Small observations

I haven't had time to do much with the horses this week (story of my life) - just the ride on Jake earlier, but I have spent time at the end of each day to just go visit and spend some undemanding time with them before I let them back in the pasture for the night. So I've just been going through the herd and just taking time to scratch them all one at a time. What usually happens is that Gypsy tends to chase everyone away (except Jake, of course) and position herself in front of me where she needs to be scratched. I oblige her because this is really building our relationship. When I first started doing Parelli (see earlier blogs), one of the things she would not do is choose to come up to me. But she does that all the time now which is a HUGE change. So I make sure whenever she does come up to me, it's a positive experience.

IndyAnna used to always come up to me - almost to the point of being pushy, but lately has not been coming up to me as much. I suspect it's because I've not spent as much time with her as the others. Funny how that has happened. When I first got the fillies, I spent way more time with Indy simply because she let me and Skittles wouldn't. But now that Skittles has been transformed from the wild thing she used to be into a much more trusting, curious and confident "people" horse, I've spent more time with her than Indy. I think I've been "leaving Indy until later" because part of me thought she would always be the easier horse. But the less I work with her, the more difficult she is becoming. Well, difficult probably isn't the right term. Maybe just less responsive.

Skittles, on the other hand, continues to impress me. And again, that's probably because I interact with her more, so she's more responsive. What pulls at my heartstrings most is when I turn the horses out to pasture at the end of the day Skittles consistently chooses to stay with me rather than follow the herd. And as with Gypsy, I reward that by making it a positive experience: lots of scratches and love. I am absolutely falling in love with this little horse (she's the one looking at the camera in the photo above). If I ever do sell her (which was the original plan when I bought the fillies), it will have to be to someone pretty special.

2nd Ride on Jake

I finally got out with Jake again. Today was a MUCH more successful day with him. He was much more like the Jake I'm used to. But HOT man! I didn't ride very long -- mostly because I was too hot! Jake didn't seem overly bothered though.

Today we tried the new saddle with shims and it fit him MUCH better. I think I'll keep it. What's more, he had his neck stretched right out, nose practically touching the ground at times. That has NEVER happened before under saddle. He has always moved with a very high head when I rode him before. He was way more relaxed and fluid today, with lots of blowing out his nose (relaxation), his ears were forward the entire time and his whole demeanor was more relaxed and happy. I guess the "Fluidity saddle" is aptly named, eh? Plus the sweat pattern on his back after we were done showed that the saddle was well balanced. All good!

Jake and his new saddle

My leg was finally feeling better enough last night to try out my new Parelli fluidity saddle. I've had it now for about a month, but have been too sore to have anything touch the inside of my leg, let alone straddle a horse. Anyway, I finally did last night.

I caught Jake and brought him out of the pasture thinking how much he was going to like this new saddle of his. Every time I've ever tried to put a saddle on him, he dances away from me. And who could blame him? Every saddle he's ever worn causes him pain. None of my saddles fit him, so whenever I've ridden him this year (which hasn't been much), I've used my bareback pad.

So, in my excitement, I probably rushed it a bit too much - didn't read him well enough. I brushed him off and picked his feet and then grabbed the saddle pad. He immediately left. And not slowly. I pulled him in closer and held the saddle pad to his side and he went around me at a trot trying to get away from that pad. I held it as close to his side as I could while he trotted around me on a short line until he stopped moving and then I took it away. Normally I would have offered it to him to sniff or walked away swinging it or something to "ask permission" before swinging it on his back, but this time I wasn't even given the chance to ASK the question. So once he did finally stop moving and he blew his nose in indignation I started doing lots of approach and retreat - each time offering to let him sniff it. It was quite a while before he put his nose on it. After he did, I started rubbing him all over with it. He seemed OK by this time. Next was the saddle. This time he DID give me a chance to ask the question and we spent lots less time with approach and retreat. He seemed OK. So I saddled him him, tightened the girth a bit and picked up my carrot stick and headed into the paddock to ride.

Naturally I did some ground exercises first to see what kind of mood Jake was in. I already knew he was right-brained and unconfident by the way he came out of the pasture. He's been that way a lot lately, actually --even in the pasture. I've been trying to figure it out actually, and have no idea why. He's usually really friendly and calm and easy going when I go visit him, but lately when I go say hello he's all snorty, high-headed and frightened. He always lets me come up to him, but lately never seems to be able to relax. I am really struggling with WHY that would be? I haven't done much with him besides visit him, but something is going on. I am racking my brains trying to figure out what is scaring him, because I'm not doing anything different around him (at least I don't THINK so!).

ANYWAY, I digress. Yesterday when I picked up my carrot stick to swing it around him in the friendly game, which I've done tons of times with him before with no issues, he took off like a rocket like I was trying to kill him. I only had my 12' line, so after I got back on my feet again, it was obvious I was going to need a longer line to give him room to drift. I got the 22' line on him and started walking away swinging my savvy string in front of me and asking him to follow. Even 15+ feet behind me, he was agitated by the carrot stick and wouldn't follow. He started circling me again and this time started bucking. This was SO not my Jake.

I abandoned the carrot stick and just let him circle until he stopped and faced me and eventually he walked up to me. He still wasn't relaxed though, even though he licked his lips. I rubbed him all over and decided to try some porcupine game on him. Every other time I've ever done porcupine game with him, he's moved off consistently at phase 1 all over his body. Last night, he wouldn't budge with phase 4! What was going on??

OK, so I picked up the carrot stick again and just rubbed and scratched him with it and then asked him to move his hindquarters using rhythmic pressure (driving game). He did (finally! something worked!). Then I tried the same with his front end. It kind of worked, but then he just left. Block. Snort. Shy away. Hmmmm.....

OK, let's try yoyo. Yep, that worked, but he kept me on his left side and kind of yoyo'd away like a banana. OK, let's ask for a circle to the right then. Nope, he says, circle left. I let him, then disengage.. but this session he seemed to think disengage means GO FASTER. I bump his halter a few times and he disengages and looks at me like I'm going to eat him. I bring him in to me, rub him until he lowers his head. Then I yoyo him out and ask him to circle right this time. He hesitates but then moves right as soon as I pick the carrot stick about 6" off the ground. He did this one at the walk finally and had his neck stretched out nearly to the ground. I let him circle a couple times like this then asked him to disengage. Again he thought this meant go faster and I had to bump his halter until he disengaged. He licked his lips and came up to me.

So by now I know I'm not going to ride him, but I wanted to sit on him at least and see how the saddle fit. I led him into the round pen (just in case) to get on first. It was weird, but he almost seemed to get MORE relaxed (or was it "resigned???) when I got on him. I walked in a couple circles, then took him back in the paddock to see if he'd move more there.

In the paddock he stayed glued to the gate. It was a real struggle to get him to move away from the gate. Good grief?! What was going on with him?? I didn't fight with him; just let him walk in small circles around the gate and slowly asked him to move further. I left it at that. Obviously I need to go WAY back in the program with him -- lots more on the ground without the saddle before I try the saddle again. It was strange that he's perfectly OK with the carrot stick and string when there's no saddle on him, but when there is a saddle on him, the carrot stick and savvy string becomes a whip in his mind. Same with the porcupine game. Without a saddle, he's moves away from my touch with a light phase 1 (which he did AGAIN for me last night AFTER I took the saddle off). But with the saddle on, he's an immovable rock. Phase 4 didn't make him flinch and I had to add additional pressure to get him to move. Wow. Lots to figure out with Jake.

But I've been auditing a level 2/3 clinic this weekend and I'm out of town for the next 3 days, so it'll have to wait.

The saddle: I bought a super-wide (since Jake is so big), but it was TOO wide when I tried it last night (sat too flat on his back). But this was without any saddle shims. Next time I'll try it with shims and see if it works any better. The only encouraging part of last night was when he stretched his head down while walking on the circle. That's the first time I think I've ever seen him do that. So maybe the saddle will work out after all!

Indy takes a crack at the trailer

I stalled this weekend. I have had several opportunities to go do stuff with the horses, but kept making excuses or telling myself I needed to do something else first to avoid going out there and accomplishing anything. And I can't even say why. I just could not get motivated to do anything with them. I need someone here to give me a kick in the pants. I seem to have hit a wall. Maybe it's thinking that I have SO MUCH left to do with them all. Like I said before, I think I've bitten off more than I can chew and I may be kidding myself if I think I'll be riding Indy or Skittles this summer.

Anyway, today I finally kicked my own butt and started working with Indy and the trailer. I still have lots of work left with the other three and the trailer as well. The other 3 have all stepped into the trailer all the way, but it's still not with any kind of grace or willingness, and I haven't even attempted to close the divider or the door yet!

Indy is still a rookie at all the 7 Parelli games too, so I had to start with some of those, most specifically the driving game and the squeeze game to prepare her for the trailer. I did TONS of approach and retreat with her without making any new progress with the approach. Finally I used the lead line to wrap around her foot and picked it up and rested it in the trailer. After that, when we approached, she picked her front foot up and started pawing the trailer. I initially took that as progress (maybe it was? Maybe it was displaced emotion??), but she wouldn't move past that. I think she was thinking "she leaves me alone when I put my foot up here like this!" So I stopped and we did more driving and squeeze game for a bit and I led her up and down the driveway a bit as well to work on her leading. Then we went back to the trailer and tried again, but this time I tapped her on her butt once she started pawing and lo and behold, she stepped up. Wow! We backed up and I gave her a few moments to think about that, take a few mouthfuls of grass and tried again. She got up a bit further the next time and even lifted a hind foot, but didn't put it in the trailer. The next 5 or 6 attempts were worse and I was wondering what I was doing wrong. I was starting to get frustrated (we'd been at this for over 2 hours) and so I thought we'd better quit while we're ahead. But I wanted to leave on a good note and so kept at it until she stepped up into the trailer again and then asked her to back out and we called it a day. I think this session was too much about the trailer and not enough about making sure Indy was OK and learning from it. This was evident in my lack of progress after I was trying to get her to step her hind end in. All I cared about was getting her in there. Not about the success of her tries. I really have to work on my patience. Indy did great. Wish I could say the same for me!