Monday, July 25, 2016

WORKSHOP: A Review


THE WORKSHOP: A REVIEW

What a great group of horse-folks at the Communication & Obstacles Workshop! Awesome turnout, LOTS of great work…er….FUN in the SUMMER SUN with our horses. Did we mention the tasty lunch! Homemade Chili, Cornbread, Cesar Salad and Watermelon! The fun, the fellowship, the food, the learning and the (yes, we are saying it again) FUN of the day was great!

After the “Listen Up” and covering some basic terminology we dove right in. Starting off in the round pen we worked our horses off the lead line. Folks were able to really dial in their conversation with their horses, Everyone got consistent impulsion, changes of direction and real connection with their horses. It was so great to watch the changes in approaches and attitudes in both horse and human! Clarity and refinement happened. Awareness to the human’s position in relation to the horse happened. On the ground, under saddle and through all the obstacles, everyone seemed to be improving themselves and their horses. Could not be more proud and impressed with the folks who braved the heat and rocked it in this workshop! We had a participant who was nine years old and his horse was a spry 20 year old!

Everyone worked really hard and kept an open mind. So many wins and changes for the better happened today it sort of boggles the mind and humbles the spirit.

We covered LOTS of information. Here was the schedule for the day:

10:00am - Getting the Language Right

           Introduction & Overview of the Workshop and Property (2-3 minutes)

           Rhythmic vs. Steady Pressure –What they are, how they look and how to use them.

           Active vs. Passive Body Language - What they are, how they look and how to use them.

           Positioning the Human to the Horse – Driveline & Reaction. Critical to Communication.

           Loud vs. Quiet Conversation – Loud to Teach, Quiet to Refine.

           C.P.R. – Clarity, Patience & Release/Reward

10:30am – Round Pen Exercises NO LEAD LINE.

           Getting Impulsion – Trot & Lope

           Getting Two Eyes

           Getting a Change In Direction with Consistency.

           Quiet Conversation/ Refinement Attempt

           (Everyone attempts this 3 times in each direction)

11:00am. Round Pen & Flat Area w/ LEAD LINE

           Yielding the Hindquarters/ Getting Two Eyes

           Getting Impulsion – Trot & Lope

           Getting A Change In Direction with Consistency.

           (Everyone attempts this 3 times in each direction)

11:30am – Working with Obstacles and Terrain.

           Sending

           Backing

           Communication & Building Trust

           Good Positioning & Good Release

12:15pm -1:20pm – Lunch (put up your horses and head to the house)

1:20pm-1:30pm – Get your horse and tack up!

1:30pm Trail and Obstacle Work.

           Quiet Mind/ Clear Mind/ Focus

           Quiet Hands

           Quiet Seat/ Legs – Ask, Listen, Tell, Listen

           When In Doubt Do It From The Ground!

3:00pm – Q & A/ Coaching Through Challenges

4:00pm – Wrap Up!

We will be doing a Part II workshop in October which should be fun!

 Trailers arriving!

 Pasture and workshop area just beyond.

All shapes and sizes of horses!

 Having fun in the sun!

 Even when we watered, there was dust.

 Working with the participants.

 Discussing position and impusion.


Yes, Annie was in the middle of all of this too. We may have actually found her a new family. Another “second visit” family at that. We will know in about five days if it is a “real” fit. We are also taking in a border next week. Wallie is an OTTB (off the track Thoroughbred) who stayed with us for a time last year. Seems he got hurt during training somehow and needs some downtime. He is a really nice fellow and we have space so why not extend the “good karma” energy. We have a pretty busy season ahead in regards to the horses so…away we go!
We hope to post a few pictures here as soon as possible!

WORKSHOP PREP & SHOWING THE FLAME


GEARING UP FOR A WORKSHOP: We are hosting/teaching a workshop for members and friends of the Golden State Horsemanship Club on Sunday. Annie is going to be helping us out as a “teacher’s aide” to demonstrate how improvement in hose/human communication can be achieved. She will also help demonstrate how best to work with a horse on the trail and with obstacles. Should be a fun day.

Low pressure is the goal this week. Annie has been working really hard and showing like a champion to many families and we are VERY proud of her. We figured that giving her some time off would really be good for her spirit and her mind. Plus this allows us to see how she deals with low levels of maintenance. We have dome some pretty mellow groundwork with her this week. More like playing around. Nothing intensive, new or “high impact” at all. She has played on all the obstacles and on the trail course before this week but now we want to refine and engage more. Lots of loving and rubbing is happening.


SHOWING THE FLAME: We have been getting a number of questions from readers of this journal about how showing Annie is going. As you may have read, she is doing great with all the wild a crazy people who have come out to see her but we, as her custodians and “trainers” for lack of a better word, are really frustrated with HUMANS at this point. Why? Showing her to al these “interested” families…wow, there is no easy way to say this…feels like we are wasting time because it seems like either these folks are not really serious/committed to horse ownership or want to low ball offer us which is both insulting and rude. Annie handles like a dream, adapts to the wide variety of riders and performs really well. She takes swapping saddles and several different riders all in one visit without any fuss. In short, she is a rock star! So why do we have to field low ball offers and plain old flakes? It is enough to make you want to shout at people since being kind and trying to gently educate them does not seem to get through. We have her priced fairly and give everyone who expresses interest ALL of her information (including this blog). They know where she is in her development and what she can do. Still we get the questions that show these “interested” people never read a damn word of the information we provided! Still we have to deal with “not really ready to commit” and ridiculous low ball offers (If is she is priced at $3500 how is it logical, especially after a great performance, to offer $1200 and then get pissed when we laugh in your face? Or better yet “fire” you because you lied about your ability or about who the horse is really for. Yes, that has happened a few times already.) as well as generally uninformed people who should not be on a horse much less own a horse. Make us just want to keep her and forget dealing with the uneducated masses.

Sigh.

If you are reading this because you have an interest in being Annie’s new family please DO NOT low ball us with some bullshit offer. We will tell you to get lost. Please for all that is holy, BE READY to take a horse home! Don’t be unclear about where it is going to live! DON’T LIE ABOUT YOUR ABILITY to work with a horse. We can tell if you do and you will be fired from the process.

Sigh.
We have begun a process of tougher pre-screening potential buyers. At first we wanted to be "nice" to people. Learned that lesson. Being "nice" in this situation is different than being fair to the horse first and the human second. We have "fired" folks based on phone and email conversations. If they are really interested and out type of people they can answer a few questions about themselves and their real ability. In our minds and hearts they, the potential family, need to prove to us that they are worthy of a great horse like Flames Remedy. This means it may be harder to find the right fit but we also hope that it reduces the level of time wasted. We will see!

Sunday, July 17, 2016

SETTING THE BAR: Flame is on fire!


SETTING THE BAR:  Saturday - The horse community sometimes confounds us. Those shopping for a horse often do not read the ads fully and ask the most inane questions that, had they read the text, would have saved them gas and time. In our case we have a VERY detailed ad, videos and this cool journal. When a family comes to meet Annie they are, in theory, armed with as much information as possible. It should be enough to decide if heading out to our corner of the world to meet a horse is the right move. Still we have to sift through these “families” who come out and have either unrealistic expectations, are looking for something completely different than what the horse is, just “tire kicking” or try to low ball us on the asking price. It really gets annoying. We get why many sellers to an extensive Q&A before ever making an appointment with a potential family.

Yesterday was a breath of fresh air!

Horsey Saturday started at 6:00am with feeding and baths for all the equines. By 9:00am we were off to the arena to do some training and meet a potential family for Annie. Upside: The family had read the journal, read the ad and watched all the videos. They were informed and had realistic expectations. Downside: Annie was the first horse they saw and they did not have many other prospects and a rather loose timeline of acquisition. Sigh.

Annie certainly set the bar on what to expect with her level of training and at her asking price! We ran through the more “flashy” groundwork exercises like Backing, Side Pass Along the Fence, Ground-school circles. Lateral Flexion, Hind and Forequarter Yields and some Long Line work. As usual Annie was a rock star. When we had the potential family members work with her (this is always a unique situation because no one every pays complete attention to how we tell them to do groundwork) Annie really did a nice job figure out what the hell they were asking her for and adapted to the “crazy accents and lazy cues” she was getting. Then the under saddle portion of the morning arrived I rode first as Laurie spoke with the family about how best to communicate with Annie under saddle. We went through a variety of exercises and transitions. She did really well (as usual) for me. Then the family rode Annie and she once against impressed us all with her ability to adapt and trying to figure out the “unclear” cues she was given. Annie ROCKED it. She gave her best again and rose to the challenge. All sorts of positive things were said and the family seemed to like her quite a bit. She, once again, set the expectation bar pretty high! Could not be more proud! Laurie then did the “cool down” ride showing off how well Annie adapts to new riders and situations.

Then it was a short trip home to grab lunch for all the critters (humans too) and the final prep for the evenings activity!

By 3:30pm we were loaded up and heading to Lodi, California and the beautiful IT Ranch for the G.S.H.C. 2016 Pizza Party & Night Ride! Lots of new horses, bright lights in arena, music and more definitely brought up her energy level. Laurie was her human for the evening and overall they did really well. After the “cowboy handshake” and some trotting around the new to her horses she was a rock star. She had some energy which we used to move her training forward but the two ladies really did some damn fine work together!

It was just about 10:00pm when we are wrapping up the 2016 Pizza Party and Night Ride at IT Ranch in Lodi! We all at well and got ample saddle time as we listened to some great music! This is what G.S.H.C is all about...FUN, fellowship, laughter, learning and oh yeah...FUN!

We were having such a good time we forgot to take pictures!

Tired, sore, and a bit dusty but deeply satisfied. It was a good day.

We are meeting another family tomorrow. Whew!

Sunday – Weather was GREAT! Enough breeze to keep the heat from being too oppressive. We loaded up all three horses and got to the arena to meet another perspective family and get saddle time with all the horses. A “tree birds, one stone” kind of day. Funny thing was that an impromptu Golden State Horsemanship Club “Spur of the Moment Ride” broke out! Three of the group’s members showed up as we were unloading the horses. Good times as always.

Annie performed well on the ground and under saddle! We went through a variety of ground exercises and talked about how these relate to under saddle work and how they help establish communication and respect in the horse/human relationship. Laurie worked with the some of the family on the exercises and everyone got along really well. One of “magic moments” for us as students of the horse is seeing that connection created between two personalities. It certainly makes all the hard work worth it. Everyone did great work.

Then came the under saddle portion of the day! We saddled up calmly as always and as I rode through some exercises Laurie was talking about how we cue and ride.  At one point while loping Annie hit a patch of really hard dirt with a tough weed cluster growing out of it and tripped, almost going down to one knee. We recovered quickly (I stayed in the saddle) and continued on at the lope. So proud of her (and glad I didn’t hit the dirt in front of the nice family). Then the family members rode. Annie adapted and did well for them. The primary human looking for a horse was a “soon to be sigh school sophomore” who seems to be a naturally gifted rider. That was just plain fun to watch! They did really well together and looked good together too! Once again, a very favorable impression was made and a bar set for other horses to exceed. Love that! All the “interested” verbiage happened and we left it up to the family to discuss it and get back to us. We let them know about the other showings we have had and about the upcoming workshop we are doing. We will see.

We then got to work with our horsemanship club friends before the last family (a second ride appointment) arrived. Annie got a break while we worked with Argent and Ronan. Always a good time!

The Ride #2 folks had another great session. We reviewed some ground work exercises (some of the cool ones because they are cool and fun) and then reminded them of how we cue and ride. Since this was a second ride we did not ride first. Everything went well! When it was all said and done we were told that they were running into a small snag as to the housing of a potential new horse but that they would get back to us A.S.A.P as we made them aware of the sentiments expressed by the other interested parties.

So it was a long day, a fun day and one we hope inspired good feelings in everyone involved.

We have decided to take a break from showing Annie for a bit. We know it has to be tough on her mentally and she has been doing SO very good that we do not want to burn her out. Plus we have a really fun workshop coming up next weekend that Annie would enjoy being a part of. This next week is going to be all about refinement and having fun in the learning process. We have been working really hard up to this point. A little bit of a mental break is in order.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Is a "Project/Rescue Horse" For You?


In the course of this latest Adventure with Horsemanship many questions have been received about working with a project/rescue horse and if it is for everyone since you can find horses cheap, especially on the Internet. Figured we would write down our thought on the matter and share them here.
INTERLUDE: IS A “PROJECT HORSE” FOR YOU?

Rescue horses and projects horses. What does the REALLY mean to you the potential horse owner? The term “rescue” is often times over used. We say “rescue” horse but we mean “project” horse. While not every rescue horse is at death’s door there is usually evidence of neglect or abuse on some level and that will have to be evaluated and addressed before rehabilitation and training can effectively proceed. Project horses can have some of these characteristics like poor hoof care and low weight but their situation is not life threatening (but often times it is not good either). Having done both rescue (worked with a local shelter) and project horses there are some common elements that have to be considered. With the advent of “for sale” forums on social media sites like Facebook it is easy to get lulled into the idea that you can find a great horse cheap right off the trailer. The truth is MUCH different and as a potential horse owner one has to be prepared. Each experience with these horses has been rewarding it its own way. We have learned a great deal and helped some horses in the process. We are also blessed with an awesome network of knowledgeable horse enthusiasts and equine professionals who have helped us when we have hit a sticking point. Even if YOU have such a network we don’t recommend going down the rescue/project trail to anyone who is not willing to REALLY think about what they are getting into. It takes a certain level of dedication, commitment and focus which many folks are not, for a variety of reasons, unable to truly have no matter what their intentions of the heart may be. The horse and its well being MUST come first.

Rescue Horse or General Sale Horse?

Well trained, well cared for horses are NOT cheap. Just look at any of the social media forums if you want to see what the market in your area supports. An experienced, safe and well trained horse that is suitable for the novice rider may range anywhere from $2000.00 to $5000.00 or more. Why? Simple. THEY ARE SAFE, WELL TRAINED and IN GOOD SHAPE. Not only are you paying for the horse but all the TIME, ENERGY and CARE that went into helping this horse be awesome! You need to acknowledge that “you get what you pay for” and you need to keep you “wish list” realistic when looking at a rescue over a general sale horse purchase. In most cases the general horse is good to go soon after it comes homes (a couple of days to settle in is not a bad idea, as well as bonding time in the round pen before you ride) and will have all the skills you want. (NOTE: Be aware that while some haggling on price may be allowed the Buyer needs to recognize the time, effort and training that went into the horse and respect that by not low-balling an offer. It is insulting and rude. It is also the best way to get “fired” as a buyer.). The rescue/project horse may have the skills you want but there is also issues which can range from general health to real fear which have hindered the horse in some way. As a potential buyer you have to recognize this and be willing to work with it to get the horse “cheap” or recognize that a rescue/project horse is not for you.

Why is the horse in need of “rescue” and not simply being sold?

This is a valid question to ask. Sometimes it comes down to “life”, time and finances. Horses are not cheap to own (especially in California). If a household loses income or faces some major hardship they may need to rehome said horse quickly for the sake of the animal’s well-being.

Selling a horse for fair market value takes REAL time and preparation. Making sure the horse is looking good and is well trained takes real effort before it ever is shown to a potential buyer. Add to this all the time it takes to actually show the horse to multiple families who are so often unprepared or unclear about what they want and have failed to do their homework to understand the fair market value of a breed/type with the skills they want. It is both time consuming and at times frustrating.

 In a rescue situation this may not be the case. Sometimes the horse and human simply don’t fit well together. It happens. Horses, like humans have personalities and aptitudes. If the team does not work it is tough to want to keep it together. Sometimes there is health issues or behavior issues that come up. Sometimes the horse needs more care, training or time than the human has to give. Sometimes it is a combination of all of the above and more. The bottom line is this: There is some “issue” and the human needs out of the relationship quickly. If you are thinking of adopting a “rescue” horse keep this in mind! The horse may not behave well or act in a manner that can be less than optimal. Be ready for this and be willing to use sensitivity and empathy for the horse, the human and the situation.

Is Cheap/ Free really Cheap/Free?

The answer is no. While the upfront investment may be appealing because of the low to no cost (we have gotten project horses for free before) to you, the REALITY is that horse is going to COST you MONEY and TIME! Besides the normal feeding, housing, hoof care and vet visits, you may be looking at additional supplements and special health care/ hoof care needs to help the horse be happy and healthy. You may need to increase your tack and saddle collection (Your tools, your tack and your saddle need to fit the new horse!) on some level, especially if the horse is young and growing! In most cases there is some gap in the horse’s training or there are behavior issues that need to be dealt with. An investment of TIME, MONEY (even if you do it all yourself) or BOTH is going to be needed to help fill those gaps to ensure the horse has a solid foundation. This is a COMMITMENT that has to be acknowledged and made. If you can’t budget for additional training, either by you several times a week or by a reputable trainer, then DO NO GET THE HORSE. Remember you are taking on a horse that for whatever reason could not be a general sale horse (see above). You are going to take on whatever baggage that horse has and will need to commit to the process of helping it become a good equine citizen. Keep this in mind.

“Wish List” versus Reality – Can I Get What I Want?

As was stated earlier in this post, you get what you pay for. Ask yourself what you REALLY want and what you can REALLY handle. If you need a pasture pet or companion horse then your needs are easy and finding a “free to a good home” horse is going to be easy too. However, if your “needs” call for a well trained, well adjusted, kid safe horse that is good for the novice rider but your budget is less than $500.00 you are, quite frankly, being unrealistic! Yet, that is what so many people expect! Crazy, right? Think about it this way. If YOU had a horse that met those criteria would you sell it cheap or give it away? No, you would not. Odds are you would not sell it at all and if you had to, for whatever reason, you would want a fair market price because the horse is a solid equine partner with a good skill set and a good mind. That is a reasonable expectation.

Rescue horses do not fall into the fair market price category (see above). If your needs are realistic like the horse should be rideable, broke to saddle, in overall decent health and have no major abuse/neglect issues you can find some wonderful horses out there for a reasonable rehome fee. You can begin your adventure together as you add weight through good nutrition and care and as you craft a bond through building a solid foundation of trust through good training and conditioning. Your “ideal” horse may simply be a diamond in the rough and with time, training and good health care you can have a real treasure. The reward comes from hard work, dedication and focus. You either buy the diamond already polished and set or you take on the challenge of mining and crafting the diamond yourself.  Examine your needs, your skill set, your network of support and your time/money budget before making a commitment. Ask yourself some tough questions. The answers you get will help you determine if a rescue horse is the best option for you.

Is It Time To Go Shopping?

            If you asked yourself all the tough questions, if you have a support network to help you should you run into issues you are not able to handle alone and if you have developed a flexible game plan for helping the rescue horse achieve its best potential (or at least begin the process) then yes, it is time to start meeting some horses! Avoid taking home the first horse you see. Take notes on each horse you meet which highlight the positives and challenges of each candidate. Be willing to walk away and think about it or bring someone who can do that for you. The various social media sites like Facebook have some great rescue horse forums. Craigslist is also another easy to use resource for finding leads on rescue horses. Of course your local/regional large animal rescue organizations are awesome as well. Be willing to travel a little bit (say 100-150 miles from home) to find a horse that fits your realistic needs list. Be willing to spend time with the horse (like a couple of hours), getting to know it on the ground and if possible, under saddle. Use your brain, trust your instincts and leave your heart in the truck (for now). If the horse responds as you would like and if it is in a condition you can deal with then it can go on your Possible List. After you have met a few horses, review your notes, speak with your support network and then make a choice. Remember that once you load that horse up and begin heading home the responsibility for its health, training and happiness falls on you. EXAMPLE: With our current project horse we actually saw several and had lengthy conversations with the current humans. We evaluated each horse for attitude, energy, sensitivity and overall conformation. We then had to take a day –and really that is all you should take if you have done your shopping around-reviewed our noted and made a choice. We could do this because we were PREPARED TO PURCHASE and not just kicking the tires as it were.

BE PREPARED! Seriously! Whether you are going the general sale or project/rescue route be prepared and ready. Have your home or boarding facility lined up. Be sure you have time and budget to take on the horse. Have your notepad ready. Bring your saddle and be VERY CLEAR on your “must have” and “want” list! The Seller should be willing to give you time when you meet the horse to see if there is a match. If they rush you, WALK AWAY. If they say the horse is broke to saddle but won’t/can’t get on WALK AWAY. However if the Seller seems open/honest and tries to provide you with as much information as they can then STAY WITH IT. If the Seller gives you instructions on how best to communicate with the horse then LISTEN. If the Seller rides the horse WATCH HOW THE RIDE and COMMUNICATE and see if you can match that style in your ride. Be timely and responsive in your communication with the Seller as well. If the horse meets your needs, let them know. If the horse does not fit your program, let them know. It is respectful to be prepares and just plain rude to not be.

            There are some REALLY wonderful horses out there in need of rescue. If you are willing to work a bit you can help create a great relationship and a great horse that will never need “rescue” again. Working with a project/rescue horse will challenge your horsemanship and create some amazing progress in your understanding of the Art. It also helps horses that just need a second chance to be a great equine citizen. Whether you get a project/rescue hors and keep it forever or simply help the horse to find its true self and then find a great “forever” home the journey is a rewarding one if you are prepared to take those first few steps armed with a good plan!

You will be glad you did.

Monday, July 11, 2016

LAST MINUTE SHOWING


LAST MINUTE SHOWING: About 3:00pm todaywe got a call from someone who wanted to meet Annie today! So we rushed around and got thigs together for a 5:00pm meeting! No pressure!

Our approach to showing a horse to a potential family is pretty straightforward. We do some warm-up exercises and then basic groundwork where we demonstrate lateral flexion, backing, suppling, hindquarter yields, forequarter yields, impulsion and backing. Then we have the potential family do these with us guiding them through it. It is VERY surprising how many people do not do any real groundwork and have no idea of what feel, position and timing really is. Once they get to see what the horse can do on the ground we tack up and ride. We demonstrate how best to cue/communicate with the horse under saddle via our aides and then perform several maneuvers. Then it is their turn.

Today we did all of that. Annie worked with an experienced rider, a twelve year old girl and an eleven year old girl! There was even a bareback ride! Once again Annie ROCKED it. She was doing her best to adjust to the MUCH lighter tack and weight of the riders. Their cues had to feel different! Still Annie gave 100% and did a great job! Result was another family being so amazed with how well she behaved compared to the other horses they have seen.

This weekend has been a crucible of sorts for Annie. We have shown her four times and (not counting Michael) she has had eight different humans on her back. All had different cues and energy. The ranged from pretty experienced to complete novice. Annie took it all in stride. It is something to be very proud of. The work that has been done has resulted in the creation of a solid equine citizen. Looking back on the entries in this journal from the first few days or our journey together and this entry it is amazing to see the difference in Annie. Just shows what love, time, focus and consistency can do. Very proud of Annie! Pretty proud of us too!

 Annie: Bareback

 Annie: Bareback

 Annie: Novice #1

Annie: Novice #2

FUN IN THE SUMMER SUN!


MORE FUN IN THE SUMMER SUN: We have had some REALLY hot days. Training has happened in those rare moments of somewhat tolerable temperatures. Lots of ground work review and some saddle time. We are getting together with some members of the Golden State Horsemanship Club this weekend on top of showing Annie to some potential families so it is going to be a BUSY weekend!

Friday: Friday started off with a groundwork review. We worked on a variety of the exercises that we will be doing over the weekend. Plus she has had about three days off so a little extra attention is a good thing. We started off in the round pen and worked on having quiet conversations, increasing and decreasing energy/intent without escalating mentally and working on reflection/responsibility. These communication exercises are really fun to do because the changes in horse and human are pretty clear, sometimes small but always powerful. Then we played outside on the trail course. It was a fun and freeform session. Over jumps, through obstacles, around trees and up/down hills. Just plain fun with lots of rubbing, praise, rest and the occasional cookie. A nice session. Later this afternoon it is bath time as we are meeting a potential new family for Annie today. We shall see how it goes.

It went very well! Annie was a trooper! We showed off some of her many groundwork skills and then taught them to a young 14 year old horsewoman. While the “accent” took a few moments to comprehend Annie did all that she was asked to do. We demonstrated lateral flexion, hindquarter and forequarter yields, backing, sending, side-pass along a fence and some ground-school circles. We also did work with the stick/string, plastic bag and rope to show basic desensitizing. Then we moved to work under saddle. Michael rode first and spoke about how best to cue Annie. The fact that she was listening well to leg, seat and hand cues was impressive to these folks (they have been shopping for a while and so far Annie was the best behaved horse they had seen). They demonstrated transitions up and down, went through all three gates, did some basic roll back and a few other nifty things. Then we switched saddles and put the young horsewoman on Annie. They did really well together. Had a “quiet conversation”, found some common ground and did some good work together. Then another lady got on who has been riding a long time. Annie rose to the occasion and did everything she was asked without fuss. Then the young lady got back on and rode some more. Towards the end of the session (well past Annie’s dinner time) she got fussy. Typical. So we showed the folks how to use the weighted end of the mecate and move Annie out. Eventually we wrapped up (after 8:00pm) and headed home. We told the family to take the weekend and think about it (they wanted her). We asked them to consider the needs of the horse and really think about what they wanted to do (horse activity wise), review this journal and to make sure that Annie was going to be the right horse for them. We will see. Nice folks and a great training day for Annie.

 Anne with a Novice Rider

 Annie with a Novice Rider


Saturday: We loaded up about 9:00am and headed back to Pioneer Park Arena. Meeting some members of the Golden State Horsemanship Club and in theory (grin) another potential new family. By 10:00am we had a great turnout out! There were EIGHT HORSES at today's Spur of the Moment at Pioneer Park Area in Somerset which is about 15 minutes from our place. Everyone did GREAT! We started off working some needed ground skills and got the horses really listening which was awesome. Body position, clarity, intent and focus were worked on as well. Good stuff! We did a bit of a "horseman's handshake" where the horses got to smell one another and their respective humans. Once everyone got feeling connected we rode. Laurie led some exercises and folks did really well. We had cones set up and even some ground poles so folks could work on a variety of things under saddle! It was awesome to see!

Annie met another potential family. Even with all the distractions at the park and the arena she did a really solid job! For some reason JD’s horse Tonka (a big boy) did not make the “I like you” list right off the bat and she sassed up a bit when we got near him but with some mild encouragement she move out. Since Annie was my “teaching assistant” we did not do as much groundwork as we normally do so she had some energy. Some rollbacks and serpentine work and she was Miss Mellow again. The footing was hard and loping was tough on all the horses. Still there were some nice transitions up and down. Nice respect of cues and overall a really nice performance, even when we switched the saddles around.

Upon reflection an observation it seems Annie responds well to a calm, quiet energy from her human partner. She has really taken to the “quiet conversation” approach and looks for the right answer without too much needed in the way of cues and aides. The first family we met seemed to get this and Annie did well for them, reflecting what was given as she has been taught. The second family had more “experience” in the saddle but their “experience” has been with hotter, less controlled horses and we felt that their energy and the harshness of her cues was less than ideal for Annie even though we know they give the animals in their care lots of TLC. Annie performed well for both families in our opinion even with the inconsistency and lack of clarity in communication on the part of the human. Both families really liked her and expressed interest which is nice.

So we’ll be at it again tomorrow. Same time! Same place! We’ll be having another Spur of the Moment session to work with some G.S.H.C folks and showing Annie to another family as well. The challenge for us is to find the RIGHT FIT for Annie. It is not about who has money first but who has the right feel and dedication to her growth that matters. Of course we have told several folks “no” from just email conversations so that weeds out quite a few of the less than ideal situations. Hope Sunday is a fun day!

 Annie w/ Advanced Rider (and Hubby)

 Annie w/ Advanced Rider

Annie w/ Advanced Rider


Sunday- We loaded up about 9:00am and headed back to Pioneer Park Arena. Meeting some members of the Golden State Horsemanship Club and in theory (grin) another potential new family. The morning focused on Problem Solving. One of our Members has a rescue horse that has no sense of “personal space” and crowds her human badly. Also the horse won’t back up. So we all worked on getting the feet moving, gaining respect and staying out of our personal space. This is an issue with many horse folks and their horses. We had to go through some ugly to get to the good but everyone got the job done. Annie was a rock star! She was the perfect example of what the goal should look like! She moved off of halter pressure with ease, backed up smoothly and stayed outside the “safety zone” quietly until she was asked to come into the “safety zone” with calmness. Could not be more proud of her.

Wow…showing horses to potential families is SO draining! The folks seem to hear about 50% of what you are telling them and actually watch less than that. When you ask them to come in and work with the horse after you instruct them how to do something the poor horse has to translate the “weird accent” they are receiving. Add to this a different saddle, harder or weird cues and other funkiness and you have a recipe for a crappy session. Don’t know how our professional friends do it!

Annie was AWESOME!

Yes, our gal ROCKED it. She performed well for us (as usual) and then took all the weirdness, the unusual energy, the less than optimal riding and the different tack all in stride and gave the human some of her best work! She was calm with everyone, was soft in the bridle, easy on the leg/seat cues and lateral work. She handled the cones/patterns really well. Transitioned up and down well and maintained a level internal/mental tempo even when asked for a variety of different things in different ways. Her sassy side came out of the person was too hard or too unclear. It came out in the form of her backing up (to get away from the heavy hands) or stopping/ seeking Laurie or I out (if we were in the arena, which we were.). So many people forget that seat/leg is the PRIMARY method of cueing and the reins are the SECONDARY. Even the most mellow horse is going to pissy if their face keeps getting pulled on. Annie is no exception. While everyone had “corrections” for this, they always seemed to be these involved things. Our training approach is “keep it simple”. We instructed folks to simply pick up the end of the mecate and show it to Annie. That fixes the sass very quickly.

Sigh.

We have told several families “no thanks” in email conversations. Those that we have shown Annie too all tell us the same positive things. This is cool as it validates all the hard work. We can also tell when Annie “likes” the human and when she “tolerates” the human.  She HAS to go to a family she (and we) like. That is the bottom line. Of course if these families would just commit to moving forward that would be nice too.

Sigh, again.

So we will keep on training and keep on showing Annie! With every performance she gets more solid and so does her asking price. Seems fair. Now a couple of days off and then back to work! We have at least two more families to meet this week!


Monday, July 4, 2016

PLAYING OUTSIDE

At our place we have a small trail/obstacle course that is nice enough to do some basic conditioning and training. We have grades/hills, basic obstacles like pool noodle passageway, logs, turn box, low jump, serpentine and lots of terrain! We even have a "scary cave" and other obstacles in the works. So this being a holiday we though it would be fun to get out of the arena and play at home!

HOLIDAY ON THE TRAIL: We worked at home today on some basic trail and obstacle skills. We also wanted Annie to work more with Laurie today as we seem to have more ladies interested in Annie that Gentlemen. Knowing also that “Confident Beginners” would be looking at her this seemed like a great opportunity to get some training in while Laurie improves her feel and timing.

Started off with some work in the round pen so establish communication and get warmed up. Then it was “Leadership Walk” time. These walks combine all sorts of groundwork exercises on terrain or obstacles while staying fairly continuous in motion. The horse needs to lead well and follow instructions. Annie did great! Then it was time to ride! Laurie and Annie did the “trail course” which has obstacles, terrain, rock outcropping, narrow passages and more! The two of them rocked it and wrapped up with some great wins and great work done! Could not be more proud of the two of them!


OBSTACLES/TRAILS: You can see a short video of Flames Remedy working on the trail at: https://youtu.be/_vewiuVDg24


Below are some pictures from today's session. Happy 4th of July everyone! Remember why we celebrate!


















Sunday, July 3, 2016

REFLECTION & RESPONSIBILITY Pt. 2:


REFLECTION & RESPONSIBILITY Pt. 2: Towards the end of the week we squeezed in some groundwork review from the round pen to the trail course/obstacles. Annie continues to improve in her abilities mentally and physically. She seems to enjoy the partnership. On day off from training we go out to the pasture, sometimes with the halter/lead, and just hang out or groom or bring treats. Why? It is about association. Humans should represent “good things” to the horse. From the training process to the social aspects of the herd the human needs to be “good stuff” and positive experiences in the mind of the horse. Leaders can be fun too.

Escalation and reduction of energy/pressure without escalating the survival instinct was on the menu this week. This is a fancy way of saying that we wanted to increase and decrease the level of energy and performance expectation without Annie feeling “revved up”. We wanted to help her manage her emotions. We have been doing this by mixing up what we ask of her. She seems to be getting pretty dialed in to a level of sensitivity that allows her to handle what we throw at her. Working on a long (25’) line, lots of transitions, good rest periods, and ALL the exercises we play with are working wonders for her mentally, physically and emotionally. She is maturing in experiences and finding a new level of confidence in herself.

Recently we had a novice rider on her (they came to see if she would be a good fit for their family). We had our doubts about the humans because they ALL were novices to horses which is never a good thing. Still they did drive 1.5 hours to see her so…. Well, Miss Annie did pretty darn well! She did her best to take care of her rider even though the rider’s cues were too hard or simply not correct. She was a real Lady on the ground and a trooper under saddle. We opted not to rehome her with this family even though she was “the best behaved” horse they has seen so far. The humans were not really ready to have any horse yet much less one like Annie.

We have been working on transitions, seat and leg cue softness, vertical flexion and a wide variety of exercises and maneuvers which are fun and challenging for horse and human!

Annie has been doing GREAT this weekend. We host to “workshop days” at a local arena and Annie was Michael’s “teacher’s assistant” having to demonstrate all the exercises the workshop focused on both on the ground and under saddle. She rode really well in the group setting (something we have been working on since the Retreat in late May) and was both light and respectful of the cues and aids. Really could not be happier. She rode better than many of the horses in the workshop who supposedly had more experience. Just goes to show the QUALITY is more important that quantity! Annie did really well with the changes in expectation and energy and showed everyone what could be done with consistency, feel, timing and keeping the conversation fair and quiet. Tomorrow is some trail and obstacle training. Should be a good time!