Despooking Horses

Some horses are spooky some are not.  Essentially, it is because of the way the horse has been handled and its character.  Like people some horses are reactive and some are not.  The easiest horse is the reactive one because then you know you have reached the limit of its tolerance.  The other simply blows up. 

Watch your horse.  You will learn a lot. Some people post that the horse is in the middle of the herd, or at the bottom.  It doesn't matter.  Herd dynamics change.  It all depends on who is in the herd.

How to prevent blow-ups?  Do the new learning exercise three times for 3 days.  

Do baby steps.  

For example:  mounting the horse for the first time.  Hint:  you just don't get on the horse.  Break it down

1.     Pat, stroke the horse's back.  This is accomplished first with grooming.  Then when leading.

2.    Stand over the horse (horses are not accustomed to people being taller). Stand on something

3.    Lean on the horse On the ground and while standing on something.  Jump up and down

4.    Lay on the horse. Face down

5.    Be led lying on the horse. Slide off 

6.    Sit on the horse Stroke, talk to the horse, and feed treats. Touch sides, neck, croup.  Swing legs

7.    Be led sitting on the horse. Stroke, talk to the horse, feed treats.  Touch sides, neck, croup.  Swing legs

8.    Be lunged while sitting on the horse. Use a light seat, stroke, and talk to the horse.  Touch sides, neck, croup.  Swing legs  

        walk, trot, canter on both reins

9    Unclip the lunge line, and circle around lunger, gradually making bigger circles.  Lunger walks with you

10     Lunge/ride horse

11    Ride horse

Allow 4 months for backing to riding horse loose at walk, trot, canter on both reins.  

Ride on trails at a walk only.  Two-point up and down hills.  Don't tire the horse.

Touch the horse.  Move on the horse

If you can ride well the horse will have beautiful transitions at walk, trot and canter.  No lurching into a transition.  The horse will glide.

Keep sessions short and positive

Have a quiet friend in the work area.  Horses are herd animals. Have a saddled, ridden horse for the youngster to follow.

Horses don't like to be kicked.  Carry a stick.  It helps reinforce leg aids.

You can teach leg aids by leading, walking backwards, and touching the side with a stick where the leg aid would be.  Don't bother about horses not being really sensitive to leg aids.  Get the horse going.  Big circles.  Horses will learn as you use them.  Leg aid reactions are a reflex.  The horse simply has to learn it is intentional.  

If you overdo it the horse will react by leaving.  This is not good.  Time to do something else the horse is accustomed to eg loose rein walking.  

Watch your horse's expression:  white around the eye, even a little bit, worry wrinkles over the eye:  not good.  Stop doing whatever you are doing.  Usually, the head is raised.  Ears forward.  At that point back off.  Too much of a reaction.

people and horses do not learn to overcome trepidation by adding to their concerns.

Add things to your fence line eg near gates, water, and shelter.  not enough to scare the horse away.  having an experienced horse in with the flighty horse will help immensely.

Add things to your arena, paddock eg cones, balls, bags, tarps.  let the horses sort things our themselves

Lead your horse around and near, then over, dragging the objects.  have other horses in with you loose.

At no time force your horse to approach, go over drag anything that generates are white around eyes, moving away reaction.  Don't go so close.  Don't make a big thing of it.  in the end the horse will do it without thinking.

Repeat under saddle.  Do not force your horse to approach.  

When working your horse avoid spooky corners.  When your horse is focused on you and working your horse will go by without a blink.  

If your horse is not focused;  calling out, or looking around. Deal with that.  ideally on the ground. Ask your horse to lower its head to about poll level.  looking around in the beginning is acceptable.  Gradually ask for focus on you.  Turn the horse's head straight ahead, or to you.  Circle across the arena.  Turn across the arena

if you are competing: shoulder-fore or shoulder-in.  it is usually on the outside of the arena.

more information

TRTmethod.com. Tristan Tucker. on YouTube also

"Unleashing Harmony:The Man Who Dances With Horses" on Slice Wild on YouTube. (Frederik Pignon)

Why Learn to Ride Through Vaulting

 Why vaulting is an excellent way to learn to ride or improve your riding

1.    Vaulting is fun

2.    Vaulter can choose what to do and not to do

3.    Builds strength, especially core

4.    Vaulter learns to move with the horse while on the horse, subconsciously

5.    Vaulter learns rhythm (moving with the horse with ease)

6.    Learns to jump off a moving horse.  Prevents injuries when departing the horse accidentally.  Learns to jump off clear of the horse

7.    Jumping off gives the rider a sense of security

8.     The horse is controlled so it is safer than riding

9.     The vaulting horse has secure handles for the person to hold onto.  

10    Vaulting horses were chosen due to their willingness, training, and character.  Not every horse can be a vaulting horse

11.    Vaulters learn to reward the horse and be grateful to the horse for allowing the vaulter to be on its back

12.    Care of the horse and welfare is entrenched in vaulting

13    It is a fun way to learn the basics of riding

                              

Learning to hold reins

14.    New to horses people learn to be safe and comfortable around and on the horse 

 15.    Inexpensive for the rider:  helmet, barn boots, stretchy pants and top

16.  Creates confidence in the rider

17.    Teaches skills that would be learnt in more advanced riding eg sitting trot

Vaulting Conference Thoughts, January 23 to 29, 2024

 Petra Kirchner talked about physics in vaulting.  People want a big horse.  18 hands.  It is ridiculous.  The torque on the horse when mounting.  The distance from the ground to the horse's back is.  Kai Vorberg talked about the distance from the ground.  It has to be significant.  What about using a stout, short horse?  In the videos, Kai talked about the horse being disturbed in his movement by the vaulter/s being to one side.  If the horse was shorter, then there would be less effect.

Presenters at the conference:  Kai Vorberg, German National Vaulting Team Coach, Dr Lise Berg, veterinarian, associate professor at University, Jaques Ferrair, vaulter

Ziva (2012-2023)

I remember getting Ziva.  I wasn't looking for a horse.  I went to see if she was suitable for a student (too big).  I liked her eye.  She was 9 years old.  It was March. (2013?)

I picked her up to see her move.  Funny looking movement. It appeared she had bad spavins. Her hocks flexed fine. 

After I paid for her (I did 't negotiate her price.  Maybe I should have).  I found out she had extreme anxiety.  Rearing and bashing against the stall door.  Riding her?  She would be ok then refuse to go.  Rearing.  couldn't touch her behind the saddle without her humping up against my touch.   It took from March to September before we could tighten her girth another hole (she tensed up against the pressure of the girth.  Not that we did it up tight.  I like to tighten the girth from just touching her to being able to slip a hand between the horse and girth.  Only the vaulting horses have a tighter girth.

Mentally and physically Ziva was a wreck.  But she had a kind eye.  

Every year was Ziva's best year.  This year was also her best.

The moral of the story is to be really careful of who you send your horse for training.

Ziva went to a local trainer that liked to destroy a horse's mind.  Either the horse shut down mentally or was so agitated and afraid the owner can't do anything with the horse.  It was only last year that Ziva was able to canter with any semblance of balance and control.  She tried hard.  Ziva was a very special horse.

I read an article about dogs that have been abused as puppies turn prematurely grey.  Ziva had lots of grey hair on her face.  Even Miss July and Lily don't have grey hair like she did.  They are 4 years older.

Xena Becoming a Saddle Horse

 Xena was 3 in August.  She is from Rock Creek/Penticton Reserve. She looks Thoroughbred.  Which is most likely why her mother wasn't with her when she went to the rescue at 2 months old.  Way too young to be without a mother.  Fortunately, she was only there for

a month.  Ziva mothered her and Jane.  Then Lily and Miss July also looked after her when the youngsters moved into the herd (months later).

Xena was beyond wild when she came here.  Loading her to bring her up to Prince George was a disaster.  She wasn't able to be handled so they tried to haze her into the trailer.  Unfortunately it was the back of a slant load so not much to look at for space.  Running a horse into a trailer doesn't work.  Running only works if you are in a horse race.  The rest of the time walking is best for getting a horse to do something.

Last summer we started working with her:  loose schooling which she has had in a herd, then on the lunge as she was running and never walking. (first learned:  run fast).  As of this month (January), she is walking on the lunge.  Lessons in walking were sporadic.  The surcingle on was no issue.  Rider on: not a blink.  Noisy snowsuit: no problem.  Now to find a saddle and bridle for her.  She had a lot of desensitizing training when loose with the herd in the arena.  She accepts all (mainly because only one horse reacted in the herd and she wasn't dominant.

Xena has filled out a lot in the past year.  She is short but stout.  It appears that she has even gained bone on her legs!

Dave and Diamond on Becoming saddle Horses

 Finally, Dave and Diamond are being ridden.  They are wonderful to ride.  Both feel safe.  Of course, they had extensive groundwork prior to this point.  I think horses enjoy being ridden because the rider is sitting quiet on them.  No noise, no flapping plastic etc.

Diamond is very smooth.  She just glides along.  Even though she is only 14.3 hands she feels big.  I have ordered a Ghost saddle as I can get it adjusted wide enough.  She has almost no withers and a very wide, flat back.  She goes in Corinne's Ghost now so there shouldn't be an issue with fit.  I hope

Diamond's tail is swinging as she walks.  She blows her nose on the first lap around the arena.  

Work sessions are short.  The last one was 30 minutes.  The weather has been above or about freezing so we were comfortable.  It is still January but I suspect the temperatures will drop and stay down for a while.

Dave is very smooth.  He doesn't glide as Diamond does.  I feel he has a tightness in his back.  I had Kate Beckett out to massage him and he looked lovely.  His canter on the lunge is beautiful.  He can regulate his pace.  Kate didn't massage him as it appears, once again, he has fixed himself.  Wildies are wonderful horses.

I hop on one horse while Corinna works the other.  She learns fast.,,, hands down, legs on, hands together, sit still etc.  I work on responding to leg aids, reins, contact, some lateral work.  

Their schooling will continue for as long as we can.  They don't really need a break as they are worked twice a week.  I should do something with them on the days Corinne isn't here.  We will see.  My energy level is good but not always great.  And other things take my energy eg farrier.

Videos and photos to be posted in a bit.

Summer: The Time to Get Things Done

Pierce

Alex after work.  Hosing for bug control and to keep her coat from bleaching

Summer: bugs, buying hay, hauling hay, and fencing

Frankie's bug control

Insects

Bugs: ugh.Though I don’t think we get the bugs other people have. We don’t have a lot of biting bugs (only some horseflies, sometimes). Wasps but they will tolerate horses. Mosquitos in early summer.  

Dealing with bugs: fly sprays don’t really work. 

What does work is hosing off the horse that has worked and rolling in the dirt. Applying goop to the belly and chest when the horse gets bites there helps as well. I have used coconut oil hair stuff and Belly Balm which has an interesting smell The horses didn’t care for it and I had to catch the horse before they ran away.

Hay

Will it rain? When will it ever stop raining? We only get one crop a year so the weather really matters. This year it rained all June and half of July then it stopped and the ground dried in no time. The growth was late so the heads were out but barely bloomed. 

Ziva

Getting the hay from the field to the farm was interesting. Last year I decided not to haul it. The bales were just too big. I  had decided after last summer's adventures moving hay I would have the recommended friend haul the hay. It turned out he wasn’t that keen. Didn’t want to haul on a Sunday, not after work, and not the long weekend. He got strong-armed (not by me) to move the hay on Friday (2 loads possibly and 1 on Saturday).38 bales on the trailer and he had to go to the turnaround at the end of the road. It would have taken me all night to move the bales one at a time to the farm. Fortunately, I have great neighbours. One loaded the trailer and one drove the truck and trailer back and forth. Only a couple of hours of work.Thank you!!

In all, moved 123 bales. 23 from a neighbour. Top dollar at $140.It should be ok. (After feeding one bale we had to get rid of about 50 pounds of hay that had gone mouldy.). Oh please don’t heat up and burn anything down!

97 bales from Ron Tiani. Beautiful hay as usual. 

It was so hot. Water ran down me. I was only comfortable moving 3 bales but Marlene was able to haul 8. For the last load, I drove Marlene’s truck and 8 bales using Ron’s trailer. I imagine she is still trying to get her seat adjusted back. Marlene drove Ron’s truck and trailer with 20 bales.28 bales a trip. That’s ok. 

Hay usage:1 bale/month/horse.From October to May. Consumption will be lighter in October and May, possibly November and April. It is all stored under cover. Plastic blows off. Almost 40 are in the arena. 

I am looking to buy more slow-feeder nets. I think it is Marigold that is eating the holes into the nets. Holes appeared when only Petra and Marigold were eating the hay. I must talk to her about this. The nets cost just under $300 each. I prefer the Bale Buddy slow feeder nets. They are white nylon. They don’t freeze in the winter.

hauling hay

Fencing

Usually, after July 1 the ground is too dry to pound or dig. This year, in the middle of August, the ground has moisture in it. (Planting shrubs along a new fence). 

Pierce in the clover and yarrow

Thimbleberry in bloom

The feared cresty neck.