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.
Friday, January 22, 2016
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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