is to say, I'm the girl -like so many others- who grew up wanting a horse, riding lessons, anything to do with horses, and never grew out of it) I regularly spend time on websites looking to see what horses are available so I can daydream about how awesome it would be to have this one or that one for my own. I haven't actively worked with horses for about 15 years until the past few months. Having a horse, being involved with them just hasn't seemed like it was within my reach so, for all that time I haven't. Recently, I found out about a really great rescue program called Horses of Tir Na Nog here in SoCal. I visited a few times to volunteer (and will continue) and it's phenomenal.

Tir Na Nog is great but it put "the bug" back to work in my mind and I have been looking for an opportunity to play a more active role in handling and training ever since. I want to ride, just like everyone else who's horse crazy, sure. But, right now I'm more interested in learning horses from the ground. I want to learn how to interact effectively and compassionately. I want to learn how to do all the things a trainer would do. If there's one thing that's a part of my life that I truly love, it's working with animals. Working with an animal, having the patience to see it through the rough spots and, eventually, to get to be a part of every little break through (and the big ones too!) is the most rewarding thing I've ever done. Doing that sort of "work" is when I feel most at home in my own skin. It's when I'm most content and happiest being me. Developing the trust and respect of an animal is, to me, the best thing in the world. I've done it with all kinds of reptiles, dogs, cats, more reptiles... but I've always wanted to work with horses too. I know I have the patience I'll need (my iguana, for one, is a perfect example. It took me 2 years of patience and work to get him to the point that he didn't try to kill me -literally- every time I opened his cage to feed and clean and another couple of years after that to make him the 6 feet of scaly sweetness he is today). Horses are not however, reptiles with brains the size of a walnut and I'm fully aware of that so until this week, I'd resigned myself to continuing to look for the "right" opportunity to learn from someone, anyone, who could teach me and was willing... and to look at local for sale ads and dream.

 I came across an ad that had been posted on a local website about a week ago describing Phoenix and explaining that his current owners (the owners of the boarding stable) were just looking for a home for him but that they were willing to wait to find him the "right" home. I read the ad, ogled the picture of the cute-as-a-button little brown horse that accompanied it and was instantly enthralled. When I picture myself with a horse of my own, I don't see myself riding a beautiful Friesian, quarter horse, paint,thoroughbred or anything other than a mustang. I've always wanted a mustang. My first and longest regular contact with horses was with a mustang that I leased for a year while I was in the military. For that year I was fortunate enough to spend scads of time on a daily basis with and around a whole herd of mustangs and others kept as riding horses at the stable on the base I was stationed at and the mustangs, by far, were always my favorites. So, I kept going back, sometimes two or three times a day and looking for that same ad for a week to see if it was still up, and every day, it was. I contemplated responding to it but kept telling myself "No way! That will be too much for me, a novice, to handle. I can't afford a horse!" and yet, I still went back and looked again. Finally, 4 days ago, I bucked up the courage and responded to the ad. I explained that I wasn't sure that I was ready to own a horse but would be interested in leasing and working with Phoenix until either I decided to keep him for myself or a good home was found and asked if his owners would be interested in that sort of a deal.

 Then, I waited.

 The next day I received a reply from Phoenix's wonderful friend and current owner, Debi. Debi and her husband asked if I'd like to come out and Phoenix and so, that afternoon I went to meet all three of them. And that's where the story really begins.

 3 days ago, I agreed to a feed lease of an untrained, absolutely adorable (in personality and looks), wonderful little horse named Phoenix, met a bunch of new and really great people and began a twice daily trek of 40 miles (That's kind of a big deal for me. I normally only drive to and from work and walk everywhere else I want to go) to get back and forth to the stable.

 I'm getting a lot of help and great advice from other people and fortunately for me there are a LOT of them around the stable. I met a lady yesterday (I think her name is Kay; I'm really, really bad with names) who has trained BLM mustangs and has already taught me quite a bit who works at the stable and has offered to help any time I need some advice/guidance. Debi and her husband (Tom?), until recently bred, trained and showed (I think) arabians and they're helping a lot too. T has been a HUGE help already and I like them both immensely. Another lady, who also boards at the stable (I think her name is Pam) has also been very kind and welcoming and I've met a bunch of other people too.

 So, we'll see what happens! If you've gotten this far, I commend you! I hope you'll come back to visit again and see how Phoenix and I and the rest of the crew are progressing!