Busy, busy, busy! Phoenix and I have been super busy the past week or so. Busy enough with work, driving, Phoenix, more driving, etc., etc. that I haven't had time to update this.
We finished our marathon of daily training with the trainer and we've now graduated to a once per week schedule. Progress will slow down considerably but that's OK because it'll give me time to get myself up to par. My relationship with Phoenix is quickly evolving to one of trust and respect and I like that.
He's still testy (tries to nip me at least once a day) but that's all right and the fact that he's doing it is really my fault anyway; I didn't know how to lead so he took over initially but that's changed thanks to Jim, our trainer. P's definitely a lot more respectful and willing than he was a couple weeks ago which is wonderful. I'm not quite sure I have his complete trust yet but we're getting there.
P's feet are improving at a much faster rate than I'd have imagined they could thanks to regular exercise and a clean pen. The verdict's still out... not sure about his front feet yet but his back feet are starting to look normal and that's great. Gonna give those fronts a few more weeks (and Phoenix a few more weeks to get used to the idea of standing still for the farrier as well) and then we'll see what to do next.
As a way to decompress from our training sessions I've started spending 10-20 minutes every day playing in his pen/paddock/whatever you want to call it with P. It's good bonding time, I think and we both have fun. Most of it involves us playing chase around a large hill of dirt. Sounds silly, and it is but it's fun for both of us and, like I said, good time to bond.
One thing I noticed that changed the way he relates to me more than anything else: using the "join up" method. It really works.
So, there's that. I took a day off for the first time in a couple of weeks today and I really wish I hadn't. I miss my horse. Can't wait to get up to see him tomorrow. Time to go break airplanes.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
In Which Phoenix Has Decided He's A Hunter Jumper
Been so busy! Too busy with training (me AND Phoenix) to post properly.
So, everything's going well. I'm in hock to the trainer for almost $300 but that's OK. He keeps doing two hour session but telling me to only bill him for one hour and I can't seem to get comfortable with that... so I'm paying for the 2 hours.
Phoenix is doing very, very well. Today we introduced him to a tarp and a small "jump" of sorts... it was really just a log that was about a foot off the ground. Trying to get him to do just about everything with the saddle on to get him used to it to the point that he's completely relaxed. He's doing fairly well with that but still a little sketchy about that first time in the session where the saddle goes up and over his back. He settles down with minimal fritzing out though (we're talking he runs like 5 steps and then stops to think it over; he's done that 2 days in a row)
Oh wait! I need to back up and talk about barrels. So, Jim, our trainer has two empty barrels. A couple days ago, he placed them about a foot and a half apart and played a version of the squeeze game with P and the barrels. P went right through, after some initial hesitation to check things out, like a pro.
The next day, Jim slid the barrels (on their sides) together and though I think the idea was to get P to hop over them, P was like, "nahh dude. Not happening. But, I know they'll split so I'm just gonna push right through them." And he did. Multiple times. And all was right in the world.
So that's how things are progressing. Jim's alternating things like the barrels with getting P to maintain gait and we're practicing with direct pressure, rhythmic pressure and I forget what the other one's called. It's basically all different ways to tell P to do the same things; the idea being that he needs to give to all different types of pressure if he's asked and it needs to not be a big deal.
P is doing very, very well and I'm not doing too badly myself. I'm learning scads and P is actually starting to show a little respect as opposed to his previous bossiness. Hah! The little booger tried to barrel right past me today to get out of the arena. I don't think so! Right back in he went and then, back out again... backwards. For now, until he can be a little more respectful, he'll be backing in or out any gates we go through. I find it fascinating how much power and discipline there is in that one simple movement. On a more positive note, we've got, giving the hindquarters DOWN. Go us!
OK, the tarp. No wait. First the jumpy-hop log: so there's the log sitting in its little braces. Jim's got P on the line and he asks P to go over the log. P obliges. No jumping (too short to warrant a jump from Mister way-too-smart-for-his-britches P) but he goes over nicely. Jim asks P to change direction and wait for the ask to do it again and P's having none of it. He knows what to do and he REALLY wants to step back over the log. They argue. P gives in and waits to be asked. Goes over nicely, changes direction again and sneaks himself back over that log before Jim can stop him. Apparently, P really, really likes going over this dopey little log. Jim makes him go back and do it again without the anticipating and P does fine (albeit with a little fuss). Jim decides to move on to something else.. and P was having none of it. As Jim asked him to walk on to the next task P went as far out as he could get on his lead, neck all stretched out at an awkward angle just so he could go over that log one last time. We all had a good laugh and P was VERY pleased with himself. The licking, chewing and blinking were impressive.
The tarp: apparently most horses get a little scared of the tarp. Not so, Phoenix the wonder horse. Jim walked him toward it and when he got close, gave P the chance to examine it, which of course, he did. As he was checking it out, I leaned over to Roberta (one of Jim's other students who comes to watch our lessons) and said, "I'll bet you a dollar that within the next ten seconds he picks it up (the tarp) and tosses it around." Roberta looked at me like I'd lost my mind... and Phoenix picked the tarp up, waved it around, set it back down and then walked over it like he'd been doing it his whole life. Go Phoenix! Such a good boy!
Lots more but it's bed time and then tomorrow I get to work with my boy before "school." I am having so much fun! I think Phoenix is too and that makes it even better.
We're going slow because we're basically doing a colt start on an adult horse and sometimes that translates to P needing a little more convincing than he might have 5 or 6 years ago but the end result is gonna be me being confident and proficient (which I'm not as of yet) and also a calm, collected, responsive, super smart, hardy little horse. Eventually, we are going to kick some serious ass.
So, everything's going well. I'm in hock to the trainer for almost $300 but that's OK. He keeps doing two hour session but telling me to only bill him for one hour and I can't seem to get comfortable with that... so I'm paying for the 2 hours.
Phoenix is doing very, very well. Today we introduced him to a tarp and a small "jump" of sorts... it was really just a log that was about a foot off the ground. Trying to get him to do just about everything with the saddle on to get him used to it to the point that he's completely relaxed. He's doing fairly well with that but still a little sketchy about that first time in the session where the saddle goes up and over his back. He settles down with minimal fritzing out though (we're talking he runs like 5 steps and then stops to think it over; he's done that 2 days in a row)
Oh wait! I need to back up and talk about barrels. So, Jim, our trainer has two empty barrels. A couple days ago, he placed them about a foot and a half apart and played a version of the squeeze game with P and the barrels. P went right through, after some initial hesitation to check things out, like a pro.
The next day, Jim slid the barrels (on their sides) together and though I think the idea was to get P to hop over them, P was like, "nahh dude. Not happening. But, I know they'll split so I'm just gonna push right through them." And he did. Multiple times. And all was right in the world.
So that's how things are progressing. Jim's alternating things like the barrels with getting P to maintain gait and we're practicing with direct pressure, rhythmic pressure and I forget what the other one's called. It's basically all different ways to tell P to do the same things; the idea being that he needs to give to all different types of pressure if he's asked and it needs to not be a big deal.
P is doing very, very well and I'm not doing too badly myself. I'm learning scads and P is actually starting to show a little respect as opposed to his previous bossiness. Hah! The little booger tried to barrel right past me today to get out of the arena. I don't think so! Right back in he went and then, back out again... backwards. For now, until he can be a little more respectful, he'll be backing in or out any gates we go through. I find it fascinating how much power and discipline there is in that one simple movement. On a more positive note, we've got, giving the hindquarters DOWN. Go us!
OK, the tarp. No wait. First the jumpy-hop log: so there's the log sitting in its little braces. Jim's got P on the line and he asks P to go over the log. P obliges. No jumping (too short to warrant a jump from Mister way-too-smart-for-his-britches P) but he goes over nicely. Jim asks P to change direction and wait for the ask to do it again and P's having none of it. He knows what to do and he REALLY wants to step back over the log. They argue. P gives in and waits to be asked. Goes over nicely, changes direction again and sneaks himself back over that log before Jim can stop him. Apparently, P really, really likes going over this dopey little log. Jim makes him go back and do it again without the anticipating and P does fine (albeit with a little fuss). Jim decides to move on to something else.. and P was having none of it. As Jim asked him to walk on to the next task P went as far out as he could get on his lead, neck all stretched out at an awkward angle just so he could go over that log one last time. We all had a good laugh and P was VERY pleased with himself. The licking, chewing and blinking were impressive.
The tarp: apparently most horses get a little scared of the tarp. Not so, Phoenix the wonder horse. Jim walked him toward it and when he got close, gave P the chance to examine it, which of course, he did. As he was checking it out, I leaned over to Roberta (one of Jim's other students who comes to watch our lessons) and said, "I'll bet you a dollar that within the next ten seconds he picks it up (the tarp) and tosses it around." Roberta looked at me like I'd lost my mind... and Phoenix picked the tarp up, waved it around, set it back down and then walked over it like he'd been doing it his whole life. Go Phoenix! Such a good boy!
Lots more but it's bed time and then tomorrow I get to work with my boy before "school." I am having so much fun! I think Phoenix is too and that makes it even better.
We're going slow because we're basically doing a colt start on an adult horse and sometimes that translates to P needing a little more convincing than he might have 5 or 6 years ago but the end result is gonna be me being confident and proficient (which I'm not as of yet) and also a calm, collected, responsive, super smart, hardy little horse. Eventually, we are going to kick some serious ass.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Victory!
So, had a rough week but the work week ended on a positive note for P and me.
We started out, as I've previously mentioned, on a good note. P did much better with the vet than I'd thought he would and we'd set up a time for the farrier to come out and the next day was our assessment with a trainer, wormer came in the mail, etc., etc.
And then things kind of went "kasploot!" like a big pile of dung all over my plans and ego.
First the farrier was a doo-doo head and left after about five minutes, trimming down one heel, telling me "Call me in August" even though he'd previously told me repeatedly that P needed ALL of his heels trimmed so we can try to get his feet correct and give the toes a chance to grow out.
I came up, in my head, with a thousand reasons for why he left the way he did but he gave me no substantial input so we're going to go with a different farrier in spite of the fact that Mr. Five minutes comes with rave reviews and lots of references. The bummer of it all is that P likes him (and I do too!) and that recommends the guy to me more than anything else. Hopefully, P will give the new farrier a chance too.
Anyway, the second bad thing was our first real encounter with the trainer. I flat out do NOT like the guy. I admire him and I think we both (P and I) stand to learn a LOT from him but I still don't like him. I hope that'll change in time.
Last Saturday I stayed out at the ranch to watch his training session with another boarder, Pam and her mare, Macy (sp?) and was really impressed with how he worked with Pam's horse. He was awesome and I was really enthused in spite of the fact that I felt like he talked too much. I chalked my misgivings up to myself being too judgmental and a jerk-face and contacted him to set up an assessment to see if he'd be interested in working with P and I.
He came out on Thursday and brought one of his long-time students to audit. I don't remember her name but I liked her straight away. For the first 45 minutes to an hour, they both cooed and ahh'ed over how well P was doing, how quickly he understood what was being asked of him and generally said that he was a very good, nice boy. And then, the trainer asked me how old he was and when the last time P had been ridden. I answered truthfully, "8 years old and never." and JUST LIKE THAT, we went from, this is a nice, well put together, smart little horse you have here," to , "You should not waste any more of your time on this dominant, poorly conformed, probably never going to be able to be ridden horse."
WTF?!
For the next 45 minutes the guy told me every which way that he could that I should give up on P, that I shouldn't buy him... even went so far to try to sell me a different horse (he approached THAT as if I were a frikkin' 15 year old getting her first pony with "AND this horse is a PALOMINO!" not realizing that color really isn't a selling point for me and that I'm not so ignorant that I don't know that color should have NOTHING to do with why you decide to purchase a horse. That's utter ridiculousness!). The guy changed his story from "he's well put together and you can work with his feet" to, "well, I'd like his withers to be a little higher and his so wide in the barrel that he could slip a saddle and his feet are probably never going to be correct," and on, and on.
I was flabbergasted.
We ended the session with the idea that I'd take what he'd said under consideration, think it over for a night and e-mail him the following day. Instead, yesterday I woke up to an email from him that was even MORE negative than his conversation had been. He told me in the e-mail that if I wanted to train P just to get him to have good ground manners to be a pasture pet, that he'd help me with that but that P would NEVER be able to be ridden and I should give up now before it was too late. He told me that P was too bossy, had a bad attitude which isn't something that I could change and that he'd never be able to be ridden. Told me that P was going to be dangerous and would probably freak out as soon as someone sat him for the first time.
Again, flabbergasted. All of this because P is 8 and has never been ridden? Seriously?
I responded in the nicest way I could (I really wanted to tell the guy "I hate your face and I don't agree with almost everything you've said about my horse.") and explained that THIS is my horse and THIS is what I have to work with and while I respected the man's opinions and had hoped that he would see the same potential I do, I understood. Told him that should he ever change his mind and see the value in training myself and my horse, I'd be honored and pleased to have him.
Within a couple of hours, the guy responded again and again, he changed his tune and said he wanted to work with us and we should start tomorrow (that's today). At that point I was spitting nails and unbelievably frustrated.
The thing is, I have to think about what's best for Phoenix and this guy is good, really good at what he does. I don't have to like him. I just have to learn from him and Phoenix responds really well to him so we're going to try and see how the next week goes.
Because I'm such the novice, I have a tough time knowing who to believe and it seems like everyone's got an opinion... and everyone knows more than I do. That's a little stressful when you're trying to learn, especially because almost no one agrees with what anyone else is saying.
I'm figuring things out but it's a difficult and sometimes upsetting process. On the other hand, there's Phoenix. He is a constant wonder and joy for me. Every day he teaches me something new and I hope I'm doing that for him too.
Yesterday, thanks to all the negativity, I needed some positive reinforcement. I hadn't like most of what the trainer told me but I HAD to listen and try to consider objectively. One of the things he seemed to have been trying to verbally pound into my head was that Phoenix might never let someone sit on his back... sooooo, last night, for about 20 minutes before I left the ranch, Phoenix and I went up to the round pen and tried something new.
In between short sessions of yielding hinquarters and walking out on the lead in a small circle, I introduced him to a mounting step.
I'd been told that having someone stand above him might freak him out (prey reaction) and that this could be an indicator of how he'd act once I sat him. Well, P sniffed the mounting step and then calmly walked forward to the correct position as I asked and just stood there like "OK dork girl, this is kinda boring."
The thing is a 2 step mounting block so I started out by leading him up and then standing on the lower step to see what he'd do. He didn't even flinch. He got lots of rubs and "good boys." and we left it for a few minutes. Went back and then next time I stood on the top step. Again, P didn't even flinch. So he got more rubs and "good boy's" so again, we left it and did other things for a few minutes. Third time was a charm. He walked up, I stood on the top step and laid myself over his back, not with my full weight (because I didn't want to end up face down in the pen with a mouth full of sand) but... I'd guesstimate about 1/3 to 1/2 of my weight with my legs on my left and my arms reaching down over his right side so I could scratch his belly. He looked at me funny on his right when I patted him on that side, kinda like "wtf are you doing over THERE?" and that was about it. We did the same thing a couple more times and the ONLY thing that P did was reach back like he might try to nip my leg (unsuccessful attempt; I blocked the lil booger). That's it. No bucking, no freaking out, no "I'm a crazy horse of doom and you will suffer my wrath!" Just, "Hey weirdo, I'm not sure how I feel about this but I'm gonna stand here like you asked and let you do your thing, I guess."
How ya like them apples, trainer guy? In yo face!!!
The ONLY thing wrong with my horse is his feet and those can be fixed, I think. That being said, "THPPPPPPTTTTTT!" >xP
We started out, as I've previously mentioned, on a good note. P did much better with the vet than I'd thought he would and we'd set up a time for the farrier to come out and the next day was our assessment with a trainer, wormer came in the mail, etc., etc.
And then things kind of went "kasploot!" like a big pile of dung all over my plans and ego.
First the farrier was a doo-doo head and left after about five minutes, trimming down one heel, telling me "Call me in August" even though he'd previously told me repeatedly that P needed ALL of his heels trimmed so we can try to get his feet correct and give the toes a chance to grow out.
I came up, in my head, with a thousand reasons for why he left the way he did but he gave me no substantial input so we're going to go with a different farrier in spite of the fact that Mr. Five minutes comes with rave reviews and lots of references. The bummer of it all is that P likes him (and I do too!) and that recommends the guy to me more than anything else. Hopefully, P will give the new farrier a chance too.
Anyway, the second bad thing was our first real encounter with the trainer. I flat out do NOT like the guy. I admire him and I think we both (P and I) stand to learn a LOT from him but I still don't like him. I hope that'll change in time.
Last Saturday I stayed out at the ranch to watch his training session with another boarder, Pam and her mare, Macy (sp?) and was really impressed with how he worked with Pam's horse. He was awesome and I was really enthused in spite of the fact that I felt like he talked too much. I chalked my misgivings up to myself being too judgmental and a jerk-face and contacted him to set up an assessment to see if he'd be interested in working with P and I.
He came out on Thursday and brought one of his long-time students to audit. I don't remember her name but I liked her straight away. For the first 45 minutes to an hour, they both cooed and ahh'ed over how well P was doing, how quickly he understood what was being asked of him and generally said that he was a very good, nice boy. And then, the trainer asked me how old he was and when the last time P had been ridden. I answered truthfully, "8 years old and never." and JUST LIKE THAT, we went from, this is a nice, well put together, smart little horse you have here," to , "You should not waste any more of your time on this dominant, poorly conformed, probably never going to be able to be ridden horse."
WTF?!
For the next 45 minutes the guy told me every which way that he could that I should give up on P, that I shouldn't buy him... even went so far to try to sell me a different horse (he approached THAT as if I were a frikkin' 15 year old getting her first pony with "AND this horse is a PALOMINO!" not realizing that color really isn't a selling point for me and that I'm not so ignorant that I don't know that color should have NOTHING to do with why you decide to purchase a horse. That's utter ridiculousness!). The guy changed his story from "he's well put together and you can work with his feet" to, "well, I'd like his withers to be a little higher and his so wide in the barrel that he could slip a saddle and his feet are probably never going to be correct," and on, and on.
I was flabbergasted.
We ended the session with the idea that I'd take what he'd said under consideration, think it over for a night and e-mail him the following day. Instead, yesterday I woke up to an email from him that was even MORE negative than his conversation had been. He told me in the e-mail that if I wanted to train P just to get him to have good ground manners to be a pasture pet, that he'd help me with that but that P would NEVER be able to be ridden and I should give up now before it was too late. He told me that P was too bossy, had a bad attitude which isn't something that I could change and that he'd never be able to be ridden. Told me that P was going to be dangerous and would probably freak out as soon as someone sat him for the first time.
Again, flabbergasted. All of this because P is 8 and has never been ridden? Seriously?
I responded in the nicest way I could (I really wanted to tell the guy "I hate your face and I don't agree with almost everything you've said about my horse.") and explained that THIS is my horse and THIS is what I have to work with and while I respected the man's opinions and had hoped that he would see the same potential I do, I understood. Told him that should he ever change his mind and see the value in training myself and my horse, I'd be honored and pleased to have him.
Within a couple of hours, the guy responded again and again, he changed his tune and said he wanted to work with us and we should start tomorrow (that's today). At that point I was spitting nails and unbelievably frustrated.
The thing is, I have to think about what's best for Phoenix and this guy is good, really good at what he does. I don't have to like him. I just have to learn from him and Phoenix responds really well to him so we're going to try and see how the next week goes.
Because I'm such the novice, I have a tough time knowing who to believe and it seems like everyone's got an opinion... and everyone knows more than I do. That's a little stressful when you're trying to learn, especially because almost no one agrees with what anyone else is saying.
I'm figuring things out but it's a difficult and sometimes upsetting process. On the other hand, there's Phoenix. He is a constant wonder and joy for me. Every day he teaches me something new and I hope I'm doing that for him too.
Yesterday, thanks to all the negativity, I needed some positive reinforcement. I hadn't like most of what the trainer told me but I HAD to listen and try to consider objectively. One of the things he seemed to have been trying to verbally pound into my head was that Phoenix might never let someone sit on his back... sooooo, last night, for about 20 minutes before I left the ranch, Phoenix and I went up to the round pen and tried something new.
In between short sessions of yielding hinquarters and walking out on the lead in a small circle, I introduced him to a mounting step.
I'd been told that having someone stand above him might freak him out (prey reaction) and that this could be an indicator of how he'd act once I sat him. Well, P sniffed the mounting step and then calmly walked forward to the correct position as I asked and just stood there like "OK dork girl, this is kinda boring."
The thing is a 2 step mounting block so I started out by leading him up and then standing on the lower step to see what he'd do. He didn't even flinch. He got lots of rubs and "good boys." and we left it for a few minutes. Went back and then next time I stood on the top step. Again, P didn't even flinch. So he got more rubs and "good boy's" so again, we left it and did other things for a few minutes. Third time was a charm. He walked up, I stood on the top step and laid myself over his back, not with my full weight (because I didn't want to end up face down in the pen with a mouth full of sand) but... I'd guesstimate about 1/3 to 1/2 of my weight with my legs on my left and my arms reaching down over his right side so I could scratch his belly. He looked at me funny on his right when I patted him on that side, kinda like "wtf are you doing over THERE?" and that was about it. We did the same thing a couple more times and the ONLY thing that P did was reach back like he might try to nip my leg (unsuccessful attempt; I blocked the lil booger). That's it. No bucking, no freaking out, no "I'm a crazy horse of doom and you will suffer my wrath!" Just, "Hey weirdo, I'm not sure how I feel about this but I'm gonna stand here like you asked and let you do your thing, I guess."
How ya like them apples, trainer guy? In yo face!!!
The ONLY thing wrong with my horse is his feet and those can be fixed, I think. That being said, "THPPPPPPTTTTTT!" >xP
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Frustrations Abound
Well, it's been a rough week in Lisa-Phoenix land. P had his first vet visit in a couple of years and while he wasn't wonderful, I think he did really well considering. Had his two shots and only bolted (about two steps) away from the needles once. Was really good with the doctor about letting her see his chompers (good boy!) and would not even let her get close to his bum for a temperature reading.
The doctor gave me some tips on how to work on rectifying the temp. taking issue and we'll have her back soon to do a blood panel and some light tooth work.
P also had what was supposed to be his first farrier visit a couple of days ago. He wouldn't stand for too long and the end result was that the farrier clipped down the heel of his left front hoof and told me to have him back in August. Grrr. I chased this guy for WEEKS, he comes out and then he pulls that. There's more to the story but suffice it to say that I was pissed when he left after 10 minutes.
We're gonna go with another farrier. I don't have the time to deal with this guy.
Trainer came out to do an assessment today and brought along one of his experienced students. They both raved about how well P did, said he was really picking things up quick, wasn't a jerk-face, was a nice looking boy, etc., etc,... and then they found out how old he is and that he's never been ridden and IMMEDIATELY the trainer went from "he's great" to trying to discourage me from having anything else to do with P. The guy even went so far as to tell me about a nice quarter horse gelding I could have for a reduced price, etc.
Needless to say, it's been a frustrating week thanks to PEOPLE. P, on the other hand, is doing wonderfully and there is NO doubt in my mind whatsoever that he'll continue to do wonderfully. I'm just going to have to get these people to give him the chance he deserves.
Time for work. I'm going to go take my frustration out on airplanes for 8 hours or so... and then tomorrow morning, P and I will get back to proving what a great horse he is now and is going to be given the time and training he deserves.
The doctor gave me some tips on how to work on rectifying the temp. taking issue and we'll have her back soon to do a blood panel and some light tooth work.
P also had what was supposed to be his first farrier visit a couple of days ago. He wouldn't stand for too long and the end result was that the farrier clipped down the heel of his left front hoof and told me to have him back in August. Grrr. I chased this guy for WEEKS, he comes out and then he pulls that. There's more to the story but suffice it to say that I was pissed when he left after 10 minutes.
We're gonna go with another farrier. I don't have the time to deal with this guy.
Trainer came out to do an assessment today and brought along one of his experienced students. They both raved about how well P did, said he was really picking things up quick, wasn't a jerk-face, was a nice looking boy, etc., etc,... and then they found out how old he is and that he's never been ridden and IMMEDIATELY the trainer went from "he's great" to trying to discourage me from having anything else to do with P. The guy even went so far as to tell me about a nice quarter horse gelding I could have for a reduced price, etc.
Needless to say, it's been a frustrating week thanks to PEOPLE. P, on the other hand, is doing wonderfully and there is NO doubt in my mind whatsoever that he'll continue to do wonderfully. I'm just going to have to get these people to give him the chance he deserves.
Time for work. I'm going to go take my frustration out on airplanes for 8 hours or so... and then tomorrow morning, P and I will get back to proving what a great horse he is now and is going to be given the time and training he deserves.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Lazy Saturday Morning and Disjointed Thoughts
Well, we did a little work and played a little yesterday. All in all, no major progress but baby steps are what it's all about.
I think, at this point, I'm my own worst enemy. I'm learning so much but I'm not learning fast enough to stay ahead of P.
On a different note, vet comes out Monday, wormer's in the mail and, the farrier showed up yesterday... before I got paid and then acted flakey about coming out next week.
Everyone tells me that this is THE GUY but I'm not too pleased about having to chase the guy down and then, on top of it all, he won't just buckle down and give me a date/time that he can come out. That's pretty annoying.
We tried to work on disengaging hindquarters yesterday but I can tell that something isn't going right. It's either a respect/trust thing or I'm not cuing correctly because P is not responding well to it at all. I'd gather that the problem is ME and not Phoenix. Boo! During my drive home every day, I do a sort of mental review of the things P and I did that day and try to figure through what went well, what I did correctly and what I did incorrectly which produced poor results and the only thing I knew for a certainty yesterday was that I'm probably not letting off the pressure for long enough when he DOES disengage. But, how long is long enough? Gonna work at it again today and give a much more substantial release. Hopefully that will help.
On the other hand, it took me all of 2 tries to get him to lower his head. Yay! He really is a smart little guy and he picks things up very quickly when I cue him correctly.
I'm battling with uncertainty every step of the way here. The thing is, I don't know how much, exactly, P had learned however many years ago. I've been told that he was almost ready to ride with his previous person and that could explain why he picks things up so quickly... maybe I'm not teaching; maybe I'm just reminding him. But, if that's the case, he should already know how to disengage both front and hindquarters and he absolutely does NOT.
I'd think too, that if he were ready for a saddle, he'd have been less scared of the training whip and he was not. First time I brought that thing out, he flipped shit. Then again, maybe he was familiar with the thing... Maybe he former person used it not as a tool for training but as a punishment? I have no idea. There could be a thousand plus reasons why he's so quick with some things and an absolute freakazoid with others.
In then end, it doesn't matter. We'll just keep taking baby steps. Something else just occurred to me: P doesn't seem to get the idea of the imaginary circle thing (this is all Clinton Anderson style training). So, maybe today, we'll go over the little things we're doing well but we'll start again with the circle. He (C.A.) mentions repeatedly how important it is.
The coolest thing from the past couple days has been the Join-up. I read about the whole concept in a Joe Camp book and decided to try it (I think it's a Parelli technique but I'm not sure). Instead of me approaching Phoenix when I get to the ranch and him not being quite sure he's OK with my pesty self, here's what I've been doing for the past 2 days:
Pull up in the car, get out, say "hello." Gather up the halter, lead and whatever else we're going to use that day (usually just the training stick/whip), go into the paddock, walk a few feet in from the gate, make sure P is paying attention to me. Then, I turn around facing away from P, hunch my shoulders, lower my head and wait. It doesn't seem like it would be but it was really, really tough to resist the urge to look back and see where he was. Admittedly, it didn't get any easier to resist yesterday either! But, the technique works. On the first day, it took P maybe 5 minutes before he was standing just behind my left should looking at me like, "WTF are you doing?! Let's go but give me scritchings first, woman!" and yesterday, it took about half that. He chose ME. And, that's pretty darn cool.
On a totally unrelated note, my biggest concern at this point is whether or not I'll be able to afford to keep Phoenix. I'm concerned that I won't be able to afford the boarding and farrier fees. So, for now, I'm pretending I'm already paying for everything. Won't hurt to put the extra cash aside for emergencies and I'll know by the "do or die" date (August 1st) whether or not I can take that leap.
If I do, it will be the biggest, most significant $1 purchase of my life, I think.
I think, at this point, I'm my own worst enemy. I'm learning so much but I'm not learning fast enough to stay ahead of P.
On a different note, vet comes out Monday, wormer's in the mail and, the farrier showed up yesterday... before I got paid and then acted flakey about coming out next week.
Everyone tells me that this is THE GUY but I'm not too pleased about having to chase the guy down and then, on top of it all, he won't just buckle down and give me a date/time that he can come out. That's pretty annoying.
We tried to work on disengaging hindquarters yesterday but I can tell that something isn't going right. It's either a respect/trust thing or I'm not cuing correctly because P is not responding well to it at all. I'd gather that the problem is ME and not Phoenix. Boo! During my drive home every day, I do a sort of mental review of the things P and I did that day and try to figure through what went well, what I did correctly and what I did incorrectly which produced poor results and the only thing I knew for a certainty yesterday was that I'm probably not letting off the pressure for long enough when he DOES disengage. But, how long is long enough? Gonna work at it again today and give a much more substantial release. Hopefully that will help.
On the other hand, it took me all of 2 tries to get him to lower his head. Yay! He really is a smart little guy and he picks things up very quickly when I cue him correctly.
I'm battling with uncertainty every step of the way here. The thing is, I don't know how much, exactly, P had learned however many years ago. I've been told that he was almost ready to ride with his previous person and that could explain why he picks things up so quickly... maybe I'm not teaching; maybe I'm just reminding him. But, if that's the case, he should already know how to disengage both front and hindquarters and he absolutely does NOT.
I'd think too, that if he were ready for a saddle, he'd have been less scared of the training whip and he was not. First time I brought that thing out, he flipped shit. Then again, maybe he was familiar with the thing... Maybe he former person used it not as a tool for training but as a punishment? I have no idea. There could be a thousand plus reasons why he's so quick with some things and an absolute freakazoid with others.
In then end, it doesn't matter. We'll just keep taking baby steps. Something else just occurred to me: P doesn't seem to get the idea of the imaginary circle thing (this is all Clinton Anderson style training). So, maybe today, we'll go over the little things we're doing well but we'll start again with the circle. He (C.A.) mentions repeatedly how important it is.
The coolest thing from the past couple days has been the Join-up. I read about the whole concept in a Joe Camp book and decided to try it (I think it's a Parelli technique but I'm not sure). Instead of me approaching Phoenix when I get to the ranch and him not being quite sure he's OK with my pesty self, here's what I've been doing for the past 2 days:
Pull up in the car, get out, say "hello." Gather up the halter, lead and whatever else we're going to use that day (usually just the training stick/whip), go into the paddock, walk a few feet in from the gate, make sure P is paying attention to me. Then, I turn around facing away from P, hunch my shoulders, lower my head and wait. It doesn't seem like it would be but it was really, really tough to resist the urge to look back and see where he was. Admittedly, it didn't get any easier to resist yesterday either! But, the technique works. On the first day, it took P maybe 5 minutes before he was standing just behind my left should looking at me like, "WTF are you doing?! Let's go but give me scritchings first, woman!" and yesterday, it took about half that. He chose ME. And, that's pretty darn cool.
On a totally unrelated note, my biggest concern at this point is whether or not I'll be able to afford to keep Phoenix. I'm concerned that I won't be able to afford the boarding and farrier fees. So, for now, I'm pretending I'm already paying for everything. Won't hurt to put the extra cash aside for emergencies and I'll know by the "do or die" date (August 1st) whether or not I can take that leap.
If I do, it will be the biggest, most significant $1 purchase of my life, I think.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Quickly, quickly!
No time for one of my normal long posts. Another good couple of days. Started from the beginning of the Clinton Anderson training method today to see how P'd do... he did GREAT. Was sketchy with the "handy stick" at first (no I'm not retarded. I didn't fork over $35 or $45 for the ACTUAL C.A. handy stick. I bought the same thing for $17 at a local saddlery) but he calmed very nicely though getting him to accept it on his right side was a definite challenge!
And then we tried backing up. It was an absolute no go. Figured P had done outstanding enough for the day. Went (quickly) over the 1st few exercises again so we'd end on a positive note and then set him loose in the arena for about 20 minutes. He definitely needed that! It was fun to watch P having fun and running around acting silly. We actually played together too so that was cool.
Oh, and I started the day by using the Joe Camp method of letting P chose me as opposed to me getting him to submit. It worked great though I was nervous that it wouldn't work at all.
All in all a great day (as usual because Phoenix is awesome).
Time for work!
And then we tried backing up. It was an absolute no go. Figured P had done outstanding enough for the day. Went (quickly) over the 1st few exercises again so we'd end on a positive note and then set him loose in the arena for about 20 minutes. He definitely needed that! It was fun to watch P having fun and running around acting silly. We actually played together too so that was cool.
Oh, and I started the day by using the Joe Camp method of letting P chose me as opposed to me getting him to submit. It worked great though I was nervous that it wouldn't work at all.
All in all a great day (as usual because Phoenix is awesome).
Time for work!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Farriers and Vets and Backing UP. Oh My!
Well, today was more work in the round pen and P did really well. He really needs more of a challenge and I'm working new little things in as we go but there are some other things holding us both back. The big thing is some basics that I neglected that I'm working on catching up/getting him up to speed on and the even bigger thing (for P) is his feet. They really are a mess. Fortunately (or unfortunately, as it may turn out for my pocket book) we met the farrier today.
Actually, Phoenix has already met the farrier, Ken, and quite likes him which is great as far as I'm concerned. In fact, I like him too. He was out at the ranch today to do a bunch of the other horses and was kind enough to give me a lesson (of sorts) in hooves. He seems very kind and I know he too, had been trying to find Phoenix a home so he's got the best interest of my boy in his sights and that's what I'm interested in. So far, seems like everyone's a winner.
At any rate, Ken did an assessment of P's hooves for me, educated me a little bit about what the possible complications could be and mean for the both of us and we set a date for him to come back and actually do some work on P early next week.
As it stands, Ken's opinion is that it's not just that left front foot that's a club foot; he says it looks like it's all four. I am more than a little concerned about this for a number of reasons, the biggest being that if, in fact, all four feet are club feet and we end up with a worst case scenario, P's farrier fees alone could cost me upwards of $200 every month and I'm not sure whether or not I can afford that in addition to boarding, veterinary, feed and tack costs. So, I'm hoping for better and trying to plan for the worst. Here's what Ken told me in regard to how P might have ended up this way and though I can't say whether or not it's fact, it seems like it makes sense.
So, we take a horse that's born and raised on open range eating a low quality (in our estimation) diet of sagebrush and gods know what else and getting a LOT of exercise, round him up before he's fully grown, auction him off and send him to a stable somewhere where he's kept in a small paddock or corral with little exercise (and often, in the case of BLM mustangs NO exercise), and super rich foods (good quality hay, supplements, etc.) and what happens? Not quite fully matured horses bones grow too fast for his connective tissues causing the tendons at the back of his legs to be contracted which pulls on the navicular bone and accordingly changes the angle of the coffin bone. End result: club feet.
So, we'll see what happens next week. Hopefully, the problem can be corrected or at least managed at a reasonable cost. Cross your fingers. I'd hate for hooves to be the reason that I can't afford P but it is a possibility.
Additionally, I heard back from BLM today about Phoenix. According to BLM, because they lost contact with P's original adopter before that 1st year was up, P is still official property of the BLM. I have to go through the application process and the year long eval period if I want to adopt him. Great. I don't mind the eval period at all. I am concerned that my application will be denied over something trivial though.
Let's see... what other good news today?
Oh yeah! P did great (as usual) in the round pen. I'm noticing that the more we work together in the round pen, the more attentive to me he's getting, which is what I want. He's stopping faster and turning more quickly when asked and very rarely turning outward which is even better. We tried something new (for me) when he balks and won't walk on because he doesn't want to go where I'm leading him... I put his feet to work. Thank you Clinton Anderson. So now, when P gives me grief and pretends he's an obstinate mule who won't move forward on the lead when I ask, he gets to do some work and rethink his approach. We only had to do that a couple of times before he got the hint and changed his mind about whether or not we were going where I wanted us to. =)
Down side to that was that I was reminded of the technique by one of the other boarders who quite literally snatched his lead out of my hands and proceeded to aggressively (I don't know how else to put it without sounding like a jerk-face) back Phoenix round and round for a couple of minutes. I think she had the right idea, no doubt... I just thought she was a little too aggressive. Thing was, she was "manhandling" him and he got pretty upset. He did eventually do what she wanted though. On the flip-side, when he played the mule with me and I used the same technique but without aggression, he still did what I wanted and without all the snorting and prancing and being obviously frightened. I think I might like my way a little (or a lot) better. I don't believe that scaring him is ever going to get him to trust me, nor do I think that's the best way to get him to show respect; respect comes from good, solid leadership, not fear and bullying.
Coolest part of the day: seeing my fat, happy boy shining in the sunlight and looking a little tired not from boredom but from having got to work; my boy definitely likes having a job.
Actually, Phoenix has already met the farrier, Ken, and quite likes him which is great as far as I'm concerned. In fact, I like him too. He was out at the ranch today to do a bunch of the other horses and was kind enough to give me a lesson (of sorts) in hooves. He seems very kind and I know he too, had been trying to find Phoenix a home so he's got the best interest of my boy in his sights and that's what I'm interested in. So far, seems like everyone's a winner.
At any rate, Ken did an assessment of P's hooves for me, educated me a little bit about what the possible complications could be and mean for the both of us and we set a date for him to come back and actually do some work on P early next week.
As it stands, Ken's opinion is that it's not just that left front foot that's a club foot; he says it looks like it's all four. I am more than a little concerned about this for a number of reasons, the biggest being that if, in fact, all four feet are club feet and we end up with a worst case scenario, P's farrier fees alone could cost me upwards of $200 every month and I'm not sure whether or not I can afford that in addition to boarding, veterinary, feed and tack costs. So, I'm hoping for better and trying to plan for the worst. Here's what Ken told me in regard to how P might have ended up this way and though I can't say whether or not it's fact, it seems like it makes sense.
So, we take a horse that's born and raised on open range eating a low quality (in our estimation) diet of sagebrush and gods know what else and getting a LOT of exercise, round him up before he's fully grown, auction him off and send him to a stable somewhere where he's kept in a small paddock or corral with little exercise (and often, in the case of BLM mustangs NO exercise), and super rich foods (good quality hay, supplements, etc.) and what happens? Not quite fully matured horses bones grow too fast for his connective tissues causing the tendons at the back of his legs to be contracted which pulls on the navicular bone and accordingly changes the angle of the coffin bone. End result: club feet.
So, we'll see what happens next week. Hopefully, the problem can be corrected or at least managed at a reasonable cost. Cross your fingers. I'd hate for hooves to be the reason that I can't afford P but it is a possibility.
Additionally, I heard back from BLM today about Phoenix. According to BLM, because they lost contact with P's original adopter before that 1st year was up, P is still official property of the BLM. I have to go through the application process and the year long eval period if I want to adopt him. Great. I don't mind the eval period at all. I am concerned that my application will be denied over something trivial though.
Let's see... what other good news today?
Oh yeah! P did great (as usual) in the round pen. I'm noticing that the more we work together in the round pen, the more attentive to me he's getting, which is what I want. He's stopping faster and turning more quickly when asked and very rarely turning outward which is even better. We tried something new (for me) when he balks and won't walk on because he doesn't want to go where I'm leading him... I put his feet to work. Thank you Clinton Anderson. So now, when P gives me grief and pretends he's an obstinate mule who won't move forward on the lead when I ask, he gets to do some work and rethink his approach. We only had to do that a couple of times before he got the hint and changed his mind about whether or not we were going where I wanted us to. =)
Down side to that was that I was reminded of the technique by one of the other boarders who quite literally snatched his lead out of my hands and proceeded to aggressively (I don't know how else to put it without sounding like a jerk-face) back Phoenix round and round for a couple of minutes. I think she had the right idea, no doubt... I just thought she was a little too aggressive. Thing was, she was "manhandling" him and he got pretty upset. He did eventually do what she wanted though. On the flip-side, when he played the mule with me and I used the same technique but without aggression, he still did what I wanted and without all the snorting and prancing and being obviously frightened. I think I might like my way a little (or a lot) better. I don't believe that scaring him is ever going to get him to trust me, nor do I think that's the best way to get him to show respect; respect comes from good, solid leadership, not fear and bullying.
Coolest part of the day: seeing my fat, happy boy shining in the sunlight and looking a little tired not from boredom but from having got to work; my boy definitely likes having a job.
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