Starting TODAY- I’ll be implementing a new thing I like to call my MagEq Tricks! 🎩🪄
MagEq Trick #1:
MUSIC! 🎶🎤
How many of us like to listen to music? I’m sure we all just nodded and gave a “yes” in our heads. Hey- I love music! Whether you’re into rap, or country… classical or rock… music is a tool that’s completely FREE- but can change you and your horses attitude, outlook, and engagement during training.
The next time you’re working with your horse- whether it be on the ground, under saddle, at liberty… or just going for a grazing walk- open up your phone and hit your favorite tunes!
Play your jams, and take a minute to really relax your body and shake out any predisposed stress, emotions, or other feelings you may be carrying with you into your session. We want none of that… and neither do our hoses! According to a study done by the AARP, “Research shows that music can have a beneficial effect on brain chemicals such as dopamine, which is linked to feelings of pleasure, and oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone.” And there is moderate evidence that music can help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.”
How crazy is it to think that a such a simple thing like cranking up some jams could totally change your entire session and outcome. But- ITS TRUE! I even have my own ready-to-go playlist filled with all of my favorite uplifting and good-vibe songs ready to be played during ALL of my training and work. Music is not only a way for ME to really relax my mind, but it’s also a great way for my horses to relax theirs as well. I mean think about it: If your happy and cheery and excited for what you’re about to do- why wouldn’t they be??
Music makes things fun and keeps the training light and enjoyable for both you and your equine partner. It allows your mind and energy to flow and follow the beat- and I bet that the next time you train and hit some tunes, by the end of your session you’ll be dancing and jamm
Pippy Lungeing Session!
Playing With Pip! 🤠🐴💛
Today, I decided to do a nice, relaxed, and longer lungeing session with Pippy! We started off fairly decent, and then slowly it got a little worse. After a few laps, Pippy began to stop listening, and start pulling on the rope and tangling herself in it and throwing her head a bunch.. and it was just a disaster! So.. I slowly realized that it wasn’t actually her fault at all, but mine. I started to notice that she. I increase pressure with the whip, that’s when she starts to drift into (“Chilli Pip(per)”… get it, like Chilli Pepper!) I then came to understand that when I lunge her with the whip, I feel like I tend to always get myself tangled up, and then she gets confused because I’m waving the whip around while accidentally pulling on her face and trying to unravel myself. So, I decided to try a new method. Cut out the whip completely. While I don’t have a video of this method, I decided to drop the whip completely, I noticed that she responds MUCH better and is a better listener and actually willing to work when I’m soft and just ask. So, I went a few circles WITHOUT the whip, and low and behold- I BARELY lifted my arm and she walked and walked and walked like a princess. Then I asked her to trot by lifting it a littleeee more and she trotted. No rudeness or problems. She didn’t pull on the rope, didn’t stop and do her turn to the outside craziness… just politely went and went until I asked her to stop! We ended the lungeing session with some beautiful walk trot transitions, and that’s where I decided to officially end the session. I would honestly call this the best session we’ve had yet, for both me and her!
I’m finally starting to figure out what works best for both Pip and I.. and using that and incorporating/ adapting it to my training. I’m finally forging my own training methods with her- and she’s finally understanding them and willing to learn!!! 😁😁😁
Playing with Pip! 🤠💛🐴
Pippy had one of the best weeks ever this week! Today we officially hit our 1 month mark- and we’ve accomplished so much so fast! This week, Pippy moved out of her pen and into the big field with all of the other farm horses, did her first few trails in the woods, learned to stand tied, started round-penning, wore a fly mask, and so much more!!
For our first trail ever, Pip and I went out for about 30 minutes. It went amazingly!! We trotted over logs, walked through the forest (off the trail), went through puddles, and walked and trotted over a bunch of different terrains!
This week she also moved into the big field with all of the horses and was introduced to them! At first, it was very uneventful and none of the horses really cared about her. Then after about 30-40 minutes, she caught their attention and they all examined and smelled her, and then chased her around a little like horses will do! She eventually made some horsey friends, and is still inching her way to making more!! 😃
**attached video of some farm horses meeting Pippy and chasing her around/ playing with her! I’ve attached more videos in the comments because FB only lets me attach one here 😕**
Pip getting all 4 feet picked out! (day 20)
Playing with Pip 🐴💛🤠
(DAY 20!!)
For this session, I decided to upload another voice over video! For day 20, I focused completely on Pip being totally comfortable and calm with me picking out, brushing, and playing with her feet! I was even able to train her a new cue for her to pick up her foot when asked!! 😃
Pip coming out when i make my pigeon recall sound from the top if the big field gill!
Playing with Pip! 🐴💛🤠
(DAY 19)!!
For today’s session, I decided to change things up and make it a “recess” day! Instead of work train work train work train… I decided to still get some training in, but in a way that lets both Pip and I to have some fun and let loose as well!!
Today, we ventured out of Pips pen and all the way to the big ring at Legacy Riding Stables! Once there, I walked Pip into the center, unclipped her from the lead rope, and just let her run around and be a happy, crazy, energy-filled baby mustang!! Knowing Pip’s personality, I figured it wouldn’t be too eventful… she basically just took a few steps around and was digging in the sand with her nose and getting a feel for the new place she was in (understandable since the farthest place she’s gone had been a few steps outside her pen). She was now in a brand new area, with all different colors, objects, textures, noises, etc! After a few minutes of letting her settle in and figure things out, I wanted to spice it up and have some fun with her… so I did as Zach would do… I CHASED HER AROUND! Gosh was this tiring to run around in the deep sand!!! But so so so worth it! Pip loved running around, and she even threw her version of some funny baby bucks and farts and kicks as she ran around, letting loose of all of the stress and anxiety she had built up over the past 2 weeks! We ran around the ring together for a while, and by the end she even let me place a cone on her butt without a care in the world!
I did ofcourse also work on some training out there… and my main training focus was recall. For the past week, I’ve consistently used a pigeon-like “coooooorrrrr” sound as my recall, and have trained her to come when she hears it (ofcourse I had to choose a sound that only I would be crazy enough to make and use as a recall)! She listened AMAZINGLY in her pen and came every time.. and even came out to see me when I called to her from the very top of the big field h
PLAYING WITH PIP 💛🐴🤠
(DAY 17!!!)
Today’s session Legacy Riding Stables focused shortly on recall and picking up feet.. AND umbrella desentization (I decided to take a whole session to focus on this because I’ve noticed by being around horses for so long, that even the calmest ones always end being terrified of umbrellas for some odd reason?!?)😄☂️🐴
For my Day 17 post, and possibly all of my future posts, I have decided to try out something new! Rather than detailing in long paragraphs and various photos/videos all of my training, I have decided to put different clips into one shortened video AND add a voiceover! This way, I can outline EVERYTHING I am doing- down to my steps, plus you can all actually see it too (rather than just reading about it)!
Please let me know if you like this way of posting better, or if you prefer reading my paragraphs!
Playing with Pip! 🐴💛🤠
Days 8 & 9! (LEADING!!)
For days 8 and 9 of training Pip… we began our process of working on leading at Legacy Riding Stables! I started by talking the clip and clanking it open and closed repeatedly to get her comfortable with the sound of it! I then took a small piece of the rope and held it in my palm as if it were any other part of my hand, and rubbed her up and down with it (as shown in the first video below). She was totally relaxed and fine with it! I then slowly moved onto to clipping it to her halter ring, and then immediately unclipping it over and over. I then clipped it, held the rope dangling there for a while, and then unclipped it. Eventually- I clipped it and we began leading!
I applied the slightest amount of pressure I could, and released at even the blink of an eye! We then moved our way up to small head turns. Then I added a little bit more pressure steadily, and would keep the pressure applied at the blink/ head turn.. and would only release it when she took a step. After a while of this process, Pippy finally began to understand the “game” we were playing.. and she was leading as if she was any other domestic horse!!! GOSH- I love this little filly MORE than words can describe!
**attached videos of the process of leading with Pippy!**
PLAYING WITH PIP! 🐴💛🤠
(Half) End of week 1 recap!
We’re back!!! 🤠
To all of mine and Pip’s followers, thank you for your endless support and following us along on our crazy journey, and tuning in every day to stay in the loop on our continuing progress! I have slacked off this week, but from now on i will post DAILY updates on our progress! Now… for the end of my official first week of training with Pippy- OH BOY do I have some updates for you all!!
Recap of:
(Thursday) Day 4- we continued to work on rubbing her body more and more and in more places! She was now okay with rubs all over her body, PLUS she is also letting me pet and rub through her mane and even her forelock!! We spent most of our sessions on day 5 just rubbing and petting in the crevices and corners of her body where you usually wouldn’t… just to make sure she’s totally comfortable with it before moving on to the next steps!
(Friday) Day 5- For day 5 we started early (about 6:45am) and began LEADING TODAY!!! In session one on Friday, i was just getting Pip comfortable with the lead rope touching her body, petting her with it, making the sound of “claching claching” with the clip over and over, and just overall showing her that the leadrope wasn’t so scary! After making her comfortable with the lead rope, I began to clip it on and off repeatedly to her (rope) halter. In the next 2 sessions of Day 5, I clipped the rope to her halter, and slowly/gently placed it on the ground in front of her. Then I cued her to move about the pen, and let her sort of figure out the pressure and release points of stepping on it on her own for a little before stepping in. I wanted her to not only be comfortable and not scared with it dragging on and all around her, but to teach herself how to fix the situation of stepping on it / getting caught on it vs. moving off of it to release all of that pressure on her. After a few go arounds of this way and several baby yearling panic attacks
PLAYING WITH PIP! 🤠💛🐴
Day 2:
Session 1: I continued with touching. I wanted to devote today to making sure I was able to run on her on both sides of her face confortably and without hesitation or resisting from her. So, today I started with the super no no right side. Today I decided to start outside of the run in, but she was being very very stubborn and sticky with it. So- I revised my game plan! I allowed her to walk into the run in where she felt safe and comfortable, and tried to touch her right side from there. BOOM! It worked! Within about 10 minutes, she was allowing me to touch her right side. In 15- she turned it into a game and was reaching her nose out for me to touch it! Session one was a little bit longer than usual (about 45 mins) but I then gave her about an hour- 2 hour break to eat some hay and relax and detox herself… then i came back and we moved onto session 2!
Session 2: I came back, calmed my energy (I need to do this a lot because of how naturally energetic I am) and started where we left off. I began with 3 or 4 touches on both sides in the run in just to recap… and then I sent her out of it. Now, we began touching both sides but outside of her safety zone. She’s started off a little more cautious and sticky.. b eventually realized it was ok! To finish day 2 off- I tried moving my touches up slightly. By the end of session 2- I was able to scratch 5 or 6 times over her nose… and she even let me touch her neck! That’s where I decided to call day 2- and let her get back to munching on her hay until tomorrow!
**here is a shortened & sped up version of today’s session(s)! I also added a voice over for the part when I got excited about touching her right side!**
It’s me- Zach here!
Welcome to my new page where I’ll be posting daily progress of my mustang training with Pip, pictures, videos, etc! This is all going to be under a series on this new page I like to call… “Playing with Pip!” 😁
I officially completed day 1 of training, and here’s how it went:
Day 1:
Session 1: the very first thing we worked on was moving away from pressure. The night she arrived, Pip was afraid to even step foot near her run in. So much so that her hay pile was left untouched 😖. On day 1; session 1, I pushed Pip around and forward with some pressure, and eventually into her run in! Now.. a day later.. she refused to step foot out of it and there’s not a scrap of hay to be seen! 🤦♂️😂.
Session 2- I began first touches! It was fairly quick before she was okay with me touching her on the left side of her face. Then, when we tried to move onto the right… that was a big NO from her, I decided not to push it, and just focused on being very comfortable with touches on the left side- and that’s were I concluded day 1!
