Day 20; Bareback and a Visitor

Monday, a good friend and long time working student of mine Katie Jensen came over to watch me work with the mustang with a fellow boarder. Katie has watched me start two young horses before, her pony Roses and her friends pony Jupiter. I started both these horses knowing that they were destined to be kids horses and needed to be safe for them. She and her friend must be satisfied because today she brought another friend out to see Eclipse. She is in the market for a horse for her 8 year old daughter who has been riding a year and has shown great potential. I got Eclipse out and worked him on the ground allready saddled. We lunged over logs and barrels to show the perspective bidder his potential as a jumper. We played with putting two feet up on the pedestal, and loading into the trailer with the saddle on. Trying to wedge himself on the straight load trailer with the western saddle on was a little more challenging then when Eclipse is naked! After a few tries he managed enough courage to get all four feet on with the saddle. I decided to start my ride in the grass arena/play yard for a change. The upper arena is only partially enclosed, I guess you can say we started out of the box.

For the most part he did really well. He started out distrackted by all the open space so we started with circle at the trot. Once I felt his mind was more on his buisness we started working the whole arena area. Any time he would get distracted I would circle and refocus him. After about twenty minutes we worked up to a canter and started a clover leaf pattern where I cut the arena in half longways and short ways . This is a great pattern to help teach a horse steering at the canter. One thing that has improved over the last few rides is Eclipse's balance at the canter and him understanding when to stop. He is starting to get really consistent picking up his right lead missing it only once this ride. After the work out portion of our ride we went up the hill to the play yard and worked on crossing logs, bridges and the other obstacles we found there. Just for grins, I went up to the pedestal to see if he would step up on it with me on his back. One foot after the other he put his front feet on and up we went. His confidence and cordination growing by the day. In the end I think Katie's friend was impressed with learning capability that Eclipse had displayed. She will be back more towards the end of his training with her daughter to see if they are a good match. My hope is that I can find local bidder so that I can be apart of Eclipse's transition to a new home!

I came back later Monday evening and got the bug to work with Eclipse again so I decided to put on a bareback pad and see how things would go. One of the benifits of riding bareback is that the horse can really feel every leg cue and weight shift that the rider does. Taking advantage of that opportunity I focused on clarifying moving the front end (turn on the haunches) and moving the hind quarters (turn on the forehand) and introducing leg yields down the fence. Once we did that we went off at the trot. Sencing the different feeling of bare back Elipse actually offered a slower trot then he does under saddle. Thankful of the easier ride, I was able to relax and get into a groove with him. Very cool to feel the connection.

Day17-19, Benefit Playday and a Day of Rest

My Friday was spent teaching lessons and preparing Whispering Hills farm for Saturdays Play day event. For those of you that don't know what a play day is, let me explain. Essentially we invite local horse people to come out to our facility to play and ride with all of the obstacles, arenas, and trails for a day fee. Kind of like a horse social. Any way Saturday was the big day for this and I wanted to make sure the place looked good and we were ready for the extra traffic.

Saturday morning we headed to the barn early to get the horse fed by the time people started to arrive. We had a great turn out and everyone had a great time challenging their horses with the different toys we had around. I got out with Eclipse and played with the pedestal among other things in the play yard. Before lunch the majority of our participants went to the arena and and played a group "stick with me game". Imagine 20 people and twenty horses in our 90 by 120 arena... now imagine most of them taking off their horses halters and lead rope! The game goes like this, once they are at liberty with their horses, the people start to mill about and in most cases the horses "stick with" their partner. This tests the horse/partner connection. Yes, some of the horses "leave" their partners at times and we work as a group to get them back together. With a full arena this is quite simple. All the other humans take their training stick and drive the lost horse away and keeps the lost horse moving until at last the horse find the one human, his partner, that doesn't drive them away. The horse then starts to associate their partner with safety and the bond strengthens. During the 40minute session only a handful of horses left their partners, and yes Eclipse was one of them. In classic horse fashion he had to test his boundaries and left me. he quickly stole another horse to join him in his search for freedom. He and Storm went gallivanting around the arena meeting pressure from the other participants at every turn. The first time it took a good ten minutes to get him to reconnect with me. He did leave a couple more times, but each time I could see him start to look for me as soon as he realized that he had made a mistake. By the end Eclipse was quite content to "stick with me", it was much safer there!

After lunch we tacked up and warmed up. We had one small struggle in his warm up. I have been focusing on Eclipse's right lead on line. This is his less confident side... he prefers me to be in his left eye. For a moment I got stuck trying to get Eclipse to circle to the right. He would go a half a lap then turn to face me (and to put his left eye on me). After about five minutes of sending and him stopping I changed where I was standing and put myself in a better position to drive him forward. As long as I drifted with him to keep myself behind his shoulder he continued to go forward at a canter. I got a few more laps with him in this position then mounted up to start our ride.

Our goal was to do our first on property trail ride today with the group, so it was important that I had Eclipse's full attention before leaving the arena. Once I felt we were there, we left the arena and headed out to the pasture to work some more. Things were good even with all the distraction of the other horses. We organized ourselves into two groups which ended up being the kid riders and the old folks. As much as I do not consider myself old, Eclipse and I went with the adults. There we were facing 50 acres of woods, creeks and open pasture! Not confident enough to lead we put ourselves behind a more seasoned trail horse. First challenge of the day would be the creek crossing that Eclipse always want to go straight up the embankment instead of taking the narrow trail up the side to the top. So far so good, when we got down to the water he stopped dropped his head, sniffed then walked through, now for the embankment. It helped to have another horse to follow that didn't prefer the straight up route. With a little guidance he took the skinny trail like a pro. We went all over the property, crossed every creek, trotted some, and crossed logs. Save for jumping one small creek crossing, and getting a little impulsive at the trot once we got in the pasture, our ride was quite a success!

Day 16: First ride out of the arena

Thursday's ride I made count after the demo ride the previous day. We headed to the arena worked on canter online with the right lead. This still seems to be his less preferred lead. Today I introduced the sideways movement to him. This is where I ask Eclipse to put his nose to the rail and move down the rail crossing over both sets of legs. At first this can be unsettling because with the fence in front of him and the pressure from me to move his feet they quickly realize he can not go forward and has to figure out what to do with his feet. He caught on pretty quickly when I was on his left, but when on his right he would try to escape my pressure by turning his tail to me and head straight down the rail. I slowed down on this side to help him understand what I was asking. Within a few tries he was getting a few steps in a row in that direction. I then proceeded to get on and start our ride. Once were warmed up I worked more on the canter. Eclipse is now picking up both leads with just a little support. We had a pretty good ride in the arena, so we decided to branch out. I opened the gait to the arena and walked out to the pasture play ground. I merely walked him around the open area observing his reaction to all the jumps, obstacles, and mares grazing the pasture. All in all he did quite well. I tried to push my luck by heading to the wooded trail leading to the enchanted forest. As I headed to the opening of the woods a branch snapped and spooked Eclipse. After his feet settled I decided it best to dismount and lead him through the obstacles. We will ride it another day!

Day 14-15: Trailer Loading and Mustang Demo.

The heat was back again today (Tues) I decided it would be a good day to work with trailer loading. As you recall for the pick up we used a open stock trailer that is wide and inviting compared to other trailers. My personal trailer, which will be the one that I will be taking to the Saddle up Cobb mustang training demo tomorrow, is a two horse straight load which is narrow and less inviting. We haven't worked on loading directly however, we have been working on ground exercises that simulate some of the challenges of loading like backing, crossing bridges and going between tight spaces. So when I walked over to the trailer Eclipse was initially skeptical at the big metal box but, with a little encouragement he walked up to it and sniffed it. I first asked him to go back and forth between myself and the trailer letting him explore it as he went by. I then opened the doors front and back and asked him to step up into the trailer. At first he rather not, snorting unconfidently at the inside. After a little persuasion I was able to get him to put his two front feet on the inside floor board. To encourage him to get all four on board I walked into the empty slot next to him and encouraged him forward. He initially back out as soon as I walked in but, I was able to invite him in again petting him reassuringly. This time after his front feet were on he made the effort to with his back feet. A couple of tries later he managed to get all four feet on. Now how to get them all back off with out turning around! No problem, I just wiggled the lead rope and just as he has been taught on the ground and he carefully felt his way backwards and out of the trailer. We did this a few more times until he was relaxed. Mission accomplished for today, we are ready for tomorrow... the demo!

Several months ago I was asked to be the speaker for the Saddle Up Cobb meeting which is held the first Wednesday of each month. They wanted me to talk or demonstrate on the mustangs. I kept my fingers crossed that my new mustang would be far enough along that I could do a live demo for the group and I am tickled pink that not only could I do a ground demo but a riding one! I got the trailer hooked up and loaded all of the tack that I would need, then Kelsey and I grabbed our mustangs and loaded them up. I was impressed that we were able to get both horses on in a couple of minutes. They hauled quietly the hour it took to get to Wild Horse park in Powder Springs. Once there we took them off both wide eyed and noses flared at their new surroundings. We both took about 20 minutes to let them explore the park area and get accustomed to the noise of the football teams at practice near by. Both mustangs were on edge, we could tell they were getting more relaxed when both showed interest in rolling in sandy, inviting footing of the arenas. I let Eclipse out on my twenty two foot line to stretch his legs and start getting warmed up. By the time the demo started, both horses were feeling pretty settled in. I greeted the crowd and told them about the Mustang Heritage Foundation and how we both were working to help the mustangs find good homes off the range. I then tacked Eclipse up and continued to prepare him for his ride. Still not as relaxed as he is at home, he decided to give the audience a show and started crow hopping as I moved him about the arena. I told the on lookers that he just wanted to make sure they knew he was wild! When that had dissipated and he looked more rideable, I got on. I could tell that both he and I were both a little on the nervous side. As we trotted off he felt a little faster and tighter then I was used to. We worked some transitions and changes of directions to help both of us relax. I still have not mastered the multitask of talking to an audience and working with a horse. My mounts always know when I am not 100% focused on them. Having Pandora in the arena as well was also a distraction for Eclipse. All in all we had a successful ride walking and trotting only, I didn't feel comfortable cantering with all of the distraction. We entertained questions from the audience about the horses and the program, then loaded up to go home. By now it was dark and Eclipse went on the trailer nice regardless, however Pandora wasn't so sure. It took some encouraging and both Kelsey and I to get her on, but in the end we got it done. I am sure Kelsey who has done a great job so far with her challenging youngster will have her loading like a champ by competition time.

Day 12, 13. Our Pony trail ride, and 1st liberty session.

Sunday the heat continued. I had a few afternoon appointments at the barn that included a trail ride. I opted to tack up Pi and pony Eclipse through the woods a creeks with the group on the 100 acres that Whispering Hills Farm has. I was quiet surprised at how willingly Eclipse ponied around the property. For the most part he stayed right at my knee and seldom put any tension on the lead rope as we went up and down the hill over the ditches and through the creeks. He readily trotted off whenever we picked up speed. There was only one point when he felt hesitant on the line. We were crossing a sandy run off creek, not sure of the footing, Eclipse hung back eying the situation. As the tension built on the line, he was forced to make a decision. As looked back to see the what the hold up was, it was just in time to see him launch himself across the small crossing landing right next to Pi and I. He truly seemed to enjoy the change of scenery.

Monday was wonderful! I don't know what happened to the weather but it was a good ten degrees cooler then it had been and there was cloud cover!! I took advantage of the weather and rode every horse that I had in training. Sunday was a good mental break for Eclipse but i could tell he was ready to get out and move. For the first time I decided to work with him at liberty (with out a lead line) in the 90 ft. by 110ft arena. When you adopt a mustang the BLM is very particular about the enclosure that you will be housing your horse in. If it is an adult the fence requirements are six foot high and solid because the horses are not "fence broke". The arena fencing that we have is only five foot so working at liberty would let me know where we stand with the fence breaking process. At any time if I put to much pressure on Eclipse he could build up enough speed to jump out. Now it is still a five foot fence, Eclipse would really have to want to leave. I took the halter and lead rope off and casually invited him to follow me. He dropped his head and meandered around the arena with me, always a good sign. I then upped the ante and started to ask him specifics like moving his hind quarters around and then his front end. He did what I asked even though at any time he could have left. I then sent him out on a circle to the right and watched as he went trotting around the arena and never once got stuck in the corners. One of the responsibilities that I strive to teach the horses that I train is to maintain direction. This means that if I send my horse out to the right he continues in that direction until I give him a new direction. In a square arena this can be challenging because it is easy for a horse to get turned around when they come to a corner. Maintaining direction has been one of Eclipse's better skills. Even in the Round pen he seldom changed it on his own. Once he went out and did a few laps the next challenge would be getting him back. The first few times a invited him back, he would turn and face me but not come in. At that point I would give him a minute to rest and then send him in out in the opposite direction. After a few more laps Eclipse was getting a little tired and started to look for rest. He would turn and face me then finally figured out that if he would come stand by me i would no longer make him work. At this point he was ready to ride so I got on and worked on bettering everything that we have done.

Day 10-11: My Birthday Ride

Friday was an easy day. Worked a little on the ground but the heat was more then he or I could bare so I decided not to push today but get up early Saturday and get an earlier start before the heat set in.

It was about 9 a.m. Saturday morning and I had about an hour and a half to work with Eclipse before my lessons started. As I was warming him up on the ground I could see a notable difference in how he responds to halter pressure since his ponying session on Thursday. His lack of exercise on Friday obvious as he gladly moved his feet around the arena. I focused a little on cantering on his right lead on line to help him develop his comfort and balance in that direction. Even on line he occasionally throws the wrong lead. I mounted up and started with the back up today. A few rides ago if I asked for the back up with the reins Eclipse would toss his head and resist. He has finally learned that if he drops his head and moves backwards the pressure on his nose goes away. His back up has definitely improved as well as his pivots. We then move off at a walk, and then into a trot. I decided to warm up with a transitions exercise that uses the corners of the arena. As we go from corner to corner making a down transition in each all was going well. Eclipse was starting to make nice crisp stops in each corner. In one corner of our arena we store all the unused toys like barrels, poles and balls. This particular corner is always the spooky corner for most horses. We approached this corner, which has never been an issue Eclipse, and I asked for a stop. As he planted his feet for the crisp stop I was looking for, he threw arena footing into one of the barrels. The unexpected sound caught him be surprise, and he quickly turned from the corner. As he did he lost his footing. Before I knew it we were both on the ground. I had stayed in the saddle, unfortunately the saddle was on the ground with Eclipse. A moment later Eclipse was on his feet looking at me on the ground scratching his head wondering what had just happened and how I got down there! I got to my feet and dusted myself off and looked at Eclipse. Hhmmm. How interesting. I stepped over to the the barrel and kicked some footing on it and watched his reaction. Evidently he had gotten over that initial reaction and didn't seem to care any more. So, I hopped back on walked a couple of laps then went back at it at a trot. All ended well. The horse is fine, but I suffer from a sore neck and a bruised ego!

Day 10 The Ponying Experience

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term ponying as it pertains to horse training, let me explain. I will take my seasoned gelding Pi and put a western saddle on him and then take Eclipse in his rope halter and I will lead him while riding Pi. So what this does is help Eclipse follow a feel and move off halter pressure. The trick is when I walk Pi forward I dally the lead rope around the saddle horn and if Eclipse is not walking forward off of light pressure he then pulls against Pi who weighs 1,200 lbs. as appose to me (and you thought I was going to say my weight:). This is an effective way to win the leading game. I tacked up Pi, haltered Eclipse and headed to the arena to see how this would go.

We started at a walk with Eclipse off the left side of Pi. Initially pressure from the lead rope caught both Eclipse and Pi by surprise. I encouraged Pi to move on ignoring the pull on the saddle. As Eclipse realized he was not going to win the tug of war, he started moving off at a walk with Pi. Once this was fairly consistent we moved things up to a trot. The faster speed was more of a chalenge for Eclipse because I had never asked him to lead off at a trot. By this time Pi was getting the hang of what we were doing. The more Eclipse would pull on the saddle the more effort Pi would put into moving forward. In a few minutes Eclipse was learning to mirror Pi's speed with little pressure on the lead rope. I changed sides and to my surprise it took longer to for Eclipse to respond willingly off the other side of Pi. When Eclipse finally folded and followed willingly on the new side it was time to ride.

I stepped from Pi's saddle into Eclipse's, adjusted the lead rope into reins, played with some foot control then went off at a trot. As I get to know Eclipse better he does enjoy moving his feet as well as calling the shots. We picked up where we left off last time we rode working on steering at the trot. Now instead of arguing about where we are going, Eclipse is trying to guess where I am going next and turning early. Getting a different responce to the same thing on the next ride is always a good sign even if it is not the right answer. It tells you that your horse is putting effort into trying to figure things out. As we moved up to the canter for the first time I played with steering on a circle. He still perfers the left lead over the right, but will pick up the right with some encouragement. Another successful ride down.