Ride at home

Since Maraschino has been home I have been playing with him every day and when I do that he's such a fast learner. He was much more relaxed today despite the rain this morning and he offered to get but on the pedestal. Now this is no s mall pedestal. It's a filled tractor tire!!!

This was just as he was getting off.

Soon after this Michelle arrived as she had offered to ride him for me. She was happy with what she saw I'd done after seeing him canter and trot, and she hopped on. It started raining!

She did some lateral flexions and disengaged the hq. Then we got him hooked on to me to get him to go straight instead of what he seemed to like to which was going round in circles. He had a couple of frights but she's super cool and calm and one rein stopped him. We observed that he almost gets so fixated on something he's concentrating on that he momentarily forgets he has a rider, then gets a fright. She just walked today but he went really well. It was bucketing down at the end so it was challenging for him and he did really well.

 

Maraschino's weekend workout

I spent the weekend and Friday getting Maraschinos confidence and curiosity back to where it should be plus advancing all the games and pre-ride checks. He's very good at staying focused in me now rather than getting distracted. I did two sessions a day. In the AM we did sending to obstacles and walk trot and canter with the saddle on and stirrups down. He didn't blink an eyelid.

 

I also put the bridle on for the first time, starting his bridling training off well by getting him to have his head low and seek the bit. He spent the whole time chewing the bit but I think he likes chewing on things. I did the bit simulations for contact and also lateral flexion like Linda showed with Hot Jazz. I also did some liberty in the pen with him. Little more difficult to get the HQ to move round than the FQ.

In the afternoon we did circling with me on the barrel, walk trot canter and change of direction then figure 8. By the end of tonight he was trotting and cantering quite relaxed then he did figure 8 at trot. Cool.

Then I got up on my huge tyre and did some work from up there, getting him to stand for mounting, do figure 8s back toe, and lateral flexions as well as HQ disengagement. Lots of relaxing and rubbing too and head down....I'd spent the middle of both days this weekend watching all the RBI DVDs again.

Taking the bridle off the normal way (not undoing the buckle) made him out his head up tonight so we worked on that till it was good. Lots of yawning after that.

I got Tori's Tshirt yesterday...it's nice.

 

Maraschino Week 2 and 3

Well Maraschino settled well after week one and he started making some good progress. The ladies at Liberty Ranch are really nice and patient and the good thing is, for me, is that is he's not right with something the next day they go back and fix it rather than say oh well he was fine with it yesterday lets move on.

What they have noticed is that by the end or middle of a session he's good with say for example the rope touching his hind fetlocks as he backs up, or the rope dangling over the cantle and down either side of his legs as he circles (and the rope touches his legs), but then the next day he finds it very difficult again to start with. They have the lariat rope over the cantle of the saddle and around his hind end... and also dangling lower. He needs to be able to go forwards and backwards with that pressure or into the pressure when backing up, without freaking out. Last time I watched a session - on Thursday I think it was, he was collapsing his back end like when you get cold water on their tail. They also roped a hind foot.

So - while it's not as satisfying doing it myself, and I won't be able to say he's been 100% Parelli'sed, I think what they are doing is good for him and will set him up nicely. I have some ideas of what I'm going to do afterwards to add my icing to the cupcakes :-).

Like they always keep saying - they want anyone to be able to get on him. And be safe - that's the key. I want to be safe. I'm certainly not one to ride them to calmness - who can do that anyway - don't they just ride them to tiredness?

I think he'll be set up really well once I get him home. And while I think perhaps sometimes they don't take into account the horsenalities so much (no one has done that better than Linda Parelli), I think they do really well at quitting when he does well and not quitting when he's scared or unsure. I think the main difference, in my opinion, would be in particular with Maraschino and his RBI'ness is they don't ask and wait - they ask then tell immediately - like what you'd do with a LBI - so Maraschino can get more emotional than perhaps I would like. BUT maybe that's what he needs right now... I mean you can't avoid it completely because what happens one day when you want to take him to a show or somewhere new right?

 He looks lovely in a western saddle!

He's got a little bit of grass to nibble on now so I'm happier.

Nice peaceful place for him to be. And only 8 minutes from my door. Yes I timed it.

I took Garbo there to ride for a morning clinic last Sunday to help him get used to riding with other strange horses, and it was great fun. Nice just going to a place we know well for a clinic as he doesn't feel uncomfortable off the back foot. He did a capriole thingy at one point but they had some great ideas to help me with that. Making it a nice idea to rest near other horses and away from them he was put to do some work. Also we had the herd bound issues with Maraschino being in the next paddock so it was good for all involved.

Maraschino will be watching a clinic this coming weekend too.

Here he is being introduced to the new cat on the farm.

Waiting for the Right Brain

I heard Linda talking about Horsenalities on the last Audio CD and as usual I was riveted. It was so interesting how she developed the concept and tested it out.

She was saying a lady gave her some feedback after getting her report on her RBI. She hadn't realised how much she needed to wait. She asked for send and waited, waited, waited... until finally the horse let out a big breath and moved.

So I decided to do a little experimenting with this with Maraschino. On asking him through the barrels I waited (but my send arm got sore after 5 minutes lol)... but I think generally he really appreciated the extra time before lifting the carrot stick.

I am making great progress with Maraschino - he's now trotting and cantering on the circle on the 22ft and yesterday we did our first successful change of direction at trot.

I've been float training him every day too...

Day 1. Sniff the float all over and find surprise carrots, put foot on ramp for carrot.

Day 2. Put two feet on ramp for carrot, rest on ramp. Then finish.

Day 3. Four feet on ramp and lead into float for carrots... with Garbo in there.

Day 4. Send in to float with me outside - to find carrots - goes half way in

Day 5. Lead into float to find bucket of grain at front (no Garbo).

Day 6. (today)... send into float from ramp to find bucket of grain (well not a whole bucket full but you get the picture)...

Plan for next 2 days...

moving hind quarters over, doing up dividers, doors closed, short drive. Yikes. Lesson with Jackie with both boys off the property on Tuesday. I have asked if it all turns to custard can we do the lesson here.