Training Tip: Loading and CR: Breathing

This past weekend, I went trail riding on Savannah. She didn't load easily. We worked on loading when I got home, and I blogged about it in the previous post.

When the horse doesn't do something that I know that it can do, then we go back to work mode and do some additional training. She didn't want to load, so we did some work until she was willing to load. I made it her choice. She refused to load, we went to work. I put her into a lunge circle. After a few circles, I asked her to load. She refused, so we went back to work on the lunge line. I changed directions so as to break up the routine of a circle, so as to not to strain legs as I wasn't sure how long we would be lunging. After a few more circles, I asked her to load. At the 3rd attempt, she loaded. She was rewarded by some hay in the manger, by me standing still and petting her, then by being asked to back out of the trailer. But she had to load again willingly. She didn't, so she went back to work until she loaded easily. She was to jump in by me just sending her in. After she loaded the 2nd time, we rested, had a pat or 2, and unloaded. Immediately she was asked to load again, and she jumped right in.

This may be a different way than working with a young horse who has never loaded, or even an older horse who is scared. I knew this horse has been loaded, so she went right to work. With a younger or scared horse, I will give them a buddy. I'll load a quiet horse, and teach the young, scared or timid horse that it is ok to be inside a trailer. I won't take them on a ride that first day, but I try to take them on a short 5 minute ride a few days later. Then I'll take them on a 15 minute ride.

I make the trailer a nice place. A place to eat if you don't mind your horses eating in the trailer, which I don't. I've hauled many miles with horses eating hay and have never had a problem. And on long hauls, anything from 2-12 hours, this keeps their guts moving.

I make the trailer safe, and a resting place from work.

I make the trailer a place to relax, and they are petted and left alone to think.

Most horses don't refuse the trailer after they know that they have to load and they will get in. Sometimes this may take an hour of work, but it is worth it to have a horse jump in willingly.

I didn't do my homework before the ride, but I did when I got home. I'll see if my horse needs more homework later this week.

oh, and about Centered Riding, try breathing during trailer loading! If I would have been breathing more, I think I would have stayed more relaxed. But it's easier to stay relaxed when you aren't on a time frame.

Later this week, I won't be on a time frame, and I'll breathe deeply before each time I ask her to load.

Back to the Basics: Ground Driving

I’ve gone back to the basics. Ground Driving. This teaches horses, that don’t give to the bit, to give. If the horse wants to fight, then the horse is fighting the ropes and not you. Or more specifically, the horse will not be fighting your hold and pulling on your shoulder, he/she will be fighting against himself/herself. I like to let a horse figure out things for themselves sometimes, and this is definitely one of those times. I feel that if a horse is smart, then they will “get it“ without throwing a big hissy fit more than once. If a horse is bully, they will continue to blow hissy fits for quite a few days. And if a horse is really stubborn, they may blow up! But if a horse is smart, they will raise their head once and feel the pressure of the bit, then drop their head and keep it there. Oh, I like those horses. They want to please!

I always free lunge the horse. I want the horse to get a feel of the arena and see all the spooky places. I want to turn the horse back and forth in the opposite direction to change the horse’s direction and to set up dominance. I want the horse to bond with me. Then we saddle and bridle and free lunge with the saddle on, with the reins tied off on the horn. At no time, with or without the saddle, is the horse allowed to play and buck around. Not with me in the arena. This is a time, maybe to blow off steam and run, but we are still there to learn. And that does not mean to learn to buck and kick out while a person is in the arena with them. If a horse does kick out or start bucking, I quickly change the horse’s direction. And I keep changing the direction often, it gives the horse something different to think then bucking and kicking.

Free lunging also starts to teach the horse how to lunge on a line. To go around in a circle. To stay away from the center. To respect the person in the middle of the arena. To get used to the saddle stirrups flopping on the horse’s side.

I always leave the halter on, so that I can tie up quickly if I need to. Horses are always learning patience by standing tied in their stall while another horse is being worked. Now we attach a lunge line to the halter. The horse already knows how to circle around the handler, so teaching to lunge on the line becomes easier to do.

I attach the long lines to the bit. The line goes through the stirrups and I lay the end of the lines across the saddle until both sides are attached to the bit. I don’t secure the stirrups. I let them loose so they can flop against the horse’s side and the horses becomes used to that feel. Once both of the lines are attached, I stand on the near side of the horse and hold that end of the lunge line in my left hand. With the other hand, I bring the other lunge line down from the saddle and throw the end over the horse’s butt. Sometimes, the horses are scared of the rope as it touches their legs and they kick out and run. I try to keep them in a circle around me, but if they are too scared, I will let them run with the lines loose behind them. They need to become desensitized to the ropes. Once they aren’t scared of the ropes, I ground drive them by standing behind them. I serpentine the arena, by shortening 1 line while lengthening the other line, being careful to keeping the lines in a loose circle while I hold them. Doing serpentines in the arena teaches the horse to follow reining directions by giving to the bit and bending and flexing the neck in the direction that the reins are telling him to go. I teach the horse to go in a circle and to trot and lope in a circle. With the lounge lines on, the horse is beginning to learn collection as he is bending at the poll and withers, while driving with impulsion.

The horse is saddled, bridled, and lunged. The horse is being ground driven. The horse learns to follow the direction of the reining. The horse has already learned to walk, trot and lope while giving to the bit and to change direction. Once the horse is accustomed to this, and drives easily, the transition to riding becomes easier. The foundation and fundamentals have been easily taught. Next training step will be the first ride!

Come along on the ride with me!

Thinking ahead of what topics to discuss...

I've been thinking tonight about what topics to talk about after the holidays. Winter is just starting, and harsh cold air will be here for awhile. With ice, sleet, and snow coming tonight, spring seems a long time away. But spring will be here before we know it and I want to plan for spring time.

I want to set goals. I want to share my training methods. I want to condition my CTR horse. I have 2 young horses to continue with, a coming 5 and a coming 6 year old. One is green broke, one is only halter broke. Both are quiet geldings, tie well, been haltered and handled for years. Now, it is time to be serious about getting them trained. They are well bred horses with good conformation. Even though the market is down, I was not going to give up on these two. They deserve my time and attention. They deserve to be trained with good solid basics.

As I work with the horses, I will blog about my training techniques. I will share how I work with each horse each day. I will blog the ups and downs, achievements and disappointments. I will share how I am doing things and what I will need to do different. Each horse is different each day, and each horse is different from day to day. I will discuss what is working and what is not. I will discuss how the horse responds and grows in the training program.

What other topics would you like me to discuss? Since I’m going back to the beginning of basics, I’ll start there. For me, the first day a horse comes in for training, he adjusts to my place. Some arena turnout to see the place on his time frame. He is in his stall to get used to the horses around him. He has hay in front of him at all time. He may stand tied for an hour to begin his patience training.

Day 2 is lunging. Free lunging. I work with the horse to bond with me. Some bond within minutes, some don’t bond fully, even after an hour of me establishing that I am leader. Lunging teaches manners, teaches a horse to change directions. Lunging shows me how the horse moves, how easy he turns, and most importantly, his attitude! That will be a day discussion in itself!

Any specific topic that you want to know about?

Come along on the ride with me!