From not being halter broke to her first saddling!
Today she was really good and let me put a saddle on. I started by taking a saddle pad and throwing it around and in her back until she relaxed. I made sure to do it on both sides.
After she was good with that I took the cinch off of the saddle and started by just swinging it by her sides and lifting it. Once she relaxed with that I gently sat the saddle on her back. I did that a couple times until she relaxed again.
Finally, I put the cinch on the saddle again and tightened it up. I didn’t tighten it too much at first, she was extremely calm and gentle about it. After she relaxed I tightened the cinch a little more and started to walk her around.
Then, as shown in the video I let her run around the round pen. She was completely fine with the saddle bouncing around on her back and everything. She has a really smart head and is progressing nicely!
Ginger is coming along nicely!
I haven’t been able to work her a whole lot due to track, but she is fully out in the pasture now and lets me put a halter on and off no problem. Here I’m starting to work a saddle pad (bareback pad) to start getting her used to stuff on her back.
I started by pretending to throw it on either side of her, so basically I was just waving it by her side. Once she stopped spooking at that I started to gently bump her side with the pad. Again, waited until she was fine with that. Then I finally started to actually put it on her back and take it off until she stopped spooking at it. Once she was comfortable with it I left it on her back and walked her around, she loosened up after a while.
Of course, I made sure to do this on either side for everything.
Gingers progress with the halter!
After about 30 minutes of working her with a halter on, using a rope halter to put on over her other halter, I moved to her actual halter. If she went flight on me and ran off I’d have her run a couple circles before letting her turn to me and try again.
After about 2 tries of that, she let me walk up and put it on immediately. She still flinched a little bit, but she let me do it. I did that a couple more times and rewarded her with leaving the halter off.
To start off Ginger did get the old halter off, so I had to get a new one on her. It only took around 30 minutes and she was a lot better! I used pressure and release, releasing when she didn’t run away from me.
Now to start with the video. She really enjoyed getting brushed down to her flank! It was quite a surprise. She’d walk up to me for more if I’d back away. I started slow and slowly made my way farther back.
She was very willing today! I’m hoping for a lot more faster progress now.
Got a halter on Ginger!
It took 2 hours to get it on her, with a lot of pressure and release. I had managed to rope her and had my grandma help keep pressure on her while I’d work the halter. I rubbed the halter all over her face and practiced with the buckle for a while.
Finally I started to actually bring it over her head and pretend to buckle it. If she decided to stay rather than flight she got release. After about 10 times of slowly doing this I finally buckled the halter on.
It is loose, but once she trusts me all the way I will tighten it to fit her better.
Ginger is letting me come up and pet her after two days.
She is doing great and has a great mind. She came to me completely unstarted, nothing done with her at all. Already this is a huge step.
I use release as a reward, when she lets me pet her for a while without running off she gets rewarded with space. That’s how I started with her the first day as well. When she’d just sniff my hand or offer a little bit of effort, I would back off and give her space.
These things take time, and I will continue to share my journey!
Jack is a bay 1 1/2 year old stud colt that hasn’t previously been started in which I am starting myself.
Here I’m working him on lunging and changing direction with just my body cue. He is unsure about what I’m asking of him, so I have to walk forward and grab his halter to urge him in the direction I want him to go.
As I’m asking for a different direction I am pointing in the direction I want him to go and step out in front of him while also staying at his flank to move him forward. He is very desensitized to the whip so he doesn’t mind me waving it around to try and get him to move. Which makes matters a little hard, but eventually he’ll learn to switch direction with just my body cue.
Once he does move the way I want I release the pressure and let him move out on his own without cue from me.
He is a very smart colt that’s learning fast, and I’m excited to keep sharing my training videos with you guys! I work with many different horses, so Jack won’t be the only horse you see.
Credits to my sister “amazing” videoing skills!
