Undemanding time

With all the wind and also the earthworks at our place I have not done much with the boys. Alot of undemanding time which has been cool.

Dragged Garbo out today for a ride - just a couple of laps of the track at home bareback so that was cool (no wind today).

Scary tractor

This is what happened when Tim was mowing the middle paddock. The horses thought the tractor was chasing them.!




Check out the co-ordinated canter and flying changes by them both.

The next time I decided I would try putting them in the yards so they couldn't 'practise' running around each time they saw a tractor and they were great!

Off to the track we go...

We went to the track at Helensville Showgrounds today - about 12 minutes from home. We had to go on the inside track since they were making hay on the actual track damn it all... way too tempting for Garbo. He enjoyed the green grass patches every now and again, but he walked on again easily and calmly so that was good.

Here he is having a snack/break.


George texted me about an hour after we arrived and wanted to know if we had broken any records. Ahhh- No!

First I'll write about the ride. Then the floating.

We didn't go right round as they were baling the hay over the other side... so we used the 'straight' to do follow the rail with indirect and direct rein turns and transitions. He was lovely and forward and I am sure had I felt more confident about it, he would have gone right round.

We did some trot, and then some canter but in such a big space I was a little 'giddy-up - BUT just a little bit'... I must have gripped a bit at that point as he stuck his head down like he would buck... no idea why he does that!

Anyway - we tried a few more times, and I tried having a completely loose rein which worked great but after a few strides I kind of felt for the rein so I could stop him if need be, and stiffened up again. Oh well. Next time. It was a great ride all in all.

After that we went into this lovely little mown paddock with a fence all round it so we did follow the rail in there to cool down before loading again.





So now - the loading. Decided it was time to drive Garbo into the float from Zone 3 instead of leading him on. Amazing - it turned out he trusted me enough to follow me on but not to go on alone. There was lots of pawing on the ramp first, checking it out, and then he would get his nose and neck on, but not his back feet. Actually initially not even his front feet. It took about 20 minutes I think and we rushed the closing of the rails abit and off we went.

On the way back I concentrated on using phase one, energy up and pointing to the float and lifting the carrot stick then lifting it up and down, and quickly using it to turn his nose towards the float when he looked left. He didn't rush off which was great. It took a while for me to find the perfect amount of pressure - and what it was was hitting the savvy string gently on the ground behind him over and over until he took a step forward - even if it was a big stretch forward (at one point he had his front and back legs so far apart.

After I think about 20 minutes he was on, and it was his idea! About half way through this session he was yawning like crazy so I think it was a very very big step for Garbo today. I think he will sleep well tonight.

We had planned to go to the Showgrounds in Helensville, they have a race track (grass) there, so I was looking forward to doing some follow the rail.

Well it didn't really go as planned but that's the way it happens sometimes with horses.

I was a bit nervous and Garbo always picks up on that. It's I think because it's a big open space and we had not been there before.... plus I was meeting Michelle at the bottom of the road (time limit - which horses always know about and decide not to load).

So - I fed Maraschino and Garbo saw that - 2nd mistake - and decided he should be getting fed rather than loading!

Took me about 40 minutes to load him and his adrenalin ended up being quite high - but got him on ok in the end with some patience. I started off the normal way leading him on and he went on and backed off in a hurry. I tried again (many times) but he kept backing away from me, sometimes at speed. I tried to not pull hard when he was pulling back, but just went with him. I tried another tact of backing him up (my idea) when he started backing up. That didn't really work - just meant he backed up faster and for longer. Oh well - 50/50 chance it would work right!

I tried facing the float to take the pressure off him but as soon as he got to the ramp he just tried to set his head down so he could stop and not let me pull, (in the old days he would turn at this point and run off).

So after 30 minutes, I got out the carrot stick, and waved the stick and string towards zone 4 any time he was not going forward, or if he was backing up. Sometimes I had to use phase 4, string made connection with zone 4 but it definitely made him think twice about going backwards!

So I did what I had tried once before unsuccessfully, to send him in a semi circle away from the flaot - with lots of energy and when the float got in the way I would stop and rest. Actually - that's not entirely true - I didn't try that last time I just tried to ask him on to the float with me standing outside (like squeeze game I guess) and that didn't work. So this was new for both of us. I had in my mind Pat and the many horses he does this with and I tried to stay consistent. Tried to be assertive and not aggressive. It was hard. But eventually he looked like he was ready to try again (nearly loaded himself) so I led him on and he came straight on and stayed on. I don't know yet if I asked too much of him. His adrenalin was still quite high.

By now Maraschino has finished his food and was watching us leave (not the plan) - so as I drove out of the drive I saw him running around alot so I texted Michelle and said I think I should go back and do it another day when George is home just in case - it would be nice to know he calms down after a bit of a run around - so I turned around at the bottom of the road and headed home. When I got back Maraschino was standing on top of his clay pile - not too distressed but pleased to see us.
Garbo rushed off the float at 100 miles an hour - backwards....must work on that... he was shaking a little.

Michelle came up with the two horses she had on board and she went for a ride round the track, while I played on the ground with Garbo. We did some amazing figure 8 at trot, some circles and weave - like Cilla says - amazing to have some extra energy when you have an LBI! But in my case he was actually a bit stressed. These two new horses were running round the track (in his mind) and Maraschino was following along next to them (so Garbo kind of thought they were leaving). I soldiered on and got him busy and told him that he must concentrate on me and not what they were doing. It was quite exhausting but we did it.

It also was really windy today which didn't help - on top of everything else (20 knots at some stage).

Anyway - so George is back tomorrow so we will try again then.

I felt like I sabotaged the day a bit - by being nervous, but like Michelle said I followed my instinct and went home, otherwise I would have worried.

Morning out alone

Today I decided to take Garbo out and leave Maraschino at home alone - because I knew from his personality so far, that he would be fine. But I got my friend to stay at home and keep an eye on him just in case - plus I wanted to know how he handled it.

So 9am I gave Maraschino a bucket of food and headed off to the float with Garbo. The little pony next door was making more noise about the whole thing.

Off we headed to Woodhill Sands - it's an equestrian facility that is on a natural sand trap so it's basically all sand with some grass. It has some dressage arenas, some cross country jumps, and lots of trees... and the best thing - during the week there is hardly ever anyone there.

We arrived about 5 minutes after leaving home (it's on the next street), Garbo managed to squeeze in a poop in the float in that short trip! He got off in a bit of a hurry and looked around head high to see if there were any other horses around - nope... the last time we were there was 18 months ago at a Ribbon Day (pre-Parelli) where he bucked every time all the horses in the ring (about 30 of us) trotted.



So - we spent quite a bit of time on the ground... getting him ready to ride and confident and listening to me. Perhaps 18 months ago I would not have been able to read the subtle signs and thought he was ok to ride - but these days I know better.


For the first 20 minutes he was half doing what I asked and half looking around, which has always been his 'trait' - he used to get described as 'distracted'. But after a while he became more and more calm and looking to me for guidance.



We played touch it with the outbuildings and the jumps ( I don't think he thought they were jumps - they just looked like short fences with trees on either end to him), initially he was spooking a little from them but after a bit he was checking them out and eating the trees attached to wither end of the fence.


Then we went looking for a jump small enough to jump - but there were none so I stood up on top of a huge log jump and asked for a circle round me. We had great canter transitions, and looking at the photos I am really pleased with the fact that his back legs are coming underneath him well, and the angle of his front diagonal and back diagonal in trot are the same.

We also did yo-yo with me sitting on another log jump.

We walked back to the float and I saddled up, and got on, in my rope halter and lead rope- first time we have ridden out alone in a new place without a bridle, but I didn't even think twice.

We had a lovely ride, he was very responsive. He takes me repositioning myself in the saddle as an upwards transition - hmmmmm... I can't complain.

We didn't canter - we nearly did but he put his head down like he was going to buck so I asked for a one rein stop - and he stopped, I don't think he would have bucked but I stopped him so that's the main thing.

We finished with taking the saddle off and I led him back to an area of the sand he liked so he could have a nice roll. I don't think he wanted to leave.

We drove in the gate after our quick drive home and I could see Maraschino head down grazing - yay.

Michelle said he called out after he finished his food and the pony next door called back, then he slowly walked to each corner of the paddock and called, interspersed with some grazing, and then just carried on grazing.

So I am so pleased.

We might go to the Helensville Track on Sunday - it's a real race track no longer used - will be great for follow the rail.

Weave pattern day 2

Day 2 of the weave pattern for Garbo and he mastered it today - even got three weaves at trot and I got further away - not quite at 22 but near the end of the 12. Getting better at upping my energy for the drive and lowering it for the draw. I kind of take a breath and hold it for the drive and release it when I draw. That's what seems to work for me.

I also did some friendly and Touch it with Maraschino. And a little go at Figure 8 for Maraschino - he did it slowly which was good. He had problems with the drive and the draw interestingly enough.

No photos sorry - my photographer is at work!

Lots of yawning afterwards for both my boys, which is always a sign Garbo has learnt something new - as he doesn't yawn very often - but when I started Parelli he yawned nearly every day, but before I got patterns he didn't do it much.

I stuck their covers on as we have rain due tonight and tomorrow.

Weave pattern

Even though our Figure 8's have gone a bit pear shaped we started the weave today and I think it will help actually. Our biggest hole at the moment is driving Zone 2 further away from me - at any stage. Garbo wants to sit on my lap and have carrots I think (instead). He is slowly realising that what Pat does for driving from a distance (rhythmic pressure on Zone 2) means move away. The weave pattern actually helped - I had two barrels and two spools so 4 objects. And we even got it at trot for one time - nearly all 4.

Then I decided to ride and sort out the opposition reflex for turns (when Garbo wants to go back to washbay and stand by his rope until he gets his dinner)... gosh that was hard - I would ask for the turn by lifting the rope out and back up with CS if he resisted - of course he would start heading off in the correct direction and swifly turn back the other way -my CS, rope lifting skills from one side to the other, to allow the gradual phases were simply not up to speed.

After about half an hour of 'discussing' I got off and realised it was 6pm - way after his dinner time. If I had of tried that a year ago I would have had a spooking bucking horse - so I took what I got as a good result and gave him his dinner.

Follow the rail

Sussing out that green ball!

After a bath in the sun!

Today I out Garbo's saddle on because I wanted to do follow the rail in trot and canter and not quite ready to canter in the bareback pad.

We used the track as the rail and he went into trot and canter every time I asked him with only phase one - actually my phase one is 'energy up'. We can't canter right round the track at the moment as we have some areas of ruts and pogging at one end where it was quite wet over winter.

Our direct rein 180 degree turns still have a bit of opposition reflex so I will work on that more. Transitions were good and I was reflecting after my ride on how relaxed his head and emotions are when he trots and canters now compared to 12 months ago.

I am really pleased that all our hours of fun have paid off in other ways as well.

I can see now that freestyle (no rein contact) allows me and him to get our balance and then that leads naturally and easily to Finesse. I am along way from watching the Finesse DVD in the Patterns set but I can see how it all links together now. Online to Freestyle, Freestyle to Finesse.

Squeezed in some play

Rain is due tonight and tomorrow (not much though) so I got home early and played with the boys a bit. I tested 'don't change gait, don't change direction' with me relaxing in the middle, with Garbo - and that was pretty cool - it's actually improved since we started doing Figure 8's. As has our change of direction which are to die for!

We did Figure 8's round two piles of poo!

After that I took his halter off and we drove Maraschino together. It was quite funny, Garbo just stuck beside me.

I did some half circles against the fence with Maraschino and then a full circle in walk. I was surprised I thought he would trot or canter. You know what he did? He stopped every couple of steps and ate grass... hmm maybe he's a bit more Left Brain than originally thought! Maybe Garbo has been teaching him some tricks.

We played some approach and retreat with the hose, and then I gave him a sponge wash with lavender. Then I went and sponged Garbo too while he was grazing because he was a bit sweaty.

Lovely afternoon in the sun

That's what we had today! Finally the showers stopped and the cloud cleared a bit.

I got Garbo out after setting up this little obstacle course, and on the way past it from the paddock he started touching everything, and then headed straight for the tarp! So we postponed grooming for a bit and played the Touch It Game.

We briefly touched on figure 8 and even got a canter round one barrel on 22ft line... and then I decided to try out my new bareback pad, even though I only had a girth and not a cinch I made it work!



Doesn't he look handsome. He wasn't too sure about the cinch but I think he liked it once it was done up.

We headed off on a passenger lesson really and to my surprise he headed off towards the tarp and round the track?! I gave him some rewards of eating grass. We even did some successful sideways which we have not done Freestyle for a long time. It was such a lovely day for a ride. The neighbours dogs were running around chasing the other neighbours ride on mower and he froze for a bit but I patted him and kept talking to him about the grass, and also I talked to Maraschino who was in the middle following us casually.


This is me trotting bareback - hmmmm - bit of a gap there on that left leg!

After the ride I decided to try the 'mount from a fence' by getting him to come over beside me close, by using the carrot stick on the other side of him. I need to watch the DVD again because it wasn't very successful. He doesn't like the carrot stick making contact.

Then it was Maraschino's turn and in touch it he went straight onto the tarp!! I could not believe it because the breeze was blowing it up and everything.



Then Maraschino shared George's Krispie biscuits.

Day two patterns

I had to spray some of the buttercup in the track today and everytime I went out Garbo would look at me as if to say - are we going to do something? Mind you he thought I was some weird spacewoman with the sprayer on my back - plus it made a strange noise.

So we started with Touch It - Garbo loves this game and I added a bit of distance and moved my feet less today - and he was touching everything!

I am going to get the tarp out tomorrow as it was still a bit windy today.I really think this is one game Garbo could do all day. I took him into the middle paddock and we touched the tire.


Then we worked on some 'do what I do' ie walk, back, trot, stop, back, walk, trot, stop etc. He also really likes that game. I tried to concentrate on moving him away from me a little.

Then we did some figure 8's and he still pawed at the left hand barrel a bit. George thinks he can see the carrot stick and he can't really see it the other way - I think that's kind of right but it's me that is blocking him. Tomorrow I will try with a 22ft line.

Then I took the halter off to try some Liberty - first time really since we moved here (apart from going to and from the paddock to the yard)... we touched the barrels and then walked along the track towards where Maraschino was eating. We did some stop, trot, stop, back up and he was really listening. Then he chased Maraschino away and came straight back to me. So sweet.

Then - we went into the middle paddock with the tire... and trotted some more. He stuck with me the whole time and did not miss a beat. We got to the tire and I stood on it and stroked him a bit on the neck. Then I got him to move round the tire while I walked round it (my tire is so cool!).

On the way back we did some sideways without a fence - which we have never achieved at Liberty - I was so pleased, we trotted back to the yard and I went to get him an apple and tell George!

By then it was pretty late so I didn't get to play with Maraschino - I fed them both. Tomorrow is another day!

Yeehaa Figure 8

yep well I watched the first two patterns on the Online Patterns DVD (yes, they arrived - I now have 4 pizza boxes!)... each savvy (online, liberty, freestyle and finesse) comes in a pizza box. In each is a DVD, a pattern booklet, and a large colour book.

So - armed with Touch This and Figure 8 patterns I got the boys in. Well - I opened the gate and they just continued eating.... eventually Garbo came out - he couldn't resist seeing if I had a carrot for him.

I took their covers off (Maraschino came over as well and hung out in his yard, and Garbo's, and snuk a bite of Garbo's Likit!)... and gave Garbo a quick groom... I had already got the barrels out of the hay shed, and put out some cones, and got the green swiss ball out...

I tried on Garbo's bareback pad after he checked it out.... he agreed - very good quality!


We started with touch it with Garbo - and here's me thinking he had forgotten this game we started so long ago (oh - btw - 12 ft line today)... and touched the barrels, the wheelbarrow, the cover hanging on the rail, his new bareback pad, the cones (that was harder as it was ground level), he offered the fence post, and the green ball. He did really well and seemed to be really interested in where we were going to go next. I didn't get the tarp out as it was a tad windy. Mental note to self to get some rocks. Then we went into the play paddock and touched the tire and the jump stands, and went via up and over the clay hill, with some back down the clay hill.

The main challenge for me was keeping him at 12 ft away - he likes stick to me game so much he reverts to that quite often! We had a bit of a communication problem at one point - I was trying to drive Zone 2 away from me and he turned Zone 5 towards me. hmmmmm how interesting - wonder what I was doing? Coz that could turn into liberty backwards towards me....

Then we tried figure 8 round the two barrels.... oh - I had them on their side while I was grooming Garbo and the wind blew them and they started rolling - in opposite directions... the boys weren't too phased and I think were quite amused watching me run after them. Maraschino went into the safety of his yard to watch.

Ok - so Figure 8 and Garbo.... he got one side pretty well and the change of direction but when he got to the outside of the 2nd barrel he stopped and lifted up his foot, over and over, towards the barrel. He did this at the same spot each time... and itwas like he was saying "I don't want to come back to you (he was leaning on the rope a bit too), because you are just going to send me out again.."... well - yes....

So we went and did a bit more touch this... and sideways round the barrel...

Then came back and tried again - this time I backed up on the draw and it worked!!!!! We got about 5 figure 8's in a row - even a bit of trot - yay - I am so happy.

I have posted this piccy of Garbo because his last hoof trim Jools said he had a little bit of white line seperation and I should watch his weight - but I actually think he looks pretty good - what do you think?


So then I put Garbo away in his yard to sunbathe and relax, while I took maraschino out to play touch it... he is sooooo sensitive it's amazing - I put the carrot stick down after a while - he is still so wary of it - he shaked in his boots... I really am at a loss about that, might email the faculty... and we touched the wheelbarrow, the green ball, the cover, Garbo's bareback pad (but no don't eat it Maraschino)... the cones, back to the barrels..... he loved it. I gave him a big rest at each one. With the slightest pressure I got him to move forwards, backwards and sideways. He's a clever horse. Garbo just watched.

Here are some piccys and a video of Maraschino eating Garbo's Likit!


oh and then he backed into his stall.... BIG step...

Stand still for grooming

Today I used the savvy club dvd 'stand still for grooming' ideas to stop Garbo lifting his leg when I try and brush his torso, and moving all over the place trying to get me to groom particular places! I will get to all the itchy spots but he needs to be patient!

It worked really well.

Then I did some work with Maraschino, he is still very wary of the carrot stick and string. I decided to do some driving and also some walking forward hitting the ground with it. It worked quite well I think. Gosh he is so sensitive to pressure - he is going to be like Vanna.

Saturday

Can you believe it's October already?? Crikey!!

Didn't do alot of Parelli today - I had a friend (non horsey friend) come over for a visit and we showed her yo yo and back up from the tail and then some desensitising work with the feather duster lol.

Who would have thought Garbo

would still be quite unsure about a feather duster.

You know he hates my gloves too - as they have possum fur knitted into the wool. He smells them and snorts.

I watched the Loud Noises section of the September Savvy Club DVD which I finally got, and I was a bit disappointed in that section - Pat said the horse was RB but he hardly reacted to anything - including the whip and airhorn! Garbo would have been more RB than that!

This is a piccy of the boys having a snooze yesterday morning - Garbo snatched the odd snack while he was there too. I caught him on video!

Friday

Well today after grooming both horses I let Maraschino back into the track (which confused him as he went to his yard to see where his dinner was) and took Garbo to the house paddock to play a bit. This way Maraschino could follow us along side on the other side of the fence.

We did some travelling circle game and only went near the pole, not over it (except for some stick to me)... it was quite funny - if we did get near it he would look at it out the side of his eye and ask a question like "you sure you don't want me to go sideways over that?".. I said no thank you but thanks for asking (with a giggle).

I think I know where my holes are - driving from Zone 3 further away than 12ft. Having an effective phase 4 from 22ft away.

It's quite hard working in that house paddock - it was my winter sacrifice paddock and it got really wet for some reason and now it's very pogged.... so I don't want him to hurt himself.

We are planning a trip to the forest (both boys) for an in-hand walk and play in there, on Monday. So I have told both boys about it. Maraschino of course has not been there before. Lets hope it doesn't ran - showers are forecast.

I did alot of move your HQ over with maraschino in preparation for the float again - as I have an angle load. He yawned alot. We also worked on head down with pressure from above - he does it easily by pressure on the line, - we got his head to about wither height - a good start.

Circle over a pole

I watched the Jumping with Confidence DVD over the weekend and how they were getting that beautiful Fresian to jump the jump on the circle until it was smooth.

So I decided I would try circle with a pole today before we progressed to a jump. Well ever since I taught Garbo to stop at a pole on a circle (and gave him a treat) he now will not go over a pole if he is doing circle game. He stops and straddles it and starts going sideways, or as this picture shows, eats the bamboo stake on the tree next to the pole!



I am not sure what to do - ok I didn't ask him to stop (no rope wiggling), but he obviously is asking me a question when he does it - he stops and if I ask him to continue he paws.

So - up my phases to ask him to go (tried that today and got a bit offended), or.... hmmmmm not sure what that 'or' might be.

On a better note - asked him to back back through the gate I had just led him through today, same width as his stall gate, and he did it - albeit at 100 miles an hour..... but he did so I let him have a bite of grass.


I then tried to get Garbo to drive from Zone 3 on the end of the 22ft line. He tends to play that game as if I have a 12 ft line and no more. So I had to really be strict about him moving further away from me and walking beside me. We made a little progress - got to about 18ft I guess and for about 10 m along a fence.

I was going to play with Maraschino but just after that it started to rain.

Tomorrow is another day.

Figure 8

I watched this Savvy Club DVD with the L3 instructor having a lesson with Linda, as they did Figure 8's - but it didn't look to me like she was doing much (obviously the point but not helpful)...

So - I bit the bullet and have ordered the Patterns DVDs!

Tyre

This is the tractor tyre that I have had my eye on at work (across the road) all winter. The guy who owns the garage across from my work owned them (there were two) and he didn't really know what to do with them so was happy for me to take one. That was a story in itself! Just to lift it took three men - then they rolled it into my float.

George and I struggled to roll it (without tipping it over) to this spot but we did it!

So now we have been filling it with clay so it will one day be a pedastal!

Maraschino didn't like having something new in his paddock initially and ran away from it, turned and faced, several times until he was sure it was not going to eat him.

Today he is keeping an eye on the neighbour's shetland pony who has a new bright blue canvas cover.

Bareback addiction

I got the boys in and groomed them - well Garbo was tied up and Maraschino just hung around while I groomed both of them. Before that I did a wheelbarrow of poo picking, worth doing now that we have had a low worm count result.

So - I decided to ride Garbo and got on bareback (always a challenge), and we went for a lovely walk round the place. Mostly in the middle paddock (Garbo's choice). He was keen to get it over with though (feed time Mum) and I didn't have my phase 4 string or rope on me... bum... next time.

Maraschino stood in his yard and watched. Very cute.

Backing

In my old yard I would try and back Garbo through a yard doorway... and he would stop when his bum hit the doorway (sometimes literally), and turn sideways so that I couldn't yo yo him through the doorway.

I had not tried it in our own yards here at home yet. So today we did. He still got stuck as soon as Zone 4 was in the doorway.... I could get him to start inside the yard and come out one step, back one, out two, back two, and nice and slow - but as soon as he had Zone 4 out as quick as you could say LBI he had his back end sideways along the yard!

If I try and move his HQ back to line him up he zips round the other way!

So we need some more work on that.

Mainly just being playing Friendly with Maraschino - I groomed him today while he was loose, just hanging round. Got to comb his tail and everything before he got bored.

Garbo was in a cuddly mood which was nice (unless I brushed his torso).