Chrome's Seventh Ride & Working With Faran

Sorry, no pictures or video!  I decided to just go out yesterday and ride without worrying about getting video.  Yesterday's ride was our first time riding out in the open on the thirty acres we lease.  I put Chrome's bitless bridle on, climbed on bareback and off we went (with no clicker/treats).  My husband was handwalking Faran so we sort of just followed them around.  Chrome kept wanting to go off on his own explorations, but I gently guided him back after Faran.  He also sometimes would just stop and not want to move.  I noticed he does not like going up and down slopes.  I guess because it feels weird or maybe he doesn't have the muscles for it yet or maybe I weigh too much for him right now . . . not sure.  When he acted uncomfortable going downhill I would just guide him so that he was walking the slope instead of going up or down.  He was trotting, galloping, bucking and playing later on just fine so I know he's not lame or anything.  I think it's just because he's not used to carrying weight.  So anyway, I only rode for fifteen minutes and he did awesome.  :)

After I rode I put Chrome and Zep in the round pen so we could do some clicker training with Faran without being interrupted.  It was so funny because Chrome got so mad he was galloping around and bucking in the round pen (one of the reasons I know he isn't lame lol).  He wanted OUT so he could play with us too.  Silly colt.  He and Zep did eventually ignore us and started playing together so I don't feel too horribly cruel hehe.

Anyway we worked with Faran next to the mounting block.  I held him, clicked and fed treats while my husband stood on the mounting block and rubbed him all over.  Eventually he leaned his weight over Faran's back and rubbed his opposite side.  Faran didn't even care!  He was so into lowering his head for his treats that he didn't even pay any attention to my husband.  Oh and I did click him whenever he turned his head to look at my husband so he was getting rewarded for accepting what my husband was doing.  Then my husband put his leg on Faran's back (but not his weight).  That made him a bit nervous at first, but he was fine after a few head lowers.

Then I wanted to try it because he doesn't like me as much as my husband (I don't work with him as much and I have a tendency to move quicker than what he likes).  He let me lean all over him and pet him too.  At one point I leaned over his back and my cell phone had shifted out of my pocket to where it stabbed him in the ribs.  He teleported (that's what we call it when he jumps several feet straight sideways) away from me and I fell to my hands and knees on the ground (I was wearing my helmet!).  He calmed down very quickly (I was not hurt) and let me lead him back to the mounting block and lean all over him again, so the incident doesn't seem to have set him back at all.  He did a lot better than I thought he would, but I won't be comfortable getting on him until he stops teleporting because there is no way I would stay on when he does that.  It's unbelievable how quickly a 1600 pound Percheron can move sideways!!

We will keep working with him and he will get there eventually.  :D

Oh and I almost forgot!  When we got done with Faran I let Chrome out of the round pen and he was totally jealous.  He walked to the mounting block and looked for treats and then walked to me and started mugging.  I ignored him until he put his head down and then started doing some clicker training with him.  We worked on our following and backing.  I had him trot beside me so my husband could confirm that he wasn't limping.  He's fine.  Then when we left the pasture he turned away, trotted out of the round pen and around a brush pile that is approximately twenty yards away and back up to the round pen looking for his treat!  We've never even worked on sending exercises but apparently he thought trotting (since he's lazy trotting is a lot of work) around the brush pile had earned him a treat.  It was so funny the expression he had!!  He's like an overgrown puppy sometimes.  :D