19th February, 2013 A Soft Touch!

Karen and I had a lovely ride out on the horses this morning and I'm getting in to or three good rides a week on Theoden. The weather today made it all the more pleasant and the Forest looked glorious.

Theoden has a tendency to drop back behind Petra like a riding school horse whereas I would like him to ride right by her side and to take the lead when asked. I'm not prepared to hit him with a whip or to nag him with my heels so out came the whip-whop rope. This little plaited and soft rope is really useful both as a visual cue and something which can be used to flap against your own body, your boots or even your horse if he really isn't listening to your requests. It can never hurt but by using it on one side and then the other it doesn't activate an into-pressure response as the whip does.

This morning I used it just a few times to ask Theoden to keep up and walk alongside Petra and he soon got the message without being mightily offended or resentful. Shortly afterwards he took the lead....

18th February, 2013 Another day in Paradise

Arrived at Fritham nice and early to find these two, mother and daughter,  sunbathing outside my field and Chancer and Indiana practically asleep.

Jessica wonders what we are going to do today but isn't over impressed to be wearing her first bit. I just put it in for ten minutes and allowed her to mooch around the field, talking to the others and finding out that she can eat with it in.

Later Charly came by and with no bit in, we worked on halt to walk and walk to halt transitions, left and right turns and turns on the forehand using obstacles to give her something to focus on.

Finally I asked her to walk over a tarpaulin. At first she rushed it but by the end, helped by clickered rewards, she was happy to walk over it really slowly and even to stand with her two front feet on it.

All of this work was obviously very tiring - for Jack!!!

18th February, 2013 Making something of it?

In all the good soaps, when two people are spoiling for a fight, usually after a drink, one of them will say, "Do you want to make something of it?" This is a conversation that you don't want with a horse since if you do make something of it, he is more likely to win - in terms of sheer strength, stamina and weaponry. And if you win in the short term you will lose in the long term because now he knows he can't ever trust you.

We talk about horses having issues; it's an economic, short-hand way of saying that the horse isn't doing what we would like it to do, perhaps because he won't load, won't stay in the trailer while we put the back bar up on our own, or won't go out riding on his own. So tempting to have it out with him, to make something of it. A horse is what it is on any given day and yes, it's important to deal with that horse, but issues need to be gently unravelled, not attacked.

17th February, 2013 Cross Country

Little did I know that my true forte would be cross-country. sadly without a horse. Today it was the Drovers Trail and Adventurer Racing Drovers Half Marathon which I completed in 2 hours and 23 minutes or thereabouts. It wasn't quite as savage as the Rough'n'Tumble although there was a very steep hill up through Fovant Badges and the course was 3.6 miles longer.

The off. I was in the middle order somewhere here but I wasn't going to be that gregarious for long!

 Four mile mark and I am going to chuck all my clothes at David (not really ALL of them) as it is quite warm.

 Mile eight and we have come up the hill at Fovant Badges - no time to do any touristing though.

Mile 13.6 (the meanies) and nearing the end. Raisin and biscuit Yorkie Bar and a healthy cake waiting for me back in the Jockey's canteen at the racecourse.

16th February, 2013 Jessica and Charlie

Jessica had her second ride out on the Forest today and was brilliant. Off the lead rein and happily walking out on her own. She has a naturally low head carriage - except when she spots something of interest! She'd make a lovely Western pony.

This afternoon it was time for my second Charlie of the day although this one is equine and female. Since our groundwork session Charlie's manners on the ground have been much much better and she seems a lot calmer. Today we did some long reining and it was clear that she has done it before and probably been at least prepared for driving. There were a few gaps in her education so we concentrated on ending on softness rather than simply walking through the reins, and improving her steering. Since she is already being ridden and is content to go out alone, long reining is certainly not compulsory but her owner wanted another string to her bow when it comes to exercising her.

15th February, 2013 Kentucky

I don't get the opportunity to do many Join Ups these days because there's rarely the facilities to do so, the horse really doesn't need it or it's not appropriate. This morning I was asked to Join Up with  a lovely horse called for Kentucky just for fun and to see whether he would. We agreed that it should be very low key given that he is 18 years old and has had some physical problems in the past. This was one of the most emotional Join Ups I have ever done. After being a dressage horse and being forbidden to come in to the middle when lunged, Kentucky metaphorically knocked on the door and wiped his feet before coming in. It was a lovely moment.

Next we had a look at his long-reining. His owner was interested to see whether he would be able to find long and low in a Dually where he was sometimes hesitant to do so in a bridle and bit. By putting a little tiny pressure on the inside rein it was possible to make the request and, as soon as he answered, I placed a release in the line. He did it so well.

Finally we had a look at his loading. Kentucky will happily load when he has a friend in the box but he says 'no' when he is on his own. He just plants himself and refuses to move. No amount of pressure on any type of halter has worked in the past and he wasn't interested in clickered treats once he reached the bottom on the ramp. Having moved the lorry (just because someone else needed to use the school), we set the panels up around him so that we could ask him to engage with the ramp and he was soon going up and down the ramp very easily. Even when I took the panels away one by one he continued to load and unload without hesitation and gaily accepting a clickered treat once he was on board each time.

Meanwhile Jessica was ridden out in the Forest for the very first time today.

Email received 16.2.13: "I used the panels today and loaded Kentucky to eat his breakfast in the lorry.  Decided I wanted the security of the panels to try and avoid a "no" and it worked a treat. Went on a nice hack and came back and did some loading to check he was okay. Loaded about 15 times. A couple of times he hesitated but I just put a put a bit of pressure on the Dually and up he came." AA

Email received 17.2.13: "This morning I put his travel boots on and took him up the ramp and he was great.  Did several times taking a panel away each time then off we went to Deer Leap for a ride.  Lovely ride and walked straight back in the lorry without batting an eye! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you" AA

14th February, 2013 Jessica

After a short session of short-reining  this afternoon, we made some more progress with starting Jessica. Today Charly rode her with the saddle on and outside the round pen. She didn't bat an eyelid so the next stage will be to take her off the lead rein.