*Warning this is not a nice post* And it may ramble on a bit...
As a Positive Reinforcement trainer, I get my methods criticized all the time. And that is okay, because in the end it makes me a better trainer and friend to my horses. However, what I don't handle well is the never ending comments from people about how it is okay to be mean to horses because they are big and they can kill you. Some days I just want to say fine! I give, you are right. It is perfectly okay for us to be harsh and cruel to another living creature out of our own fear.
Below are just a few responses on Facebook after I posted about a horse being pushed past his threshold as the reason he went to bucking. Actually I will put my response and then follow it up with the comments. I am leaving the names out of the comments in response to mine.
Sarah Shipman "All I see is that poor horse getting spurred and yanked in the mouth because he was pushed past his threshold... Sigh. I know I am probably a lone in this thought, because it is always the horses fault never us humans that push them to that point. As usual I see fear and pain in the eyes of a animal and others see it as funny. Maybe some day humans will stop being so cruel, but I am not holding out hope. Don't want to argue with anyone... I have said my peace."
1) "Not really, kinda got to get after a big animal like that otherwise they're likely to kill ya. I'm all for compassion. But I know I'll sink a spur in ones side if they go to buckin on me."
2)" If ever in doubt about correcting a rank horse watch a herd establish its hierarchy___ was reaching back to try and bite ___leg and I didn't believe ___. So when I took ___out, sure enough, she reached back for my leg and after meeting the sole of my boot she never did it again. Horses are powerful amazing animals. For us, the joy of the ride with the powerful animals is being prepared for when things don't go quite as expected. I've never met a bombproof horse immune to a freak day in the ring or on the trail. It's part of learning to protect yourself and the horse when things get out of control."
To me what happened in the video was the guy was trying to stick out a wild ride,but the real problem to me is the fact that the horse was pushed to that point. Only one other person watched the video and gave feedback as to why the horse was bucking in the 1st place. Everyone else was just impressed with the riders ability to stick it out. Which he did do a good job of staying on. As the person in the 1st comments states they are all for compassion, but... this is what is wrong with our society. There is always a "but" attached to the words compassion when it comes to animals. I will be very honest in this post and say it is days like today that I feel defeated. I see just how many cruel people are in this world and I feel like I will never make a difference. I want to plant a seed with as many people as I can and use positive reward training on humans too, but frankly humans make it hard! I struggle to have empathy for humans because for the most part they don't have empathy for anybody else. I have given up hope that humans will ever have compassion for any other animal.
I started writing this blog in 2012 when I got Navi 4 years ago almost to the day. I had hoped that in the last 4 years I would have seen a difference in how humans thought. But now I have my doubts that we will ever change. Although truthfully how can I ever expect change when you have big time horse trainers such as Clinton Anderson that openly say, sometimes you have to kick a horses ass to show him who is boss, and that he hopes the bit-less tree hugging people get themselves killed so he doesn't have to deal with them... AND people still give him money! So I finally admit defeat! I throw up the white flag. I finally understand how people that think like me become so bitter. So often others tell them they should be kinder to humans if they want to get their point across, but there in lies the problem. Humans don't listen to kindness. For a long time I was willing to be accepting of things that I wasn't really accepting of to seem not extreme and to not be thought of as the "crazy" person, lol. But I am over it! Call me crazy, call me dumb, call me a tree hugging crazy bit-less horse person. But all that is okay because at least I can't be called heartless and cruel. (when it comes to animals at least, I am the 1st to admit I can be heartless when it comes to humans)
Meanwhile if you need me I will be out riding the trails with Pixie in just a halter( or maybe without) and I will be working on riding my 5 year old horse at liberty. Don't worry I will try to keep in mind that since they are big they might decide to try and kill me because I am not being harsh enough. Remember though I do have boundaries with my horses and require manners, odd I know since I use treats *gasp*.
I leave you with this question...Why is it okay for us (humans) to cause pain to an animal, but it is not okay for them to cause us pain in return?
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Trail riding without the Halter!
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| Our 1st time on the trails with just a neck rope. |
Here is some of the things I learned:
1) I have control issues (okay, okay I knew this before, but it really comes to light on the open trail with nothing on the horses head.)
2) Control issues = micromanaging
3) I didn't realize just how much the idea of reins made me feel safe.
So yes, it was very obvious to me just how much I seek control when riding the trails and how much mental reassurance the reins give me. In the beginning every time I wanted to change direction I immediately picked up the neck rope instead of asking with my seat and legs first. Funny I would do this since I have ridden at liberty in the arena more times than I can count. But habits are ingrained in us! I found myself once again trying to steer with the neck rope when we reached a spot where we had to cross the gravel road to get back to the grass (she likes walking in the grass) however we had to avoid ditch too. But I caught myself and put it down, and said ok Pixie I trust you to not put us in the ditch. And guess what we made it around the ditch, lol. As I knew we would,but as stated before I have control issues. The first time she broke into a trot to catch up with Willow I once again went straight to the neck rope to try and slow her down. Oh wait that isn't her cue to stop when we ride at liberty. Ha...she did slow down but did not stop. Okay, let me try the actual cue...I took a deep breath and relaxed and she stopped immediately. Good girl for listening when I actually used the right cue! Good girl for making me use the right cue!
I found that when we got closer to having to cross the road to get back home I was nervous. Why? I don't know. As I told my partner I knew she wasn't going to run away with me, but for some reason having reins gave me a certain level of comfort. And I never realized just how much my mind relied on those reins. Maybe because I knew there was no room for error or not listening when it came to crossing a road where the speed limit is 65. It was crucial she listen. We approached, she stopped and waited for traffic, and then we crossed on cue. She was perfect. It was important that I made sure I used the right cues! By the time we made it back to the driveway to the ranch I was super relaxed and had figured out how to use the correct cues, lol.
It was nice having my partner there to remind me to put down the neck rope. That the whole point of me riding at liberty was to not have reins of any shape or form, lol. Oh yeah... I guess that is the point huh. Funny how the minute you step out of your comfort zone you forget how to do things like ride with your seat and legs. Or as my partner reminded me giving up the last ounce of control is something I struggle with.
Here is the thing. It isn't or shouldn't be about control, it should be about a partnership. Seeking this partnership with Pixie is my ultimate goal, but to get there I have to learn how to give up the control and let the partnership happen. I am still learning about myself and how to become a better partner to Pixie. The feeling of riding at liberty on the trails was the ultimate high for me. It was something I never thought I would be able to do. (On that note, please don't go out and try to ride at liberty on the trails without the proper training in place.)
The moment we started walking on the trail without the halter, I remembered back to when I was standing in the round pen in tears with Pixie thinking I am never going to find a way to connect with this mare. Yet I did, and here we were riding at liberty on the open trail :)
Sunday, October 30, 2016
It Takes Time
Navi and I had an "ok" day yesterday while working. I wanted to introduce targeting the cone from a distance so I can send her to target while we ride at liberty. We of course are starting on the ground,but even then I found that I frustrated her and she would head toss and even reared up once. I of course made her move her feet, no rearing up around me allowed. However, I needed to look at what I did to cause it. And truthfully I wasn't sure. My other half helped me figure it out and we then went on to end on a good note. Overall the session went well, but I still couldn't help but some what feel defeated at the end. But then I talked it over with my other half who reminded me it takes time. And we will get there, and when we do we will be one heck of a team. I have to remember we have only been working on the liberty riding for about three/four weeks now. It seems like so long, but when you only work a couple days a week on it, that really isn't that long. I have to remind myself it took A LOT of hours with Pixie.
I can't expect Navi to be perfect, but yet for some reason when we have a bad session I feel like a failure. I don't know why, maybe because I feel like after 4 years together we should be farther than we are. I should stop comparing our progress with others because their journey isn't ours. And she is a baby and I have to take that into account. Maybe because I struggle so hard to find a way to connect with her. I feel like I should be able to breakdown her behaviors and understand her perfectly,but I can't and as someone who has trained lots of animals that makes me feel like I failed. I don't know why because I know that as a trainer you always learn something from every animal, and you never stop learning. It could be that I am putting too much pressure on myself and then in return I put too much pressure on Navi to be perfect.
I think the hardest part about my style of training is that sometimes allowing the horse to have a voice is hard. It goes against everything you are ever taught when it comes to horses. When I decided to try liberty riding with Navi it made me very very nervous. I was taking away all control I had of her. Of course I am still nervous to a point, but not nearly as much. I think some fear is healthy it keeps me from getting hurt, lol. But taking away control from me is exactly what I needed to do. Because I lived in too much fear of getting hurt while riding her. I wanted to micro manage her with the reins, and that was just going to frustrate her. We were going to end up butting heads at some point, and I didn't want that.
It is funny that I often tell people your journey is your own. What you and your horse do together is what is important, not what other people think you should be doing. Maybe I should take my own advice and stop comparing my journey with Navi to others. That is just it, our journey is ours...frustrations and all :) My journey with each of my horses is different, and I need to accept that.
One of the good things about blogging my adventures with my horses is that it allows me to stop and reflect. I can really analyze what has happened and what I need to do going forward. Well off to the barn to see what is in store for Navi and I today :)
I can't expect Navi to be perfect, but yet for some reason when we have a bad session I feel like a failure. I don't know why, maybe because I feel like after 4 years together we should be farther than we are. I should stop comparing our progress with others because their journey isn't ours. And she is a baby and I have to take that into account. Maybe because I struggle so hard to find a way to connect with her. I feel like I should be able to breakdown her behaviors and understand her perfectly,but I can't and as someone who has trained lots of animals that makes me feel like I failed. I don't know why because I know that as a trainer you always learn something from every animal, and you never stop learning. It could be that I am putting too much pressure on myself and then in return I put too much pressure on Navi to be perfect.
I think the hardest part about my style of training is that sometimes allowing the horse to have a voice is hard. It goes against everything you are ever taught when it comes to horses. When I decided to try liberty riding with Navi it made me very very nervous. I was taking away all control I had of her. Of course I am still nervous to a point, but not nearly as much. I think some fear is healthy it keeps me from getting hurt, lol. But taking away control from me is exactly what I needed to do. Because I lived in too much fear of getting hurt while riding her. I wanted to micro manage her with the reins, and that was just going to frustrate her. We were going to end up butting heads at some point, and I didn't want that.
It is funny that I often tell people your journey is your own. What you and your horse do together is what is important, not what other people think you should be doing. Maybe I should take my own advice and stop comparing my journey with Navi to others. That is just it, our journey is ours...frustrations and all :) My journey with each of my horses is different, and I need to accept that.
One of the good things about blogging my adventures with my horses is that it allows me to stop and reflect. I can really analyze what has happened and what I need to do going forward. Well off to the barn to see what is in store for Navi and I today :)
Monday, October 17, 2016
Facing my Fears
Almost 4 years ago I set out on an adventure to take a young horse from start to finish. But here is the thing I wanted to do it with clicker training and breaking away from traditional methods. While there has been set backs due to injury, one of the bigger issues is my fear. Many times I have made mistakes and attempted to go back to what I knew in the form of traditional training. And it isn't that it has failed me, but I didn't get the results I wanted. Yesterday I wanted to try riding Navi again after our 3 week break. I found myself to be very very nervous. I wish I wasn't so worried about getting hurt, lol. Darn getting older! She did very well when I laid over her and we took some steps, but when I went to get on again she was nervous. Why? Well I can only assume she was feeding off of me. So I decided I needed to go back to what I do best, liberty work. While we had taken a very soft approach to teaching Navi to ride and we definitely stepped away from traditional training,but it still had its components of traditional methods. I was using tack, and my partner to hold her and be my back up on the ground. Safe right, except when Navi felt like she didn't want me to ride and decides to blow up. Had she yet, not really, but I didn't want to risk it. So I decided to go to liberty work and take off all the tack. If I wanted to know how she felt about riding, I had to give her a choice. So off we went for me to face my fears. I was going to get on her at liberty. No halter. I have a hard time trusting Navi and we can have a battle of wills at times. But I think I am the cause of that. She knows that I don't trust her fully and how can I expect her to trust me if I don't trust her. It was a lesson I had to learn with Pixie and one I needed with Navi.
The moment that I sat on her at liberty was a wonderful breakthrough moment with us. It was the 1st time I actually felt that I have put my trust into her. She choose to let me get on her and stayed perfectly still until I slid off the other side. We did it multiple times and ended on a very good note!
I have always thought my finish line with her was when she became a trail horse, after all that is why I got her. I wanted to take a horse from the ground up to a trail horse. For a long time I thought riding was out and we were going to tackle driving. (Which I am still planning on, I think she will be great at it). However, now I realize getting a finished trail horse shouldn't have ever been my end goal. Finding a partnership should have been. It didn't matter what we did in the end as long as we were working together. I do think we will be on the trails and driving in the near future, but first I have to work harder on finding my trust in her.
https://www.facebook.com/sarah.shipman3/videos/10202129873604992/
A link to our video of lining up at the mounting block at liberty.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
The Truths We Must Face
What happens when our egos take over when we are working with our horses? This is a question I ponder and think about quite a bit. It happens to me, in fact it happens to all of us.
I had a friend as me a few days before my demo with Pixie this last week if we were ready. My response was "all I know is that animals keep us humble." Why was that my answer, well because it is the truth. Horses and all animals will keep our ego's in check.
My demo went exactly as I thought, not the way I planned it, lol. Pixie was good, did she do everything I asked? No, she did a lot of her own thing just as I expected. She did stay with me and lucky for me didn't blow me off since I wasn't breathing and I am sure I wasn't being as clear as I should have been. We have had many many better days at bridle-less riding when I wasn't trying to show something to an audience. Why was I nervous to demo something that Pixie and I do all the time? Plain and simple I felt like it if we messed up it would make my training methods look bad. I feel pressured all the time to defend the way I train. I know for the most part people aren't judging as much as I think they are, but that feeling is still there deep inside of me. That is my ego talking, saying you have to prove something when I really don't. And so what if we had messed up, isn't that part of being human. My other half and Willow went out and did a liberty demo too. They were outstanding. Why? Because they didn't have an agenda. No set plan, nothing to prove. They went out and played just like they do when they are alone in the arena. Just as every session should be with our horses.
We get caught up in our agendas when we work with our horses,but we need to remember that just going out and enjoying what we do is the most important part. Our ego's push us to try and prove something to the world causing us to do things we normally wouldn't do. I battle with this all time when it comes to Navi. I find it hard to admit that I struggle with her and her training.
So what happens when we let our ego's take over? My opinion is that we start to use tools in a way we wouldn't normally. Or we use tools such as whips,spurs, etc... I have always been open as to how I feel about these tools and have admitted to the use of them as well. The horse world has become a world of having to prove that you can make your horse perform better than someone else. I am not against showing, but I am against using what ever means necessary to win even if that means hurting the horse. I see it time and time again. The horse doesn't do what is asked so we resort to pain as a way to get what we want. How is that not our ego getting too big. The moment we feel it is okay to cause pain to another living breathing animal because we feel like they have to do something for us so we can prove our worth to another person. Why is it okay to use another animal as a stepping stone for ourselves?
5+ years ago I saw a video of Clinton Anderson and his horse, Mandy, doing a liberty demo and at that moment I said that I wanted to get there with Pixie. Now I can safely say I do not want to be there with Pixie. I want to be different. I want to ride her bridle-less down a trail some day, and I know that day will come (that is my ego talking) . However I also know that it will not go as planned, and we will probably never make it out of the hay field. (And that is how Pixie keeps me humble) I could use force and pain to get to this goal, but in reality my goal isn't to prove that I can do it, but to prove that I trust my horse and I have worked hard to have a partnership with her.
I had to face some very hard truths this past week. I had to draw a boundary line in what I am willing to be a part of. I cannot say one thing and do another. If I want to truly grow and evolve into a softer trainer I must following my own advice. Everyone has their own journey, and it is up to them to find a way to follow along that path. Sometimes finding the right path is hard and it is never a straight line to get to where you want to be.
I had a friend as me a few days before my demo with Pixie this last week if we were ready. My response was "all I know is that animals keep us humble." Why was that my answer, well because it is the truth. Horses and all animals will keep our ego's in check.
My demo went exactly as I thought, not the way I planned it, lol. Pixie was good, did she do everything I asked? No, she did a lot of her own thing just as I expected. She did stay with me and lucky for me didn't blow me off since I wasn't breathing and I am sure I wasn't being as clear as I should have been. We have had many many better days at bridle-less riding when I wasn't trying to show something to an audience. Why was I nervous to demo something that Pixie and I do all the time? Plain and simple I felt like it if we messed up it would make my training methods look bad. I feel pressured all the time to defend the way I train. I know for the most part people aren't judging as much as I think they are, but that feeling is still there deep inside of me. That is my ego talking, saying you have to prove something when I really don't. And so what if we had messed up, isn't that part of being human. My other half and Willow went out and did a liberty demo too. They were outstanding. Why? Because they didn't have an agenda. No set plan, nothing to prove. They went out and played just like they do when they are alone in the arena. Just as every session should be with our horses.
We get caught up in our agendas when we work with our horses,but we need to remember that just going out and enjoying what we do is the most important part. Our ego's push us to try and prove something to the world causing us to do things we normally wouldn't do. I battle with this all time when it comes to Navi. I find it hard to admit that I struggle with her and her training.
So what happens when we let our ego's take over? My opinion is that we start to use tools in a way we wouldn't normally. Or we use tools such as whips,spurs, etc... I have always been open as to how I feel about these tools and have admitted to the use of them as well. The horse world has become a world of having to prove that you can make your horse perform better than someone else. I am not against showing, but I am against using what ever means necessary to win even if that means hurting the horse. I see it time and time again. The horse doesn't do what is asked so we resort to pain as a way to get what we want. How is that not our ego getting too big. The moment we feel it is okay to cause pain to another living breathing animal because we feel like they have to do something for us so we can prove our worth to another person. Why is it okay to use another animal as a stepping stone for ourselves?
5+ years ago I saw a video of Clinton Anderson and his horse, Mandy, doing a liberty demo and at that moment I said that I wanted to get there with Pixie. Now I can safely say I do not want to be there with Pixie. I want to be different. I want to ride her bridle-less down a trail some day, and I know that day will come (that is my ego talking) . However I also know that it will not go as planned, and we will probably never make it out of the hay field. (And that is how Pixie keeps me humble) I could use force and pain to get to this goal, but in reality my goal isn't to prove that I can do it, but to prove that I trust my horse and I have worked hard to have a partnership with her.
I had to face some very hard truths this past week. I had to draw a boundary line in what I am willing to be a part of. I cannot say one thing and do another. If I want to truly grow and evolve into a softer trainer I must following my own advice. Everyone has their own journey, and it is up to them to find a way to follow along that path. Sometimes finding the right path is hard and it is never a straight line to get to where you want to be.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Finding a partnership with Navi
Thursday Navi and I hiked 4.5 miles while my other half rode Willow. We took a route Navi has never been on. One that included flags blowing in the wind, walking along the ditch beside the road, and our 1st encounter with cows on the trail. How did Navi react? Well just fine! The only thing that worried her was the yellow water tank. Ha! She did drink out of it, but it took a minute to convince her that it wasn't going to eat her. This mare is about as rock solid as they come. For a green 5 year old hitting the trails is a piece of cake for her. She takes everything in stride. I have been trying to expose her to as much as I could since we got her at 1 1/2 and I think it paid off :)
I joke that she is my Henry (dog) of the horse world. For those of you that don't know of Henry. He is the worst dog ever! Okay maybe not that bad...well yes, he is. But he is also the smartest, most loyal dog you will ever meet! And I truth be told I couldn't live without the little dude. Well that is Navi in horse form,okay maybe not the most loyal horse, but smart.
To say that my partnership with Navi has always been perfect wouldn't be the truth. We have worked hard to find a mutual respect for each other, lol. At times our relationship has been rocky, but at other times really good. There are many days that I honestly avoided working with her instead choosing to get Pixie because it was easier. I have a hard time not comparing Navi to Pixie. Pixie is far from perfect, but in my eyes she is perfect, and I struggle with comparing other horses to her. Since Pixie has had to take some time off I have been working with Navi more, and it has been the best thing for both of us! I have to give her credit for what she is good at and learn to work with her and not put her in Pixie's shadow. I look back and realize the only reason Pixie and I are this good together is because I devoted the time to her. I have not devoted that same time to Navi so I can't blame her for not being Pixie. I keep saying she is going to make a good horse and she will only get better, however,I need to stop and realize she is already a good horse. I don't feel like Navi and I have connected like Pixie and I have because I never really was open to it. Was that on purpose, no, not at all. I thought I was open to making a connection with her, but I wasn't, and now I can step back and see that. I love her, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't allowing her to step out of Pixie's shadow so her and I could form our own working partnership. Giving Pixie some time off will not only benefit her, but it will allow Navi and I to form a better bond.
I joke that she is my Henry (dog) of the horse world. For those of you that don't know of Henry. He is the worst dog ever! Okay maybe not that bad...well yes, he is. But he is also the smartest, most loyal dog you will ever meet! And I truth be told I couldn't live without the little dude. Well that is Navi in horse form,okay maybe not the most loyal horse, but smart.
To say that my partnership with Navi has always been perfect wouldn't be the truth. We have worked hard to find a mutual respect for each other, lol. At times our relationship has been rocky, but at other times really good. There are many days that I honestly avoided working with her instead choosing to get Pixie because it was easier. I have a hard time not comparing Navi to Pixie. Pixie is far from perfect, but in my eyes she is perfect, and I struggle with comparing other horses to her. Since Pixie has had to take some time off I have been working with Navi more, and it has been the best thing for both of us! I have to give her credit for what she is good at and learn to work with her and not put her in Pixie's shadow. I look back and realize the only reason Pixie and I are this good together is because I devoted the time to her. I have not devoted that same time to Navi so I can't blame her for not being Pixie. I keep saying she is going to make a good horse and she will only get better, however,I need to stop and realize she is already a good horse. I don't feel like Navi and I have connected like Pixie and I have because I never really was open to it. Was that on purpose, no, not at all. I thought I was open to making a connection with her, but I wasn't, and now I can step back and see that. I love her, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't allowing her to step out of Pixie's shadow so her and I could form our own working partnership. Giving Pixie some time off will not only benefit her, but it will allow Navi and I to form a better bond.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
A Break from Riding and Demo Time.
I have been battling lameness issues with Pixie for what feels like all summer. It probably hasn't been all summer, but when lameness affects your main riding horse it seems like forever. In the end, I have decided to give her the rest of summer off of riding. It was just trail riding, but I rode her for a short time last weekend and she came up sore after. So it is obvious she needs some more time off. Yesterday I went out and she was moving much better, but I decided it is in her best interest to take a few months off. So instead we will focus on our demo coming up in October. We have been invited to do a little demo of liberty work with my trainer. So yesterday I really started to try and decide what we were going to do. My original plan was to do some ground liberty and then some bridle-less riding, but I will have to see where Pixie is health wise come the 1st of October. So until then we perfect our ground work. I love playing with her at liberty on the ground so we should still have lots to do to keep us busy this fall without riding :)
Giving Pixie some time off means I will have that much more time to work with Navi and see how her leg holds up to hiking and riding.
Giving Pixie some time off means I will have that much more time to work with Navi and see how her leg holds up to hiking and riding.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Another Lesson Taught by Navi
Two days ago we were working with Navi in the indoor arena. Well I only worked her for a few minutes before moving on to riding work. (well accepting a rider with confidence). She quickly showed us that she was over stimulated and bored with what we were doing. After a few minutes of trying to get her to relax we moved on to more ground work. She was feisty and non too impressed with the whole situation. So one more try at the mounting block and we called it a day. Or so we thought. I was going to let her loose to run when she decided to blow up and starting rearing in hand and almost kicked my other half. Okay so I draw the line at safety issues. I always have. I will train without pain and fear, but I will and do issue strong punishment for dangerous behaviors. While what she did was unacceptable I do take blame in allowing her frustrations to get to that point. I could have avoiding the whole situation if I had changed what I was doing sooner. However, because I didn't prevent it from happening I had to quickly get after her and made her back and lunge with change of directions. When she was calmer I turned her loose and boy did she take off like a bat out of hell. She was running and bucking all over that arena. I just stood in the middle with the lunge whip asking her to keep moving if she starting to come to me to stop. Finally she slowed to a trot and did some liberty with me by her own choice. I asked for a stop and she listened. We then did a couple more minutes of liberty work and called it a day.
Yesterday we took a 4 1/2 miles hike on the trails before attempting to work on the riding in the arena. And she was 100x better. She was perfect on the trail and awesome in the arena. I tell ya there isn't anything on the trails that has bothered her yet. If she does stay sound for riding she will be an amazing trail horse, regardless I am still going to teach her to drive because she is the perfect horse for driving.
Boy, I tell ya this little mare has been one tough cookie,but boy once she works with you she is great. She continues to teach me things every time we work together. She is opinionated and strong willed, but she loves to get out and work. Taking her hiking has shown me a whole different side to her. She loves being out there exploring! She even lined up to different stumps so I could have gotten on (if she was ready). I have no excuse now not to head out hiking. I have a great little horse to pack my water for me :)
Yesterday we took a 4 1/2 miles hike on the trails before attempting to work on the riding in the arena. And she was 100x better. She was perfect on the trail and awesome in the arena. I tell ya there isn't anything on the trails that has bothered her yet. If she does stay sound for riding she will be an amazing trail horse, regardless I am still going to teach her to drive because she is the perfect horse for driving.
Boy, I tell ya this little mare has been one tough cookie,but boy once she works with you she is great. She continues to teach me things every time we work together. She is opinionated and strong willed, but she loves to get out and work. Taking her hiking has shown me a whole different side to her. She loves being out there exploring! She even lined up to different stumps so I could have gotten on (if she was ready). I have no excuse now not to head out hiking. I have a great little horse to pack my water for me :)
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Breaking Down the Costs
Very rarely do people talk about the actually cost of horse ownership (or animals in general). Actually I should rephrase that...it is talked about, but only to be stated that it is expensive. But so many times it is asked what a horse is worth...so what is that deciding factor. Well simply put a horse is worth what the owner claims it is and based on what the current market is. But that is ever changing there for a horses worth is forever changing. A $10,000 horse may only be worth $1,000 the next time it is put on the market depending on what it can do. And so often the care the horse receives is based off it's worth to the owner at the time.
I saw a picture the other day that said something to effect of: The value of a horse is decided on the whim of a person. That is so very true. I can't say that enough. All 5 of my horses are living proof of that. Race horses are living proof of that. A horse can be worth thousands one day and nothing a short amount of time later. So what is the true value or worth of any given horse, to me that is all decided by the owner. I can tell you my horses are worth way more to me than what I paid for them. So many people often decide how much they are willing to spend by how much the horse costs or it is sometimes judged by how much the horse can do for the owner.
My main riding horse Pixie was just diagnosed with acute laminitis. Actually she is now passed the acute part and on the the healing phase, however she will not see grass for the rest of summer. Regardless, for the last week she has been in a little dry lot run next to a horse that got a very bad case of laminitis this summer. The poor horse could barely stand to get into the trailer. Now a month or so out she is getting better and better daily. All thanks to the wonderful barn staff, not because of her owners. She is still in a safe location and the barn staff has done everything they can for her. She should be fine and recover, but not because of the owners. They did the bare minimum they could stating they couldn't afford more. That is not a valid reason! You own the animal you are obligated to get them what they need regardless. If you can't make that commitment then don't own an animal, plain and simple.
Many people ask me how I afford all my animals, and the answer is very very carefully. We are super cheap when it comes to things for ourselves, lol. I give up a lot to own my animals, but it is because I want to. I made that commitment to them when they came home with us. Like yesterday Pixie went to the vet to have x-rays and nerve blocks done so I can figure out a treatment plan for her. Is the 1st of the month a good time for me? No, no it is not since I also have to write a $930 check for board. However, I don't get to pick and choose when my animals get hurt and she needed to have this done. I just don't understand how there could be owners out there that don't feel they need to treat their sick/ hurting animal. I understand money isn't grown on trees, lol, I get that, but I also know that a living breathing animal that can hurt and feel pain as much as us is relying on us. If you don't want to spend the money, then don't buy an animal in the first place.
Here is the breakdown of cost to maintain my 5 horses:
What I paid for each one: Based on this alone my horses are not worth a lot to the average person.
Pixie- $500 adoption fee
Jess- $2800
Willow- $500
Navi- $150
Char- $0
Monthly costs to maintain them: Board, meds, etc...
Pixie- $175 (Board), $20( supplements starting soon,) $40+($80-120 every 8 weeks for special shoes)
Jess- $175 (Board), $80 (supplement), $30 (fee for daily feeding of supplements), $28.50 (shot for arthritis), $40 (shoes, its $80 every 8 weeks)
Willow- $175 (Board), $35 every other month for trims
Navi- $175 (Board), $35 every other month for trims, ? replacement fly masks when ever she loses them.
Char- $175 (Board), ?? trimming by farrier what ever he can do.
Total- Roughly $ 1,198.50 a month ( To be perfectly transparent here that is more than I make in two weeks) So don't tell me that you cannot afford proper care for your horse! Don't own them if you don't want to spend the money...plain and simple.
This does not include vet bills, those are just icing on the cake, lol.
That being said, I wouldn't have it any other way. My horses are my escape, my relief from the crazy world. I have them so I don't have to have a therapist :)
I saw a picture the other day that said something to effect of: The value of a horse is decided on the whim of a person. That is so very true. I can't say that enough. All 5 of my horses are living proof of that. Race horses are living proof of that. A horse can be worth thousands one day and nothing a short amount of time later. So what is the true value or worth of any given horse, to me that is all decided by the owner. I can tell you my horses are worth way more to me than what I paid for them. So many people often decide how much they are willing to spend by how much the horse costs or it is sometimes judged by how much the horse can do for the owner.
My main riding horse Pixie was just diagnosed with acute laminitis. Actually she is now passed the acute part and on the the healing phase, however she will not see grass for the rest of summer. Regardless, for the last week she has been in a little dry lot run next to a horse that got a very bad case of laminitis this summer. The poor horse could barely stand to get into the trailer. Now a month or so out she is getting better and better daily. All thanks to the wonderful barn staff, not because of her owners. She is still in a safe location and the barn staff has done everything they can for her. She should be fine and recover, but not because of the owners. They did the bare minimum they could stating they couldn't afford more. That is not a valid reason! You own the animal you are obligated to get them what they need regardless. If you can't make that commitment then don't own an animal, plain and simple.
Many people ask me how I afford all my animals, and the answer is very very carefully. We are super cheap when it comes to things for ourselves, lol. I give up a lot to own my animals, but it is because I want to. I made that commitment to them when they came home with us. Like yesterday Pixie went to the vet to have x-rays and nerve blocks done so I can figure out a treatment plan for her. Is the 1st of the month a good time for me? No, no it is not since I also have to write a $930 check for board. However, I don't get to pick and choose when my animals get hurt and she needed to have this done. I just don't understand how there could be owners out there that don't feel they need to treat their sick/ hurting animal. I understand money isn't grown on trees, lol, I get that, but I also know that a living breathing animal that can hurt and feel pain as much as us is relying on us. If you don't want to spend the money, then don't buy an animal in the first place.
Here is the breakdown of cost to maintain my 5 horses:
What I paid for each one: Based on this alone my horses are not worth a lot to the average person.
Pixie- $500 adoption fee
Jess- $2800
Willow- $500
Navi- $150
Char- $0
Monthly costs to maintain them: Board, meds, etc...
Pixie- $175 (Board), $20( supplements starting soon,) $40+($80-120 every 8 weeks for special shoes)
Jess- $175 (Board), $80 (supplement), $30 (fee for daily feeding of supplements), $28.50 (shot for arthritis), $40 (shoes, its $80 every 8 weeks)
Willow- $175 (Board), $35 every other month for trims
Navi- $175 (Board), $35 every other month for trims, ? replacement fly masks when ever she loses them.
Char- $175 (Board), ?? trimming by farrier what ever he can do.
Total- Roughly $ 1,198.50 a month ( To be perfectly transparent here that is more than I make in two weeks) So don't tell me that you cannot afford proper care for your horse! Don't own them if you don't want to spend the money...plain and simple.
This does not include vet bills, those are just icing on the cake, lol.
That being said, I wouldn't have it any other way. My horses are my escape, my relief from the crazy world. I have them so I don't have to have a therapist :)
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Success! Char did it :)
We finally were able to get Char's front feet trimmed by the farrier. It took me with treats, my partner and Jess (the horse) for emotional and well physical support too. OH and one patient farrier! We didn't even attempt the back as she still doesn't really like us holding them up for too long, but we got the fronts trimmed and filed :) She was nervous, but never blew up or got pushed past her threshold. When it was all done, she went back to letting us pick them up while she was loose in her pasture. I was proud of her, it has been a long process, one that is far from over, but we will gain some better ground now that I have a set schedule and we can dedicate one evening a week to her.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
School is out and only 1 job = Horse Time!
I am finally back to having some free time on my hands. Now what to do with myself that I am working a set schedule M- F job :)
Update on Navi and her driving training. She is doing great! She is long lining around the outdoor arena. Currently we are still focusing on verbal cues of walk, right,left, back and of course whoa. She is starting to get consistent unless of course we are battling the distraction of grass. She hasn't quite figured out that she actually has to work when the lines are attached. She is getting better day by day and we just avoid the sides of the arena where the grass is at, lol. Right now I am only training her two days a week. And soon I will be adding in a 3rd day, but I feel like that is good for her. She gets bored easily and does better if she has some time off in between. So far her leg has been holding up and she has been staying sound after the ground work. We officially passed the year mark of her cut and it has been decided she will never be sound for riding. Does it still make me sad, yes in a way it does. Especially when we hike and she will jump over or cross over any log I point her at. She doesn't spook when we flush birds and over all has a great time hiking on the trails. So while that makes me sad she won't ever be a trail horse, it proves to me how great of a driving horse she will be because of her laid back personality. Besides I wanted a horse I could take from the ground up and nothing quite like teaching something you haven't ever taught before. Right? lol. It is making me a better trainer in the end learning how to teach something new and do it without force or fear. I am using some pressure and release when it comes to steering. But she understands how to move with the halter/and or sidepull bridle so that isn't new to her. Plus there is clicking and treating at the slightest try after my verbal cue. All in all she is doing well and I am excited to take this journey with her. It will be a long twisting road, but one that should be exciting! Besides we aren't in a hurry anyways being that she just turned 5 last month.
Pixie and I continue to hit milestone after milestone. We cantered bridle-less for the 1st time in the outdoor arena this last week and yesterday we carried and drug a tarp around the outdoor arena while walking and trotting. She didn't even bat an eye to the tarp flying around her. Good Mare! I can't believe next month I will have owned Pixie for 6 years. Time does fly!
Update on Navi and her driving training. She is doing great! She is long lining around the outdoor arena. Currently we are still focusing on verbal cues of walk, right,left, back and of course whoa. She is starting to get consistent unless of course we are battling the distraction of grass. She hasn't quite figured out that she actually has to work when the lines are attached. She is getting better day by day and we just avoid the sides of the arena where the grass is at, lol. Right now I am only training her two days a week. And soon I will be adding in a 3rd day, but I feel like that is good for her. She gets bored easily and does better if she has some time off in between. So far her leg has been holding up and she has been staying sound after the ground work. We officially passed the year mark of her cut and it has been decided she will never be sound for riding. Does it still make me sad, yes in a way it does. Especially when we hike and she will jump over or cross over any log I point her at. She doesn't spook when we flush birds and over all has a great time hiking on the trails. So while that makes me sad she won't ever be a trail horse, it proves to me how great of a driving horse she will be because of her laid back personality. Besides I wanted a horse I could take from the ground up and nothing quite like teaching something you haven't ever taught before. Right? lol. It is making me a better trainer in the end learning how to teach something new and do it without force or fear. I am using some pressure and release when it comes to steering. But she understands how to move with the halter/and or sidepull bridle so that isn't new to her. Plus there is clicking and treating at the slightest try after my verbal cue. All in all she is doing well and I am excited to take this journey with her. It will be a long twisting road, but one that should be exciting! Besides we aren't in a hurry anyways being that she just turned 5 last month.
Pixie and I continue to hit milestone after milestone. We cantered bridle-less for the 1st time in the outdoor arena this last week and yesterday we carried and drug a tarp around the outdoor arena while walking and trotting. She didn't even bat an eye to the tarp flying around her. Good Mare! I can't believe next month I will have owned Pixie for 6 years. Time does fly!
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Freedom and Finding Myself again.
In my last post I mentioned that I had a lot of changes on the work front and that is what this post is going to center around. However, I want to tie it into the horse world too...I chose the title Freedom because to me that is what I have gained, but I also understand more now why I was drawn to positive training instead of Negative Reinforcement with my horses.
Since 2004 I have been involved in the service industry for a big corporation. And when I burnt out of dog training, I moved on to grooming. Why? Well at first it was a money decision, but then I fell in love with dog grooming. I worked my way into management because I like managing also. And for years I was asked if I liked what I did. And for a long time the answer was yes, but then as time went I realized I wasn't enjoying it as much as I used too. It all really came down to numbers. And as one area would be going great something else always went south it seemed. As I would improve something, they would say that is good, but. It took me a long while to see the toll it was taking on me. Somewhere along the way I started to answer the question about if I loved my job with "well it allows me to have my horses, and other animals" That was my way of trying to convince myself that I stilled enjoyed what I did. But I was slowly losing myself as time went. I was becoming bitter in a lot of ways. I felt stuck. I try to be a very positive person, I love finding the joy in life. But I was finding myself complaining a lot and not liking the person I was becoming. And then one day last summer while on a conference call I was told from the higher ups that if I wanted to keep my job I wouldn't allow two people to take vacation at the same time during the summer. We had plenty of coverage and I knew how to run my schedule so we would be fine. I had already approved their vacation requests, so I got to be the wonderful person who went and told them someone couldn't go. That was the day I realized I could no longer work for the type of corporation that looked at their people as numbers and just that. They were telling me to choose between being a decent human being and keeping my job. It wasn't the 1st time my job was threaten over someone else. But it was the beginning of the end for me. It was then that I decided to change my future. I enrolled in school and decided to switch careers. A very hard decision for me as change scares me, but change doesn't scare quite as much as the person I was becoming. I lived my life stressed, but I never really knew how much until I was no longer in that position. Tomorrow I will go in and groom my last dog, one would think I would be sad, but I am not. I am not sad because my love of that career was ruined by never being told "Thank you" and always hearing about how we needed to work harder and take more dogs. I have now found out what it is like to live not stressed. I am finally finding myself again.
So how does this apply to horses, well simply put it proves the journey does matter not just the end result. I want to make sure my horses are thanked each and every time they come out to work with me. And if the only "reward" I use is removing a threat then that isn't much of a reward is it? Just as with my job my reward was keeping my job if my team performed to their (corporations) expectations. Frankly that wasn't a reward in my eyes that was a relief. Keep that in mind the next time you keep using pressure for your horse to perform and all you give them at the end is release of the pressure. Think about what motivates you to do better, threats or rewards? I can tell you I did improve under threats our team made our plans, kept us under budget, tried to make sure it was a safe salon, and overall grew the business, but I wouldn't have grown bitter if they hadn't threaten so much. When I gave my notice I was thanked for all my hard work, but by then it was too late. I had grown to hate it and no matter how many thanks they gave me at the end it wasn't going to make up for all the threats they doled out through-out the years. Lucky for us horses are more forgiving then humans and they will give us another chance to get it right.
Moving on and looking forward to a bright and happy (less stressful) future.
Since 2004 I have been involved in the service industry for a big corporation. And when I burnt out of dog training, I moved on to grooming. Why? Well at first it was a money decision, but then I fell in love with dog grooming. I worked my way into management because I like managing also. And for years I was asked if I liked what I did. And for a long time the answer was yes, but then as time went I realized I wasn't enjoying it as much as I used too. It all really came down to numbers. And as one area would be going great something else always went south it seemed. As I would improve something, they would say that is good, but. It took me a long while to see the toll it was taking on me. Somewhere along the way I started to answer the question about if I loved my job with "well it allows me to have my horses, and other animals" That was my way of trying to convince myself that I stilled enjoyed what I did. But I was slowly losing myself as time went. I was becoming bitter in a lot of ways. I felt stuck. I try to be a very positive person, I love finding the joy in life. But I was finding myself complaining a lot and not liking the person I was becoming. And then one day last summer while on a conference call I was told from the higher ups that if I wanted to keep my job I wouldn't allow two people to take vacation at the same time during the summer. We had plenty of coverage and I knew how to run my schedule so we would be fine. I had already approved their vacation requests, so I got to be the wonderful person who went and told them someone couldn't go. That was the day I realized I could no longer work for the type of corporation that looked at their people as numbers and just that. They were telling me to choose between being a decent human being and keeping my job. It wasn't the 1st time my job was threaten over someone else. But it was the beginning of the end for me. It was then that I decided to change my future. I enrolled in school and decided to switch careers. A very hard decision for me as change scares me, but change doesn't scare quite as much as the person I was becoming. I lived my life stressed, but I never really knew how much until I was no longer in that position. Tomorrow I will go in and groom my last dog, one would think I would be sad, but I am not. I am not sad because my love of that career was ruined by never being told "Thank you" and always hearing about how we needed to work harder and take more dogs. I have now found out what it is like to live not stressed. I am finally finding myself again.
So how does this apply to horses, well simply put it proves the journey does matter not just the end result. I want to make sure my horses are thanked each and every time they come out to work with me. And if the only "reward" I use is removing a threat then that isn't much of a reward is it? Just as with my job my reward was keeping my job if my team performed to their (corporations) expectations. Frankly that wasn't a reward in my eyes that was a relief. Keep that in mind the next time you keep using pressure for your horse to perform and all you give them at the end is release of the pressure. Think about what motivates you to do better, threats or rewards? I can tell you I did improve under threats our team made our plans, kept us under budget, tried to make sure it was a safe salon, and overall grew the business, but I wouldn't have grown bitter if they hadn't threaten so much. When I gave my notice I was thanked for all my hard work, but by then it was too late. I had grown to hate it and no matter how many thanks they gave me at the end it wasn't going to make up for all the threats they doled out through-out the years. Lucky for us horses are more forgiving then humans and they will give us another chance to get it right.
Moving on and looking forward to a bright and happy (less stressful) future.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Catch up time again
Wow, 2016 is really flying by. Lots of changes for me, but not many on the horse front.
In the next few weeks I will be down to one job and no college for the summer. I will have so much time on my hands I won't know what to do,lol. Wait...yes, I will. Navi and I will hit the ground running with our driving training. We continue to pick at it slowly due to lack of time, but soon that won't be an issue. She is doing well and we had our 1st successful long lining lesson. Although it wasn't pretty (due to me and my clumsiness) she did great!
Pixie and I continue to just refine our work on the ground and undersaddle. We have been out on a few rides and she has been awesome. We got our new saddle and it seems to be working well for both of us :)
As far as changes for me, I am now working a Mon-Fri job and off by 4pm, so that leaves me with the ability to look into doing something I have always wanted to do, but haven't been able to due to an every changing schedule and having to be available to cover at work if something happened. I really want to look into doing some actual training/lessons for people. My new job will give me the ability to leave work at work and have a life outside of work :) And for that reason I am considering doing what I wanted to do last year and that was actually start training people and their horses. I have always believed that if you want change you have to be the change. So I decided last year I wanted to help people gain the confidence and knowledge they needed to train their horses, but work never really allowed me to get it off the ground. So I decided to change fields, and lucky for me I was hired in my new field long before I was expecting it. Change is scary to me, but I knew if I wanted to follow my passions I had to change something. So here I sit, in a few weeks I will be done at the job that I have known for 12+ years and will be down to 1 job with a set schedule and way less stress. I am excited at all the possibilities and look forward to following my dreams.
In the next few weeks I will be down to one job and no college for the summer. I will have so much time on my hands I won't know what to do,lol. Wait...yes, I will. Navi and I will hit the ground running with our driving training. We continue to pick at it slowly due to lack of time, but soon that won't be an issue. She is doing well and we had our 1st successful long lining lesson. Although it wasn't pretty (due to me and my clumsiness) she did great!
Pixie and I continue to just refine our work on the ground and undersaddle. We have been out on a few rides and she has been awesome. We got our new saddle and it seems to be working well for both of us :)
As far as changes for me, I am now working a Mon-Fri job and off by 4pm, so that leaves me with the ability to look into doing something I have always wanted to do, but haven't been able to due to an every changing schedule and having to be available to cover at work if something happened. I really want to look into doing some actual training/lessons for people. My new job will give me the ability to leave work at work and have a life outside of work :) And for that reason I am considering doing what I wanted to do last year and that was actually start training people and their horses. I have always believed that if you want change you have to be the change. So I decided last year I wanted to help people gain the confidence and knowledge they needed to train their horses, but work never really allowed me to get it off the ground. So I decided to change fields, and lucky for me I was hired in my new field long before I was expecting it. Change is scary to me, but I knew if I wanted to follow my passions I had to change something. So here I sit, in a few weeks I will be done at the job that I have known for 12+ years and will be down to 1 job with a set schedule and way less stress. I am excited at all the possibilities and look forward to following my dreams.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Finished?
Yesterday while driving to the barn I was doing some thinking about what we considered a finished horse. Everyone has their own ideas and everyone has their thoughts on the matter so I don't know that there is one answer.
What got me thinking about this topic was last week when I was talking with a friend about Navi. I was telling her that I have to stop comparing Navi to Pixie. When I think about working with Navi most times I think about everything she doesn't know, but then I realize it isn't that she doesn't know a lot it is just that she doesn't know as much as Pixie. But that is ok and I know that now. I realize that expecting Navi to be Pixie will never happen. One because they are two very very different horses, but also because I haven't invested near the time into Navi that I have Pixie. But that being said it dawned on me that Navi can do a lot of behaviors that "finished" horses cannot. Okay so riding isn't one of them, lol, but that is besides the point. But seriously for a 4yr old horse she can do very advanced ground work behavior . She is getting better and better at liberty work and she is a safe calm horse to be around. Just don't brush her she might get a bit nippy then...she still hates it! I was thinking about how difficult it is for her to respond to just verbal cues of walk, whoa, and back. Because I am not putting pressure on her to push her into the behavior it is being all shaped. How many finished horses can walk and back in a straight line with you behind them with no pressure or physical cues given. I have to give her the credit she deserves, I am not asking simple behaviors from her. I am asking her to be independent and think things through all while paying attention to the slightest cue given from me. I guess thinking about it my horses will never be "finished" because there is always something to work on and I don't ever want a "robot" horse that is scared to move because of a threat.
As I have stated before I think the opposite of what most people think. I feel like a truly "finished" horse is one that doesn't have to have the big bit, spurs, or other equipment to do their job. If you need those "aids" to have your horse respond are they "finished" or are they so dull to everything around them that you have to use strong threats. If you are going along in your training and having to use stronger "aids" you are going backwards instead of forwards. Isn't the point of training to get lighter and lighter?? One simply does not need stronger equipment to teach more complex behaviors and if a trainer tells you that you do then they don't know how to effectively teach behaviors without the aid of threats.
What got me thinking about this topic was last week when I was talking with a friend about Navi. I was telling her that I have to stop comparing Navi to Pixie. When I think about working with Navi most times I think about everything she doesn't know, but then I realize it isn't that she doesn't know a lot it is just that she doesn't know as much as Pixie. But that is ok and I know that now. I realize that expecting Navi to be Pixie will never happen. One because they are two very very different horses, but also because I haven't invested near the time into Navi that I have Pixie. But that being said it dawned on me that Navi can do a lot of behaviors that "finished" horses cannot. Okay so riding isn't one of them, lol, but that is besides the point. But seriously for a 4yr old horse she can do very advanced ground work behavior . She is getting better and better at liberty work and she is a safe calm horse to be around. Just don't brush her she might get a bit nippy then...she still hates it! I was thinking about how difficult it is for her to respond to just verbal cues of walk, whoa, and back. Because I am not putting pressure on her to push her into the behavior it is being all shaped. How many finished horses can walk and back in a straight line with you behind them with no pressure or physical cues given. I have to give her the credit she deserves, I am not asking simple behaviors from her. I am asking her to be independent and think things through all while paying attention to the slightest cue given from me. I guess thinking about it my horses will never be "finished" because there is always something to work on and I don't ever want a "robot" horse that is scared to move because of a threat.
As I have stated before I think the opposite of what most people think. I feel like a truly "finished" horse is one that doesn't have to have the big bit, spurs, or other equipment to do their job. If you need those "aids" to have your horse respond are they "finished" or are they so dull to everything around them that you have to use strong threats. If you are going along in your training and having to use stronger "aids" you are going backwards instead of forwards. Isn't the point of training to get lighter and lighter?? One simply does not need stronger equipment to teach more complex behaviors and if a trainer tells you that you do then they don't know how to effectively teach behaviors without the aid of threats.
Getting the Hang of Things...
Yesterday I had the chance to enjoy a beautiful winter day at the barn :) Love day like that!
Navi and I are continuing to work on our walk, whoa, and back verbal cues. She is understanding them enough that I decided to do some work outside of the arena yesterday. I wanted to work on our cues while on the road. I am happy to say she did great for the first time practicing outside of the arena. She had a couple times where walking in a straight line was hard for her, but otherwise it went well. When she would curve around I would just reset and start over. We are getting somewhere between 5-10 feet before I reward her now. We increase the distance every time we work. Her surcingle and drive lines are ordered so I can start teaching her right and left soon :) She is very reliable on her back cue that is almost 100%. Soon we can combine all the cues and start ground driving officially.
Navi and I are continuing to work on our walk, whoa, and back verbal cues. She is understanding them enough that I decided to do some work outside of the arena yesterday. I wanted to work on our cues while on the road. I am happy to say she did great for the first time practicing outside of the arena. She had a couple times where walking in a straight line was hard for her, but otherwise it went well. When she would curve around I would just reset and start over. We are getting somewhere between 5-10 feet before I reward her now. We increase the distance every time we work. Her surcingle and drive lines are ordered so I can start teaching her right and left soon :) She is very reliable on her back cue that is almost 100%. Soon we can combine all the cues and start ground driving officially.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Breaking Down our Driving Goals
Now that I have a idea of what Navi and I are going to be working on I figured I better make a list of our goals.
- Learn verbal cues of walk, whoa, back
- Respond to verbal cues while I am standing next to her and then behind her
- Learn right and left verbal cues
- Find a soft side-pull bridle that won't bother her sensitive skin
- Learn to accept long lines
- More desensitizing to objects behind her
- Start dragging things
We are starting from baby steps and it may take us a while to get through this list or we may fly right through it. I am not sure how fast she will accept any of this or understand it.
Yesterday we started with the walk forward and back cue. She started to understand them really well while I stood back by her butt. I found my surcingle to order hopefully I will get that next week!
Saturday, January 2, 2016
2016 Goals
Wow, I can't believe it is 2016 already. 5 years ago this month we officially purchased Jess for my other half and I couldn't have imagined where we would be today.
Starting off 2016 we find ourselves with 5 horses still :)
Jess: Now in his mid 20's (we guess) is officially retired! His riding career has come and gone over the last few years, but in 2015 we found he could no longer handle it. He is only daily supplements long with monthly shots to keep him comfortable. He is doing awesome with 24 hr pasture turnout and walks around the ranch!
Pixie: 2016 finds her in good health, maybe a little chubby, lol. She will be 15 this year! I can't believe it. We continue to work on our bridle-less riding and liberty work. I don't have any major goals for her and I this year as we are pretty much were I want us. Going forward I expect that we will just hang out and trail ride.
Willow: Willow is the picture of great health, she isn't even fat :) Her and my other half do have some goals this year with ground work and riding, nothing major just finding that perfect partnership. I will continue to trail ride with her this year and hope to have a very solid trail horse by the end of summer. I look forward to exploring the ranch with Willow. Last year she only got better and better.
Navi: Our plans have changed a lot over the last year. I have set my sights on Driving. This will be an adventure, but one I think she will be great at. She has the right personality for it calm and not spooky. We will have our work cut out for us, but it won't be anything we can't handle. Now to buy a surcingle and get started :)
Char: Sometimes the best laid plans don't work out. While I thought I had a leasee for Char this last year things didn't pan out, and she is back to just hanging out with us. So no major goals for her except to be loved on and groomed :)
Here is too a great and fun 2016!
Starting off 2016 we find ourselves with 5 horses still :)
Jess: Now in his mid 20's (we guess) is officially retired! His riding career has come and gone over the last few years, but in 2015 we found he could no longer handle it. He is only daily supplements long with monthly shots to keep him comfortable. He is doing awesome with 24 hr pasture turnout and walks around the ranch!
Pixie: 2016 finds her in good health, maybe a little chubby, lol. She will be 15 this year! I can't believe it. We continue to work on our bridle-less riding and liberty work. I don't have any major goals for her and I this year as we are pretty much were I want us. Going forward I expect that we will just hang out and trail ride.
Willow: Willow is the picture of great health, she isn't even fat :) Her and my other half do have some goals this year with ground work and riding, nothing major just finding that perfect partnership. I will continue to trail ride with her this year and hope to have a very solid trail horse by the end of summer. I look forward to exploring the ranch with Willow. Last year she only got better and better.
Navi: Our plans have changed a lot over the last year. I have set my sights on Driving. This will be an adventure, but one I think she will be great at. She has the right personality for it calm and not spooky. We will have our work cut out for us, but it won't be anything we can't handle. Now to buy a surcingle and get started :)
Char: Sometimes the best laid plans don't work out. While I thought I had a leasee for Char this last year things didn't pan out, and she is back to just hanging out with us. So no major goals for her except to be loved on and groomed :)
Here is too a great and fun 2016!
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