Progress

I don't have too much to report this week, and no pictures, but I'll share what I worked on with the filly I started last week.  
       
Day 6 (6/22)
She had the weekend off,  but Monday I got her out, tied her up, saddled up, and got right on!  She felt good- light in my hands and moved right off my legs. We went around one of the hay fields, trotted around a bit, then went in and rode through the cows. We did a lot of walk-trot-stop transitions, and some backing.

Day 7
Same deal as yesterday. Got her out, saddled up, and got right on. The other colt got his wolf teeth out the day before, so he had the day off and we went out with one of the other training horses who is ready to go home. We loped up the old driveway, trotted around the neighbor's hayfield. Fun ride! She's been so easy. She moves right up and is ready to go, but slows right back down, too. She really wants to be with me.

Day 8

Quiet ride today.  We walked almost the whole time. Worked on stopping, backing, maneuvering down hill. She stayed quiet and didn't rush at all. A relaxing "easy" day.

Day 9

Another great ride. Are you reading a pattern yet? We went out, up and down some hills, through the cows again. Worked on riding with just one hand, crossing creeks, and riding straight ahead. We rode into the middle of the herd of yearlings and just stopped and stood still for five minutes or so. When she got to wanting to move around, I had her move her hindquarters around, and back up a little bit, then asked her to stand again. I didn't correct her or try to force her to stand still- I just directed her feet once she began moving.

Day 10

We went out into the pastures again. Crossed creeks, maneuvered up and down hills, and we worked a couple of gates, too. She stayed right with me, as usual. She handled those gates easily,  and I rode her one handed for almost the entire ride. Such a nice filly and she is ready to start stepping it up a little bit- she handles everything I throw at her and  gets it right her first or second try. We'll be going to West VA and camping out in some summer pasture that the Bar W leases this next week, so she'll get to travel, move cows around, and get some sweaty saddle pads.

First Rides

This past week, I helped start a four year old Morab filly.

Here is a journal of our first week.
Day 1 (6/15)
Off the trailer, straight into the round pen! We had another colt we started at the same time, so we got both of them into the pen and Derek went in on his horse and used a flag to move them around. What's the point of that?
- to evaluate the horses' movement and get a feel for them. How well do they move away from pressure? etc.
-To get them thinking. Start asking for inside turns, get both eyes looking at you, start directing the hindquarters
After they were both effectively 'hooked on' and responding quietly to Derek's cues, which took then ten minutes, we went in and caught our horses.
I began asking her to yield her hindquarters, to back, to follow her nose. Then we brought our saddles out. I kept her nose pointed in to me, and rubbed her over with the saddle pad, then slipped it on. I got my saddle. I have swung that saddle a thousand times but I'm still working on being graceful about it. Derek said it should be just like putting your hat on- smooth and efficient. I sort of managed it. Again, I kept her nose tucked in towards me. I cinched her up slowly and smoothly, and left the round pen. Derek came back in with the flag, and just let them get a feel for the saddle. Just like before they were saddled, he moved them out, slowed them down, got a few inside turns. Then moved them out into the arena, and let them really move out. She only gave one small buck when she really got to moving in the arena. We went and caught them again, unsaddled them, and that was the first day.

Day 2:
My klutz day. I felt like I had five thumbs, three left feet,and a non functioning brain. I got in my own way, but we had a good day anyway. I saddled her up. We moved both colts around again. Caught them. Moved their stirrups, directed those hindquarters. Stepped up, stepped down. Both sides. Lots of rubbing and petting. And then, I was on. We didn't touch their heads at all. On day two, we were passengers. Derek came in with the flag. Got them walking. Trotting. Changing direction. A few strides at a lope in both directions. Lots of rubbing the whole time. Got off. She was great. Smooth gaits, and a quiet feel.

Day 3:

Big day for these guys! We saddled up, moved them around just a little bit, and got on. Same as yesterday, just moved them through their gaits. Then we started doing some front end- hind end work. This introduces leg pressure and directing those feet. I picked up my inside rein (lead rope, we are still in rope halters) and applied inside leg, until she yielded her hindquarters. Then applied outside leg, and she moved her front end- a turn on the haunches. Derek was there, with the flag, to encourage her to move her feet. Then we got off, loosened our cinches, and grabbed our bridles. I spent a few minutes just tipping her nose to me, and asking her to open her mouth. After I prepared her for the bridle, the actual bridling was easy. I just let her carry the bit for a few minutes- then asked her, again, to move those hindquarters, from the ground. Then we tightened our cinches, and got on again. We worked on getting them to move forward off of leg pressure. Applied leg, then raiseed hands, slapped legs-whatever, until her feet moved forward. Immediate release. Again. We did some front end-hind end work again, with the bridles on. I got her flexing her head in both directions- introducing that one rein stop. Shen she started feeling soft, we left the round pen! Another boy who is here rode the other colt, and Derek was on his horse. We went up the driveway a little ways, then rode into the arena. Worked more on getting her to move off my legs. Walk on. Then trot on. Then I brought her head around until her feet stopped. I got a couple steps back. Saddles came off- this was a fun, rewarding day. She was soft, willing, quiet, and caught on quickly.

Day 4:

Another great day with a lot of progress! Saddles on. Moved them around just for a minute. Bridles on- my preparations really paid off. She tipped her nose, and accepted the bit quietly, like she'd been ridden 100 times. I got on, and flexed her head around to each side. She felt good- no bracing at all. She walked right off my leg. She took a few steps back. So out we went! Another ride up the driveway. Derek was ahead of us by about twenty yards, and the other colt was behind us, about the same distance. She didn't care. I did a lot of walk-trot-stop transitions- worked on getting her moving off my leg, even with the distractions around the ranch. I kept her straight, but other than that, just left her head alone. Then when I asked her to stop, or slow down I really exaggerated my seat, picked up on one rein if I had too, but she was really 'with' me. We rode back to the yard, and Sage and another little girl were running around on the slip and side. She didn't react at all- she is so quiet and mellow. We stopped and watched a while, and while we stood there, I just asked her to back a few steps, then yield her hindquarters.

I love the immediate progress I am seeing with her! I'm seeing the same progress in the other colt. It's so fascination to watch how fast these little guys can learn, and become really 'feely.'

Day 5:

I just love this little mare. We saddled up, and I got right on today. Flex to both sides. Walk-trot-lope in the round pen. Left the round pen. We trotted up the driveway, turned onto a field, passed some hay bales. A little path which was the old driveway served as a perfect place for her first lope outside of the round pen. We trotted out a little bit more on our way back, then walked calmly into the yard. Only her fourth ride and she quietly walked, trotted, loped and stayed soft. That speaks for itself, I think. She isn't lazy at all- she moved right off of my legs, but she also isn't a crazy forward stereotypical Morab. She didn't rush, but she waited for me, and she was ready to move as soon as I asked. An excellent first week! I learned so much. I really enjoy putting those first few rides on a young horse, and will continue to post her progress as we go along.

Saddle Time

When I got here almost two weeks ago, there were four training horses. Now there are nine, plus four Bar W horses that we are getting up and running. So, thirteen horses, plus Rusty. Another kid who has grown up riding with Derek and Tom Curtain is here, so that's been a big help.

Here is a list of the things I learned this week:

1. Don't put your saddle where a horse can poop on it.

2. This one was important for me. The same mare that pooped on my saddle is just stiff and bracey and felt 'stuck' at the beginning of the week. We did some 'front end- hind end' work with her, which helped her, but really helped me. We do this exercise in the round pen. Derek is in the center with a flag. I pick up my inside rein and inside leg, and ask for the hindquarters to step in. Derek pushed with the flag a little bit to encourage. Then I put my outside leg on and ask a turn on the haunches. This really softened up her turns, and helped me to slow down and cue her correctly.  She has a tendency, too, to stiffen her poll and then try and drag the reins out of the rider's hands. Derek ended up getting on, and just held the inside rein and kept pushing those hind quarters around, on both sides. His timing was so exact, and five minutes later she was soft, supple, giving on both sides, stopping smoother, everything. I got on and felt such a huge difference- makes me realize just how much I still need to work on my timing. But after it also made me realize, and visualize, the importance of the hind end. Controlling the hindquarters is the key to everything we do with our horses. Typing that out seems so basic and obvious to me, band if I read that I would say "Well, duh", but feeling it really come together for me was a huge "Ah-ha" moment, and it's helped me a lot with all of the horses.

3. The idea of fixing it up and waiting- preparing to position. I've been thinking about this for a while, and it's come up a few times this week, and I started watching Tom Curtain's Colt Starting DVD yesterday and it just clicked. Instead of just getting on, or just speeding up, or just stopping, or saddling, or anything and everything with horses, it's about preparation. In other words, I don't care about getting the saddle on the horse- I'm getting the horse ready to be saddled. I don't care about actually catching the horse- but getting the horse ready to be caught. I don't care about stopping the horse on a dime. I care about preparing my body- and his- so that he can stop on a dime. And when I approach everything with the idea of preparing for it- it just happens. It's been the key to helping me slow down, and break everything down. To make the horse ready and soft- and then it just happens. Of course, all of things are very obvious and basic, and when I read it, I say Duh, Leah. Way to catch on." But feeling it is different and I think I've been feeling it for a little while, sub consciously- been on the edge if it- but now it's all clicking.  I'm really enjoying that DVD set- I'm going to watch more of it later today. It ties together everything we've been doing with the horses. It's worth checking out.

http://www.tomcurtin.net/DVD.html It's the Gettin Em Ready DVD.

Also, I hooked up my mecate reins from my hackamore, to my snaffle bit. It looks good!

Week One

Finally here! Inka and I arrived Monday night. So far, it's been very wet! We've done a little bit of riding,but mostly little odd jobs and running errands. There are six training horses right now. Two of them we started under saddle the last time I was down a few weeks ago- a Cleveland Bay gelding and a qh/friesian filly. They need some mileage so that they can be soft and reliable mounts for their riders. There are two horses from Kentucky, they will both be used as all around ranch horses. And two new horses came in this weekend. There is also Rusty, the horse I've been riding 'for me'. He's helping me adjust to riding with spurs. We went on an organized trail ride, we'll work cows together, and I enjoy having him to 'practice' on before I ride the colts.

Friday morning we brought a load of calves to the stockyard to sell for some of the neighbors. It was interesting to watch them separate them into their different pens. I should have brought my camera!

Some of the training horses

Muddy Inka!

Rusty

The cat ate my homework...

3

Cows

My new boots and spurs! They've gotten a little bit of use this week. The hardest thing for me so far is keeping my leg on the horse without engaging the spurs, and then just rolling gently without bumping when I want to use them.

On our trail ride.

Ideally, I would post every couple of days, but I'm at a Starbucks now, as there is no wifi at the ranch, and I will probably only make it down once every week or two.