Arena riding and nice stops

Today before the snow storms hit I rode Dynamites Destiny in the arena and made some great headway. She would shy from some things on the fence so I brought her in tight circles until the objects just were not a bother to her. Also I brought her up to a lope and she really calmed down and leveled off.
I have started her sidepassing and she is grasping the concept so we should have a good polish on it in March. Also, I asked her to stop with her hind quarter under her today and she really stopped well. For the first time really getting under herself, it was a neat feel.
I am going to try to have my junior high basketball team come out to the arena and make as much noise as they can until she thinks they are no longer frightening. Junior high boys should do the trick. After coaching them in the mornings they desensitize me a fair bit so Dynamites destiny will have a really eye opening experience.
Another great day and hopefully the sun comes out and warms up the rest of the week so we can enjoy some spring weather.

Finally an Update

I haven't blogged in awhile. It's basketball season and between coaching & playing, riding colts, being a dad & husband, it leaves little time to sit and reflect on the days.

I had the coolest thing happen with the mustang. My daughter's best friend's family came over the other night for dinner. Brian and I were outside finishing up chores and I hadn't put the mustang up for the night yet. We were discussing how mustangs in general have a lot more flight in them than any domestic horse and that it takes a lot more work for them to gain your trust. Two seconds later as I stepped into the pen, the mustang began nickering in a low friendly style nicker. (Similar to two horses coming back together.) As I approached her with the halter, she continued to nicker. It was a pretty awesome moment because she had finally put her guard down and made the first move toward me. It was ironic that it happened moments after we had just discussed the trust topic.

I think we finally have a name thanks to Diana Clark and my wife, Kelsey: "Dynamite's Destiny." Kelsey mentioned Dynamite because she's athletic and had a little fire when I first got her. And Destiny because Diana commented, "She wasn't first in line for your 2009 horse, but maybe it was just destiny for her -- to be lucky enough to have you as her trainer & to have the chance to go to a really great home in her future. Also, she just might be some lucky person's "destiny." It's a name full of promise." Thanks, Diana!

I've trailered her over a different arena to ride on occassion. She's done really well and nothing that I do on her back seems to phase her. I can move my legs all over and touch her anywhere. I've had ropes touch her front and back legs while she's in motion and I got no excitement out of her. She loads in trailers just fine. I've trimmed her bridle path to make her look like a lady. I can pick up all her feet easily. My biggest hurdle will be overcoming people.

She turns, stops, backs, flexes, moves off the leg pretty well. She's starting to ride pretty collected and calm. From here on out we'll be working on shoulder and hind-quarter control.

Now that the ground is thawing out I think spring might be here. I don't care what that groundhog has to say. Actually, they are calling for some snow this week so I'm crossing my fingers. With the ground thawed out hopefully we'll progress a lot faster since she'll have a better footing. The competition is coming up faster than I know but hopefully we'll be prepared.

First Ride

A little bit of flexing....

A little bit of riding.

Last Sunday (Jan. 10th) I finally got to ride my mustang. Between the weather conditions and other set backs it took a month to finally put the first ride on. She had absolutely no buck to her. Note my authentic winter garb and classy irrigation boots I'm wearing. Did you notice my round pen looks like a mud-wrestling pit? But we trudged through it anyway.

I've been on her four times since. The third and fourth time were in the arena. Our biggest hurdle will be the obstacles outside the arena. For example, people, objects, and stuctures.

Maybe this week I'll take her out into the desert.

She also got a trailer loading lesson. She's grasped the concept. During the lesson, Kelsey came around the corner while I had the mustang in the trailer. She was not very close to the trailer, but as the mustang was unloading she saw Kelsey, who wasn't there before she got into the trailer and spooked and took off. I planted my feet in the mud and simulated my water skiing skills half way across the arena. The humor was definately was in Kelsey's favor. I wasn't up to laughing because I was all covered in mud. The mustang patiently waited for me to come to her at the other side of the arena.

First Ride

Snow Day...

It snowed again on Monday and we had icy snow on Tuesday. Maybe by this weekend there will be a break in the weather. I haven't got to put the first ride on yet, but eventually we'll get there. Here is a picture of the mustang in the daylight:

She is getting very easy to catch and once she's caught I put my hand on her poll and she drops her head down and puts it in my chest. I do this to make bridling easy and so the horse will never toss it's head in the air to protest the bit. The trust is definitely being established. Every time I walk out of the pen the look she gives me is priceless!

Bit and Saddle

Tonight was a little chaotic with company in the round pen. I had 2 dogs weaving in and out of it, 2 cats walking the top of the rails, 2 kids throwing dirt clods near the pen, and one BLM mustang focusing on her trainer. And not to forget, one wife who loves me enough to bear 27 degree weather to snap some pictures for a few minutes.

This was the little filly's first night with a bit. She took it very well. For the first minute of course she was chewin' on it and wondering what it was. Then after that it was no big deal. I have worked previously with some bit work and tonight once I bridled her she accepted it perfectly. Next, I desensitized her with the lead rope. Then it was on to the stick and string with a plastic sack attached. I've done several of these desensitization exercises but never with the sack until tonight. She has been desensitized enough that the new stuff is not very alarming to her at all.

I human curry combed her tonight. I also jumped up on her and she stood like a perfect angel.

After the "photographer" when inside to warm up the kids, the filly got a saddle pad and in a couple of minutes had a saddle on her back. She did just fine with absolutely no fight in her. At one point I stood up in the saddle on one side so she would get use to stirrup pressure as I step up. My plan is to ride her tomorrow. I worked on getting her to change directions consistently and then I had her give to the bit. After that I blanketed her to keep her warm.

I've been working on leading her. And yesterday in her pen I worked on picking up her feet. I successfully picked up all four of her feet. I did it again tonight.

This black filly sure is impressing me. She seems to have some wits to her and is going to make a really nice easy going horse in the near future. All she needs now is a name. (If anyone has an idea go ahead and post it in the comments.)

Some Progress

The first day I got the new filly home, I round penned her for two hours as sparse gentle snowflakes fell down on us. She definitely had some flight and fight in her. Eventually, I was able to rub her forehead with my training stick. By the end of the session, I was able to get her to square up and change directions a little bit.

We've had some bumps along the way this time and I feel very behind in her training. The weather has been horrible. We usually don't have this much snow until sometime in January. At first there was a cold snap that was unbearably cold. Then it snowed for a week straight and froze everything. One day after Christmas it got to 50 degrees and melted all of the snow. Now we are dealing with A LOT of MUD. My round pen is too slick to work her. It makes me wish I had an indoor round pen!

In three weeks, I haven't got to ride her yet. I have caught her everyday and I'm trying to get her to the point where she faces up to me in her pen. When I go feed her, I try to get her use to me to the point she loses the fear and gains the trust. It's been working, but it is a day by day process. I am feeling disappointed at this point. I wish I could have had that extra week with her so that she would have been gentled up and ready to take out in the hills or to an indoor arena somewhere.

The last time I worked with her, I human curry combed her. (I jumped on her back and rubbed her all over to desensitize her.) I also desensitized her with the lead rope by throwing it up over her back and between her legs. When she was calm to all of this, I put a surcingle on her and then hung rubber boat buoys off the side of her. I let her pack the buoys all day. Initially she tried to kick the buoys and after time she accepted them. She never did buck which was a bit of a surprise to me.

Hopefully soon I can get a chance to work more with her. I am getting to train most of my customer horses because they had their round pen work and first rides before the change in weather. We go out to the BLM hills or over to a friend's covered arena, where it is not as muddy as it is here. Surly soon it has to dry up a little bit, huh? Maybe we can get a windy day that has a little bit of sun.