Private Lesson #2

 Yesterday was a very valuable lesson for me.  Skip and I have worked hard all week long in order to improve all of the things we needed to for this week's lesson.  I was so excited to show Gail our progress that I psyched myself out.  I froze.  Suddenly I felt like that 6-year-old girl who got stage fright her first time in the spotlight.  My lesson was that I need to take a deep breath and focus on my horse.  Nothing else matters.  Poor Gail had to tell me about a dozen times to relax, take a deep breath, and stop fidgeting!  I realized that I was trying so hard to get it perfect that I forgot to keep it natural and pay attention to my horse.  This was the perfect setting to learn this lesson.  Imagine what I will be like with Brent Graef if I can't get my nerves under control!  Eventually we made some progress though...

Under Gail's watchful eye

Both sides!

Forward momentum

 

Gail demonstrating

From our practice sessions this week:

Bubble wrap!

"Resting and soaking" time... 

My homework for this week:  Practice moving forward at faster speeds;  practice the porcupine game on his nose;  keep playing with sprayers;  and focus!  :)

~Jackie

Private Lesson #1

Wow!  What a big day for the boy!

Our lesson started with a review of all of our homework assignments.  Gail and I went through the checklist that she gave me, and she got an idea of where Skip and I are in our training.  She had me play the seven Parelli games with him so that she could see if he had any sticking points that needed to be worked through.  The beauty of the seven games is that it gives you an opportunity to apply all of the basic principles in a very clear, concise way that can be developed as your foundation for everything else in the future.  We had a new obstacle to deal with in a new environment:  distractions.  The neighbor's cows, other horses, motion in the bushes, sprinklers, etc.  All of these things had to become less interesting than me.  This was a big challenge for me, but Gail soon made it clear to both myself and Skip that he was in class now, and it wasn't time to mess around and be distracted.  I need to be more assertive and more particular about what I expect from him.

Zooooom!!

The above picture shows Gail demonstrating to me how to be an effective leader.  She asked him to move with a clear request, then just allowed him to do his job.  It seems that I was being just a bit too soft, and consequently doing more work than the horse was doing!

The one thing that showed up consistently lacking was our "Porcupine game."  That is, any time I put pressure on him, he should yield to it, or move away.  He doesn't.  I have been very patient with him all along, and now it is time to step things up.  If I am going to get in the saddle, I need to be able to ask for a response, and get one right away.  Otherwise, I won't be safe.

After working on these sticky points and getting my homework assignments, we moved on to the game of "Liberty."  We turned him loose and tested my effectiveness with him without any lead rope or halter on.  This is where the truth comes out.  The distractions really came into play here, and I found out that I don't have quite the respect that I need from him.  Not to say that he doesn't respect me, but again, I just need to step up my leadership and be more definite in what I am asking for.

Next, we got the saddle and pad out.  We placed it on the ground and let him sniff it.  No problems here!  He went right up to it and touched it with his nose.  He didn't worry as I swung the pad around and on to his back, and he didn't even worry much with the saddle being swung up onto his back.  He allowed us to cinch him up like a pro, and I even buckled the back cinch without a problem.  When it came time to flop the stirrups around, he got a bit worried, but with consistency and rhythm, he soon adjusted to that strange feeling.  Next it was time for the true test:  moving out.  We started by disengaging his hind end both ways (moving it from side to side), then we walked together for a short distance.  After turning a couple of circles, it was time to turn him loose and let him move faster.  We took the halter and lead rope off again and sent him out on the circle.  He walked nicely at first, but then came the rodeo!  I just asked him for a little more speed, and off he went bucking!  He did a couple of laps around the pen before deciding that bucking was too much work.  After that, he calmed down and was able to recall some of his previous lessons.  Once he was moving nicely without bucking, we took the saddle off and called it a day in the round pen.

At the end of the lesson, Gail generously offered to help us with our sprayer issues.  She spent about 30 minutes getting him used to the hose, and in the end, she was able to spray most of his body with the water.  Pretty impressive since it took me about 3 hours to do the same thing, and I never was able to spray him!

Thanks Gail!!
~Jackie

Doing our homework!

This has been a week of lots of homework for Skip.  Gail has given us an outline of each step that needs to be taken on the road to saddling and riding.  We have a list of tasks to work on in order of difficulty, and Gail has given us until our first private lesson with her this Friday to complete the first section.  Most of it consists of things that we have been working on all along:  haltering, the 7 Parelli games, exposure to unusual things, small jumps, crawling on him, etc.  But it has been really good practice for Skip and I to go through each item on the list and make it "just right."  We are "taking the time it takes" now so that it "takes less time" in the future (Pat Parelli).

So far this week we have dramatically improved the things that he already knows, and filled in several small holes that I have inadvertently left in his training.  For example:  one of our tasks is to play the "extreme friendly game", which you know I have been doing in my own special way.  But I also had to play it with a flag.  I didn't have a flag, so I used a plastic bag tied to the end of my training stick.  WELL!!  Let's just say that we had to go waaaay back to the basic friendly game before we got to use the bag as a flag.  I am proud to say that I am now able to dance all around him and throw the plastic bag up into the wind without him flinching.

Today I took him across the road and had him jump over lots of different sizes and shapes of logs.  Then we used the logs as mounting blocks where I taught him how to "honey up" to the log so I could crawl on him.  After a few times of practicing, Skip now turns sideways almost every time I stand on a log!  I was also able to actually lay my whole body along his back lengthwise.  This was the first time that I have done anything besides drape my body over him like a flower sack.  Of course, he stood still like a perfect gentleman... unrestrained!

This afternoon was time for "Bath Lesson #2."  Sprayers are still a big obstacle to Skip.  For some reason, he just can't seem to get past his fear of being sprayed.  I did all of the techniques:  approach/retreat, follow me, friendly game, etc., but the fear is still there.  If any of my Parelli friends have suggestions, please chime in!  Bath day wasn't a complete bust, however.  He does just fine if I keep the sprayer in contact with his skin while I drizzle the water slowly.  I can even back the sprayer away from his body about an inch before he shies away... This is how we went about accomplishing our second bath, ever!

All clean!

~Jackie

Doctors and Dancing

Today we paid a visit to Dr. Jen for another laser treatment.  She suggested we come in as often as we can; even daily if possible.  While daily is out of the question, we may be able to come in weekly.  I don't know that we will need much longer though, but you be the judge from these pictures:

Laser Treatment, Left Hind

 

 

 

Skip checking to make sure Krista is doing it right.   Thanks Krista!

Left (after a little cleaning)

Left - side view

Right

Right - Side view

Here is what they looked like 25 days ago immediately following his laser treatment:

Left

Right

Do you think he will need many more treatments??

Thank you Jeanie for paying for his treatment today!  That was a wonderful surprise :)

And thank you Dr. Jen Powers... you are the best.


Now, I am going to tell you something, and please don't laugh: 
It seems that when you put a Parelli training stick and string in my hands, turn me loose in a pasture with a horse (where nobody is looking, of course!), I suddenly get this notion that I am an Olympic gymnast with one of those long streamers in my hand.  My old ballet training takes over and I end up twirling the string, and myself, all around that boy!  I guess you can call it my version of the Parelli "Extreme friendly game!"  By now I am sure you are thinking I am a bit "odd," shall we say, but it is amazing how much a horse and dancer have in common. 

 Oh, yes, and I use him for my personal ballet stretching bar too:

He doesn't even flinch when I raise a leg up and put it on his back.  What a good boy!

Of course, if you still think I am crazy, just remember that I am trying to desensitize him to as many unusual things as possible!  :)

~Jackie

Saddle training plan

Look who's wearing a bareback pad without a worry in the world!

 

 You will be happy to know that we have a plan!  I will not be willy-nilly, flying by the seat of my pants, starting my first horse under saddle. (Whew!)  Gail Bloxham has come to the rescue again!  She proposed the most exciting idea to me:  We ask Brent Graef to help us get him started.  Remember Brent from my "Day 16" post?  He is the one who halter trained a filly in a demonstration last year, and got me inspired to get moving with Skip.  I really admired his compassionate touch with the horses.  This year, I have signed up to take his clinic in October with my other horse, Dixie, and he has agreed to work with Skip and I for about an hour after each day of the clinic!  Of course, I will be paying for his time, but I am sure it will be worth every second.  On top of that, Gail wants to work with Skip and I once a week until the clinic in October to make sure we are prepared for the next step.

I cheated today and put the bareback pad on Skip.  I knew he wouldn't have any worries about it because he is so used to wearing blankets, and I have been getting him used to the feel of a girth by simulating one with my lead rope.  As expected, he never even gave it a second glance.  I made sure to introduce the pad and girth just like I do everything he hasn't experienced before, but even flapping it around over is head didn't phase him.  I tightened and loosened the girth several times, and besides ask me for a cookie once, he didn't even turn his head.  We went for a walk and played our 7 Parelli games with the pad on, and he acted like a very grown up boy.  I haven't done more than just lay over his back, and he still doesn't mind that in the least.  Gail told me to wait for her before moving on, so I will follow her advise.  Thank you Gail! 

He is Kaia's best friend

~Jackie

Let's ride!

At our last visit, Dr. Jen gave us her opinion that Skip will be a ride-able horse in the future.  He is certainly too young and injured to try and ride seriously yet, but she didn't see any reason why we couldn't get him used to the idea now.  He will obviously never be a performance horse, but in her opinion, there is no reason why he couldn't have a comfortable life as a trail horse.  This was excellent news to us!

Coincidentally, I just came back from a three day weekend in Reno attending Pat Parelli's "Wild Mustang Taming".  He, along with a team of his trainees, took eight wild mustangs from wild to tame in three days.  None of the horses had ever been handled except in chutes and panels, and most of the horses were actually being ridden by the end!

This was Day #1!

The biggest thing that I got from this weekend was reassurance that Alicia and I have done a good job handling Skip up to this point.  Most of the things that we did with him, were done with these horses.  These professionals just worked a lot faster and had much more confidence than we did!  I particularly enjoyed watching how they approached mounting the horse.  Each person had their own technique, but the principle was always the same:  approach & release when appropriate.  Timing is everything.  You have to give respect to get respect.

The other lesson I learned was that we have laid ten times the amount of groundwork with Skip than those eight mustangs had before they were ridden...  soooo... it is time!!

Today Skip and I spent lots of time reviewing our groundwork and adding a few new things that I learned in Reno over the weekend.  I have to admit, we were a little rusty.  We "took the time it takes", and eventually Skip had not only caught up to where we left off, but he actually improved quickly beyond that. 

Before attempting to get on, I put the natural hackamore on and taught him how to turn his head from side to side with just the slightest suggestion of a rein from me.  I also got him to back up when I lifted the reins and ran my hand down them toward his neck.  I had a good lesson on how much you can simulate from the ground, and have them learn before you ever get on their backs!  The last thing I did for the day was lead him up beside the trailer (he is too tall to jump on from the ground) and lay over his back.  Of course, he was a perfect angel.  He took about two steps with me before stopping to chew on some hay on the ground.  I made sure to get on from both sides, and the second side was even better than the first.  I decided to end our day on that wonderful note.  Tomorrow I will be sitting on him!  :)

~Jackie