Dakota Showdown - Jabberwocky

14/06/2024

Week 6!

The reality of work, family and life means I generally only get 3 to 5 solid sessions in a week (an hour or so) with shorter ones in between. But we are picking up momentum and accomplishing a lot more in those sessions. Skills to date include:
✅️ leading
✅️ lateral flexion (about 60% there)
✅️ lunge (free and on lead, walk/trot/gait is sold, canter needs work- he is more whoa that go!)
✅️ tied loosely to be groomed
✅️ fly sprayed loose or tied
✅️ move shoulders away
✅️ move hindquarters away
✅️ little walk down the road
✅️ led outside by someone other than me
✅️ ba****ck pad cinched
✅️ stands next to me on mounting block
✅️ ponied in round pen
✅️ pick up all 4 feet
✅️ picked out fronts

He's been so good and brave! He will make one heck of a trail horse. Tennasse Walkers are known to be very forward, but Jabbers will be a more leisurely one to take in the sights, and eager to go on adventures!

14/06/2024

Things have been progressing easily with Jabberwocky now. I'll be honest, for the first several weeks I was a bit concerned he was so slow to pick things up, especially leading. It's also really hard not to compare our progress to others in the challenge. However, now he's settled as a horse in the herd and understands learning, he's able to pick up on new things quickly. He was never a reactive horse, so I also wondered if I was being too soft. But, relationship is important to me and I want him to know I see his reactions and I want him to be comfortable.

A few of the principles of training I use - from following Warwick Schiller - that have been essential for Jabbers is:
Relationship first.
Change one thing at a time.
Create a tool before you use a tool.

Jabberwocky absolutely needs only one thing changed at a time, or worked on. The day I chose to halter and lead him from the big pen to the round pen for the first time, I had brought in a saddle pad and grooming bucket first. That was way too much for him. Something new in the round pen was not okay! I could have forced him in, but since we were very much still working on trust, his comfort level with me and leading, I took the other things out of the round pen first. Making it safe for him to come in helped everything that came after.

I was also tempted to skip ahead leading and work on other things. He understood body language and free lunged in the round pen great. But pressure on the halter was a mystery. I wanted to take him for walks on the property, teach him to pony, tie, work on touching his feet, etc etc. But there's so much you can't do if your horse doesn't lead or give to pressure. So, even if it was slow and imperfect, we worked on that. Even with lateral flexion, he would get it if I stood a couple feet away from him, as he was not comfortable standing at the usual position beside his barrel. Once he figured the flexion out, he was able to understand when I asked him closer (again, only asking him to do one thing at a time: be close to me or give to pressure).

Now that he's beginning to work to figure things out - and that treats are amazing - we've had our first walk outside, was led by my daughter outside, he's worn a saddle pad, "tied" to be groomed, and picked up his feet. What a cool and sensible horse!

07/06/2024

Here's a fun video of Jabbers desensitizing himself to the saddle pad. I have a wordier post coming, but I wanted to post this video separately. You've seen a lot of photos and videos of a calm horse but Jabberwocky certainly has the capacity to spook and run and snort, especially now he's fully settled in and not stressed all the time. He also is very aware of things in his environment that don't belong.

I love seeing how he works through his fear. This is several minutes after he realized I brought the pad in. He was eating grain and concerned in my direction because I was sitting on the fence (also scary!)

It also confirms my decision to desensitize loose in the round pen (instead of tied or on a lead). Leading is not solid yet and I don't want to add that aspect. Also, I want him to know he has the freedom to move away from the object. I also have more room to approach and watch his reaction.

03/06/2024

"I understand you want me to boop this thing.... but it's a little hard when is blowing 30!"

It was windy enough to vibrate the panels 😬 I was trying to hold the noddle still! Jabberwocky comes off as very steady in videos - and he is - but he still has moments of wanting to run away or shows a lot of fear. Just remember these are the highlight reels! It doesn't show the hours of just walking up to him for one scratch, or when he's pulled the lead rope away from me...

02/06/2024

It was a big week for Jabbers! He learned how to lead for real, practiced meeting new people, had a training session while a thunderstorm brewed on top of us, and began desensitization. Thanks to the help of my friend leading a horse friend, Jabbers put it together that he's supposed to follow me. I can fairly confidently lead him out of the round pen. His lateral flexion is getting better, too. He is good with grooming and fly spray. He's also getting a bit of draw and is more willing to approach me on his own. We played with a pool noodle and he got the hang of desensitising and rewarding his curiosity and acceptance.

Things to work on:
- haltering. He's not too bad but I'd like to easily be able to halter him so he doesn't have to wear one all the time.
- feet. I plan on sedating him to trim soon.
- People above him are terrifying and confusing. He was quite concerned when my friends daughters we riding in the pen. I could see him desperately trying to figure out what was going on 🤣
- basic object desensitization.

28/05/2024

Fly spray ✅️

Unhandled doesn't mean crazy! 🤣

My daughter came to hang out the other night and helped me put fly spray on a brush and brush Jabberwocky. She asked how he did with directly spraying. I hadn't tried because I wasn't ready to work on specific desensitization yet. But I figured, might as well just see where he's at. Looks pretty good!

26/05/2024

26/05/2024

These last couple weeks we've mostly been working on some basics like catching, grooming and getting Jabberwocky comfortable with me. So, really a bit boring and not exciting to post videos of! But it's the basics that need to be solid before we move on. The last couple days we've been working on leading as well, which is improving. His tail is very matted so I've been working to get that out, which he is pretty comfortable with. He may not lead consistently but he certainly understands body language! I'm glad to have a little more time to spend with him now my work schedule is a little more flexible.

13/05/2024

Asking for connection, something I learned from Natural Lifemanship (equine assisted therapy). By putting pressure on his hind end, he has a choice to move off in any direction. I keep the pressure the same until he seeks connection, by looking at me, stopping or turning. Eventually I will ask for connection and he'll come to me or allow me to walk up to him. I'll be able to ask him to connect and follow me also.

13/05/2024

I didn't have a lot of time at the start of the week, but I wanted to give Jabberwocky time and space to settle in. He has not quite settled in with his herd mates, but we're working on it.. I've worked on approaching, touching and connection, as well as leading. He's gone from not giving to pressure to leading to just shifting weight forward to taking 4 to 5 steps with me in just a few sessions. He's not a watchy or spooky horse so I think we will progress solidly.

08/05/2024

Day 2 and 3

Jabberwocky wasn't tying to get to hay or water or integrate with the herd so I put him in the little round pen to make sure he was eating and drinking. He settled down in there and I was able to get to know him a little before work today. He definitely doesn't know to respond to pressure on the halter, but that's okay. He understands pressure to move and turn and even stop so we worked on learning each other's communication. This afternoon he let me rub all over his left side, and he practiced eating next to his new friends.

He is a laid back horse, but is very tense in the jaw so I know he's still pretty stressed. He was more relaxed this afternoon so I hope he continues to settle in. He's had a lot of changes in the last few months!