Another buddy!

Ok so today it was still HOT! We didn't play too much on the ground today. The big arena was open (they took all the lesson kids to a cross country course today) so I jumped at the chance to ride in there. I haven't ridden in the big arena in several weeks, maybe even before the end of June! I decided to use the bareback pad today and for our warm up on the ground I squeezed Duck over some of the small jumps and ground poles and the like. 

I decided to try and get on without a mounting block bareback! Well I USED to be able to do this with ease, and could still do it with my 13.1hh mustang, but not with Duck! She was quite patient while I tried bellyup jump, swinging up from the side, to no avail. I decided to get on an upright barrel as a mounting block. This went well, a lot better than last time. Last time she wasn't sure about me being all the way up there. And while today she wasn't 100% you could tell she was much better with it than last time!

Today I was still focusing on getting turns using my body and not so much rein. The walk is still going well. Trotting is another issue. Although today I did get a few decent turns I was still having to resort to using the reins (and too strongly for that matter) so we went back to the walk. 

When trotting though we were headed toward the far end of the arena (closest to her barn) to the patch of grass. I had played point to point the last few times I was in this arena. Duck remembered.  She offered a nice canter, it was about 8 strides to the grass patch. But it felt so much better than yesterday's. More balanced and she wasn't thinking about bucking me off! Yeah!

So we did some grazing and a couple times transitioning into the canter along with sidepassing over ground poles and backing between 2 poles and also a little bit of figure 8 around the barrel (tried the trot again it was better).

There is another lady at our barn  that is studing level 1 as well as Clinton Anderson! Yeah! I am happy about that! She even said she had loaned her level 1 to the trainer for the kids to watch. Very cool! I am just happy that some other people KNOW what Parelli is!

We ended our session by riding back to Duck's stall with our new riding buddy! Yeah! 

Improvement

Duck was in her stall again for the day since it is supposed to be very hot AGAIN! I got her out and went to play a little with this month's savvy club DVD concept of the ropes on the feet. It wasn't soft but we did make some progress on both the front and the hind. This served 2 purposes for me, to practice and make it better and also to get Duck ready for the farrier tomorrow!

Today we played on the ground some on the 22ft line outside the arenas but near them. First off Duck almost took me to the woods on her own today so I was excited that she would even go that way without my prompting!

There is a small ditch outside the arenas in a bit of a grassy/dirt area. We played squeeze over the ditch both ways. Then we played yo-yo (it wasn't a great back up) through the ditch a few times. She seems to be getting softer on the bring back which is nice. 

We went into the round pen next and played a little but I took the rope off very quickly. I wanted to try liberty again! I need to remind myself to put some obstacles in there for us next time. We did a little bit of sideways (w/ the use of the fence) a yo-yo (bring back was tough the first time but after a cookie on the return got better the second time), squeeze game between me and the fence and a bit of driving. All in all less than probably 8 minutes but I purposely keep it short!

Then we went to ride in the big practice arena where a girl was having a lesson on a big warmblood! Duck was doing well and the improvement today was great! Our direction was much better at the walk requiring a lot less effort and then the trot we started getting some direction with my body. I think it is me causing some of her problems trotting. I don't have the seat/balance down. How do I know I wasn't doing well on my balance point? Well let's just say I was a bit sore today where I shouldn't have been if I was on my balance point! 

So for me getting in the way it went pretty well. She still was getting rushed at the trot so we did a lot of disengagement to the walk along the fence line and also a million transitions. I felt she was resisting me on this today but when we passed the grass patch I knew why! She really wanted some grass (obviously grazing outside the arena's wasn't enough...silly me) so we stopped to graze a bit. We ended with going sideways over a ground pole. Didn't quite get it over the pole but did w/0 it.

I have to put in my greatest appreciation to Duck today though. The girl having her lesson was having a hard time stopping that big horse from a trot. They were doing ground poles and then a small crossrail. About the 3rd time she did the crossrail the horse came off cantering. Not too fast but you could tell she was really worried. He kept going and she couldn't slow him down (he still wasn't worried but was a bit quicker), then she finally screamed and he ran off fast. She lost her seat some and then the horse hopped a couple times and she fell off into the fence at the end of the arena. I felt so bad that she fell off. I wish there was something I could have done to help her. I have to say that Duck did remarkably well just standing there while this big horse ran around a bit RB'd. Exposure to other horses is helping to lower her personal bubble crabbiness!

We trotted a couple crossrails that she hopped over slightly. When getting back to her stall I wanted to back her in again (or try because it is very narrow) She kept rushing into the stall so I brought her out we found phase 4 to STOP before she went in. Turned her around, got her lined up, she then figured out what I wanted and backed right in! So now I know it IS possible even with that narrow of a door!

Tomorrow I probably won't be riding, just groundwork. Maybe we'll go check out the woods again....

The farrier is coming as well. Also going to to some undemanding time first. I think she is getting a bit tired from all the sudden riding!

Thresholds and riding

Today we spent about an hour on the ground working on thresholds. I was not very considerate of my horse the second day she was at the barn in May. She seemed fine. I took her for a "trail ride" around the property. There is a bit of a trail that goes off the hayfield and into the trees. Duck did very well while we were on this ride, but when I tried to take her over there again on the ground it was more than apparent that she wasn't confident about it. So well over a month ago we  played on the ground in the hayfield towards the trail. The opening to the trail is between a fence and a tree and it goes from the open hayfield into the mass amounts of forest. LOL So it is an obvious threshold. Last time we were still a good 100ft from the entrance to the trail when I quit.

We played approach and retreat in the hayfield and finally made it to where she was comfortable grazing right outside the opening. I then sent her in squeeze style and she promptly came right back out! We retreated further into the hayfield (towards her pasture and stall) and grazed. We repeated several times until she could stand in the "scary place". Then she grazed right outside the opening for quite awhile. I sent her in again and she took me for a walk into the woods in zone 5! We didn't go very far but then I went to zone 2 again and stood with her. We got comfortable standing and then retreated out.

Then we headed to the practice arena to ride. She seemed in tune with me so I just did one exercise on the ground sending her one way and then another and then got on. Funny thing she had more trouble today getting TO the arena (on the ground) so we had to stop a lot and retreat. One goal I have is to get her confident enough to ride from the barn to the arena and back by myself.

I got on and my goal for the day was to get her softer to my body and more responsive to direction. We have had issues with direction. She has her idea and then wants to pull on me. I got her going good on a figure 8 between 2 barrels walking and then trotted. It fell apart again. So we went back to a million transitions so I could try and get her trot softer. It seems when she started to trot today she was getting rushy. Nothing too much but not relaxed. It could of had to do with the fact that there was one more rider in the arena this time. I introduced myself and we started talking riding around together. Duck has a huge personal bubble and her horse was "intruding" into Duck's space, in Duck's mind anyway! Gently with the carrot stick I reminded her no "crabby" ears. After about 5 laps around she was happy next to the new horse. I was also pleased to find out that Liz, the rider I was talking with is also familiar with and has studied the program some! Cool! Of course I went off on a tangent about how much I enjoy it etc!

I also tried backing from zone 5 on the ground and getting Duck to back up with pressure on her tail. It was another brief attempt but I did get a couple steps!

All in all I am pleased with our session today even though she felt rushed trotting. I don't know if it is just my riding skills (or lack thereof) or if it is just her still being green and unconfident about the arena. 

Tomorrow I would like to continue with getting more direction at the trot. Perhaps tit for tat at the trot? We have done it at the walk several times and it went quite well. 

I would also like to learn to do driving game from zone 5 and need to refresh and watch the video again to see how to progress to that. I am sure it is a ways off but I want to put the foundation into place.

Freedom!!!!!

This week M-Th my boys are in Day camp from 9-1! Freeedddooooom! Time for some much needed play time this week! Of course I did a beeline straight to the barn today after I dropped them off with my cell phone in hand just in case! 

Duck was in her stall for the day since it is looking like it will be over 90 degrees again today. We started with some grazing (as usual) while I groomed her and then saddled. I put her on the 22 ft line to go to the arena. She offered to go in her stall and I was trying to think of what I could do to play in there while I was outside of it.  I thought I'd try to back her out while I was in zone 5, but I think I didn't have enough preparation in that area! :) We played with it a bit and then I ended when she took a few steps back towards me. When I came in the stall to back her out I figured out the problem. It is a pretty tight squeeze (her door doesn't open all the way) and so she wasn't even confident doing that. So we played with it and out she went. Now I know how to prepare! 

There were lessons going on in both arenas, the big arena had a group of 8 hunter/jumper students. The practice arena had 2 students as well. I decided to go for the empty roundpen. 

We got some cones and set them up in a line. Weaved her in and out of the cones on the 22ft line. Then I took off the rope and did it at liberty as well as a little sideways at liberty. She still tends to get very unconfident with any pressure so I make our liberty sessions very short!

 I then mounted up and played with the line of cones weaving through them. She is starting to follow my direction better with my body, but sometimes it still takes a lot. The group of 8 was causing quite a stir (bucking horses, and cantering rather quickly as a group) plus Duck's pasture mate Kay was in there so there were some moments of RB whinnying and the like. I have recently taken the strategy of just making her do A LOT when she does the whinnying. We back up a long way, go sideways, yield front end and hindquarters with a bit more energy than she would like to exert. It seems to be working as it brings her focus back to me. 

After the students left in the practice arena I took Duck over there and put her back on the 22ft line. We played with barrels and jumping them but she was more just knocking them around everywhere. She did sidepass onto the barrels which was nice and then stepped over with her hind legs to get off it! We played some circling where we practiced transitions. I don't very often play circling game and usually never without an obstacle involved but today she did well. We got transitions walk/trot both ways as well as a rough change of direction. I just don't want to overdo the circle game because last May we couldn't even circle without her rushing off at a dead run and pulling on the rope! So we've made progress! Still have a ways to go before submitting our transistions on line. 

I only had 2 tasks for level 2 left when Kira left. Transitions online and 7 games in 7 minutes at liberty. I knew then that it would be quite awhile before I would be able to submit them. Duck is still quite green and pretty much has not had a lot of consistent riding/play. But it seems we are getting closer! I can't wait! Everyone I was in level 2 with before or who got to level 2 has since passed and moved on to level 3! Here I am, taking the long road! 

We also did a little cantering in the round pen. Duck bucked a bit but I rode her forward through it until she gave me a nice canter. I still feel like I need to find a big horse that is used to cantering a lot and ride it just to remember how to canter on a big horse! I feel like I am not helping her at all at the canter because for the last 10 years almost exclusively I had been riding Kira and her 13.1 hand mustang/pony canter! Duck's just feels so different (way more upright and more motion) and I am lagging! I wonder if there is a way to simulate a canter that I can do at home? I'd love to practice being more fluid at the canter!

All in all it was a great day!  I am pleased with how Duck is coming along. I barely noticed any thresholds going to the arena which is a great improvement. Along with the fact that our steering seems to be getting better and softer which has been quite an issue for us! I think the trail ride yesterday helped with both those issues!

At the end of the session I briefly introduced backing from zone 5 with her next to the fence just to see if I could get a bit of understanding. She did seem to get it and we got a few steps! More to practice on next time!

Our first North Carolina Trail Ride

Today Duck got to learn what it was like to be a "real" horse! Some real trail work finally! YEAH! We went on our first trail ride in North Carolina to Latta Plantation!  It was a savvy trail ride with some other savvy club members (crosswise and Becky B). Lisa (Crosswise) was so patient when Duck was unconfident about the trailer. It took about 40 minutes for me to gain her confidence enough to load her. She did get a bit of a scraped nose on one of her quick exits from the trailer! Lisa was so nice that she unloaded both her mules so that I could put Duck on first because Duck was unsure about them and the trailer! 

It was a very HOT ride! It hit about 100 degrees outside (so much for the forecasted rain) while we were out! Duck was quite RB at first because of all the commotion at the trailhead.  She settled in some after some playing on the ground.  The shade and the breeze helped cool things off some although the humidity was quite high! We had one decent spook at the "monster" rocks where she spun around quickly but it wasn't difficult to manage. Those are the times that I miss Kira my trail loving and well trained mustang! It is so hard sometimes to go back to a green horse!

By the end although we didn't go too far in the heat Duck was exhausted both mentally and physically. You could just see how tired she was! She was almost in a full body sweat even though we hadn't done more than walk and stand! Definitely her emotions were high because there was a lot going on all around us! When we got back to the trailer we played again for about 20 minutes with the trailer. Duck was much more confident this time and loaded quite well.

Her trailer issues are my fault (but not totally). The last 2 times she has been trailered have involved lots of stress considering she had spent the majority of her life in Illinois at one farm. Last two trailerings have been:

1) from Illinois to North Carolina

2)From my last barn to the new barn in the new barn's trailer and with the barn owner

I don't have a trailer to play with so the only times she's gone on a trailer was throwing her world upside down and just getting on and going! Last time moving her to the new barn (at the first of May) she was unconfident getting on the trailer. I went to shut the gate of the farm and talked to her and she whinnyed a ton at me. It was almost like she was saying "where are we going now? I am scared? Will I be ok?"  I think she has had so much trauma from moving and not going back to the same place. When she got back to the barn today she was quite excited because her pasture mate was out in the pen and calling for her and quite on adrenaline. I thought she was going to jump out the window of the trailer! I untied her and threw the rope over her back to let her out. I wasn't about to get in the way of that! I think she was excited that she came back to the same place again for once!

All in all it was a great first trail ride. Not too demanding physically, but mentally she really had to tune in and we did a lot of little stuff and some sitting around too which will help with patience! 

Looking forward to many more trail rides to come!

Here I am on Duck in the shade of the trees

Duck heading back home to the barn
Lisa and Buster
Becky and Jake. Aren't these mules the cutest ever? I think so. The really funny part is they pretty much match Duck's color too! We were triplets today! One of them even has spots! More than Duck!
Duck Ear view. I think she has way cute ears!

Another Ride

Today I worked at the barn. So after I finished morning chores I decided to ride. I have to note that I bought Duck some horse treats at the tack store because I ran out of my homemade cookies. She doesn't like the store bought ones. She ate one and now she isn't interested at all and she keeps giving me the "where are my REAL treats?" question. But hey it's still a question!

Duck used to be kept on large pastures and able to graze a lot on real grass. Right now she is with one other horse and there is nothing but a couple weeds in her pen so she is very interested in grass. I have been trying to use this to my advantage! Today we played on the 22' and backed between 2 barrels. I am trying to be more aware of playing on the end of the 22' line in more preparation for liberty. It seems to be helping. We also did sideways from zone 1 and incorporated grass. 

For the riding part of our session we rode in the big practice arena today. Duck was for the most part much more relaxed being ridden. We trotted poles, stopped between the 2 barrels we previously backed through, and ate lots of grass as a reward (it is growing on the edges of the inside of the arena). Also did point to point with the grass and then did one whole lap of the arena using the same start/end point. The first time we trotted it. The second time Duck offered a canter so I went with it. I need to work on my cantering on another horse or something because I think I am just still so used to Kira and Duck has such a HUGE canter and very upright feeling compared to Kira. I feel so klutzy riding her canter! 

All in all it was a good session and there was definite improvement in our direction today as well. I still feel like I have to be too hard on the reins though when her idea isn't mine, so I need to find a more effective phase 4 a couple times so I can get it softened up. Tit for tat maybe? We've played that before too.

Back to play..after a MONTH off

Well between travel, house stuff, family visiting, bad weather this week in the evening (when I usually get to the barn) and more family obligations I haven't ridden in a month. It always seems to amaze me how time just keeps flying by whether I go to the barn or not. It always seems that I take 1 step forward and then 2 steps back! Play consistently for awhile, then stuff comes up and I haven't done anything for a month (or more!). 

Tonight I finally got to play with Duck again. It was such a perfect night (minus the bugs) Just 70 degrees! I got to the barn around 8:30pm. Got Duck out although I confess I wasn't giving her my full attention. I was talking on my cell phone for a bit while I grazed, brushed and then saddled her. We moseyed to the round pen, there are still a few thresholds to the arena which I backed off, stopped and then progressed through.

In the round pen we did a few ground exercises and she seemed ready to ride. Wrong assumption. She was moving as I was mounting but it was mild enough to still ride. I could feel some RB creeping in. I was right, within a minute she was whinnying and looking around. I decided to get her busy and with a lot of energy. We backed (a lot), yielded hindquarters, drove her front end around etc. Then I quit, and waited. No change and she starting fidgeting again. Repeat. Then this time when we stopped I felt a change. She was much more relaxed and wanted to stand there. We stood there and did nothing. A big lick and chew and a huge sigh. After that she went much nicer but I made it short. We moved more as a unit in harmony after that and it reminded me of how soft and how little it can take to ask and get a response with Duck.

This also brought me to my next realization. It's not a new one for me but just glaringly obvious in situations like this. I think how much further she would be along with a much savvier partner than me. I can see that she is capable of much more and that I am am super slow, boring etc for her. That is painful for me because I really, really like her and want to be better!

Well enough of that. It is what it is and I am excited now! We are going for a trail ride on Sunday afternoon! A REAL trail ride! I can't wait! Hopefully Duck will be happy about it too, and it won't become a real RB situation. She usually does well but we've had over a month off. And I don't know if it is just me reading it more, or just a phase for her but we've been more unconfident/ RB ever since she's been here in NC. Especially at our new barn. There is so much going on all the time that she is distracted and I feel like I am just managing RB behavior instead of progressing. That is part of my problem, although before last month when everything flipped upside down we had started to make progress!

Back to square one, again....

Yo-Yo with grass

Today was SO hot and humid (around 92 deg) and the only time I had to go to the barn was 1-3pm! I decided to brave it. It has been so long since I have played/ridden now that Duck was just so anxious to graze after my long absence. She has been stuck in her stall in the heat and her fan was broken so it was roasting in there! I decided to use the grass as an incentive so we proceeded to the best patch of grass which is between the dirt road and the hayfield (which is now cut and pretty much gone).

I decided I would yo-yo her on the 22 ft line while I was standing in the grass and back her onto the road. where there was no grass hoping it would entice a quick return and reward to eat next to me. Well it did get lighter but no sign of a trot. We repeated about 6 times. I am guessing part of her lack of enthusiasm was the heat. I wanted to try the same strategy riding but ran out of time when some people interested in the barn and lesson program needed help. So we walked down to the main barn to get them a brochure. The kid really liked petting Duck but meanwhile I was worried that I just bashed through a million thresholds taking her into the main barn. She has never been in there before and it is huge and there are coke machines etc down the aisle I walked her through. Not to mention the squeeze through the single door to get in. We'll have to play at the main barn again to build confidence and also try the yo-yo with grass again, both on the ground and mounted.

Family time!

Duck and I
Duck Grazing (dive bombing the grass!)
My mom and I with Duck
My sister Kris (She is a Parelli horse girl too!) and her 3 month old baby Ayden. Ayden loves the barn and the horses. He just sits in his front pack wiggling and cooing while you go around the barn.
Aricin my little guy jumping the mud puddle. Him and his older brother could care less about the horses. :(

My mom, sister and her baby came into town to visit last Wednesday! They leave this Wednesday. We went to the barn today to show them around where Duck lives.  We had a good time and Duck always enjoys grazing!

What a weekend!

I'm not going to elaborate in this blog, but what an incredibly tiring weekend! It also ended up with me being sick, which means another non-horsey dry spell until I get better! Fever and sore throat, GO AWAY I need my Duck time!