Photos are from early spring 2012 or late winter 2011, can't remember for sure without going to look lol.
First of all, sorry no pictures or video. It was almost dark when I went to ride and they wouldn't have turned out anyway. It was a comfortable eighty degrees with a nice breeze so we were all feeling really good. :) I rode him out in the open on the thirty acres of lease land for the second time and I didn't try to steer at all this time. In fact I had the reins by the buckle and just let them rest on his withers the whole time. We worked on walking forward with energy in a long and low frame. He was a rock star!! I love this horse!
He was so energetic, enthusiastic and eager to please. :D He got confused at one point and kept backing up (because we worked on backing in hand with the cordeo recently), but other than that he got it all right. I alternated between clicking after only a step or two and waiting to click after six or seven steps. The early clicks were for the really prompt, energetic walk transitions and the long clicks were for walking forward energetically with his head down in a long and low frame. He figured it out so fast!
After I was done riding (only ten minutes since he was so great!) he was trying everything he could think of to earn a treat. He tried lowering his head, backing, smiling, etc. It was so cute. Adding the clicker to our training makes such a difference in his attitude. He's always laid back and willing to work with me (although he's definitely a lazy boy), but the clicker adds a spring to his step and an eagerness to learn. I love it. :) Obviously I'll wean him off the clicker on this basic stuff, but I think we'll always be working on new behaviors with it so he has something fun and exciting to keep him from getting bored. :D
After I left and closed the gate behind me he spun around, bolted out into the pasture bucking like a bronco the whole way . . . thank god he waited until I had dismounted and left the pasture!!!!!!!! I don't ever want to be on his back when he shows off those acrobatic skills lol. He was feeling so full of himself.
i wanted to comment about your comment about the wraps/protective boots. i agree with you that they mainly help protect from outside forces. i've alway been dubious about their abibility to influence internal structures. also, they are way too hot for endurance so it's rare to see them in that sport. but i recently read a blog entry by someone whose barefoot trimmer recommended SMBs behind and she swears they helped his movement. i've never heard such an anecdote before.
ReplyDeleteabout your idea of hanging things from the fences - unfortunately ours are all electric. and since my donkey is female, she's not nearly as mouthy as the boys. i have to be careful not to leave things lying around, she even picked up an electrical cable once and scared me to death.
That sounds like a great ride! Horses are clever about when they play I reckon - Echo can throw herself around like an idiot in the field, but she wouldn't dream of doing that when I'm mounted - thank goodness!
ReplyDeleteI'd keep going with the forward command - sounds like the clicker really helps - and do that for a while before introducing some steering - and even then, introduce steering when it's already kind of obvious where he has to go - like coming up to a fence. That way, he'll be clear what he's got to do and he'll start to associate your command with turning.
Listen to me handing out advice! Hope you don't mind...feel free to ignore it!! :)
Big steps! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteSam
He sounds like such an awesome boy!
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