Posts Tagged ‘farm
Follow Me
So I’ve mentioned before that one of the things that Boomerang really needs to work on is his leading skills. For some reason when I try to lead him (this mostly only happens when he is under saddle) he tries to bite me. Not only that but he will resist my rein pressure when I try to direct him from the ground. This can be a real problem in mounted games especially, because I need him to match my strides when I lead him so that I can easily vault on and off of him.
Ok, so how do I fix it? I had a lesson with the trainer I’ve had since I was 10 years old a few weeks ago. She’s very much into the Parelli method, but has been able to adapt what she knows into my clicker training. We devised a plan to work on Boomer’s bad habit.
The first part of the training is to teach Boomer to match my stride. My goal is to keep myself right at his shoulder – if I do this he is unable to bite me without getting me to move ahead of his shoulder because he can’t physically reach me. So in order to do this – if he doesn’t at first respond to my body cues (a cluck to move forward or a change in my body’s energy) then I use the end of my lead rope to give him a gentle tap on his hind end. And if he tries to dislodge me from his shoulder – I back up to keep in line with his shoulder.
Meanwhile I am also clicking and rewarding Boomer everytime he puts his ears forward during our “session”. Below you can watch a video of our first practice session.
As you can see near the end of the video we have a little battle as Boomer tries to back up in order to dislodge me from his shoulder so that he can bite me. He is unsuccessful and I keep him moving forward until I can reward him for ears forward.
Later the same day after more practice I took this video. As you can see he is no longer trying to dislodge me in order to bite me, but he still has a nasty look on his face. However, he is quicker to put his ears forward and he is matching my stride mostly with the change of my energy rather than me having to use the leadrope on his rump.
Since these videos were taken I have practiced with him several other times and he continues to progress. I haven’t been bitten since we started and he is now consistently matching my stride. My hope is that I can eventually keep his ears forward the entire time as well as teach him that when I place my hands on his neck in a certain position (the position I put them in in order to vault on) he will move quickly forward at a trot or canter. We still have a lot more work to do, but for now I am happy that I don’t have to ice my arms from horse bites. Aren’t ponies wonderful?
-KD
www.ponypaintings.com
The Husband Horse
So I promised my husband I wouldn’t post these photos on facebook….but he forgot to mention not to post them on the blog. So don’t tell him, but I’m sharing them anyway!
I convinced my non-horsey husband to take a ride on Blitz over the weekend. Mike doesn’t have anything against horses, infact I think he enjoys coming to the farm with me sometimes, he just isn’t interested in riding them. He’s tolerated me teaching him the basics of riding but he’s still very much a beginner. Although I have to say for a beginner he really has no fear. He’ll willingly canter around the arena despite the fact that his reins are too long (causing him to really have no control over this 800lb animal) and his heels are up as he bounces around in the saddle.
This was the first time that Mike has ridden Blitz. Before this weekend he had always ridden Minnow – who was his favorite (mine too). Minnow (after his re-training with the clicker) seemed to know when to take care of his rider – as most horses do. Infact while in college Mike and I used to ride Minnow double out on the trails. Mike I think figured out pretty quickly that he could trust Minnow to keep him from falling off. Not to mention at 13.1 hands tall he really wasn’t far from the ground. So when Minnow was diagnosed with ringbone in 2008 and pronounced unrideable that pretty much put an end to Mike’s riding. For most of last year I really didn’t have anything suitable for a beginner to ride.
My sister’s horse, Jet, could definitely carry a man but her need for speed scares most beginners. And my 16.3 hand horse, Nitro, well frankly scares people with his size, not to mention his explosive and untrustworthy behavior. I never feel comfortable putting people on him.
When I purchased Blitz last summer I knew he’d make a nice man’s horse someday. His size was perfect at 14.1 hands and he’s definitely sturdy enough. Not only that, but he was ridden by a man at the farm he came from. Not just any man – a beginner rider who I watched catch him in the mouth over a fence while Blitz continued on in his steady pace. So when Blitz came home with us naturally we gave him time to adjust – getting his bucks over with, but now that its been over a year I really felt comfortable putting a beginner on him.
I really wasn’t surprised when Mike commented “I can’t get him to go faster” because Blitz is for sure a kick ride and if you don’t know the right button to push he will continue around the arena in his molasses pace. But I can say he took care of my husband. He walked the bridge with him, he even did a few cross rails and let us mess around with the Polocrosse rackets. I laughed when Mike gave him the wrong signal and Blitz proceeded to do his little back up and 180 spin maneuver that we have been teaching him. Mike is now convinced that he’s an expert rider because he make the horse do what we do. I beg to differ.
But in the end I was impressed that I even got my husband to ride…and that Blitz really proved to me that he’s a pony anyone can ride. Boomer will be there someday too I’m sure – but we need to eliminate the bronco buck once and for all first. 🙂
-KD
www.ponypaintings.com
Lazy Summer Days at the Farm
Taking a rest on Minnow
So I fully intended to ride Boomerang yesterday….I really did – I swear. My engine just sort of died when I got to the barn. Sometimes I wonder how I fit everything I do into a day. Its difficult to balance all of it. I’m barely getting much sleep lately – thanks to a cranky dachshund who can’t understand why I’m sleeping on the floor and he’s locked behind a doggie gate, I balance a full time job running a business – make that 3 businesses (Green Horse Studios, Pony Paintings, Studio 3), I then feed and care for 7 horses (which includes mucking stalls and daily feedings and turnout), I try to ride/train my horses 5 days a week, and then there is the house remodeling, not to mention having time to make dinner/spend time with the husband. I just made myself tired typing this list.
But honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m extremely happy (even if I’m sort of exhausted lately) and I enjoy having lots of projects to work on. I’m not one who enjoys “being bored”.
Boomerang
So that being said – yesterday I just didn’t have to energy to ride. I feel kind of bad about it actually – considering I have another competition coming up in 2 weeks and Minnow is set to perform again in a week. Ah – I need to get on the ball again!
Anyway, so instead yesterday, I enjoyed some time with my favorite Chincoteague Ponies. I discovered an apple tree in the back yard of my new house – and of course any loving horse owner like myself would bag up as many as they could carry and bring them to the barn for their horses. My ponies better love me after that.
Blitz
So there you have it….a very rare lazy summer day for me and the trick ponies (and the dachshund too).
Pony Penning Countdown
Only two more days until Minnow and I leave for Pony Penning! So excited! I’ve been shopping for the finishing touches for Minnow’s performance. We need some new paint brushes and Minnow needs some sunscreen (we don’t want him to get burnt at the beach now do we?).
For all of you that are curious about Pony Penning here is a great article from today’s Daily Times. Pony Penning Countdown.
I hope to be able to post updates from Chincoteague about Minnow and his performances! So I’ll try not to leave you all hanging!
And until then, I’ll leave you with some videos from last year’s pony penning.
This next one shows our little “performance” from last year. Last year was when I first started performing with Minnow, and if you have been following our blog along lately you can see that we have evolved GREATLY from this. This year’s act promises to be much more exciting!! So don’t miss seeing it in person at the Chincoteague Pony Centre!
-KD
From Beach to Barn
So I’m back from the beach (a little early) – and I know you all missed my posts on the blog. Well have no fear – I’m back in action. I haven’t been out to the barn yet as we got in late last night, but I will surely be out there after work! I did get to pick up our Dachshund, Ammo, from my parent’s house and he greeted us with a very enthusastic HELLO! This was the first time we left our 9 month old puppy somewhere …I think he was very glad to be home in his own bed. He did get to have a lot of fun with my parent’s dog Trooper however. I felt a little bit like a mom going away on vacation without their child for the first time – I missed him terribly. I don’t know how I will do it again when I leave for Chincoteague, Virgnia in 2 weeks for pony penning – atleast Ammo will get to stay home with my husband.
Family Photo with my in-laws
Now you may notice that today’s post is not about the trick ponies (afterall I’ve been away from them for almost a week) because there isn’t much to report. I did however do some beach reading of my newest clicker training book. So I have lots of ideas floating in my head. I even picked up some beach toys for Minnow so that he can learn some new tricks before pony penning. So stay tuned as all that develops next week! And hopefully these few photos from my beach vacation will satisfy you – I even threw in a photobooth strip (I have a complete obsession with photobooths and I swear one day I will own one in my own home).
Ammo glad to be home in his bed
-KD
www.ponypaintings.com
