Peter Campbell Clinic Day 4

MONDAY, October 4, 2010




Duster:



I started the morning with Duster tied to the trailer again. He did fine at the trailer by himself.



Duster was still a little jumpy when the bag touched his flanks and belly. But he stood still as I moved the bag from his hip, down and up his back legs, belly, up and down the front legs, up his neck, and over his poll and down his face.



Peter took Duster and moved him with the horse, asking him to move his hips away. He reached down and moved the stirrups against Duster’s sides. He had me step up into the stirrup, reach over and rub the neck on the opposite side. I had done this the last few days that I had worked Duster at home. He had me rub behind the saddle, as that is where the horse is a little goosey if the rider drags his foot across his back when he mounts and dismounts. I stepped up and down. Then I stepped up and sat down into the saddle. Then stepped down. I stepped back up, sat in the saddle, and Peter had me hold the Cheyenne roll of the cantle with one hand and the horn with the other hand. He moved Duster around with his horse for a minute, than I stepped down. I felt no resistance in Duster. He moved off freely. Duster is ready to start riding at home. Later in the morning, Peter asked if I wanted to ride again or if I thought I had done enough. I wanted to end the clinic with Duster relaxed. I was at a good spot with him and I was happy where I was with him. I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish with Duster. I wanted a young gelding who wasn’t so pushy and was more respectful of moving where he should move.



Shaggy: practice moving the hips around without the reins, moving the hips to both the inside and outside to reverse the horse, at both the walk and the trot, on a very loose rein

We started our last session of the last day with loose reins. We continued to practice moving the hips. Then we moved the horses out at the walk, asking them to reverse by moving their hips to the inside of the rail or to the outside. It was easier to reverse the hips when we were pushing the hips towards the center and the head went towards the rail. It was more difficult with Shaggy to move his hips to the rail and have his head come to the center. Once he started moving his head towards the center, he would walk a very large circle to reverse, instead of swinging his hips in toward the center. This should have taken a few steps, like a forehand turn on a long loose rein, not a large slow circle.



Peter said that they will blink as they move their hips - each time they step around in a half circle to reverse, they will blink with each step. This is a “ah ha” moment. And it was fun to watch to see when the horse blinked and when he didn’t. If there was any resistance, or if the horse didn’t move his hips freely, he didn’t blink.



We practiced snaking down the side of the arena - move hips slightly in, then slightly out. This sounds easy, but it was not, especially on a very loose rein.



We ended the clinic with this last exercise - pick up the trot, move the hip out so the horse faces the fence, then ask the front end to move over, with the head and neck level. Always asking for a lightness, asking for the jaw to be down and in, always asking for the head and neck level. Sometimes we stayed at the trot and did ½ circles or full circles. We mixed up the patterns, but it was always about keeping the horse moving. Every now and then, we would pause, but just for 1 second, then continue.



Any time the horse pulled on your hands or lifted his head, we were to stop the transitions, ask for the horse to soften, then continue the transitions. We were to work as fast as we could without “upsetting the horse”. Towards the end of the 4th day, the horses were responding with a quietness and a smoothness that they didn’t have the first day. Feel was developing.



The week after the clinic, it took me days to process and write about everything that we did. I’m not doing anything with my 2 year old This week. I will continue with Duster next week. I should have a few rides on him before I leave him alone until next spring. I will continue the work with Shaggy, as he is ready and more mature to continue on. My goal this fall is to free up his hips and to move his hind quarters more freely.



I hope you enjoyed this very long read. I have read, and re-read, this about 6 times. The progress on each horse is amazing. The one thing that I’m most impressed with is that both horses became calmer and calmer as their training became more intensified. Over the course of 4 days, they were taught a new exercise, and then we had an hour of repetition. We varied the exercises to keep the minds of the horses fresh. As we worked harder, the horses remained more in focus to us, the rider. It goes to show you that you can work your horse intensely, and by being consistent, you will have a more broke horse. One that is respectful to you.



Come along on the ride with me. “Embrace the Journey!”

Peter Campbell Clinic Day 3

SUNDAY, October 3, 2010




Duster: stand totally still while being rubbed with the flag, from tail to nose. Rub neck and hip, step up and down from the stirrup from both sides.



I started this morning with saddling Duster tied to the trailer instead of in a stall. I left Shaggy in the trailer so he had a buddy close, but couldn’t easily be seen. After saddling Duster, I unloaded Shaggy and led him to the stall area, away from Duster on the other side of the trailer so Duster couldn’t see him. I want Duster to get used to being alone. He waited patiently without whinnying and pawing.



I touched Duster all over with the bag. He needed to stand still while the bag moved up and down his back and front legs, under his belly, over his shoulder, up his neck and over his head. I rubbed him on his neck and behind the saddle. I moved the stirrup leathers against the sides of his belly. I repeated this on the opposite side. Interesting that he was goosier on the near side, the side we handle the horse more often from.



I stepped up and rubbed Duster on the neck and hip. When he was goosey and moved, I stayed where I was until he stopped moving, then stepped down. I repeated this a few times on each side of him.



Duster didn’t want to trot when I led him from the ground. Peter worked Duster from the ground, and got him to lead better from the ground. He “drew” on the lead rope, picking up slack and making it tight on Duster’s nose, than instantly releasing him Duster stepped forward. He worked the same way, with a stronger feel on the rope when he “drew” and made the rope snug, asking Duster to trot. Then I did the same, asking and being light.



Peter led Duster from his horse, helping him to lead better. Peter continued to lead him around with his horse, asking for him to move his hips over from horseback, walking off and asking Duster to step forward without hesitation. After that lesson, Duster trotted each time I asked him to from the ground.



Shaggy: moving the hips around without touching the reins



We were to walk, stop, reverse the horse with the horse moving the front end around in a pivot, keeping the head and neck level, stopping when the horse raised his head and ask for him to soften (dropping his head and neck, and then the jaw to the inside).



The next set of exercises included stopping and reversing. We were to move the front end ¼ way towards the rail, with lightness, stopping any time the horse raises his head, and ask for the lightness again before continuing on to complete the reverse or the full circle. The jaw should be tipped towards the turn. We finished the reverse by asking the hips to move over. Then we walked a full circle, reinforcing the jaw staying tipped towards the inside of the circle.



We mixed this up with walking and trotting circles to the inside, both a full circle and continue on the same direction, or a ½ circle and reverse directions. We also stopped at both the walk and the trot, moved the hip to the rail a quarter turn, then turned the front end a quarter turn to reverse the horse. Stop, pause 1 second, and walk or trot on. We also walked or stopped and asked for a reverse, taking the hip to the inside and shoulders out. We always asked for a lightness, tipping the jaw down and towards the turn, and always stopping the second the horse resisted and pulled on the bit and on our hands or lifted his head.



The final exercise was to move the horse’s hips without any contact on the reins. Basically, we were to do a forehand turn without reins. Peter said not to cheat and touch the reins. The horse was not to trot when he felt one leg on him. Many horses speed up when they feel legs, but 1 leg means to move the shoulder, move the body or move the hips, NOT to trot. It took many transitions to teach the horse and to get the horse to be respectful of that one leg. I needed to touch the reins in the beginning, to start the reverse, and I needed to add a LOT of leg. Shaggy isn’t dead sided, but he isn’t as sensitive as some horses. He doesn’t move his hips and hind legs as fast as Peter wanted a horse to. I will be working on this to ask him to move more quickly and more freely.

Peter Campbell Clinic Day 2

SATURDAY, October 2, 2010




Duster: stand still while being rubbed with the flag, lead better at the walk and trot.



I continued to work Duster with moving him with the bag, from side to side and reversing. Touching him all over. Having him stand still. Duster turned when he was suppose to, without coming in to me. He stayed at the end of the lead rope. He kept his full attention on me and was not worried by anything else in the arena. He didn’t care when the steers, on the other side of the cement wall, were being fed. Duster learned his 1st lesson very well and today was lesson #2. Duster still didn’t want to lead without lagging behind, and he was not going to trot.



Duster needed to free up his hips and move them over. His horse helped to push Duster’s hips around. Peter moved Duster around with his mare to get him to disengage his hips. He held Duster’s head close to the horse, and asked his horse to move, and by doing so, Duster HAD to move his hind legs. His movement became freer and freer and he started crossing over with his hind legs instead of just stepping sideways.



Peter led Duster from horseback, asking him to move forward without hesitation. Duster would pull slightly against the lead rope then move forward when he felt the pull from the lead rope against his halter. I know some of the hesitation came from not knowing the horse that he was asked to come up beside. The mare pinned her ears, telling him to stay away from here. Eventually, he walked and trotted freely beside the other horse.



Shaggy: Reversing at the walk and trot, trotting out.



Shaggy had to be light, meaning giving to the bit in all the transitions. He was to stay light, reversing with lightness, with head and neck down, and with jaw down and to the inside. Our exercises today including MANY reverses. Reverse in a circle to the inside at the walk and at the trot. Reverse at the same rate of walk or trot. Walk, stop, ask for lightness, back and walk or trot off. Repeating this many times. Trot out, posting at the trot. Sit the trot and ask for lightness. Walk and stop with lightness. Trot out, trot slow, walk, stopping with lightness, back. Pause. Many transitions. I think Shaggy is beginning to stay lighter and he is beginning to not toss his head with the trot.

Peter Campbell Clinic Day 1

FRIDAY, October 1, 2010




I took 2 horses to the Peter Campbell clinic. One was Duster, a 2 year old that hasn’t left the place until today. He’s only been saddled for the last 3 weeks, being ground driven, lunged with the saddle on, but didn’t have any riding. The other is Shaggy, a 7 year old gelding that I have given about a month of riding each year since he was 3. This year, I started riding him regularly since May. He needs to move better off my legs. Both of these young horses are by my Stud, Duke, a son of Good Asset.



Duster is my 2 year old. He is extremely bully and pushy. A big puppy dog who is gentle, but had a mother who was herd mare, at least for the last 5 years. Duster isn’t scared of the older geldings. He just walks among them and pushes into between them at the feeders.



Duster: He was to move around me, turn from side to side, turn between me and the wall. He was to stay back away from me and not push into me. He was to pay attention to me and not to all of the commotion in the arena.



I’m glad that Duster is a quiet guy, because he came into the arena with his head up and ears perked and snorting. Where did all of this come from? He heard the cows next to the arena being fed. They couldn’t be seen but he wasn’t too bothered by that. Then a water sprinkler was wetting down the small arena on the other side of the ¾ cement wall that separated the 2 walls. The was hitting the wall, making that spritzing sound. Duster has heard the water sprinkler before, but hearing it and not seeing it was 2 different things. His mind was on that instead of me.



I started to lunge him while Peter was talking to the group. He didn’t want us to wear our horses down to get their minds, but to make them change directions on the lunge line instead, with the aid of a flag attached to a short whip. I had to move from the end of the arena to a spot on the long wall so I could work him.



Duster had to have a major attitude adjustment on the first day of the clinic. With the help of a short stick/whip with a flag attached to it, we were to make the horse move around us in a circle, and then stop and turn. We worked on moving the horse’s hips and shoulders. We worked on moving the horse’s body away from us. Duster still didn’t like all the noises. Peter said that, to get his mind, make him move where I wanted him to move and when I wanted him to move. I was not doing a good job with getting Duster to move away from me with the bag/flag. Duster knows how to lunge, but that first day, he didn’t want to stop, or turn, or move where he was suppose to. I was starting to sweat. He was being the bad kid in school! Peter came over and asked if he could work with him. I said of course, Peter wanted a YES, and Duster went to school. He graduated with more manners. I was able to do the same work with him. Duster had learn to respect the stick with the flag, to respect the lead rope and to move his body where it should go.



Duster ended the day more respectful and more quiet than he started the day. He learned to move his hips and that was the start of having him pay attention to me and not to everything else that was going on. He stayed at the end on a relaxed lead rope. When I moved, he turned his body to follow me with his eyes. The exercise that Duster had to learn was to actually move his hips, crossing his hind legs when he moved them, therefore freeing up his hips more.



Shaggy: Walking out, getting the walk as fast as you can. Extend the trot. Walk or stop with lightness.



During the afternoon session, I rode Shaggy. We did a LOT of walk, trot, extended trot, walk, stop transitions. The main emphasis was on stopping light and giving to the bit. We were to walk and pick up a light feel on the reins, asking the horse to soften. When the horse softens, he will lower and tuck the jaw to the inside. If there is any resistance or pull against the reins, adding more leg to get the horse to move forward.



It is important that, when the horse hardens and pulls on the reins, you have the horse pull against himself and do not pull back. Be ready to soften your hold on the reins the moment the horse softens. Shaggy did well the first day until we picked up a trot. I usually ride in a shank bit, with a covered broken mouthpiece, and he gives beautifully to that type of bit. In a snaffle with no leverage, there was more resistance. At the trot, he was beginning to throw his head up to evade the bit. I kept the hold on the bit steady with my hands, and left him to figure out where to put his head. We will be working on this for the next 3 days.



Peter asked us to walk out, and walk out faster. We were to get the horse to move out a walk and ask for the fastest walk that we can get, until right before the horse would break in to a trot. We did many walk trot transitions. We stopped after asking for a lightness on the bit first. We walked one or 2 steps, then trotted. We asked for a long extended trotting, with a long rein. We asked for walk and/or a stop with lightness. That took some thinking to stop the horse, without the horse throwing out his jaw or lifting his head. As you slow down from the extended trot to a slow trot, then to the walk, and right into the stop, you are asking the horse to give to the bit, lowering the jaw, and stopping with the head and neck level.



We worked in pairs and walked, trotted and loped circles around our partner. This was a fun exercise. I was paired with a beautiful Friesen stallion, and didn’t know he was a stud until the next day! He was a delight to be around. We walked circles and half circles. With each half circle, the horse to the inside went to the outside. The outside horse had to trot when the inside horse walked, and he had to lope when the inside horse trotted. We were to stay even with each other, without letting one horse get ahead or behind the other. We were to make our own circle, paying attention to keep our own horse light, yet stay together. This exercise seemed like it shouldn’t have been easy to do, but after many circles and half circles at the walk and trot, we were able to do the lope circle easily. I was amazed at how light and easily Shaggy did the lope circles. That was his best, collected loping to date!



Shaggy got lighter and lighter as the day went on. I still had resistance on the bit at the trot, but he did soften each time. I know he doesn’t like the bite of the bit on his tongue, but as my hands stay light, and he pulls against himself, he will soon realize that he is causing that discomfort himself. Stay light, ask for a softness, and the horse will respond.



I think the tiredness, that I was feeling after the first day, comes from total concentration of what we were working on. That, and traveling back and forth with 2 horses. I was going to stall them every night, but I didn’t want them standing in a stall from 4 pm to 8 am. They loaded easily so I took them home to be outside in their outside lots for the evening and night. I know that would keep them relaxed for the next day’s work. After their workouts, I’m sure they needed to relax their minds and bodies too.

Peter Campbell Clinic Day 1

First, Happy Birthday, Sara! I can not believe that 28 years has passed since I held my baby girl for the first time. I do miss those years of when you were little, and it was just us playing together. But you know the feeling, because now you are doing the same things with Makenzie. Have a fantastic day!




I am almost too tired to post. I think the excitement of participating in the clinic, along with 7 hours of clinic time, has me almost too tired to move. And this is from a person who rides a lot and who is pretty active outside.



I think my tiredness come from anticipation of what will happen at the clinic. I also took 2 horses. One was a 2 year old that hasn’t left the place until today. I think the tiredness comes from total concentration of what we were working on.



Duster is my 2 year old. He is extremely bully and pushy. A big puppy dog who is gentle, but had a mother who was herd mare, at least for the last 5 years. Duster isn’t scared of the older geldings. He just walks among them and pushes into between them at the feeders.



He had a major attitude adjustment today. We worked on moving hips and shoulders. And moving the body away from us. Duster didn’t want to stop, or turn, or move where he was suppose to. I was starting to sweat. Peter came over and asked if he could work with him. I said of course, Peter wanted a YES, and Duster went to school. He graduated with more manners.



During the afternoon session, I rode Shaggy. We did a LOT of walk, trot, extended trot, walk, stop transitions. Shaggy got lighter and lighter. We worked in pairs and trotted and loped circles around our partner. The main emphasis was on stopping light and giving to the bit.



I hope to be able to write more over the next 3 days. I think I’ll sleep good tonight!