My Horse Tale for the Day.... "Let the Puppies Breath"

So I'm taking Jagger to the St. Jude Ride this weekend (Nov 21) and I thought I'd like to use my treeless because it is so comfy. I've always used the hornless endurance saddle with him. There is a lot of activity going on as we have a dump truck, a Caterpillar, a tractor and a golf cart running around in our back woods which is visable from the round pen. I let him watch until he was bored with them. Then I saddled him up and lunged him. So far so good. I drug a bucket to use as a mounting block instead of my usual mounting block (first mistake). The treeless saddle is very high. It has a high pommel with a tall horn and a high cantle. So it takes a little more umph to get into it swiftly WHICH is why I always use something easier to get into with the young 'uns at first. Well I go to get on and he moves. So we do a little standing lesson until he's standing still when I step up. The bucket is shorter than my mounting block so I'm having to put some arse into getting up. I go to mount again and the "umph" pulls on him a little, he moves. I don't want to hang off the saddle so I lean forward to balance, decide to step back down rather than swing my leg over because I want him to stand still when I mount (second mistake - I should have mounted, dismounted, then made him stand as I mounted again). As I step down, my shirt and bra hook on the high saddle horn. I'm thinking to myself --- "Oh Shit!!" He's still moving so I pull his head around with one rein to stop. At this rate, he knows something is weird so instead of stopping, he yields his hindquarters away from me. My bra snaps, my shirt rips wide open, he bolts forward a few steps and stops at the railings of the round pen. Since I'm free now, the momentum takes me right into the railing. I get to my feet pretty quick, wrist stinging, side stinging and "puppies" flapping in the breeze. Luckily I had enough shirt left to pull over them and no one saw it happen!! The ONE time I don't video tape a session -- Hahahaha! I remove reins, leave him in the round pen while I run up to the house and get a new shirt and bra, inspect the damage. Gonna be sore on my side and neck tomorrow and I have a righteous goose egg on one wrist. Otherwise, I'll live. And I knew what I had to do. I went back out to the round pen and for the next 15 minutes, I mounted, dismounted, mounted, dismounted. Then I rode him for about a half hour or so. Then dismounted, mounted, dismounted, mounted. He stood like a good boy. So all in all, it was a good session and no one saw my boobs!

Wasps Suck (ok sting)

My foot brushed a patch of palmettos today while riding and there was a wasps nest within. Got stung a few times on my foot! It hurt! But thank God they didn't sting Alexis. She is in hard heat and squealy... but not misbehaving (other than sticking her butt in everyone and everything's face)

My foot is itchy!!!

Driving Mr. Jagger

Jagger got his first ground driving lesson today. He was excellent. Didn't take him long to figure out I didn't want to go in circles. We quit then with a lot of praise.
Then he got a bath, followed by Alexis and Cody. Cody decided to act like he'd never seen a lawn mower before and broke a halter (rolls eyes). Really?? So silly.

They Can't Always Be Good...

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Alexis was naughty yesterday. I rode her around the pasture and when we turned back toward the barn she wanted to GO GO GO. Any attempts at slowing her were met with resistance. She stopped but then started hopping in place. When I turned her away from the barn she just started going forward with her head to the side and hopping. (like little rears).
She was being very fresh. And I did realize it was the first time I'd ridden her at home where I didn't lunge her first. (she'd been in the stall all day). So.... I rode her up to the barn and around it a few times, then dismounted and we went out to the round pen and she worked good and hard until she was quite ready to walk. 

Then back to the barn, where I mounted her then worked her around the outside of the barn for a bit. Then we went out into the pasture for a circle or two and called it a day. First time she's been naughty with me in THAT way! BUT I wasn't really surprised because she's been testing the waters lately with not wanting to go into the trailer. Takes all of ten minutes or less to convince her otherwise but ya know, those babies gotta try.

On the bright side the bolting is better!

Alexis at Little Manatee River State Park

Worked with the Horses Today

First I worked with Jagger prepping him for being mounted. Jumping around him like I'm going to hop up (as if I COULD mount bareback by jumping up LOL). Then got the mounting block out and laid over his back, rubbed him all over, rubbed my foot on his butt and over his hips (both sides). He bears weight, all that is left to do is throw that leg over. --- Not yet. Not yet --

Then I did some ground work with Alexis then rode her in the round pen.

She got a lesson in opening the gate

Then we rode around the pasture for a few minutes.

Then afterwards I rode her back to the round pen and got off. Then untacked and washed her, and we went for a nice walk in the woods together. She ate weeds and grass and didn't even spook at the resident wild cat and a snake that slithered across our path.  She was excellent!!!

Updated Measurements 2015

Measured Alexis, Jagger and Cody today. Used a good stick and flat surface.













Alexis 15.1
Jagger 15.1
Cody   16.2

Here they are getting a lesson in patience while I was at it.

Happy Beach Day

Celebrated my birthday by taking Cody and T to the beach with my sister, Peggy!

 

Palma Sola bay in Bradenton, Florida. You can park right beside the bridge and ride up and down the shore. On the North side of the bridge it doesn't drop off too abruptly so you can wade pretty far out. Sometimes the dolphins come up and swim with you. Kind of creepy if you are afraid of fish. Nothing like feeling something rub your leg. You can imagine a horse reaction....

 

Bad Hands....

Another great work out with my Lexie this morning! We are really starting to communicate. I know her nose is out more than it should be. We are working on one thing at a time. I'm using a D ring snaffle because I was too up in her mouth with the wonder bit (bad hands, Amy, bad hands). I'll move her back to the Wonder bit when I work away that instinct to haul back when she bolts.

This girl has a bad bolting issue right now. Her first instinct when something scares her (and I'm not even convinced she's scared) is to launch like a rocket for about 30 feet.

It's hard to break habits in both people and horses. The only way to do it is consistency and time.

Suicide Watch

My son, Marshall, calls me over to the computer and says "Mom, you better go check on your horse."
I walk over. "Why?"
"He's going to commit suicide tonight." He insists.
Spock eyebrow. "Say what?"
"LOOK, he's made a noose." He points at the computer screen that shows the barn cameras.
"...."

Working with Cody to Lower his Head

Alexis - Progress!

I love this girl. Even with the wind wailing, dogs barking, tractors mowing and plastic bags blowing across the neighbors yard, she gave me her full attention today under saddle. Not one spook or bolt this time!!! Here's a minute clip!

First Trail Ride -- Success!

Alexis and I had our first trail ride today with T and Peg in our wooded trails. She did super! She's not ready for the Mobstacle next weekend so I'll be taking Cody but sometime in the next two weeks I'll be taking her out into the big world!
















Cody says.....

"Whatever"

First Ride at Home with Alexis

 Highlights in video (including a spook and bolt at 2:38ish).

Things I’m doing:

• 15 to 20  minutes in the cross ties – grooming – tacking up
•   Round pen Lunging before I ride.
•  Mounting and riding in the round pen

Things I need to work on:

• · Hands 
•  Not pulling back when Lexie spooks, she jumps forward when she spooks. I pull back, she slams on breaks then bolts again. I just need to stay out of her mouth and hold on until I can bring her around rather than getting right in her mouth. 
• I need to relax and keep her attention

I rode my Lexie in the round pen today. It was very windy and gusty. I lunged her first. She's not a bucker, but she's 1000 miles an hour around the round pen for the first 10 minutes. After that she starts to settle and listen to voice commands.

I can't believe how nervous I was about getting on her. I had to work very hard not to tense up. I know she's spooky and reactive. Luckily she's not sensitive on her sides, but she's a leaper / bolter. Since it was windy, she was on high alert. It was so windy in fact, that it blew the ladder that one of my cameras was on. It also kept blowing the tripod sideways.

I mounted without issue, she stands very well for mounting. (I'm still so damned tickled to be able to mount like a normal person with a mounting block without having to climb up on a tailgate)  My intention was to keep her at a walk in the round pen. She is very forward and wants to go go go and I'm not used to a bit. Cody is bitless so I've got to school myself to keep light contact without too much pressure on Lexie. It's hard when she bolts forward a lot.

Since it was windy I wanted to keep it short. It was more for me to get used to the feel of her. She feels so different from Cody. He's big slow and solid beneath you. And she's smaller, lighter, and quick. It's like going from driving a Buick Roadmaster to a Rocket.

Only one mishap. The Rocket launched when the next door neighbors tarp blew up off their trailer. My first reaction was to pull back on the reins. And that's bad! Because then she slams on brakes and bolts again -- VERY hard to sit. Also not good trust building. I did pull back instinctively. And that's exactly what happened. She slammed on brakes, bolted again and this time I managed to bring her in slowly to a stop.

She is going to be a fun ride but I've got a lot to learn. I am already learning so much by recording all of my roundpen and paddocks rides with both her and Cody on video and watching them back. I see where my mistakes are and I see what they are doing. It helps a lot in gait training with Cody. I have included the video highlights of my session with Lexie so you can laugh at my poor form :P I know I did.

Cody Update 1 (Haltering)

Haltering every day to go outside has solved the halter in the stall issue. He knows I won't give up so he stands there and lets me halter him, though he still acts like the halter is a snake I'm trying to wrap around his face (He doesn't move he's just wild eyed). Still cannot catch him in the paddock unless bribery is used. Round pen? No problem. I can work him in the round pen, say "Come here" and he comes right to me. I can catch him at the gate to come inside at feeding time with a halter. Work in progress.

The Herd Reunited

 Alexis was very happy to be back in her home stall last night. She settled right in. And this morning I put her out in the pasture, then Jagger and they had a happy reunion while I got Cody (who begged for me to put his halter on and take him out!!!). When Cody got out there he swaggered up to her all macho and neck arched. And she said. "Excuse YOU!!! Personal Space!!!" And nailed him.
Needless to say, he's following Jagger and Alexis around at a respectful distance.

Amy On Board (of Alexis!)

Look!!! After a year and a half of dreaming about riding my mare. ... I rode her! !! Her gaits are fabulous and she is so light and soft in the bridle. Thank you Johnny Mckeehan and Heather Lehigh Orr McKeehan for working with her!! Also check out my new saddle, ya'll

Sudden Fear of Haltering?

Ok so, you know Cody has this whole "You can't catch me" thing going on all of a sudden. Well, Check out this video of me trying to catch him in the stall. He acts TERRIFIED of me. WHAT the HELL? I've had this horse since he was a baby. I have never beaten him. I have smacked him yes, rarely. I've hardly ever had to YELL at him even. WHAT is going on with my Cody???
I gave him a bath after this and he really acted like an abused horse. Like he expected me to haul off and beat him at any minute.
Usually when I bathe or groom him, he's falling asleep.

Poles and Hills for Cody

Working Cody today to break up his Pace. Everytime I work with him he starts to improve, then something happens and I let him sit a while, and we are back to square 1. He is just a very pacy boy. Nice stride though!

We also worked over the hill. He was such a big WUSS about going over this hill. We'd start up, and he's spin and hop back down before we could reach the top. He was certain there were horse eating trolls behind this hill. I just held on for the spin, and we'd try again. Eventually, he went over it and then was like.. "Oh.. is that all there is to it?"

He's Pretty --- Pretty Naughty

I usually work him in the round pen. He objected greatly to being worked in the paddock. But after a few half hearted rears, he got with the program.

Then I laid over his back a little. Getting him used to bearing weight, something wiggling on his back. Tapping him on the sides... etc.

Alexis Under Saddle - News at 11

My Alexis is under saddle!!!! 

Her gait is smooth and she's coming along. But very reactive and naughty. Johnny McKeehan says she's smart but very reactive. She thinks the whole world is out to eat her.

A Whole Lot of Pace

Honestly, I've rarely seen a horse with as much pace in him as my poor Cody has now. He is a pacing machine. He paces at a walk EVEN.