Getting Back in the Saddle

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Getting Back in the Saddle Nacho is a 14 yo Paint gelding who has a few issues and has had 7 years off. This is our journey!

I’m not a professional trainer and will make mistakes but I will work through them and get professional help when I feel I need it!

I’ve changed the name of the page because as most people know, I lost Nacho on January 1, 2023. So now I’m going to be f...
02/03/2023

I’ve changed the name of the page because as most people know, I lost Nacho on January 1, 2023. So now I’m going to be focusing on my own journey back into the saddle.

I am so lucky to have some pretty amazing friends who have horses I’ll be able to ride. My one friend has a horse I’ve been able to get on twice now! Ricky Bobby is my friend Darcey’s horse! He’s a lovely chap who’s been kind enough to not buck me off, even when I’m unstable and unsure up there lol. Thank you Darcey for helping me out!!

My goals starting out are to get my muscles back into shape and so they don’t scream at me to stop!! So far I haven’t been too sore the next few days but I know the more I do the more it may hurt!

24/05/2022

Yesterday, we had a bit of a breakthrough I feel… we actually had a few instances of long and low! Long and low is when they stretch down to the ground with their noses. It stretches out the top line and can only be done if they’re totally relaxed! The end goal will be for him to do this at a walk, trot, and a canter!

23/05/2022

I haven’t posted here for a while and figured it would be a good time for an update! I’ve had Nacho for a little over a year now and while I’m not galloping across the hills with him, I have seen major improvements! He had the whole winter off and I’ve just started working with him again. I’ve gone back to the beginning and am slowly working through everything again. This time it’s taking a lot less time to see the changes. Here is a video I took from yesterday and I’ll post the one from our second lunging session a year ago in the comments…huge difference!

I had some help today from my neighbor! We went for a good walk around the field with Milla leading him and me behind “d...
08/02/2022

I had some help today from my neighbor! We went for a good walk around the field with Milla leading him and me behind “driving” him! It was interesting to watch how he reacted to having someone else around him while I did the tacking up. He stayed nice and quiet while the saddle was being done up and after a few tentative steps forward we were off! We walked all around the field and then when we were at the top of the field, Milla released him and I let him head back to the gate. We stopped a couple times and I was able to get him going again without having to have him pulled forward! Then we did what I did yesterday where I stood behind his shoulder with my arm over his back. He was really not wanting to walk forward at first but we were able to move forward! Once we were walking, there were big sighs and licking and finally some relaxation! One step at a time! Thank you for the help Milla!!

I’ve had Nacho home for several months now and he’s settled nicely and today I finally worked with him again. I decided ...
06/02/2022

I’ve had Nacho home for several months now and he’s settled nicely and today I finally worked with him again. I decided to try ground driving him to see how he’d respond and he was great! Saddling went very well and he stayed relaxed through the whole process.

Saddling went well, as I mentioned earlier, he raised his head slightly but after a couple bend to relax he lowered his head and licked his lips and gave a big sigh. Then I hooked up the long lines… I went behind him and he was quite confused but after some clicking and pushing, he started walking for me! By the end I could just walk behind him all good. I didn’t try steering him, I just let him decide where he wanted to go.

Once the driving, I use that term loosely lol, I decided to try standing just behind his shoulders and tried to get him to walk forward… no go lol. He backed up and then just moved sideways for a bit. Tomorrow I’m going to get some help and have someone walk him forward! But even tho he was confused and uncomfortable he remained calm and didn’t blow up! All in all I’m thrilled with how he did today after such a long time since I’ve worked with him!

It is so nice to have Nacho right out in the field. I’m able to go and visit him any time I want! Most of the time I fin...
09/11/2021

It is so nice to have Nacho right out in the field. I’m able to go and visit him any time I want! Most of the time I find him waiting for me at the gate!

Today there was definitely “something” in the air. The dogs were out of sorts and so was Nacho. He had a few little issues while I was saddling him. Same as before, head coming up and just getting a bit worried. So stepped back and waited before moving on. No freak outs! Couple of big sighs and some licking. We went to start lunging and he had a bit more pep in his step today! We did a bunch of walk trot transitions and he didn’t always want to walk right away. We kept at it until he’d respond right away. When we turned around…. A couple big leaps and a half assed attempt at a buck lol. I pushed him forward and he had a couple more smaller hops before he finally settled into a forward canter. I went back to the walk trot transitions and while he did break into a canter a couple times he was pretty good. By the end he was even starting to stretch down a bit into a long and low! I then went back to some yielding the hind quarters and then a bunch of getting on and off a bunch of times. He was breathing more deeply this time when I was sitting on him. The first couple times he’s take these really shallow breaths. It was definitely a positive end to our session!

Nacho has been here a week now and I finally got the chance to work with him again… this whole working full time is gett...
07/11/2021

Nacho has been here a week now and I finally got the chance to work with him again… this whole working full time is getting in the way of playing with the pony… he’s settled very nicely and it sure is nice to go out to feed and hear a horse nicker at you. Today we did a bunch of walk trot transitions on the lunge line as well as some yielding the hind quarters. These exercises will help build up his core muscles and make it easier for him to move around etc. We ended the session with me sitting on him again for a while. He’s still got a few rabbits bouncing around in there but it’s getting better every time. Also Clifford figures Nacho is okay, as long as no other dogs are around, then he barked at him lol. Nacho doesn’t seem to care one bit!

Well, due to Nacho not getting along with the other horses, I’ve brought him home finally. I was hoping he’d be able to ...
01/11/2021

Well, due to Nacho not getting along with the other horses, I’ve brought him home finally. I was hoping he’d be able to live with the other horses rather than living by himself but alas it just wasn’t meant to be. So we went for a nice little walk along behind the Kingdom Hall and came down the mountain beside the Esso and then along the boulevard to my property. He was awesome! He stepped over big logs and up rocky hills and around trees and bushes. Came down the hill and handled the highway like a champ. When I turned him out in the field he just casually walked around as if he was always here! So nice to look out in the field and see a horse! It’s been a few years!

When I was playing with Nacho the other day, I noticed he had quite a bit of a gap between his hind legs. I was worried ...
21/10/2021

When I was playing with Nacho the other day, I noticed he had quite a bit of a gap between his hind legs. I was worried he was thin and going into winter that wouldn’t be good. I did some research and found a video explaining how to do a body condition score on horses including horses with metabolic issues. If you can SEE the ribs, they are a 4 or under and if you CAN NOT see the ribs then they are a 5 or higher. Ideally you want them between a 4 and a 6. Nacho is definitely not underweight but is under muscled. You can’t see his ribs and he’s got a good layer of fat there. I scored him a 5.5 to a 6.

With getting ready for winter, I’ve really dropped the ball with the spotted pony… however, the groundwork I have been d...
19/10/2021

With getting ready for winter, I’ve really dropped the ball with the spotted pony… however, the groundwork I have been doing earlier is really paying off. I went up today because it was nice and sunny and after a bit of ground work and lunging I sat on the boy! Nacho was a bit tense but didn’t blow up or anything like that!!

When I got there and called for him he came up to the fence and waited for me! I brought him up to the truck to brush him and tack up. This time I saddled him up and there was NO tension or lifting his head when the girth was done up! We walked down the driveway and along the road to the arena and he was great! His head was up and he was looking around and just taking it all in. When I asked him to walk a bit slower he was very responsive and slowed up right away. He was calm but alert in the arena the whole time. We did some walk trot transition as well as some yielding the hind end away from me and then it was time… I tightened the saddle up (again, no reaction just stood there) and got on the mounting block and put my foot in the stirrup. I hopped a few times and then stood all the way up on it. Oh that head snapped up and those ears were straight back at me. I waited for a few seconds and then slowly lowered back down. He was taking the smallest breaths and basically holding his breath. Gave him a pet and told him it would all be okay and put my foot in the stirrup again. Back up and down a few times until he finally gave a big sigh and licked his lips a bit. I gave him a scratch in his mane and then took him for a short walk to make sure those legs weren’t locking. Back to the mounting block and up again. This time I put my leg over and sat down! Wiggled a bit and did a couple bending his head to the left and right and then back off again. We repeated this multiple times and then finally just sat there and enjoyed the moment. It’s been a long time since I’ve hopped on a horse! I know he was probably ready earlier but I don’t think I was. This isn’t just about retraining him it’s also about retraining myself! Getting that confidence back for both of us. One day at a time and we aren’t in a race with anyone. I’ve now got a goal in mind and we will slowly work towards that goal!! Hopefully we get a few more good sunny days before it gets too cold and snowy!

I was in a terrible mood so I decided to go play with the spotted pony… p**f, bad mood gone! He was a good boy again tod...
30/08/2021

I was in a terrible mood so I decided to go play with the spotted pony… p**f, bad mood gone!

He was a good boy again today, lots more licking and chewing and big sighs! I put the bridle on today but I think the bit is a bit small for him but it worked for today! We practiced some bend to the left and right as well as disengaging his hind end. He’s stiffer on the right hand side, less comfortable bending to the right and doesn’t always cross over when disengaging while I’m on his right. I even put weight in the stirrup and half got on. Still a bit of tension and did close his eyes and pretend I wasn’t there for a minute. But then I got a bunch of licking and a big sigh when I worked on the vending exercises. All in all I’m very happy with the progress he’s making. He’s much more engaged with me and actually looks at me instead of just standing there. Makes it harder to take his picture but that’s okay!!

I didn’t go see the boy yesterday but did go and spend some time with him today! We didn’t do any work to show him that ...
28/08/2021

I didn’t go see the boy yesterday but did go and spend some time with him today! We didn’t do any work to show him that he doesn’t always do work when he sees me! We stood in the field and he got cookies and some stretching and a massage. He got tense at the start but after some time, did relax. After a bit of just standing with him and petting him he followed me back to the fence to say good night! Slowly building up his trust in me!

26/08/2021

Very end of the session. This is after I did the preparing to get on… pulled stirrups down and pulled on them and put weight on them etc. His head was lower before I pulled the camera out but you can still see relaxation.

26/08/2021

Definitely more forward today!

Had another shorter session today and I’ve been trying to add one new thing a day. Today I spent a lot less time getting...
26/08/2021

Had another shorter session today and I’ve been trying to add one new thing a day. Today I spent a lot less time getting him saddled and I definitely saw some tension at the start of our session but ultimately I think it was good. Had one big NOPE where he just stopped and took a couple quick steps back and then just looked at me. So I just waited a second and then pointed to where I wanted him to go and said it’s okay, you’ve got this and asked him to walk on. He kind of took off and had a little head shake and almost a buck. Then lots of groaning and some licking (letting go of tension) and the. Off he went at a canter! He cantered about and was really moving forward and wasn’t trying to do the western pleasure lope at all. Even when working at a trot he spent more time actually trotting rather than jogging! His tail was lifted a bit and I’m starting to see that little tail flip that you can see when they’re really relaxed. He’s starting to carry himself better and was tracking up nicely in the walk (this is when the hind foot is placed directly in the track of the front foot). We’re getting closer at the trot and I even saw a few steps of a nice forward trot where his hind end is engaged under him and the front end is lighter. I was so happy to see the licking and chewing happening more and that he seems much more comfortable with me. The best part was the nicker when he saw me… might have been the carrots he saw but I’m going with it was me he was happy to see lol! I’ll post some more videos videos too. The last walking video his head is low and he’s looking much less tense.

I only worked with the boy for about 30 minutes yesterday. We didn’t do any lunging this time, rather I worked on gettin...
25/08/2021

I only worked with the boy for about 30 minutes yesterday. We didn’t do any lunging this time, rather I worked on getting him comfortable with me being above him. I brought a mounting block and just brushed him while I was standing above him. He definitely found it uncomfortable and would move away from me just a bit. I would get down and move the block and get back up. By the end he stood while I lay across him and brushed his side. A couple big sighs and a couple yawns. He was happy to see me coming tho and stopped what he was doing and came up to the fence to see me. He still has some underlying tension in him but it’s getting a bit better every day. Also I’m thinking of changing his name… he’s not really all that Macho and I was thinking a new name for a fresh start!! Nacho is one name that’s been suggested so far…

I went up and worked with the boy for the second day in a row! Go me! Little less tension today and he seemed quicker to...
24/08/2021

I went up and worked with the boy for the second day in a row! Go me! Little less tension today and he seemed quicker to relax when he did get tense. Saddling went well with only a slight raising of the head when I started to tighten the girth. I just released the girth and stepped back one step until he relaxed again. He’s getting quicker to follow me but there is still a bit of trepidation… I’ll follow you but not exactly sure I want to.

Once we got to work on the lung line he relaxed quickly with just a bit of blowing but only one stumble. He still reverts to the western pleasure horse at times but is getting more impulsion at the trot and canter. His hind end is coming further under himself as well. I’m lunging him on a hill which helps to get his hind end under himself. Eventually I’ll do this under saddle to help muscle him up. Then the goal would be to keep his speed/pace the same going up or down the hill.

We stopped for a bit and I did the hopping beside him as if I was going to mount him. Up went that head but not as high or as quickly as yesterday. He relaxed fairly quickly again. Definitely less tension in his muzzle. After this little exercise, we moved to walk/trot transition. This is another great exercise to get the hind end engaged. After another 8 or so minutes of this we called it a day. He did a great job and I’m definitely noticing he’s more relaxed from yesterday. I took him back and just brushed him for a while and he relaxed almost to the point of having a hanging bottom lip… almost lol.

The lunging is to get some muscles started on the boy, not to try to exhaust him or anything like that. Once I feel like he’s ready for riding then I’ll do all these exercises under saddle.

22/08/2021

This video is from towards the end of the session. But more relaxed in my opinion! His head is bobbing and lower and he’s tracking up a bit better. After I put my phone away we did a bit of canter up and down the hill.

22/08/2021

Here is a video of him lunging. It’s a bit difficult lunging and filming at the same time lol. Needs a bit more impulsion but we’ll getting there!

After a very busy spring and summer, I FINALLY was able to spend some time with the boy! He’s moved to a new location an...
22/08/2021

After a very busy spring and summer, I FINALLY was able to spend some time with the boy! He’s moved to a new location and we’ve got access to trails as well as an arena!

Today I spent a long time with him just watching his reactions and allowing him to get to know me. I’ve noticed he’s quite shut down and at times he will just close his eyes. Today, I waited until he’d relax and open his eyes before moving onto the next step. Saddling went great today, big sigh at the end and no tension when I tightened the girth! He’s panicking and run backwards when being saddled in the past. My goal is to make sure that doesn’t happen again and that he was stay in a state of relaxation as much as possible!!

We then went back into his paddock and did some walking and trotting on the side of a small hill! He was much more relaxed and only tripped once and no blowing! His eyes were nice and open and soft while away from me but would close them a bit when I was closer. I think he’s unsure of what I’m asking of him and wether he can trust me. I’m hoping that as I spend more time with the boy he’ll trust me more!

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Yesterday, we had a bit of a breakthrough I feel… we actually had a few instances of long and low! Long and low is when they stretch down to the ground with their noses. It stretches out the top line and can only be done if they’re totally relaxed! The end goal will be for him to do this at a walk, trot, and a canter!

I haven’t posted here for a while and figured it would be a good time for an update! I’ve had Nacho for a little over a year now and while I’m not galloping across the hills with him, I have seen major improvements! He had the whole winter off and I’ve just started working with him again. I’ve gone back to the beginning and am slowly working through everything again. This time it’s taking a lot less time to see the changes. Here is a video I took from yesterday and I’ll post the one from our second lunging session a year ago in the comments…huge difference!

Very end of the session. This is after I did the preparing to get on… pulled stirrups down and pulled on them and put weight on them etc. His head was lower before I pulled the camera out but you can still see relaxation.

Definitely more forward today!

This video is from towards the end of the session. But more relaxed in my opinion! His head is bobbing and lower and he’s tracking up a bit better. After I put my phone away we did a bit of canter up and down the hill.

Here is a video of him lunging. It’s a bit difficult lunging and filming at the same time lol. Needs a bit more impulsion but we’ll getting there!

Day two of our journey, I put the saddle on Macho and discovered where his problem is. As I was saddling him his head was up and the relaxation was gone. He generally is relaxed and calm. As I tightened the saddle he panicked and ran backwards and was very worried! When I walked up to him his head was still high and he was grunting and his muscles were twitching as if he were waiting for pain, or something along that line, that was coming. There was no actual pain to come as the girth was no where even close to being tight, you could actually see daylight between him and the girth. I waited for him to relax a bit and then I was able to snug the girth until I knew the saddle wouldn’t slip but it was still not tight. We went about lunging again and again there was lots of stumbling, puffing and blowing. I noticed when I tightened the right side of the saddle he didn’t react at all, it was only when I tightened the left side that he reacted. Using this information, I came up with a different approach to try to see if this explosion could be avoided.

This is Macho’s first time on the lunge line with me. He has lots of training and is excellent on the line. He’s quite tense but hiding it quite well. Lots of blowing and stumbling at the start. He’s also not in very good physical shape lol. After a few minutes, he was starting to get a bit of a sweat going. I’m choosing to do small exercises at the start to build up his trust and stamina.

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