BlazeBerry Horse Training

27/04/2024

I haven't done much updates on Rosie, due to it being physically and mentally hard to work with her. No fault of her own, shes actually been doing great. We did have a major setback, with her backtracking on training. But we have gotten past that, and shes doing great again. I truly wish I could keep her, shes such a sweet filly.

23/03/2024

A windy/stormy day doesn't phase this guy at all. I'm inside working out my schedule, but I would love to be out cuddling him. He is wide awake, but in his own little world. This little guy is my favorite horse ❤

(I named my page after him and another mustang I had. For good reason! This little guy shows where im at and how we can be happy with slow progress!)

21/03/2024

I dont usually do this, but i wanted to shed some light on my FAVORITE tack making company! They have made multiple pieces for me, even customize for my horses.

They have all this available! All is super high quality, something that will outlive even you! Go take a look!

21/03/2024

Day 12!

20/03/2024

Day 10 and 11!

18/03/2024

Today has proven why listening to your horse is way more beneficial than just making it do what you want!

I let Rosie have a few days off as she started being anxious and unsure of me in the pen with her. This started only after I moved her into her permenant pen.

So, instead of pushing it, I let her be. I made sure she had food and water all the time, but that was the most interaction she got with me for a few days.

In those few days I noticed she was very interested and attached to my personal horses, so I would make sure to work with them where she can see, to hopefully have shown her that other horses think I'm safe and cool.

And it worked.

Today I just wanted to go hang out in her pen without any anxiety from her.

But she wanted to actually work with me and do new things.

So thats what we did!

I first just pet all over her, which she enjoyed! (Scratches are the key to a mustangs heart!)

Then I reintroduced her halter, which she let me put on first try!

All while she was just hanging around me wanting to do something new! So I introduced targeting the end of my target stick (its a pig whip I got from tractor supply. All the horses love the soft tassels at the end, it also makes it easier for the horse to know where they need to touch when given the command) and she caught on so fast. Like it was insane. All I did was say "Target" and she went right to the end of my stick. I have a suspicion that she saw and learned that while watching me work with my personal horses. 😉

And even then she just was soaking everything up like a sponge. So, I opened the side of my roundpen and let her go explore. Which she was THRILLED to do so.

While in the roundpen, if she came up to me I would try to work on grooming her, which she enjoyed! She knew how to stand perfectly still even completely at liberty! (Which is another thing I suspect she took from watching my other horses with me)

Shes really the sweetest and calmest challenge yearling ive had! I love her!

15/03/2024

Day 6! Still no halter but thats ok! No rush!

14/03/2024

Day 5!

13/03/2024

Day 3 and 4!

11/03/2024

I have to admit that today has been hard.

Seeing others in the same training challenge as me, petting their horses, leading them, made me frustrated. It was day 2 and everyone could do so much more than me.

I started to wish I had put a halter on Ariel's Rose in the chute.

I started to wish I could do the traditional methods of training on her.

But with that frustration I returned outside, and just sat outside of Rosie's pen. I held a stick halfway in there and would say "target" everytime she touched it with her nose.

I then grabbed some hay off the ground and decided to feed it to her and see if I could sneak in a pet.

I didnt have to sneak anything. She was willing to touch me as long as she was rewarded after or even during the touch.

I decided to keep trying, and the more I gave up on me deciding when things would happen, the more she would let me pet her.

I was in her pen for 10 minutes. We easily got the tag off.

But I was outside her pen for a lot longer than that. Just wondering how I could win with her.

She has been amazing all day, but she has also made it clear she needs to gain my trust.

I was frustrated i couldnt lead her around, or "control" her for that matter. But she showed me that control comes from understanding. Not a lead rope.

You can pull your horse where ever you want if they have a halter and lead on! But it takes a good trainer to not need one at all.

Theres nothing wrong with picking up a wild one with a halter. But willingly putting yourself in the task of halter training one the hard, maybe even long, way takes guts. It shows that no matter what. You want the horse to come first.

I started off the day wishing I wasn't an R+ trainer.

And I ended it being forever grateful I was one.

Life can be frustrating, we may feel behind, but as long as we stay in our lane, and not try to be someone else, THATS where true acceptance can happen.

Be yourself. It can help others around you.

Be kind. It can help yourself.

10/03/2024

Day 2!

10/03/2024

Tag is off, she made a new mustang friend, and we started actual R+ and she has REALLY done great with it!

09/03/2024

Ariel did so good hopping on the trailer! No stops for her as I don't like putting halters on my wild ones!

09/03/2024

We picked up the cutie! Shes sassy, but I'm excited to see what she can do!

07/03/2024

07/03/2024

I was sent a picture of my challenge pick in holding, and one even of her ON THE RANGE!!!
Gosh this little girl is just adorable, I cant wait to get to have her for 120 days!!!
Her range name was Ariel and I want to put that in her domestic name somehow!❤

06/03/2024

Im excited to meet and pick up this little cutie this saturday! Lots of posts about her will follow pick up!❤ I cant wait to share her R+ journey!

02/03/2024

This is a wonderful way to help your relationship with your horse! Its all up to your horse to listen or not! Giving them a chance to say no is good for them!

22/02/2024

3 years ago we saw and met Blaze and Marque for the first time, and its been a wonderful 3 years.

Filled with growth, tears, laughs, and lots of hugs.

My first horse, Pineberrie, never made it to our 3 year mark. He passed away shortly after our 2 year mark.

But these 2 horses have retaught me how to view and treat animals, and to treasure each and every moment and never let anything go unnoticed or unrewarded.

Happy 3 years to my 2 special ponies, and heres to hoping for many many more of these posts!💜💜💙💙💙💙💜💜

09/02/2024

Just spending time doing Blaze's mane really relaxed me this morning! Dont ever think you have to ride to feel a horse, they should be happy to just hang out with you!❤

08/02/2024

Keep this in mind when in a barn or at a show!!

23/01/2024

The old Halters

(A poem written by Hannah Vidrine)

As you clean out your tack room,
Something catches your eye.

The 2 old halters,
That you unloaded that one time.

You havent used them since then,
Theres been no reason to,

As those 2 ponies have new halters,
Ones that werent given to you.

Those old halters have stories inside,
Ones you may never know

But some have been blatant,
Since you brought them home.

Youve been through good and bad,
Retrained those 2 well.

But sometimes you like to remember
What it took to bring them through hell.

Both those ponies, are now happy inside

Without a worry, of where their next meal hides

They dont have those vices, problems, or fear

All because you stopped using those old halters, and grew and loved them well.

20/01/2024

Riding Blaze bridleless today was magical.

We have been going so slow with riding that it almost feels sometimes our progress isnt progress at all.

Its partly my fault, as I could work with him more. But that wont change anything if hes not ready for it.

But after riding him for 2 years, and finally riding bridleless for 10 minutes, it truly felt like we were going somewhere.

Now was he perfect? No.

Did I expect perfection? Nope!

But we both tried. We both had fun. We both were comfortable and happy.

That's all that matters sometimes.

Don't let progress fool you. You may feel like your standing still, but your horse doesnt. Even the slightest things make them move forward or move backward.

Good luck my friends!!

19/01/2024

Part: 2

Blaze was awful. I couldnt get near him without him freaking out.

So we spent lots of time together, I rarely left the pasture. I started trying to find something he liked as he didnt trust me enough to take anything out of my hand yet, so I knew I needed another way to make him happy.

So scratches started.

I would just go out and scratch his chest, neck, even belly, and he loved it.

I remember the first time he allowed me to brush his belly (it was a BIG thing at the time. This boy is so reactive!) It made me so happy and proud of him! Lots of scratches came after that!

After a month of scratches for rewards, he finally let me feed him hay from my hand! And that slowly evolved into little treats!

We started slow but once he realized i wasnt going to rush him, he blasted off! He became so easy to train, he would look forward to haltering and working, and would remember everything!

So around his 3 year old birthday, I was determined to saddle train him, myself. So that's where R+ really started to come in clutch!

I was worried about getting hurt, because at the same time I was also saddle training a 15 year old arabian with r+, and he was doing really well. I thought it had to just be luck!

But the more rides I put on both horses, the more I realized this wasnt luck. Both horses were doing well and not being reactive because of R+!!

So I went digging again. And realized R+ encourages and calms even reactive horses!

I'm still learning more and more about it to this day, but I DO know that those 2 horse's first rides sold me on it a long time ago.

So this page is all about how I train and my thoughts on different training! I hope you will enjoy it!!

Picture of Blaze in my house his 3rd winter with us!

19/01/2024

Part:1

Meet the 2 mustangs behind my training methods!

First picture is of my very first horse, named Pineberrie. While the second is my *second* horse, and current partner in crime, Blaze.

I started out in a rough patch with Pineberrie. He was well Tip Trained (can lead, pick up feet, and load in a trailer) but that was it. He didnt know too much manners, just that he needs to stand still and take whatever gets thrown at him.

He was a saint.

But i only used pressure and release (R-) on him, and even though he was VERY forgiving, he still wasnt giving me the desired action well enough, or fast enough. Now, ALL OF THAT WAS ON ME!! I never rewarded him for the good work that he did, so he never wanted to do the work. (Release of pressure ISNT A REWARD!)

I had that problem for 2 years. Until he passed away from a horrible colic episode.

-

But something clicked inside my brain when I would watch the videos of us together. It didnt feel right. I felt like there has to be a better way, a calmer way, a kinder way.

I went digging.

And thats when I found R+. (Positive Reinforcement)

Its where you dont punish the horse (WHAT?!) and you reward with TREATS (NOOOO THE BITING!) to get the desired behaviour!

Now, i grew up being told that feeding horses treats makes them BITE. And that the only way a horse understands is through a firm hand and a strict leader.

So this R+ stuff seemed kinda dumb to me.

At least, until i saw multiple different trainers use it in some videos.

Then its like a piece in my brain lit up. THATS what I'm wanting! A connection through kindness and understanding, not through force and fear! (All you saying "NO ITS RESPECT", no its fear. Horses cant respect. They dont have big enough brains!😉)

Cue 8 months later. I pick up Blaze from the same Tip Trainer who helped us with Pineberrie.

Blaze was the complete other side of tip training. 2 months did nothing for him. It actually made him worse to handle.... Part 2 is next!