No tricks, just everything you need...
Chariot wants to be on the trailer. Why? Because that's where she finds some rest. Don't worry, she rests a lot. However, she was not a fan of the trailer when I first started working with her. I had to convince her that the dark scary place was a good place to rest. So, we worked outside of the trailer and rested only on the trailer. Once on, she was showered with love and scratches (her favorite things). We stayed on for a good 10 minutes, just resting.
Once she grasped the idea, she was happy to just walk onto the trailer without working first! Smart girl. I use the sending exercise to 'send' her on to the trailer. I don't have to walk on with her. She calmly backs off when I'm ready.
Depending on the horse, this can take some hard work, persistence and patience on your part. Once your horse 'gets it', he won't typically forget it.
If you don't have the time or energy to do this yourself -- Chariot is available!
Chariot and the Mounting Block
I love teaching a horse something they don't already know. Chariot didn't like to stand still for mounting, which I can't tolerate. For safety reasons, I want my horse to stand quietly while I get on and fumble around with my saddle, etc. Even better, I like it when they can walk up to a step or mounting block and know where to stop and stand. The teaching takes little more than showing the horse where to stand and rewarding them when they get the right spot and stay there. Chariot was easy to teach because she wants to please and she LOVES getting scratched and rubbed! She's a doll.
Chariot and the Stick and String
Chariot is calm and accepting as we work with the stick and string. She's being desensitized to the movement and noise that my tools create. This exercise will help with other things, down the road!
Skylar is learning to lunge on a loose line and in a consistent circle. She's learning to keep her focus on me and keep a steady pace based on my last queue. This is still new to her, but she's doing a great job! You also get a glimpse of her natural gait.
Sky is just a dream to work with. Here she is at liberty after our last training session. She's relaxed and listening - ready for the next stage!
Fall brings some riding fun to our farm!
Introducing Skylar, a blue roan TWH mare and Chariot, a palomino Kentucky Mountain/TWH mare. These beauties are very broke and wonderfully gaited trail partners. Keep an eye on our page for training updates on these girls!
Coco is just about ready to depart for her new home. She's proving to be quite independent and intelligent. On the second day of her weaning, she walked herself onto the trailer. There is a lot of trust there. Such a good girl.
Ryder was showing off a bit during today's training. He was so good! This was only his second focused training on round penning (and turning in) and backing (by jiggling the rope). He makes it look easy!
We also worked on a little desensitization and other basics like turning to face me, respecting my space, yielding, etc. With each lesson, Ryder becomes easier to catch and work with. The attached video is just a quick demo of how he did today.
Ryder's Gait
Here's a quick video showing a bit of Ryder, our young buckskin TWH colt, and his nice little gait! We've been working in the round pen and making good progress.
Blaze and Drama
How do you work with a colt or filly that has never been handled?
If you are bringing home a new colt or filly this fall and are not sure how to get started, this post might help you.
We started with a blank slate with Blaze and Drama as they had never been handled before they arrived at the farm.
Challenges:
• They were fearful of just about everything, which is to be expected. They didn’t want to be touched, caught, haltered or led.
• Their most dominant defense mechanism and way of coping was to turn away from me putting their hinds toward me (they were trying to hide just like they do when they are with mama). They do kick if they are scared enough.
Where to begin:
• Start in a controlled area, like the barn or a very small space outside. I don’t turn them out into a larger space until they can be caught. We spent three days in the barn together.
• Teach them to face me and keep their hind ends out of my space. This is for my safety but also is how I’ll be able to approach them, halter them, and generally care for them.
• Move their feet and start to gain respect as the leader. They learn to rest when facing me and get lots of scratches.
• Teach them to give to pressure. Light pressure is all it should take!
• Get them used to being handled in general. Lots of rubbing and scratching them all over.
• Always end sessions on a calm and collected note! A trusting relationship begins.
The video is from Day 2 in the barn (mostly working with Drama) and shows how I use the flag to keep their hinds in the away position. I also use the flag to move their feet and get them moving forward. I release pressure when in position, facing me. I also did some leading and other basic exercises to slowly achieve my goals. Release of pressure at the right moment and letting them rest facing me are the two keys to success.
After three days, they had learned to trust me and face me on command, so I was able to move them out to our sma
Nova - In Training
Here is Nova, our beautiful buckskin TWH filly, in training. This video includes snippets of Nova round penning (always turns in), being desensitized, longing with a demonstration of her gait, and flexing her head and neck. She always gives me her head when we put on or remove the halter. Nova is only 9 months old and a well-behaved, extremely smart, level-headed girl!
Odin is learning how to relax with the "head down" exercise.
After a lesson or workout is the perfect time to work on the head down exercise. Press lightly on the top of his head and when he yields by lowering his head, remove the pressure and reward (scratch or rub). Start with very light pressure and increase as needed until he lowers his head.
Teaching your horse to lower his head has many benefits in addition to promoting relaxation. It makes tasks such as haltering, clipping, administering medication, and other things much easier!
