Enjoying a roll 🥰
After a sweaty ride and hose down, Luna is thoroughly enjoying the new sand in the roundpen.
Road Ride/Hack
A nice road ride/hack with Charm before it got too hot. This was the most confident she’s felt going solo! (Other than when a truck sped towards us and she started to get really concerned and proceeded to spin around. We may or may not have almost got clipped because the driver refused to slow down even when Charm was spooking as he approached 😑)
Busting out the sprinkler for these hot lesson days ☀️ 💦
Busting out the sprinkler for these hot lesson days ☀️ 💦
Luna getting her teeth done 🦷 Taking off sharp points makes for a happy horse in and out of the saddle.
Charm helping me with mucking out yesterday. I always love exposing my horses to a variety of situations!
The girls getting some wiggles out this morning 🥰
It’s good to be back in the saddle 🥰
Luna did so well practicing being a lesson horse yesterday. It seems she has a sweet spot for little kids 🥰
Ended my Memorial Day by spending time with my family at the barn 🥰 Walt helped muck and got in a mini lesson on Charm. He’s always game to learn and is the best student 😘
Hope y’all had a wonderful weekend! 🇺🇸
Here is Luna’s progress with flexing her neck both ways. When i initially asked she would stiffen her neck and shoot backwards or stiffen and spin in circles.
I took it slow and rewarded small efforts of improvement. After a short amount of time we got full flexion on both sides.
This is one of the first things i teach a horse. It is a valuable tool and can minimize bad situations in the future. It provides a opportunity for horses to learn from a clear pressure and release scenario without getting into any complex aids or movements. It helps release tension in the neck (if done correctly) which kick starts suppling exercises in the future, and a supple horse usually leads to a relaxed horse (think equine yoga/stretching) And lastly and most importantly, it is my emergency stop. If I can teach a horse to flex their neck to one side and slow down to a stop in a controlled environment, then I find when i’m in a situation where the horse goes into fight or flight mode and a regular stop isn’t cutting it, I can flex their neck around to one side and get them to stop or at least slow down enough so i can bail off and stay safe.
First time riding Luna yesterday! (She has already been trained to be ridden, just my first time on her) It went pretty smooth! We worked through some tightness issues that came up when asked to flex her neck and move into trot. But we made great progress in just one short session. She’ll be a fun one 😊
It is incredible to watch a student start out nervous/apprehensive and then see their confidence blossom! I’ve found this initially gained confidence from riding and working with horses can carry over to all aspects of your life. How special it is to work with these wonderful animals and share that with others ❤️
Luna got a little lesson time today! My student wanted to work on some ground work so after first working with Charm we pulled Luna out for a bit and practiced some leading. They both did so great! Luna soaked up some grooming time with my student afterwards, she is settling in well 🥰
Luna has been sceptical of me and what i have to offer. Meaning, she hasn’t felt comfortable approaching me, even though she will let me approach her, and definitely not keen to follow me anywhere. It was so fun to see that change for a bit after a short round pen session.
My approach to working in the roundpen isn’t to wear them out and present that their only option for rest is to come to me. Instead, I let them have the freedom to move/run if they choose to. I do establish some basic ground rules that every horse needs to know, ie. you can’t run me over, kick me, or charge me (yes i’ve had horses try each of these) Once they have settled a bit in their environment, I then start to help them understand my various body cues/language to invite focus and start asking them to move their feet in purposeful ways by changing directions, drawing them in, asking them to walk/trot/canter, slow down, yield their haunches/shoulders and back up (all things i will ask under saddle) If it’s too much, or they aren’t interested, then they have the option to leave, and when the timing is right i’ll ask for them to connect again. It is so fascinating to see how they start to look for opportunities to connect and find comfort and confidence in looking to the human for direction. They start to trust that we will create an environment of leadership, relaxation and appropriate engagement for their level.
Luna had some nervous energy and was unsure of what to do or where to be, but as i helped her feel more comfortable and reassured her i wasn’t going demand anything, she started to listen to what i had to say. By the end of the session she was calm and decided she would try following me for a bit, which is always an exciting thing to experience with a horse that might not always be inclined to, especially with a new person.
*Side note for anyone who decided to read this far, haha. The approach will always vary a bit from horse to horse. I have had cases where a hors
Great training session with miss Luna tonight. Firgired out what some of her weaknesses in her training are. Also discovered when she is nervous or unsure her go to is freeze/back up quickly.
I find this can be a harder route for horses to overcome verses running forward/away from things that make them nervous. When you’re desensitizing them you’re looking for a horse to stand still and relax. However, horses that have a freeze respond are usually great at holding still, but hold a lot of tension in their body. If you’re not looking for the relaxed state they need to find in order to truly understand the desensitization concept, you’ll end up reinforcing tension, which usually leads to explosions such as bucking or rearing.
It was great to see Luna find some really relaxed moments today, there is something very rewarding in helping horses better navigate their fears around them. It also was great seeing her shift her mindset when she realized i was in not rush to get anything “done” but just waiting for her to find the answers to my body cues in the round pen and how to find a relaxed state when i threw a rope around her butt. All in all, super great progress with a smart little mare!
First turn out together. Went really well! The drama has subsided 😂
