Golden the Pony girl

how I learned to relax and love the rein-back

2012-01-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

Like I mentioned earlier I have been in a dressage training rut. The one coach I would really like to work with has no room for new students. I feel like in this stage I need a more experienced person on the ground to really progress. I don't want to ask Bodhi to do things I am not 100% solid in myself.

My boarding facility is mostly western. The owner of the stables is also the coach and trainer specializing in western riding and horsemanship. Because of all my blogger friends who ride western I have learned I am really missing out... so I took my first lesson in western tack in my life.

It was a bit frustrating. For the first time in over 15 years I did not know how to tighten my girth--I mean cinch! I did not know if my saddle placement was correct. Split reins? I fumbled with my reins like I did as a green rider! I think it illustrated to myself that I had a bit of an ego with my riding ability. I like people to think I am a good rider. It embarrasses me to feel inept. I think it was a well needed slice of humble pie.

Once I got over my rein problems (just tie them together dummy). We worked on freeing up the rib cage by having my calves swing with the motion of the rib cage, while my hips moved with the horses hips at the walk. It felt great! Bodhi's walk immediately improved as well. We then worked on three things I normally avoid (since Bodhi and I are still working on the basics and I have been told to leave these movements till later) Backing up, turn on the forehand, and turn on the haunches. How she wanted me to cue these movements was different than how I was taught in a dressage setting as well. So it took a bit of adjustment on my part but I really enjoyed the simplicity of it all.

I can see how these exercises are valuable in young horses to help them with their balance and transferring weight from the forehand to the hind end. I am going incorporate these into my schooling sessions.

She also pointed out that Bodhi did not like to stand still. I offered that it may be because I don't like to stand still. I like to keep moving and I guess I have never really worked on standing still for long periods of time in the middle of a schooling. She suggested I ask for more extended halts as rewards for Bodhi. I think that is great idea. I normally ask for a free walk down a diagonal as reward but now I will alternatively ask for a longer halt.

I am looking forward to learning more and taking more lessons.

What is your favorite "second" discipline?

With our powers combined....

2012-01-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

I love reading the posts over at mugwump chronicles. Not only is she a thoughtful, knowledgeable and poetic blogger but she always has the best comments! So with her kind of blog in mind I share this.

Sometimes I wonder why I blog. Is it selfish? Maybe. Definitively self indulgent..

But I am not just blogging about what I am doing, I am reading about what other people are doing. So many blogs about horses! I read about eventers, reiners, trail riders, jumpers, endurance riders... people just starting out with horses, people who have been riding for years, amateurs and professionals. People who ride with bits, without bits, train with fancy sticks, whisper, or who do none of the above. Why do I bother? Why don't I just read books, magazines, and rent dvds to supplement my lessons and clinics like I used to do?

Maybe the answer is in the two links above. When I read blogs I am learning through shared experience. As horse people who blog we are all connected. We all have pieces of a big puzzle that is the horse and through our blogs maybe we can get together and finally see the big picture.

What do you think about the idea of sharing and building off ideas in the horse blog world? Are you learning something or just wasting time? Why do you read blogs?

Itching to work

2012-01-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

I Have not been doing a lot of posting because I have not been doing a lot of training. I ride about twice a week but I feel aimless. I don't know what I should work on or what I can work on with just 2 days a week to work with! It is frustrating!
Bodhi is doing great. Between his part boarder and me he gets ridden around 4 times a week. He is learning how to be a mature equine by working with a young rider doing a varied amount of things. He had drill practice with her today for example. When I ride him he feels very mature and balanced. Like a trained horse :) I guess he is 6 now. Wow time really flies!

Now that he is so solid in the basics I am just itching to do more advanced work. The truth of the matter is though I am the one who needs the further training to continue on. I have set up a lesson or two with a dressage coach but they have all been canceled for one reason or another. I feel stagnant and uninspired. I want to do more clicker work too but with such a limited amount of time I am not sure what I should even try???

So with that mind frame I saw this video and thought I would share.

With the amount of time I can devote to riding it is true in the dressage department I am going no where fast....
So I have decided to spend our precious time together working on perfecting our bitless riding, and doing the exercise in the above video: getting my horse more soft relaxed, and round.For our ground work I am going to work on stretching and playing soccer! Two things Bodhi and I really enjoy doing together. I am such a goal orientated person it is hard for me to just relax.

First day of mission relax and enjoy the pony was a success! We rode in the bitless and he was SO soft. We worked on stretching down at the trot and canter transitions. He seemed to really enjoy it. He also remembers how to play soccer like he just learned yesterday. Maybe one day Bodhi and I will have the time and expertise to achieve this: Cantering in hand!

But for now I am happy with my soccer playing pony!

Clicker Myths: Myth 1

2011-12-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

I am starting a series of blog posts on clicker myths. Clicker myths is a catchy title but these posts are not only about training using a clicker, but about looking at many popular beliefs in the horse-world from a behaviourist’s perspective. If you have any behaviour questions you want me to cover please leave a comment. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about these topics!

This first myth seems to be rooted fairly deeply in the horse world and can make for some heated debates... I hope you enjoy my take...

Myth 1:Giving horses food by hand teaches a horse to bite.

Is that so? It’s what I was told growing up but now I don’t think so. Here’s why:

I think the root of our problem is the traditional treat. Many riders enjoy feeding their horses as a way to show affection. Some riders give a reward at the end of the ride for a job well done. Even when we have a very thought out reason for giving Buttercup a sugar after a great ride Buttercup will not see that same connection.

When you give something as highly valued as food to an animal with no reinforcement schedule in mind (randomly) they will begin to associate the treats with the only thing that is constantly paired with the food reward-your hands or pocket.

Now what happens if you even give Buttercup a cookie when she nuzzles your pocket or lips your hand? You have just reinforced those unwanted behaviours directly! When you look at how most horse people traditionally fed treats to horses you can see where the myth came from. Food does not teach horses to bite. We teach horses to bite.

Another reason I have heard not to hand feed horses is it spoils them. Once again it’s not the food but how the food is being delivered. When you look at how some riders dole out the sugar, carrots, and cookies it does kind of remind you of well meaning parents “spoiling” their children with endless presents. When you give something away with no meaning attached animals and children do kind of develop a sense of entitlement. I don’t have any behavioural backings for this one. It just seems logical. We are all more honest hard working people because we have had to work hard for our rewards right? Life is not about free handouts. Or something like that...

Don’t take my word for it though! Here are some other articles about hand feeding and biting.

If you give a horse a cookie

Alexandra Kurland answers the question in this interview with Karen Pryor:

Many traditional trainers are reluctant to use food in their training. How do you prevent the horse from becoming too mouthy?

(look down the page until you see the question... or read the entire interview it's good!)

4H fun show

2011-12-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Our barn is mostly western with a large lesson program and now a 4H program. Bodhi's part boarder rides western with Bodhi and is in the 4H club. The barn hosted a 4H show yesterday and since they did not get enough interest from other clubs that opened it up to us boarders and other barns to join in the fun.

So the part boarder, me, and Bodhi teamed up (team Bodhi). I competed in the senior group and she was in the junior. One other farm showed up with three teenage girls and three all business gamer ponies. It was quite funny to see the juxtaposition between our lesson kids (mostly beginners) the boarders, who had never done an egg and spoon race in their life, and these kids--they were professional butterfly race extraordinaires!

This was my fist fun show ever and I had a blast. I rode western (comical) and I tried all the games. Bodhi was surprisingly keen, kept a great attitude through the whole ordeal, and tried his best with all the crazy things we asked him to do!

The part boarder and I both did command class, barrel racing(we got third!), Egg and spoon, Toilet paper challenge (we got second), butterfly race, flag race (we got third which is pretty good for any competition with the word race in it), trail class, and keyhole(second!). When we got to take off the saddle Bodhi and I really did well. We got first in both the bareback command class and the bareback five dollar bill class. I may not have a fast horse but I have a very smooth horse. Go team Bodhi!

So proud of my boy for being such a trooper. It was a proud day for me to see my little man all grown up standing tied and working all day in a crowd and keeping a keen positive attitude. He has really grown into a great guy.

learning lateral

2011-12-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

I have been working with Bodhi for a few five minute segments on side passing at liberty. We Keep it very short (5 mins) and work on it a few times a week. The biggest break through was getting him to hold still long enough to really understand what I was asking. That is one of our issues right now. He gets very excited and jumps into a behavior with out waiting for the cue. I know this just means he needs more work on cue control but I am also thinking about teaching him a chill cue. Never thought I would need a chill cue for this horse! It would be used specifically when he gets worked up during a shaping session. It is so adorable how hard he tries. He is one of the hardest working horses I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His slow little dopey baby self is shifting into a serious hard working adult horse. It is very fun to see him mature.

I am inspired by him to work with other horses. I wonder if it is just Bodhi or if it is the new way I am approaching training that gets me such consistent, positive results? I would love the opportunity to work with other horses so I can hone my skills as a positive trainer. Too bad as a graduate student I do not have the funds or time for a second horse.

I posted two videos below showing our process so far. The first one shows how I rewarded him after one correct step. The second video is later when I reward him after he fixes a straightness issue he was having.

Great comments I wanted to share..

2011-12-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

My last post had a few questions about the issue of horse slaughter. Calm, Forward, Straight posted especially insightful answers and she said I could share them. I think she has a great idea about contacting your local congressperson.

1st comment
The main markets for horse meat are Europe and Japan, although it is also served in Canada. The meat is often misrepresented as being from wild free ranging mustangs, and touted for it's healthfulness. The reality is that bute, banamine, wormers and most other horse meds are explicitly labeled "not for use in horses meant for human consumption".

The horses aren't raised for meat per se, it has just become a convenience for folks who can't be bothered to humanely euthanize, or to be responsible for horses that are no longer "useful"...

Horse slaughter is not actually illegal, but horses began being transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter after the last American slaughter house closed several years ago. You do not want to know how they kill the poor horses who end up in Mexico.

The three slaughter houses that operated in the USA until recently were owned by foreign companies, Belgian I believe, and there is documentation ( I have seen the tax records) that they paid next to no taxes here.

Hopefully not too much information... I used to be the NC leader for Americans Against Horse Slaughter. We were trying for years to pass legislation that would outlaw the transport of horses across the borders for slaughter.
2nd comment
While the slaughter plants closed, in part due to the inspection issue, there is no legislation that I know of actually prohibiting horse slaughter. Just hoops the plants had to jump through regarding inspections which affected profitability.

Once there was no facility left in the US to continue slaughtering, horses began being double deckered across the Mexican and Canadian borders to their slaughterhouses.

The next strategy to end the slaughter of american horses was to get the transport across the borders outlawed, under an anti animal cruelty act. This legislation could never pass both houses - bogged down by obstructionist agriculture lobby $$$$.

My understanding is that a couple of pro-slaughter congressmen quietly added the plant inspection funding language to the current ag appropriations bill which is one of the very exasperating ways legislation is handled in congress.

As long as the anti-slaughter legislation gets passed - the funding language in the ag bill won't matter.

Call / fax / email your congressperson telling them you want their support for Senate bill S. 1176 and House bill H.R. 2966. Go to http://www.house.gov/ and click on the Bills and Reports tab to read the text of the bills.

so many questions!

2011-12-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

I am sure everyone has heard by now about the bill making it legal to slaughter horses in the United States again.... I honestly do not know what to make of it. I am not going to jump up on my soap box either because I have no idea... so please keep reading! :)

Making slaughter illegal didn't stop horse slaughter right? I am not sure making things illegal really even works very well. Look at marijuana as an example. When there is a market and money to be made people will always do it right? Making it legal or not legal probably wont change much. Has not with drugs and has not with horse meat. I mean the horse meat industry seems a bit shady doesn't?

I mean I have never met a farmer who raises quality horses for slaughter and takes pride in his crop of certified black Angus grass fed quarter horse. Do they exist? The way horses go from the pasture to the plate seems really back alley to me. Does anyone know more about the horse meat industry? I feel so ignorant about the basic facts! Who buys the meat we produce? Does it get tested by the FDA for drugs, hormones, etc?
If we are going to eat horses shouldn't we treat them more like food and less like athletes? How could we do both and truly have both human consumers and horses at heart? How do we de-incentivize the practice of irresponsible breeding and the dumping of horses at auctions? It did not stop when slaughter was banned and it wont stop now. How do we stop something people get paid to do?

Ok enough questions. But seriously I would love to hear your thoughts! I know this is heated debate in the horse world but I really don't know what I think. I want to know how you guys feel. I have trusted your advise on other issues for so long!

Ok I am back...

2011-11-22T20:23:00.000-08:00

Bodhi this summer while i was away...

It is snowing... but I have my husband and my horse so it can't be too bad.

Bodhi has become quite the western pony while I have been away. He has been to a clinic from a John Lyons certified rider and he is a member of 4H. Best of all he has successfully learned to be happy partner with other riders with other styles.

Riding him again felt wonderful. He remembered everything. I felt like I forgot a few things. He was very happy to jump in right where we left off with clicker training. I think if you have a clicker trained horse and you are wondering if he will adapt to "normal" training.... well I can only speak for Bodhi and I but as long as you find riders and trainers that are soft then you should have no trouble shifting between the two modes of training.

I hope everyone has done well these last 6 months! I missed my horse and reading about your horses.

2011-07-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

I would like to start by apologizing for the lack of posts in the recent path. Rest assured, I haven't abandoned Bodhi. In fact, I have been taking lessons regularly and visiting him twice a week. His part-boarder has started riding three times a week, which is good because he is starting to get a bit pudgy. I have been working on more of the basics. My posting trot has improved a lot. I have him turning on his haunches and the walk, trot, whoa transitions are smooth. I need to practice the sitting trot. When I do it is looks (and feels) more like the jostling, bouncing trot.

Upon your suggestion, I was applying apple cider vinegar regularly to his hooves, which look great now. He recently had vet and farrier visits so he is in ship shape. The ground has dried up for the most part and now the bugs are the issue. They don't seem to pose as much of a problem as the bugs in Florida but he is still annoyed by them. I guess that's just one of those things you can't control. I will try to post more regularly in the near future. Hopefully we will see a few posts from the other two authors as well.

2011-06-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
I will be posting whenever I can to update everyone on Bodhi's adventures with his new riders. He has been a wonderful sport letting all of these new riders take him for a "spin".
I am Marci and I will be visiting Bodhi at least once a week and hopefully multiple times a week soon! I am just getting back into horses and riding after a long time away. I feel that I came back to my roots and what a better way than to spend time with sweet Bodhi. He is a pleasure to ride and even more amazing to just visit with. Well this is all for now...I am going to see if I can figure out how to post a few pictures and a video of the coolest pony in the world!

As Chris (horse husband) already mentioned cleaning Bodhi's hooves can be quite the task with all of this Manitoba "gumbo" but here Bodhi is waiting patiently!

2011-05-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

Molly left for Africa 5 days ago. I have been left with the daunting task of caring for Bodhi, the most important man in her life. ;) I will be visiting at least once a week to groom him and make sure he is a happy camper. Additionally, to make sure he stays fit, I will be taking lessons with the barn manager. I promised Molly I would chronicle this process on her 'Golden' blog. Please keep in mind, if you're still reading at this point, that I am a horse husband. I enjoy being around horses and I appreciate them as animals but I am not, by any means, a rider or an expert. Having said that, I will do my best to keep the blog interesting and informative.

I had my first lesson today. Bodhi is still DISGUSTING because he spends all day wallowing in the Manitoba "gumbo" (mud.) After I finally managed to get him cleaned up, I began the lesson. It was a back-to-basics lesson. We reviewed how to properly tack up (western) and then walked around the ring working on my seat, posture, and steering. We practiced our 'whoa's and 'go's, did lots of serpentines to practice turning, and worked on controlling the speed of his gaits with my seat. I have ridden enough to know what I am supposed to do but not enough to do it correctly or effortlessly. The instructor said I had quiet hands and did a good job. The lesson was a helpful review and a test of Bodhi's patience, which passed with flying colors!

I have a question about hoof care and I would greatly appreciate any advice. I will consult with Molly directly but I think it would nice to hear what her friends and followers think:

I will be applying Thrush Buster as preventative measure once a week while the mud is still bad (once every other week as it dries, etc.) but the barn manager said I should only use it after a problem develops because it can damage the hoof wall. Has anyone else had experience with Thrush Buster or tremendous amounts of mud? Should I continue using it regularly or give it a rest until I notice a problem?

Thanks, in advance, for your input.

TIA

2011-05-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to my travel blog. I hope I can keep you guys updated. Thanks for the friendship.

TIA

24 days and counting

2011-05-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

I am leaving for Africa in 24 days now. I am not even close to ready! I woke up this morning to a blanket of fresh snow covering everything. This place is a real trip to say the least.

I gave Bodhi's part boarder a ground lesson yesterday and I think he will be in good hands in.

I probably will not post again before I leave. I am going to miss reading your posts while I am gone for 6 months. If I have internet in Africa I will post about my journey there but I am not counting on it. I hope you guys will be around when I get back in November because I am sure I will be chomping on the bit to get back into riding.

Bodhi the Great

2011-04-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

My friend Marci comes out and rides Bodhi sometimes. She will be looking in on him while I am gone in Africa which makes me feel better. Here is a lovely photo she took of him. This also captures the snow we had in mid April!

I have discovered that my horse is very opinionated. I have now had several people try Bodhi for partial boarding and it is very obvious who he prefers and who he does not. He always tries a bit of sass with any new person much to my dismay. He pretends he does not know a few things and tries to convince them that "actually riding is just standing in the middle of the ring!" He also likes to proudly show them things they did not ask for. "Look at what I can do!" He then settles right down when the person is not impressed...

But some people he just shuts down and completely disrespects. In some respects I am not happy he is ever disrespectful. I thought I raised him better! On the other hand it is interesting to see what he will just not stand for. It is neat to see the individual even though sometimes it is a bit embarrassing.

Firsts

2011-04-19T09:57:00.001-07:00

First Photograph of Bodhi I took.

First time wearing the saddle (learning to kick the ball)

First time on his back.

First time with the side reins

First Dressage test

First crossrail

First group trail ride

First water experience (and first trace clip!)

Sometimes I feel like I am not progressing fast enough with Bodhi. Looking at all our firsts though I know we are off to a good start! What are you favorite firsts?

Shawna Karrasch

2011-04-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! Bodhi and I are still around though I have been very busy with grad school and Bodhi has been busy making new friends and enjoying the mild weather. I have some pictures to share and some news but for now I just wanted to share a horse trainer I just became familar with.

Her name is Shawna Karrasch. Her website is here. She has a background in training marine mammals and now applies the same concepts to horses. Talk about a woman after my own heart.
Her website has some great information about how to incorporate positive reinforcement into your training regime. Have any of you heard of her?

Video of a horse free jumping from the horse's perspective

What is natural horsemanship?

2011-03-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

I consider my horsemanship journey to be about discovering what is ethical not what is natural.
Keeping horses in general and riding them especially is the farthest thing from natural no matter what trainer you follow.

Ethical treatment is what has steered me towards positive reinforcement, bitless riding, and why Bodhi does not wear shoes and why he is on pasture board. Not because it is more natural for him but because I am concerned about his welfare and well being.

It seems like every time I look around one of the natural horsemanship trainers is caught doing something unethical-- I am sure I don't need to show anyone these examples, they seem to be talked about to death on other blogs and forums.

My request: Read this take on Natural Horsemanship. They said it more concisely then I ever could. What do you think of what this author has to say?

On the road again

2011-02-16T18:01:00.000-08:00

I visited Bodhi on Sunday and the message on the white board read

"horses being moved Feb 27th"

That is still all I have heard from the actual barn manager about the move next weekend.

So I have obviously been busy investigating.

I went to visit the stable where Bodhi is being moved next weekend. Let me paint you a picture. Brand new facility. 60 stall barn. Riding arena the size of the Titanic. The office area has leather sofa's and a fire place. The viewing area has a full kitchen. The bathrooms have hand towels.

The pastures Bodhi is being moved to have no drainage (remember the flooding?) and get this--- no water troughs. Period. I asked the woman working at the time how they are planning on watering the horses that will be in the paddocks and she said "we are buying troughs and we will truck in water". Oh and the horses boarded currently get 6 hours of turn out a day. Without water evidently. Oh geese.

So i went barn shopping.... again....

I looked at 4 new facilities. I picked the farm with the nicest pastures (my number one priority). It is farther than our current digs. It has an indoor. And goats.

Would this weird you out?

2011-02-11T08:28:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get the opinion of the masses here.

Scenario:

Bodhi's current farm has flooded in the spring in the past. The manager/owner is predicting it will flood again. I get a call from another boarder for something unrelated and she mentions that the owner is planning on moving the horses the 28th of February to a new farm. You have not gotten a call or email about this (He does not like to call my cell because it is long distance but he has my email).
He is moving the horses to a farm much farther away then the current location. The board will not go up but you have to pay for tack storage and use of arenas (which is currently included in my board). I have never been to this farm so know nothing about the reputation or facilities. The manager currently under contract to care for Bodhi will not be in charge of his care, he will be forwarding my checks directly to this new facility who will be providing all the care.

I feel really funny about this--- Is this normal? What would you think?

Snow bunny

2011-01-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all the support and ideas last post! It was great to have support, and it is great to talk to folks who really understand how hard it is to do something like lease a very important horse

I like the idea about giving a few lessons to potential boarders first, so I can share with them things that work really well with Bodhi, and also to make sure the person is a good match. Call me crazy but I am not too worried about him getting "ruined" by someone. I know I do a lot of things differently then other horse trainers, but I think if I pick someone kind for Bodhi, even if they do train differently I think Bodhi is the kind of horse that can handle it. I think it will be good for his development.

Now: why you guys are really here- The ever elusive chunky monkey fluffy feral snow bunny....
click on the photos for up close cuteness...

Would you lease this pony?

2011-01-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

Horse for Lease this Summer/Fall

Graduate student studying abroad for the summer and looking for a compatible rider for a 6 year old, 14.2 hand Haflinger gelding. Bodhi has been trained using positive reinforcement, and has been worked slowly and consistently, and as a result has no vices and is a simple and quiet mount. Bodhi would be perfect for anyone wanting to school, trail, and/or attend schooling shows. Price negotiable References required.

· Walk, trot, canter, with the beginnings of flying changes (over ground poles) lateral work, and shortening and lengthening at the trot.

· Started over fences. Green but willing and simple.

· Trail rides alone, and in groups.

· Rides in a snaffle, or bitless bridle. Good for an adult amateur, or intermediate youth

· Great ground manners, lunges, ties, clips, loads- a pleasure to work with.

*How does this look for a lease add? Text? Pictures? I figured I should start early since I am going to be so picky on the selection of a leaser.

Canadians: Where do you look for horse related things online? Where is a good place to post this?

Pictures and questions

2011-01-13T09:55:00.000-08:00

Graduate school is seriously limiting my time for blogging (who knew!) and winter is limiting my time for training. I am trying to enjoy the little time I have with Bodhi though, and I hope all the walking we are doing in the snow is keeping him some what conditioned. I have had 2 things on my mind lately and I would love to hear your thoughts:

I have decided I do not need to use a bit right now. Bodhi is bit educated so if he needs to go in one for some reason he is equipped. I feel that teaching him to be balanced, supple, and connected is more interesting without a bit right now. I have been riding him all winter in his side pull I talked about here. My issue is that it puts all the pressure on the top of his nose, and that it slides around. I think I want to try a cross under bridle like Nutural. I rode in one last weekend and he was much easier to bend and turn. My fear is that it will put too much pressure on the poll and under the chin. Has anyone ridden extensively in steady contact in a cross under bridle?

I am going to go to Africa this summer for my master's research. I think I would like to lease Bodhi while I am gone (6 months). I am hoping to lease him to someone who will take him to some shows and give him complementary experiences to what he already has. Knowing what you guys know about him, who should I market him to? What type of rider would be interested in a horse like Bodhi, and what should I work on in the short amount of time I have between the thaw and my departure to make him more marketable?

Also, here are some picture from the fall that were taken by a photographer the barn owner hired to document the new arena that we happen to be in. I was really happy to them because right now he looks like a yak. It is nice to be reminded what lives under all this hair!

This picture had to be blown up because we were in the background. It is signifigant because it caught him in what I call his baby extended trot. I have this photo labeled as "baby's first extension"

This picture is what I would like to think represents our best of 2010, and of him as a five year old.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-28T06:44:00.001-08:00

From the Golden family

Festive

2010-12-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

It has been snowing and snowing and snowing! I have been so busy with school that Bodhi has been left out to pasture for the most part. Due to some requests of festive photos back home we decided to take some family photos. So even though I do not have any horse related to report her are some very festive photos!

Snow

2010-11-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

Winter greetings!

Finally... snow. We got to go play in the powder today. A few slips, and Bodhi's feet collected quite a bit of snow (is that normal?) but otherwise we had a great time. My little Florida boy ate a ton of snow and spent a good deal of the time looking like a drama alpaca (I don't think he is quite a llama)

We had a blast though. I look forward to more winter riding!

Snow! nom nom nom nom

Bitless insures that he does not have cold metal in his mouth and he is free to eat snow till the cows come home.....

Bodhi and his trusty side kick miss Stella B!

Drama alpaca!

The husband can be coaxed to ride, and Stella encourages him!

Winter

2010-11-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Winter is coming for this Florida girl and her pony. It snowed on Friday but had melted into a think mud by the time I made it out to ride on Saturday. Bodhi had little mud booties on. I went at each leg with a sweat scraper and then a pick and then a hard brush. The arena was too muddy to ride in so we went for a hike down the road (the flood plane had also lived up to it's name).

We worked on some free shaping on getting round. Worked out pretty well. a had him target and stretch down and then follow the target back a bit (towards his body) When I saw his back lift up I clicked and gave him a pat and treat. It helped to distract him as we walked between fields of hundreds of Canada geese. They honked and flushed anytime we got close. I was pretty scared but Bodhi was brave.

Also Bodhi is fat. Really fat. The hay on the property is really good. I am trying not to be to worried. It is his first northern winter and he will have no blanket and it can be -40. So if he looks like a cow it may not be such a bad thing.

In an intrest to keep him from becoming one of those pony cartoon drawings though I am calling all northerners!

What do you do in the Winter? What do you do with snow?

Can I ride in it? Are there rules? What am I supposed to do!!?!!! Besides maybe this. Note the Haflinger in this kids section!

So to all you Northern folks what do you do in the winter to keep horse and rider fit? Any innovative solutions? How about safety tips?

No serious dressage rider will ever consider buying a Haflinger,

2010-10-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

My title is a direct quote from this wonderful article. I also found the quote below very interesting...

"More annoyingly for Kirsten had been the judges' differing opinions about her horse. “Some were happy to finally see such a well ridden and talented Haflinger, others were convinced this breed shouldn't be in a dressage ring," she recalls. Kirsten told me 40 points difference between single judges had not been uncommon, sometimes there had been even a 4 points difference in a single movement."

In regards to my title. First I don't think I am very serious about anything! Where is the fun in that?
Second of all I do not agree with the idea that only the warmbloods should do dressage. Dressage is for everyone! Will every horse be competitive at the higher levels? No. Every horse will benefit from being ridden by the principals of classical dressage however.

Real dressage is not a breed(s) of horse. Real dressage to me is not even a discipline or a sport. Dressage is a way of training a horse. Dressage is a philosophy.

For serious dressage riders it is not about the ribbons it is about the process and the journey. and luckily that journey is open for any horse and rider partnership to enjoy.

For those dressage riders that are only interested in ribbons then my advise to you is do not get a haflinger. Anyone though who enjoys a challenge but also enjoys a calm, sensible, and simple ride? I say have you ridden a haflinger lately?

We have a Ring!

2010-10-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

and man is it a nice one!
It was just finished on Thursday and so I am in a rush to enjoy it why it lasts. Also tried out a new bit. It had copper rollie thingies and no middle piece (so regular snaffle) Bodhi seemed to like it. He was soft, droolie and we had some really nice moments including some walk canter transitions. I am still heading towards the bitless though. I am planning on buying us a Nutural Bridle for Christmas.

I feel like going bitless is like going vegetarian. My transition has not been a straight one. Just like when I was first going vegetarian I kept balking at taking the final plunge, and then falling of the wagon when I promised myself that it was what I wanted. Some people are the jump in with both feet kind, but I am not.

So for those of you who are thinking of going vegetarian or bitless: Take your time, do your research and don't feel like you have to throw your current life style away in one day. Take steps toward your goal and know you are doing something good. Been a vegetarian now for 10 years- I say I did it right.

ok...

good!

best!

I need canter position help...

I also need funny face therapy...

If wishes were horses...

2010-09-30T19:22:00.001-07:00

*dadadadadadadadadada* *dream sequence* (Imagine that I was not in graduate school. Imagine I had a steady job, and I had consistent life.)

.....I would get another horse! Bodhi is of course my main ride. He is such a good boy and I love having him as my rock. I have always liked the combination of the challenge and the "home" horse. I now have made a real partner out of Bodhi. Within the safety and condifence of this relationship brings a strength and calm I would like to share with a new baby. So I would really love a new baby to train!

So I have always been intrigued by Arabian warmbloods Like this handsome fellow! He would be a ying to Bodhi's yang. :)

Or this handsome fella!

I have always wanted a w elsh c o b. or cross....

Ooof. Or how about this little guy? Go to the add and look at papa bear. Wow.

Mostly though when I think about my next horse I think about a horse like this:

(Paso Filly recently rescued by the Horse Protection Asociation of Florida)

I mean. I am truely lucky to have such an awesome horse like Bodhi. Should I really go for something that tops his athletisim so I can use my gained condfidence to reach higher levels? Or should I use the security of his rock-like personality to take on something truely chalenging. To take a horse that is broken and make it well again?
Heck at HPAF you can have both!
Wow look at all these nice horses...

In all seriousness though I think about this all the time. What will my next horse be? What challenge will I pick?

fun on the flood way

2010-09-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

(I just like the face I am making...)

So Bodhi is now at the edge of town right next to the "flood way" which is a series of ditches and banks around the Red River. It is the perfect place to go for a breeze, and it has some super inclines as well!

(not this wicked incline! Lucky we had our faithful sidekick to lead the way!)

I have never been much to hack out. I am not exactly sure why. Nothing horrible has ever happened to me on the trail. I think it is because I just have not done it enough as an adult rider (I loved the trails as a kid though!)

On Saturday I got up the courage to go ride out where last post I was walking. Bodhi and I went with Betsy and her mom. There were colorful moments to be sure. Bodhi did some head tossing and some minor pop ups when I told he had to stand while Betsy cantered. We had some pretty big spooks too (Betsy driven of course ;) ) Overall I was proud of my pony. We need more trail time though and Saturday taught me that I can handle it. Even when things get hairy!

Today I took him out alone (well not alone alone we had the sidekick and our photographer) to see how he'd be. He a Rock star!! I had so much fun cantering along the trail I can't stop smiling.

I see a similarity here don't you?

Ok.... just joking....

(A well deserved rest when we reached the top of the summit)

This is so much fun it makes me think could he possibly do low level eventing? Or how about endurance? Anyone who knows anything about endurance care to offer up an opinion?

zoom zoom!

EDIT: The photographer would like me to add the video he took. It showcases the crazy wind we were dealing with. He points out that the wind makes how calm Bodhi was more impressive... :)
Also check out the comparison photo I added to aid you in your opinions of Bodhi's future endurance career. Uncanny isn't it?

Graduate School is time consuming

2010-09-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Who knew? Since Bodhi's relocation I have only gone out to see him twice! It is going to be very difficult to be away from him for so long and I am already doubting my reasoning for bringing him up in the first place. Soon it will be winter which means no daylight and bitter cold. As for the summer I will probably be spending a good deal of it in Africa. For now though I am happy to spend every second I can steal with him.....

Here are some photos of last weekend when we went on a family walk across the flood plains. Hopefully this weekend we can do the same!

That strange plastic thing is a bag of cut up apples...

The Red River!

We are explorers!

So I got lazy....

The photographer! The best husband ever....

New digs

2010-09-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Now where did I leave off... Ah yes, at the craziest situation I have ever encountered in my life! (Update: I received a text message from the owner of the facility telling me the house was ready for me to live in.... too little too late I am afraid! I hope this means she is removing the manager who is not properly taking care of horses though!)

After I reached my quota of craziness I went barn hunting. I found a facility about 15 mins outside of town. The pros of Bodhi's new digs are

No crazy drama ( Hopefully!)
Property is owned by someone who lives on site.
Property is immaculate
Has lots and lots of grass!
Provides constant yummy grass hat and oats (??) in the winter.
Half the price

The cons?

Farther away
No indoor arena.

I am in mourning over the loss of the indoor. I have to keep reminding myself that pastures and herds are for horses and stalls and indoors are for people. Every time I visit the new facility I know I made the right decision.

I also had a close call in losing my precious dog Stella this weekend. My landlord left the door to my apartment open while testing the fire alarms in the building. Spooked by the alarms she must have ran out and gotten lost in the new neighborhood. He left a note but did not call me (??) so I came home from work on Friday to find her missing. I spent all night looking for her. It was the worst feeling in the universe! She is my world. I cry looking at other people's lost posters but making some of my own was just the worst .
On Saturday morning we went out looking again. While we were out the Winnipeg humane society called us to tell us that someone had found a dog matching our lost report! An amazing family had found her yesterday afternoon and reported it. They had kept her safe and sound and returned her without a scratch. People like these have completely restored my faith in humanity after my family's crummy luck as of late.

Look at that happy smile! I have my dog and I am hanging out in my immaculate heated tackroom!

Blurry but he is looking like such a fancy pony lately!

Rode in a bit for the first time in a month. First ride at the new facility and he was pretty saucy.
Stay tuned for my next post about how bits are the new meat... or something like that!

Still Around!

2010-09-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have had one hell of a ride lately. Yes moving to Canada is BIG, but my husband and I have had more than our share of bad luck. The kind of bad luck that makes you think "Do I have a karmic debt I did not know about?". The kind of crazy situations that make you just laugh out loud because they are so preposterous.

Remember the barn I found? With the house on the property? This barn with this house is managed by a woman who also lives on the property (in the larger main house). The owner of the property lives off the farm somewhere in Winnipeg. With me so far?

When we arrived in Winnipeg the house that we had agreed to rent was not vacant as we were told it would be. The farm manager graciously let us and our animals stay in her guest room, promising us the house would be ready in a week or two.

Meanwhile, I immediately began to help out around the farm. I noticed things were a bit off; skinny horses mostly, paddocks with no water, horses with neglected injuries. I started my usual routine of asking questions and trying to get the problems noticed by management. I quickly realized that the barn manager is burnt out on the job and does not care. The other boarders are upset and the general atmosphere is strange and uneasy. I started checking waters and throwing hay anytime I had a free moment--even though I am working full time at the University. I also started pulling a pathetically skinny Thoroughbred mare out of the muck to grain her myself.

When our house is finally vacated we are told we can not move in because they want to put in new floors and the place could use some painting. Fine. The place was trashed, though we would have taken it as is anyways because we were desperate to move in after half a month of living out of a suit case.

Finally, though, the owner showed up and I stood in line with the other boarders to voice my concerns about the horses and about our house.

The horses: I got the vet out for the injured horses, and the skinny TB mare. She had cheek ulcers from bad teeth. I got fecal tests done on all the skinny horses to see if parasites were an issue. A few horses had moderate parasite loads (including a pregnant mare!). The rest were fine. This group of skinny horses includes a pregnant mare and a two year old warmblood. It is just disgusting. Having the tests done proves my suspicion that the horses are just plain not getting enough to eat.

The house: Evidently the barn manager never even informed the owner about renting the house to us. In fact, the owner didn't even know that we existed until now. Her plan was to move back into the property in September and the little house was actually being fixed up for the barn manager, not us. So the barn manager knew this all along. We had been in contact with her about renting this since April. She continued to tell us every time we asked that everything was OK and that the house would be ready for us soon. I don't think I have ever had someone lie to my face so viciously in all my life. What purpose did all the lying even serve? I have no idea. Several of the boarders were mortified to hear this and defended me telling her about my hard work with the horses and that the owner should just kick the manager out completely. That would make sense right? Since she is starving horses? The owner said that she would think on it. She texted me later saying I could have the house. However, between her telling me no, maybe, and then yes, I decided that no matter what, I wanted out.

My husband and I just moved into a nice apartment in town and I found a barn for Bodhi to move to. My dream of living with my horse is shattered, but at least the nightmare is over.

Awww Shucks

2010-08-23T16:42:00.001-07:00

I have been a bit down and out as of late. Doubting my abilities as a scientist because learning new protocal is hard, and I am making mistakes. Also Bodhi's is still off on the right hind and between the cold hosing and stall rest for him and the hard work enviorment, and the fact that we still don't have our house, is turning us into squabbling babies. Yes both of us. I can't manage the simple act of cold hosing without picking a fight. So needless to say I am feeling a more than a touch incompetent.

So it feels extra nice to receive a blog award from the Lovely Blog Calm, Forward, Straigh t. How thoughtful! What perfect timing as well. Thank you!

I would like to pass this award down the line to The Jumping Percheron. She has also just moved cross country with her horse (though she had to cross an ocean!). She is a brave person in so many ways. She is brave for riding such a large lady over such high obstacles for starters.

Gee gads I would lose my lunch! Check out her blog and you will see so many other reasons she deserves a real badge of honor not just a blog one. Sorry blog awards are the only thing I am qualified to give!

There are not many rules with this award...JUST :
1)that you give it to only one person

2)link back to this post, so they may have an understanding to it's true nature
3) You may use any or all of the below written descriptions, with the award picture

~INTREPID RIDERS FACTION ~We strive to go where others only dare to go with our horse loves...healing,being respectful of the horse, riding, playing, camping, jumping, swimming and traveling down the trails of life. . . . with the horse in Heart ~ Overcoming many obstacles and sometimes weather, to ride!

This Award is dedicated to those Horse lovers and riders that inspire others to go deeper in ability, knowledge and understanding of the Equine(s) they have been entrusted to.The good of the horse is the ultimate goal apart from pressures to achieve ribbons and fit into lesson schedules.

~Some of These riders are fearless, when it comes to weather conditions and the forecasting of them...being with their horses, fills these folks' soul and takes the cares out of daily routines.

~They are unconditionally loving to the horse and may have rescued it from known ailment or living condition.

~Others have researched and purchased/ acquired their horse, to find a difficulty in temperament or a physical burden within the animal. Yet, Being dedicated , they have persevered to proudly be in partnership with their horse, lovingly striving for deeper awareness's between them.

~Some horse lovers may have been riding for years and suddenly, had an accident that takes them away from the great joy and freedom they have, being aboard such a magnificent animal. ~They have allowed the healing horse to rise in their hearts once again, and beckon them back!

(And this is my favorite part)

Fear is not my normal response to things ... just a desire to achieve higher understanding of what may lay ahead of me with my mare, that truly is a gift to my heart and soul. I always seek out knowledgeable and caring individuals to assist me, in any quest I may look into.

I am taking with me the good I have gleaned from caring individuals that have shown great single minded LOVE to the horse, and am leaving the dust of the bad behind me, not allowing it to fetter my supreme desire to be all I can be : as a rider to my mare and also - to allow- her to be the Equine athlete she truly is!

Interview with the owners of HorseandWildlifeGifts.com

2010-08-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not been commenting and posting. Turns out graduate school is hard work! Who would have thought that? I am sure I will get the swing of it but right now it is so hard! Bodhi also delivered some bad news today in the form of a swollen back leg. Good news is I think I am up to 3 bad things that have happened. Hopefully that is it for me for a while!

So the nice folks at Horse and Wildlife Gifts contacted me and offered to exchange a nice post about each other. I thought that it would be a fun idea and I am always willing to help fellow horse people spread the word! Instead of summarizing what you guys can see just by going to their lovely site though I decided to play interviewer and ask them some questions. Enjoy! Let me know if you like this idea. If you guys are interested I will find some more people to interview. What fun!

1. Your website says you have been involved in the Equestrian Business for 30 years! Could you give us a readers digest version of this incredible journey? Many of my readers are amateur riders with hobby horses. I personally love to learn about individuals who have made horses both their life and career.

Our stories evolve from two completely different backgrounds.

Bill learned at an early age that the girls were at horse shows. Thus his interest in horses began. Always a fierce and serious competitor, he was not interested in second place. Bill competed as a youth rider all over California & Nevada. He apprenticed under, Bruce Howard and became a professional trainer. He garnered many local, Regional and National titles in Halter, English & Western Pleasure, Driving, Working Cow Horse, Trail and Reining for his clients and himself. He is a licensed official with USEF in several disciplines and serves on USEF Advisory Committees. Bill has judged many National, World and International Championship Shows in multiple countries.

Corky is a city kid who lived for the opportunity to just smell a horse. She acquired her first horse at age 12. I was responsible for all related expenses from feed to board. My parents paid for nothing that related to the horses up keep. I spent so much time trying to make money to keep him, that I hardly had time to ride him. It wasn't until after I graduated from HS that I received any formal education relating to Equestrian activities. I apprenticed at 2 different farms and went on to successfully own, manage and operate a breeding and training facility. I earned many local, regional and national titles and coached many more youth and amateurs to the same. I received my first judging license in 1985 and continued to receive more breed cards. I have judged many local, regional, national and international events in 4 countries.

In 1993, I retired from the barn and my current husband, Bill and I started All Things Equine; a trophy, awards & gift company. Since All Things Equine started business, we have produced engraved brass nameplates, stall signs and other gift items at wholesale for as many as 300+ stores at one time. Currently, We hold the national award contracts for the American Miniature Horse Association, American Shetland Pony Club, American Miniature Horse Registry, Arabian Horse Association, National Show Horse Registry, Paso Fino Horse Association, National Reining Horse Breeders Classic & many more. We also have provided awards for several international events out of the USA. Both Bill and Corky have conducted educational seminars internationally promoting the equestrian business overseas in an effort to expand US impact there in marketing.

2. Given your long history in the industry what would you say the main difference is in the behavior of horse people vs. the rest of the world? (If there is any). This could be any aspect you want to address ie as buyers, as customers, as friends, as business owners, as animal trainers. You name it!

Generally, there is very little difference. All horse owners tend to be a bit barn blind and narrow minded. More often than not, overseas owners hold American judges in very high esteem and put a lot of weight on their opinions. Sadly, many judges use International shows as a means to expand their own personal agendas in placing the horses they are judging. They look at each competitor as a possible buyer and will exploit the situation. Bill & Corky believe that the most impartial assessment and judging overseas comes from individuals who have nothing to gain from the contacts and people they meet. Short of, more judging jobs. Their pure desire is to find the best horse no matter who has it and promote & expand breed development.

3. What was your inspiration for starting an online store?

We needed to print a new catalog but the costs are astronomical. It was a constant problem to keep it up to date. No sooner was one printed than items were discontinued or replaced with products that were supposedly the same but of course were not. Our experience told us it was a necessity to have a way to maintain a catalog of sorts but one we could manage, removing items and adding new ones. Our first website attempt was www.AllThingsEquine.com . Strictly informational but all to soon out of date. The way we did it was terribly expensive to make changes as we had hired a company to do it for us. neither Bill or I was overly "tech savvy". As the market began to slow down in the horse industry several years ago, we needed to figure a way to continue to market our products and support the companies who had hired us as company reps for their products. We marketed for 6 companies at one time at wholesale events around the country. One of our very loyal customers suggested we set up a new company uundera different name and sell online at a "true retail" price. This couldn't possibly upset our wholesale accounts as we would be competing on the same level. Hence,
www.HorseAndWildlifeGifts.com was born. This time we hired a company to design the site that all the support we needed and educational opportunities to work the development of the store ourselves. That company was Solid Cactus and I cannot say enough positive things about the entire group. A-Z they are absolutely the best!!! Currently, the All Things Equine site is under redevelopment by Solid Cactus and it should be launching in the next couple of months. It will have 3 layers of pricing. Cold hard Retail on the top with a complete shopping cart, an awards pricing level for quantity purchasing and a wholesale level for our existing loyal customers.

4. What would be your one piece of advise you would give to someone who wanted to start an equine related business?

Do your homework. Ask any and all questions and continuously ponder the answers to come up with more questions. Don't re-invent the wheel. Use others successes and failures as a business plan for your self. If you don't wish to work 10-16 hrs 365 days of the year and then some, don't go into any equine business. The work is relentless but incredibly rewarding. "Perseverance" must be your middle name.

5. What is something you learned the hard way about running a business online?

Business doesn't automatically find you. Even if you are established, creating an online presence is like starting a new job. It is a whole new ball game. Site promotion is time consuming and expensive; either in dollars & cents or time if you do it yourself. You will learn a whole new alphabet of acronym soup! For us, we were schooled long before computers came into existence. Now as grandparents, sometimes our grandchildren can figure things out better and faster than we can.

6. As for the hardest question.... What is your current favorite horse breed? (Hint: it is golden, fluffy, and deliciously drafty)

It is funny you say drafty. Corky has harnessed, braided and shown her share of Percheron and Belgian cross horses. Honestly though, Corky & Bill have always held a passion for the Arabian Horse BUT Corky's just have to be Pinto. She is infatuated with color. All colors. Next to that, she just plain loves horses. All horses and all breeds. It is a challenge for us to try and understand and appreciate each breed for their intended purpose and job. I guess that is why we like judging. It is a challenge to apply what we learn about different breeds to finding the best representative of that breed in whatever class, event or occupation they serve.

Bill & Corky
www.HorseAndWildlifeGifts.com

He made it!

2010-08-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well Bodhi finally made it to Winnipeg yesterday morning!

He hopped off the trailer looking content and in great condition. I put him in a stall and he immediately started munching on hay. After a few hours I let him frolic in the jump ring. I sat in the warm sun and watched him explore and romp and visit across the fence with some new friends. I have so many photos because my husband took so many! More details and photos to come but Bodhi and I have already had a ride today. He was so good! Love that pony.

I will be asking everyone some advise soon. I am having to make some decisions on how to board him.

On the Road again...

2010-08-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Bodhi is leaving Toronto this afternoon and should be arriving in Winnipeg Friday morning. I am so excited it is hard to concentrate. I miss him so much! I can't wait to see him. I hope he likes his new digs. Our lives are going to be so different. His life will be so different.

If any of you are bored check out the post I did on the other blog I belong to- Ethical Eats. It has an adorable picture of miss Stella B! ( In all honesty my husband wrote it... but refuses to take credit)

Leaving the Sunshine State

2010-07-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

Bodhi left Florida at 6 am this morning with the help of Kathy, the barn manager and my mom. Kathy said he loaded without hesitation. Good thing we worked hard on trailer loading in the beginning because seeing the pictures I would have had reservations if I were him!

Come on Bodhi! Get home soon!

I Want My Pony!!!

2010-07-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

My 100th post and in Canada!

All is well. We have made our journey from Florida to Manitoba with the two cats, husband, and dog. It was actually pretty painless and kinda fun to see the country. I enjoy car trips.

We are now living at Meadow Green Stables in the guest bedroom of the Barn Manager's house waiting on our house to be vacated. We are content here and I am just trying to stay out of the way and lend a hand with the barn as much as I can as thanks. I am so grateful that she took us in!

My dog is in heaven. She has already made friends with the other dogs in residence and is enjoying the space and new smells. The cats on the other hand are wondering why in the heck they are in this strange house with strange people and even stranger animals.

Bodhi's departure has been changed to next week, and they don't even know when he will get to Winnipeg. I am miserable! I just want my horse safe and sound at his new farm. Why all the delays? I hate transporting horses. I am going to try and train Bodhi to teleport when he finally gets here so we don't have to deal with this again in a few years.

I missssssss myyyyyyyyy ponnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyy!

Off to Canada!

2010-07-17T06:17:00.000-07:00

We are leaving tomorrow morning veeeery early to begin our three day journey to Manitoba. Wish us luck. We are setting off with so many things unsettled. Bodhi's leave date, our housing situation etc etc. We just can't wait any longer. Everything in Florida here is closed up, boxed, and stored. Ready or not Canada here we come!

On a completely unrelated note. I wanted to share some links with you on my last post in the US!
This has been going around so you have probably seen it, but if you have not I would say it is worth your thoughts.
Disclaimer: I am not an anti, or a pro of any one training method. I feel like everyone has something to learn from everyone. You should be an open minded skeptic and not rule out any person from sharing their knowledge but you should also take everything people say with a grain of salt. It is a balance. I have learned so much from so many different trainers I am constantly gleaning useful tidbits off of everyone. That being said I am not going to financially support a trainer that uses an abusive technique. Period. He may have some good things to say, and I am still willing to learn but I am not willing to pay. I hope others feel the same. My feelings are that these methods are not appropriate. Not in any context. You should never gum line a horse as a training method.
Catwalk and Pat
Now let's focus on the positive side of horse training I have this to recommend as well!
How to Halter train a head shy horse
This is a great explanation of how to work with a head shy horse correctly with a video. Dealing with horse issues takes time and patience. When you turn them into commodities like in the show world, or the fix-a-horse in an hour clinic world, you sacrifice the horse.

Break it Down

2010-07-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

I have been chewing on the request made by you guys on how I trained Bodhi to work at liberty. My husband summed it up best I think: he said
"Trial and error, positive reinforcement, and persistence."
So that is the short answer! I am going to attempt and break down the behaviors and talk about how I shaped each piece as I think that will be most helpful. There will be a bonus golden blooper at the bottom so please read on... :) I tried reeeeally hard!

The key for any behavior you want to teach is to break it down: Things Bodhi could do before I unsnapped the lead:

Bodhi was classically conditioned to a tongue click. To me this is crucial for liberty work. I can communicate to my horse from a distance that he has completed the behavior I want. A "click" is also a natural pause button in the session. This means if all else fails you have a whoa when your horse understands that a click means "good job stop and get your reward"**
-Bodhi understood basic commands on the lunge through voice and body language. He would move off, stop, and turn while maintaining slack in the line. Keeping your horse on a line while perfecting your, whoa, go, and turn supplies you with a safety net in case your horse gets excited overstimulated or distracted. Which cues you use is up to you. I started Bodhi as a two year old with NH. So he yields his shoulders and hind end when you point with a whip or hand. He also takes cues from whether my hips are "open" (facing him) or "closed"(parallel to him). Facing him means stop. Parallel means to travel parallel to me and when I angle my hips in he knows to circle me. The positive side for body cues of course is that it is not dependent on pressure from a line. So it translates well for liberty. I also have a verbal whoa. Used more undersaddle but it works at liberty too.
-Bodhi knew how to target- Targeting is one of the basic lessons many positive reinforcement trainers use. It is a great tool in your tool box and can be used for a variety of tasks once trained. It is a way to ask for movement and direction without using driving aids like a lunge whip from behind which may be too much for the sensitive horse at liberty causing a horse to break the connection and leave. I found targeting put Bodhi in the habit to looking to me for directions on where to go to get rewarded. **

Our Liberty Work- a Progression:
What you need: enclosed area-We have a smaller riding ring which I worked in to teach all of the initial pieces. A small simple environment is the best place to train liberty work. I find round pens are too small. I like my horse to be able to "leave". It shows me where the holes are in the commands. I think it makes them feel less chased and more playful when it is actually their idea to participate.
A target stick -dressage whip, carrot stick your hand etc. whatever you train your horse to target can then be generalized to give direction at liberty.
A marker: A marker is what signal you condition your horse to respond to. I use a tongue click because it is unique sounding, easy to produce and sharp. You could use a phrase like "good" or "Yes" but you have to be careful to say it the same way each time and not use it in other contexts**
Rewards I trained all the behaviors by reinforcing them positively. I use a portion of Bodhi's grain for rewards with pieces of carrot as a "jackpot". I carry them in a pouch designed for dog training. You can also use a cloth tool bag or fishing vest.**
Control of gaits and Whoa I trained Bodhi first to walk trot and canter and whoa around the ring on command. I found for a lazy pony it helped for me to travel around in a smaller tract with him which then evolved into body cues for Bodhi on which gate I want. I trot for trot, and I skip for canter. I stop my feet, he stops his feet. It is simple and easy for me to remember. Keep in mind these behaviors, as he responds correctly, are being reinforced by a tongue click and a reward. As Bodhi was trained to yield his hind end at the whoa I then reinforced direction changes as well from the halt by indicating which shoulder I wanted him to yield and reinforcing when he picked correctly.
Targeting- I then practiced targeting around the ring at liberty. I gradually faded out the clicks and rewards and had him following the target for longer and longer periods of time without a click. This helped him to generalize that the target was indicating direction not just an immediate touch. I then practiced weaving, serpentines and circles as he followed the target. He eventually generalized that the outstretched dressage whip was indicating his trajectory and I was able to phase out the touching of the target completely. My body language cues from our previous ground work then filled in the gaps and I was able to "control" him at liberty.
Jumping I think this is the most simplistic part. At liberty I set up ground poles around the arena and reinforced him for walking and then trotting over them. He quickly caught on to the game and we diversified by setting up cross rails combinations of ground poles and jumps, tiny oxers and the like. Bodhi was learning how to jump so we went slowly. Teaching a horse at liberty is just like teaching a horse to jump on the lunge only he was never forced to go over any object by jump shoots and never punished for dodging or refusing. In this way I knew when the obstacle was too difficult or we had progressed too fast. If he went around or refused an object I just brought it down to something he had already mastered and began again. By earning a click and treat he had incentive to try hard and be persistent.
The result is what you saw. A horse that is happy to travel around a course of jumps, and turns, stops changes directions and gates by body language. It took a lot of hours to learn but we did not notice we were having too much fun!

There are many means to an end. There is probably a million ways to train a horse to work at liberty. There is no one right way to do it. I can only attest to what worked for us.

Some things were a surprise to me. I had no idea that Bodhi would generalize so quickly to my body language. That was a very happy accident. I was also so surprised at how tenacious and happy he became. He really likes to jump and to run around with me a liberty. Who knows why?!

Each horse is different. What I will say about this sort of work though is that it will teach you a great deal about your relationship with your horse. It will show you what needs to be worked on and what has been reinforced well in your training. You will see more of your horse's personality at liberty too. As you express yourself without the aide of tack don't be surprised when your horse expresses himself right back!
I hope this little narrative is helpful. Go out and play with those ponies!
**As I am writing this post I feel like each of these points could use a whole new blog entry. Food is a touchy subject among horse people. Also targeting and classical conditioning are basic concepts used by animal trainers but may be novel to some of you. I know I have a mixed audience from different disciplines and backgrounds so if you guys would like any of these techniques explained yell out and I will be happy to give it my best.*

Ok on to the promised blooper video. Below is what happens when you have an agility trained dog and horse. You get a dog in pony show.
Disclaimer: This was not planned. I thought Stella was distracted with a ball but apparently not. Don't try this at home it could have ended with a squished dog. I was lucky so now we can all laugh.

Liberty Photos and videos

2010-07-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

Reasons I love Liberty work for hot summer days.

You can wear shorts and sneakers
Your horse is also working without tack
They can be freshly hosed
It is great exercise for you and your horse
If you are like me you don't have a chance of over heating your horse because running around with him makes you overheat before he even starts to sweat.

At last I have some photos of Bodhi and I working at liberty over fences in the pasture together. Yesterday was actually not as fantastic as the other day(but still so fun!). Bodhi was responding well of course but I felt like I was not cuing him as clearly and I think he had better form over the fences the other day as well. I should be changing the jumps around every session but I was lazy. Also don't worry when you see some of the early photos. I hosed him off before our session so that is not sweat! So enough talk...

Golden Moments...

Backing up during our warm up.

Start off with some cross rails

With a hop over the small vertical

Moving on to a larger vertical

Over one of our natural jumps.

Praise for a job well done.

How about some video!

Give me Liberty or give me carrots

2010-07-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

Pony rides...
I invited two of my friends over for pony rides on Monday. Both were novice riders, and one had never ridden a horse before. Bodhi is very tolerant of bouncing and unbalanced riders and sticks to his slow walk and shuffle trot with the occasional un-cued Spanish walk to illustrate just how *bored* he is.
Bodhi does fine for the "pony ride" style of riding. He follows me around nicely and trots when I trot and halts when I halt. If my guests want any control over their mount though they really have to work for it. Bodhi turns into a little stubborn grump if I try to do the instructor styled ride with the guest on the rail and me sitting in the middle. He swerves and they manage to correct and he just turns again. He refuses to move his feet. He looks drunk and my poor friends look flustered. They both eventually got it and they are now both better riders for it but it is frustrating having my lovely soft willing pony turn into a two year old throwing a tantrum. If I leave the ring entirely that helps but I am worried about Canada and how he will act in lessons up there. He is obviously not dangerous and just throwing a pony-tude but I have a hard time figuring out how to fix it since I am not in the saddle. Any of you folks out there have a lesson program and deal with the middle of the ring sour pony? Any advise?

Bodhi's Liberation
Yesterday, since Monday was not a fun day, I decided to keep it fun but challenging. I look him into the bigger pasture with all the jumps set up with the plan to just see what Bodhi was made of. First I played all of the old games from my Parelli days. We did the circle game, yo yo game, and the squeeze game through standards, with a tree and a fence line. I then did figure eights over a jump and a log as I have seen on several blogs lately including Stale Cheerios. It was so neat to see how well he responds at liberty to questions he has either never had or has not done in a long time. It was good for us to take our established cues and apply them to different exercises. He was light and energetic. I could control both his direction and his speed during the games at a walk, then trot, then canter.

We moved on to the rest of the pasture where I set up several jump lines of various distances. I asked him to jump them at the trot and then the canter. . It was fun to see the different ways I could ask: running beside him, calling him over from the landing side and sending him over at the take off side. At one point he went in crooked and missed the second jump in the line. Without prompt and with a look of determination on his face he cantered a wide circle around me and set himself up correctly for the line and executed it perfectly. He then dropped to a trot, turned and stopped at my feet.
"Now I deserve a carrot piece"
I think my mouth was hanging open a bit.

He was loving the fences! He seemed to be beaming with confidence and pride over each jump, much better than the clumsy and unsure baby I was not sure even had a talent for jumping. His knees are tucked up and his back is rounding and he looks great. He jumped every single jump in the pasture even the natural jumps we have set up for crosscountry practice like the logs and tire. It was so fun to see my draft pony so liberated.

In between these bouts of gallopy goodness I worked on calm and connected walking at liberty to keep both of us cool in the heat. He would immediately fall in line next to my shoulder and stretch his neck down when I dipped my shoulder. He would cross in front and give laterally at the walk when I swung my hips towards him and crossed my legs walking diagonally. It was nice to have these calm connected moments in between our revved up play. I feel like I need to work more on the little subtle parts of liberty work. We both prefer the exciting stuff but I really need to slow down and make sure he understands all of my cues and body language and does not just leap to conclusions. At the very end I called him up to a stump and rode him back to the gate bridless asking for halts all the way up.

Each day seems to get better leading me to think what will be our next challenge? With all these glowing reports we know it is coming!

A lesson at last!

2010-07-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

Well I finally had a lesson with my favorite instructor. She has stopped riding and training due to an unrelated and unfortunate injury and now works in a different field. I really miss having her as an instructor. She is amazingly observant and well educated in both dressage, and the bio mechanics of horse and rider. She is also good at explaining her insights and observations to the rider. To top it all off she is positive and encouraging and I have accomplished more with her than any other instructor. I started training with her when I decided to switch over from hunters to dressage with that 2 year old haflinger I bought. She was there as my support during the initial training process and I don't think I could have done it without her sage advise at the key points in our training.

So yesterday she came out and gave me one last lesson for old times sake. I was nervous because I felt like I had gone back to a lot of my old habits and I also did not know what she would think of riding without a bit.

The lesson was amazing and afirming. She was really impressed with Bodhi's canter work-- it was much more balanced and off the forehand than last she saw. He also could not get his left lead last time so I was happy to show we now had both leads!

We worked on flying changes and lateral work at the canter. To my suprise Bodhi executed both of those tasks effortlessly. She says he looks very happy and balanced and forward in the new bridle but did admit she wished to see him a bit more round. So for the remainder of the lesson we worked on my position at the sitting trot to see if we could get a more round frame. Like magic when I fixed my position Bodhi was happy to give to the bitless! Yay! I am so happy that my trainer came out. She always pushes us just a little bit and shows me that Bodhi is always ready for more than I think he is.

I am having such a proud moment with recpect to Bodhi's training. No horse is finished but he is definitely close to where I wanted him to be to feel satisfied that he has the basics. He has a balanced walk, trot, and canter both directions with an abulity to regulate the tempo in each gate. He has a firm grasp on lateral movements and will stretch and collect his frame on cue. He works well in a snaffle and in a bitless bridle. He is now comfortable and balanced over fences. He is an amazing liberty partner. He is safe enough for children and beginners but is still a little squirt on the trail. I love that pony.

I am a different story of course... I have a lot to work on:

Elbows! I need to keep my elbows bent and not throw my reins away in transitions
not to drop my hip when asking for lateral movement
Ask him to come to me into the bridle not go to him
Keep my upper body still durring the canter and give through the pelivs
Keep my shoulders open and upright
Not lock the small of my back but support my upper bodyi instead with an engaged core.

Contemplating Extinction

2010-06-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

No not that extinction!
I am not really interested in the debate over what killed off the dinosaurs. (Last I heard we are back to asteroid bur my personal theory is Zombie virus.)

I am thinking about the term extinction when used in the context of learning theory and behavior. Extinction refers to the withholding of reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior in order to eliminate that behavior*.

We have all heard the advise ignore it and it will go away. Sometimes we encourage behaviors we don't want in our horses accidentally. When we realize it we put the behavior "on extinction" or we consciously withhold our reinforcement. The reinforcer is usually our reaction to the behavior. This is a common treatment for attention seeking behaviors like vocalizations, pawing, nosing etc. I have also heard trainers recommend ignoring horses that spook or shy. Heather Blitz described a spook as a ripple in a pond of your schooling session or test. By reacting in anyway you are making a bigger disturbance in that water. Your objective as a rider and trainer is to keep the water flowing and still in your ride(I am paraphrasing).

If the behavior is not immediately endangering you or the horse I believe that putting the behavior on extinction by ignoring it or by replacing the behavior with a more desirable and incompatible behavior with the undesired one, are all you need in your tool box to reduce unwanted behaviors.

What about the other side of the coin though? How often do horses quit performing behaviors that we want because we have accidentally put them on extinction? Horses trained with negative reinforcement (which is to say almost all of them) usually become dull to aids or cues because of poor execution of negative reinforcement causing habituation. Negative reinforcement is an exact science and to err is human so all of our horses probably suffer at some level with habituation to our aids ( I know mine does). I wonder though if extinction has a role to play as well in the dull horse?

In the beginning of acquiring a new skill the rewards are big (or at least they should be). Think about how you approach teaching your horse something new. How do you show him he is doing well? A big release of the inside rein? A nice rub on the crest or whithers? A rest? A treat? Whichever form you decide to deliver your reinforcement you are providing feedback on what behaviors you want while simultaneous providing incentive to repeat the new behavior in the future.

So what about those tried and true behaviors or those "push-button" horses? What do we expect our horses to do automatically? Sometimes extremely well trained horses "forget" well formed behavior or offer a lack luster performance. In some instances I think this happens because we have stopped giving feedback. Just like people, horses require feedback even on tasks they perform with confidence in order to know the behavior is still what you want.
Additionally who would want to continue to preform a task with no reward or recognition?

I guess the take home message is this. If you are having issues with a horse not performing a well rehearsed behavior or motivation in your equine in general make sure you are providing consistent feedback so your horse knows when he is getting it right!

Enough contemplation back to what really matters.... Bodhi!
I got in a quick ride today right before a downpour. Bodhi.was.awesome. He was forward but listening to even the lightest aid of my seat, legs and reins. He felt amazing! It was definitely a ride to hold on to when problems will arise again. It only lasted ten minutes and during our 2nd canter the sky opened up. We made a B-line for the barn after that and waited for the rain to lighten up.
As Bodhi stood drying off by a fan I played with the barn manager's nervous Nancy TB and a boarder's TB on stall rest. They both love to play clicker games and I like to give both of those high energy high and intelligence horses something to do for a few minutes to elevate the boredom.
After the rain let up a bit Bodhi and I jogged together at liberty back to his pasture. Before I left him to graze I took the opportunity to work with him in some of the forming puddles. He was willing to walk and trot through them at liberty and finally even backed into a puddle! So proud as he is not a fan of water. What an idyllic day with my golden boy!

*=http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Extinction_%28learning%29

Duuuuude... Chill........

2010-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

We interrupt this post to share two relevant links for my fellow bloggers.
Check out Behind the Bit's post about the new Horse blogger group she started

Check out the latest post from Dressage Mom about the contest she has entered. Support a fellow blogger and vote!
Ever wonder what Mr. Golden is up to? I convinced him to write my blog entry last night over at Ethical Eats.
It is June in the sunshine state. Temperatures in the mid 90's with the humidity bringing the heat index up to unspeakable numbers. Everything is sticky and simple tasks outside have now become trials. Why is it then, my fabulous followers,my rotund little golden pony has grown rocket boosters?

Bodhi has always had more whoa than go at the best of times. He is also not a fan of Florida summers, turning into an itching(allergies), sweating, groggy mess. One of my constant training challenges has always been to keep him "light". I would say he varies normally between average to very heavy and slow in his responsiveness. He can be slow as malasis on a hot day. I have ridden him with spur buds and a dressage whip (with my trainers insistence) before. I have been working lately on his responsiveness to my legs with clicker training as well.

When Bodhi was up and charging forward on our conditioning ride in the big pasture I thought that was normal, but on Sunday during our ride in the ring he jumped three caveletties at once (!!!) and leaped into the canter at the slightest leg. Monday I decided to work on tempo regulation and only did trot work but he was super sensitive and as forward as forward can be! We are still in the learning stage of the new bridle but Monday I finally got his head and neck more relaxed and his back more rounded but I had to continually remind him to slow down!

Is this a real problem? I am not sure. If it is, it is a nice problem to have. I have no fear of getting run off with. He still stops on a dime. Yes the haffie power trot is a little exhausting to post, but to actually have a forward horse-- I'll take exuberance even if it is a bit over the top.

So causes of this sudden shift? Here is what I have so far...

Bitless bridle a) he feels more free to move forward. I have heard that "lazy" horses can become more forward when you remove the bit? b)he does not like the new bridle and feels anxious about it and wants "to get it over with"
He is in shape - we did a ton of rehab and he may be in better shape than he has ever been before.
A Maturity thing -young horses go through phases, maybe he is feeling more confident with his better balance and muscle
Flax seed=rocket fuel?? he is now on flax seed to help his skin allergy.
My upper body= crap. He could be running forward because my upper body is a wet noodle lately.
Clicker training; I have been rewarding exuberance and responsiveness lately, especially at the canter. Could this account for his new and improved work ethic? That is what it *feels* like to me. That he is trying really hard to get that click. Unfortunately he is trying too hard.

I am sure it is a combination of several of these things. He definitely feels like he is jumping to conclusions and rushing to answer questions I have not even asked yet. It feels wonderful to have such a enthusiastic student but my role as his teacher now is to ask him to just relax! My challenge will be to find balance in this new issue. Ask him to soften and balance his body off the forehand without loosing that exuberance. If we can shape this wave we will definitely be at a break through.

--

Yeehaw and an Eductaion

2010-06-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Wild ride:
Took Bodhi out to one of our larger pastures to canter around. My husband came along as well and we turned it into a husband/pony workout with him jogging next to Bodhi.

This makes Bodhi really excited for some reason... I think I may be missing some competitive undertones between the two. Maybe they have been trash talking each other when I go into the tack room for a curry?
Bodhi was very up and a little hard to control in our new bridle. I never felt afraid of losing him completely but there was a lot more pulling going on then I want their to be. I had a huge grin through it all because even if it's naughty an amped up haflinger is pretty much the cutest thing ever.
I remember a similar situation on our first ever trail ride where Bodhi went above the bit and turned me off and that was with a bit of course. So fear not I do not blame the bridle I blame the training. I obviously need to work more on tempo and transitions when he is in an "elevated" state. The problem of course is usually the "elevation" part.

Getting an Education:
I borrowed the DVD "Lesson 6: Shaping on a Point of Contact" By Alexandra Kurland. I have watched part 1 so far. I should probably watch it again. It is packed with information but the audio quality is poor. Here is the synopsis:
Physical balance has many benefits for your horse. He'll stay sounder longer. he'll have smoother, more beautiful gaits. And he'll be more focused and emotionally settled. How do you bring a horse into physical balance? By shaping on a point of contact so your horse becomes internally body aware and learns how to adjust his own balance. find out what that means and learn the skills to help your own horse achieve physical and emotional balance in this two hour DVD lesson.

One thing I have really gotten out of this DVD so far is how to use negative reinforcement correctly. This may be covered more extensively in other DVDs from her but I only have access to this one.
As she describes it all you need for "pressure" is to get to the point of contact with the horse and wait until you get your response. This is demonstrated with a horse on lead being asked to go forwards and backwards. Sliding your hand slowly up the rope lets the horse know you are about to cue then stopping your hand at the point you feel contact with the horse. No escalating the pressure from there. You immediately release as a -reward and if you add the clicker you get a + reward as well. Using a clicker to explain pressure and release during the acquisition phase makes a super soft horse without having to "up your pressure" (which I hate). She also explains body posture to help the handler stay soft but firm.
Started some work with Bodhi and he responded right away! He is a real slow poke on the lead too which is really frustrating. I am glad I have this tool now. Instead of playing the "how serious are you really about this?" game I can just reinforce when he responds to the level of pressure I want him to respond to. Perfect!

He's Back!

2010-06-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

Last week the vet came to look at Bodhi along with updating his shots etc. She concluded that he is back to normal!

I had a hunch he was but it was great to hear it as an official prognosis! What a relief. We have been celebrating by doing canter work again. He is now getting both leads perfectly. He is also showing such improvement over fences. Today I tried him over a 1'3 to a 2' bounce and he did great.
I am so happy to have my horse back. I honestly think he is more athletic and balanced then he was before the injury. I think this is partly maturity and partly all the physical training I did with him. Since his left side was his weak side already it really paid off. My vet got a kick of my PT work that included leg lifts. :) I know I am ridiculous. Since the injury happened in March it took about 3 months to completely heal. Just as my vet predicted. That is why they pay her the big bucks!

Look out folks Bodhi and I are back to work!

Lets get this straight before we get round

2010-06-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

When I was taking dressage lessons from my most recent and favorite instructor she described the role of the reins as for "headset only". As she would often say reins are for explaining "I would like your head here". As a few commenters have said headset is not collection. I could not agree more! I am going to try and share what I know about the ever elusive concept of "on the bit" and collection. I am by no means an expert (obviously) and would love to hear your thoughts. How were you taught to put a horse on the bit? How do you define collection?

To elaborate on what my trainer explained: cues from the reins are really the icing on the cake. In dressage the seat, body, and leg aids communicate 95% of all cues to the horse including gait, tempo, bend, direction changes, turning, etc etc. That is why I can ride my little green bean bridless--because of this concept. What my trainer means by headset is the soft "give" of the pole and also the very minor bend at the pole for circles etc. It really is not much, and it really is the last thing you think about- as in the last thing you ask for and the last cue you give. I have heard this described as riding a horse back to front.

Riding a horse on the bit has a definite feel. To me it feels like all things are possible and the horse can respond instantly to any cue for a transition or change of direction. Having a horse that is soft in your hands to me is the beginning of being on the bit. I think what I find confusing and what seemed to have others just as confused though is: is being on the bit the same as collection?

To me it is not. To me having a horse on the bit is just having a soft horse that is giving at the pole and when supported through the riders legs and seat encouraging him/her to be forward and reaching under your horse is now round and on the bit. I have always thought of collection being an advanced frame used in higher dressage movements like the collected trot, piaffe, and passage. I think on the bit riding is a definite precursor to collected work. Though as Kathy pointed out does a horse really need a specific head set to be collected? If you watch your horses playing and frolicking in the pasture I would say no (especially Kathy's horse Satin, I have seen her perform "airs" in the pasture that would make a Lipizzaner jealous).

That is why there is a dressage training scale. First you want forward. You want your horse to move freely forward no matter what. Then you want rhythm, and relaxation, balance and straightness. Only then do you want to harness that energy and start to shape it. Collection for me is a highly concentrated form of the horse's natural power and energy. When collected the horses front end will be light (so off the forehand) and the driving power will be coming from the behind. A collected horse is ready to achieve the amazing higher movements talked about above like the collected and extended trot, the piaffe and passage.

Recommended reading
Sustainable Dressage on collection
Jane Savoie on how to put a horse on the bit
Regarding horses on how to put a horse on the bit

By the by what do you guys think of the new lay out? Better? Worse?

New Bitless Bridle!

2010-06-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

Got a new bitless bridle for Bodhi in the mail yesterday! We have had two rides so far and I have nothing but good things to say. It is a rope side pull, that I got from ebay from Knot Just Rope
I am sure I will invest in a Cook's Bitless or Nurtural Bridle when I can afford one but for now I thought this could be a nice alternative.
What I like

You can atatch it to any existing bridle you have
It comes in many different colors and styles
Soft rope ( I hate when it is stiff!) well tied and secure knots
The price!
How it is custom made for Bodhi's nose
The service : I ordered it on Friday- I got it on Monday

What I don't like

Nothing really so far!
It is a very simple design, I am sure someone handy could easily make this, but I am not one of those people
It may turn out to be too harsh with the two knots, if so I will put one of those fuzzies on. They have "gentler" designs though.

As I have said I rode Bodhi in it twice so far. He turns, stops and bends just as well in this as he does in a bit. Much better than riding in a halter! Today I played around with some sharp turns and a halt from the canter. It was perfect! I will take him out on the trail and in the big pastures for conditioning soon and try it out some more. The only thing I have lost is head set. That will come with training of course. I just need to figure out how...

As an aside I am wearing boy's pants that are several sizes too big (it is how a roll) They look really funny all bunched up around my waist and legs.... I know not riding pants!

I think the curb rope was a little loose but oh well!

Many ways to train a horse

2010-06-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

There are so many methods out there today isn't there? Everyone has their trainer that they follow or their discipline they stick to etc...
The truth is that there are many ways to train a horse! Yes almost all of the methods work! Horses are amazing creatures and will adapt to almost any training method. The differences I have noticed between the methods though are how long it takes for a horse to learn, how readily the horse remembers the lesson, and what the residual side affects of training on the horses behavior.
Check this out:
Bookends Farm had an excellent post that I would love for you guys to read. I think it really explains the consequences of different training methods on the horse.

What I have personally noticed with + reinforcement is that it takes Bodhi less repetitions to learn new skills, and that he almost never forgets what he has learned. I have had very similar experiences to the blog post above where I slip back into traditional training and correct or even punish and I always regret it. As she says it does work, but is it really worth the stress in our relationship, or the negative consequences?

Yet another reason to love Steffen Peters... he is a clicker trainer! I am not surprised but I am definitely proud to learn that the riding team that won Rolex use clicker training!

Mollycoddling

2010-06-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about the subject of babying our horses lately. There are many ways we "baby" them. Can you think of times you think "man you are one spoiled pony"-- for your horses?
Watching them hang out indoors with their fans, and seeing sunscreen on their pink noses always makes me smile. Don't get me wrong they deserve it. They work hard for us and they are our family. They deserve the best feed, treats, and treatment that our stretched out budgets can provide-- it's just funny ain't it?

(Bodhi snoozing under a fan after his pedicure)

As Bodhi returns to his old self from his injury he also turns a year older. I think I have been a cautious trainer with him as the breed is slow to mature, and more recently cautious because of his injury. I try not to work him too long, jump him too often, bore him with drills, or ask him questions he is not ready to say yes to.

I am wondering if I baby him too much though? The answer is probably yes. I really want to make training fun for him and as stress free as possible. I also know that stress is what are muscles need in order to grown and what our brains need in order to learn.

I think maybe my plan so far has been a good one. I baby him because he is a baby. I am quick to reward and I have tried to instill a love of learning. Kindle the curiosity that usually dies in maturing horses. I think now that he is finally getting to the age where all green lights say "Go!" I am going to start work on more mental and emotional toughness. This means more repetition, longer rides, more difficult questions with maybe smaller rewards? Of course I am going to stick to positive reinfocement! I am thinking about shifting how much I expect and ask for though. I know he is not going to catch up overnight! I can't be upset if he still wants to be a baby. I just have to stay calm, correct and ask for a little bit more. I think he is ready. I think he can do it.

Interdressage

2010-06-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is so neat! The Bitless Horse just did a post about something really exciting! It is called Interdressage. It is an international organization that offers monthly dressage competitions through the mail.

What a great way to get feedback and have the goals that dressage tests bring without the expense and stress! I love showing but I rarely get to because I do not have a trailer, I don't have very much money and I just don't have the time. I really miss out on the vauable information that you get when you do a test. I also miss out on the competitive experience of riding as a sport. Maybe I can try this?

Things I really like about this from the start

It allows bitless bridles. So Bodhi and I can actually get feedback on all of the hard work we have been doing bitless!
It has changing tests. Ever get bored of the same tests? I do. Bodhi does.
It has tons of different tests for every kind of rider
It appears to have some over fences tests. How fun is that?
It is very accessible. You can do it anywhere and the rules for attire and equipment are basic.
It has prizes.

What do you folks think? I don't think it is going to replace the traditional shows but what a fun alternative for people, and what a great way to bring dressage to anyone who is interested!

If I give it a try you know you will hear about it right here!

Happy Birthday Bodhi!

2010-06-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

My life is currently turned upside down as a struggle to pack, plan the move, and finish the sale of my condo which includes vast amounts of home improvement crap. Nothing is happening fast enough but I do not have enough time in the day to get everything done! Bleh.

I hate moving.

Bodhi is great. HE IS 5 YEARS OLD NOW! Can I still call him a baby?
He gave three kids riding lessons this weekend and did great. He kept offering funny behaviors like spanish walk and side pass though. Nothing bad just fidgety. I really need to work on more "calming, and sustained " behaviors. When asked to just walk around and around calmly Bodhi is very Bored! He still acts 4. We have not settled into the year of 5 yet. Maybe the new older pony is waiting for us up in Canada. For now I can not blame Bodhi at all for feeling anxious and fidgety. I feel it too kid!

Maybe I will get some birthday photos soon. For now though here is a treasure. Look at my face. Bleh! This is a photo taken during Bodhi's first day under saddle. As you can tell from the photo he took it all in stride.

Golden days of early summer

2010-05-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

Are here... I am frantically packing and trying to sell and give away most of my belongings before we move to Canada at the end of June. It is quickly approaching. I stare at the lush green tree line trying to memorize the Florida landscape. I do love trees!
I have not really been working Bodhi so much as playing with him. A little canter here, a little jump there. Lots of grazing and we both sputter out of our motivation rather quickly. What are we trying to accomplish again? Oh that's right rehabilitation. I figure playing around with ground ples obsticles, transitions, and lateral work is the best thing. Only time will heal. Only time will tell when he is 100%. I think he is hovering around 95%. right now.

Look At the good boy reaching under. The look of concentration is also priceless.

Here I set up a combination of a small jump he had a canter up to and trot away from--for ground poles.

I don't know why my pony has developed a jump. This is proof. He is no longer flailing over things any more. He jumps. :)

Click and treat!

We practiced more bridleless riding. I know it looks like I have reins but the reins are actually atatched to the halter and than cliped around his neck. I messed around with it today. You can not apply halter pressure this way but I felt better having the "rein" if I wanted it. All in my head I know but isin't all of our "controls" for horses. I should be wearing a helmet. I suck.

So this is what I am up. to Fooling around. How but you guys? Are you having fun with your horses?

This is harder than it looks

2010-05-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

He is such a handsome boy, also what a trooper. He cooporated as I tried to take photos of him free lunging myself....

Man it is hard! Here are a few photos but they suck...

Bodhi was super hyped up and spent the first five minutes I went to get him from his pasture running-- tail like a flag, snorting and stretching out. He came up like a good boy afterward but I thought it was a good time to let him jump over some fences... Very apprehensive and we started veeeery slowly. over ground poles then 12 inch then 1 ft.... Bodhi was energised, engaged and flew over the obstacles with knees tucked! (he usually is happy to hop over things but shows neither grace nor vigor) We only went up to about 2'3 but that is a big thing for Bodhi to show that much enthusiasm and. agility. He was at liberty of course and he got a click treat after each fence. He would stop and watch me raise it and then trot off before I could even ask for it. He was on a mission. The pictures above are us goofing around after this session. I was trying to take photos of him. He happily would trot around be but I sucked at taking photos of him from inside our circle. You would think that taking photos of a horse at liberty would be easier than on a line but I match Bodhi's talent for coordination.

On a completely different topic I found an article on licking and chewing. You have to sign up to read it but it is free, and has been a hassle free site so far. They have free videos and lots of medical info.. i though the author had a really interesting perspective. what do you think?

Maybe licking and chewing is more of a stress relief signal then a signal of "learning" (Like a dog yawning). Bodhi rarely exhibits the lick and chew though he is obviously a quick study. Bodhi does yawn sometimes and I always begin to wrap it up if I see that. I figure it means he is tired. If not physically then emotionally or mentally. I never really saw the lick and chew until I did extensive round pen work with some pretty nasty characters. They would often exhibit it after really tense or strenuous situations. I read it as a break through but looking back at the big picture I really don't think it was.

Oh! check out the hair! It was reeeeally hard to not make a matching pony. He is a perfect canvas with his naturally platinum locks....

The Dichotomy of health; my little chunky monkey

2010-05-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Science Daily article on Horse Obesity
"He is Fat and Happy"
I think we have all heard that phrase right? We equate food with our horses well being (and I am sure they would not correct us). When talking equine welfare we often discuss neglect by under feeding, starvation etc. There is nothing that pulls ones heart strings more than to see a neglected horse all ribs, and hips and sharp edges. I think however that having an overweight horse is just as abusive!
I think it is funny how to have a fat horse is socially acceptable if not socially desired in the horse world. Picture a cute pony in your minds eye----I don't know about you but my mind pony is as rotund as they come! As a culture we are often obsessed with personal fitness, body image, and dieting but when it comes to our equine (and canine) companions it seems the bigger the better.

The reality is that obesity is just as large(no pun intended) an issue for horses as it is in humans and it is caused by many of the same things.

Rich food
Inactivity
Genetics (like the draft ponies)

I feel like in someways domesticated animals are mirrors for society and it is not a pretty reflection when you see a rise in obesity related diseases like laminitis, heart disease, and insulin resistance.
I am not immune. I am always fighting the urge to add a supplement or switch to better quality grain or hay. Here is a few more links that I found educational.
http://www.vetstream.com/dalehead/html/pdf/Factsheets/Horse/24_269892.pdf
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=94484
Take a second in the next few days and take a critical look at your horse. Talk to your vet about what he/she thinks about your horses weight. The best thing of all is exercise so go for a ride! It will make you both feel better!

New Blog!

2010-05-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have a new post in the cooker right now but for now I would like to share the url to a new blog I am co authoring.
Ethical Eats
Our plan is to share our insights on the ins and outs as our lives as vegans.

I am expecting some fun (and easy!) recipes, reading recommendations, humor, and ideas on how to make your lifestyle more sustainable even if for one meal. If you have ever wanted to poke a vegan, or ask "What in the heck does a vegan eat anyways?" Come on by! We are happy to educate and I really hope we can entertain as well.

I would love to hear about what my blogger friends think about the new blog!

Emotion police? Let's just have fun!

2010-05-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

So I have had a great weekend so far....
On Monday we walked around the barn. He balked at everything! I have noticed lately Bodhi has been "up". I know I know people who own thoroughbreds are laughing about how I don't know the meaning of the word. Yeah I know I am spoiled.
Any who-- Bodhi the "bomb proof" 4 year old has been acting more like a regular 4 year old. The barn isle is scary. So is the tarp and the trailer (both we have "worked with" already)! I think hmmm.
Half of me wants to be frustrated. We have gone OVER these things you silly pony! You should focus on your work not these distractions dag nammit!

Luckily this time the other half of me has won over and instead of getting mad ( well not too mad anyways) I am trying to shrug it off.

Maybe it is a sign of spring grass. Maybe it is the "fricken fives" that are rapidly approaching. Maybe it is a sign that his shoulder is feeling better? Who Knows. What I do know is on the bit dressage work is boring me at this level we must keep it to for his rehab. I think he may feel the same way. So maybe it is time to change gears and do more bitless fun work. Rehab means no more dressage shows before we move. Let's just have fun!

So Thursday we took a walk. In a halter and lead rope and some goodies to work on targeting off the farm. We walked down the road and worked on his head down cue. I think we both enjoyed it. He was "up" but what do I care? That was my mantra. Why do I care if he is excited? I am not the emotion police! As long as he minded there was no problem--and there wasn't

Friday we played in the ring. No side reins, no bit, no lunge line. I set up ground poles in series of threes at varying strides. He was happy to pop over them with scope that surprised me. I hopped on him bare back with a lead rope tied around his neck (OS handle) and set out to work on walk halt transitions through the seat. We ended up doing walk to trot and trot to halt transitions! We also did ground poles and serpentines all the way up and down the arena bridleless. I was floored! Who was this and what did you do with my distracted bored pony?

Yesterday we had a bonfire so I just went out to say hello with Stella dog in toe. Bodhi, Stella and I trotted the perimeter of the fence line. Bodhi was free of course but he still followed us around the 4 acres! Trotting when we did and stopping when we stopped. I sat in the grass while he grazed. He played tug of war with stella via a large stick. I am very sorry I did not have a camera.

These are the spring days that I will remember always. With fields of wild flowers and golden ponies and speckled dogs to frolic with. Who knew I would be 25 and still be frolicking?

Baby photos

2010-04-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Bodhi is almost 5 years old. Who could believe it! It seems like only yesterday he was hopping of the trailer as a big headed, apple bottomed 2 year old.

I am on my husbands computer and looking through the photos he has taken of Bodhi and I. Here are some pictures I found as Bodhi as a 2 and 3 year old.

Here is the kid a few days after I got him. Look at that shiny new halter...

At least he has grown into his head (a little bit!)

Look at that butt! It was the same size then as it is now. He was 13 hands back then!

As a three year old... Getting better!

Halter is not so shiny anymore...

He still has a big butt...

Here is what we did a lot of when he was too young to ride or really work on the lunge for any significant amount of time... we played soccer, went on walks, wore tack etc. I was so hungry to spend time with him and he was such a fun baby to be around. Here he is wearing his tack and learning to kick his ball

What a good boy.

Saying goodbye is never easy

2010-04-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

We lost Tie on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday evening/night he was fine: running around and begging for more dinner as usual. Early the next morning the barn manager found him lying down. She was able to get him up but he was obviously in severe amounts of pain. She called me out, and we called the vet. The vet's prognosis was that he had ruptured his GI tract and that there was nothing we could do. The good news was he did not suffer long. The bad news was it felt like the rug had been pulled out from under my feet. Here one minute gone the next. What a terrible reminder of how fragile these creatures really can be.

The vet said that he looked great for a horse his age and would not bat an eye if he saw him in a pasture now. *sigh* I wish he had more time to spend healthy and well cared fo!. We only had him 5 months!
He really meant a lot to me. He was the first horse I have actually rehabilitated. I also lost what I thought was a good friend at the time over his rescue.

He was a horse I knew and rode as a child. He was the only horse I knew who could run backwards. He was also the only horse I have seen buck so hard he broke his cinch. He has jumped out of a round pen and he broke a girl's nose by rearing up and hitting her in the face. He once took off with me and jumped a two lane road.

He was the most wild, independent, and amazing horse I have ever known. Savage and strong until the day he died. Saved from the brink of starvation only to pass on by a unfortuitous circumstance mere months later.

I am really gonna miss the funny man. He was an amazing horse.

So... before

And Last Week...

He was 35(ish)

I miss you Titelist

This is my righteous face

2010-04-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

So I went to a dressage clinic this weekend that was also a tack sale. "Horses helping Horses" was set up as a benefit for our wonderful local horse rescue the Horse Protection Association of Florida.

Considering the title of the event I was surprised to see something I was not too pleased with in the first ring I stopped at. To be fair it was not what I saw that turned my day sour. The horse and rider pair were doing OK. The horse was green green green and the rider was unbalanced and out of shape but the clinician was giving great advise for the two to improve the experience for both of them. It is what I heard from the rider/owner after the lesson that turned my stomach. The horse was only 2.5 years old. She was also a Percheron/Curly cross. That horse belongs in a field somewhere not in a dressage ring! One of the reasons I chose dressage is for the sport's respect for the aging process of the horse. When I see this kind of stuff it makes me just sick.

I don't know what you guys think of FHOTD. Sometimes it is entertaining and sometimes it has the opposite affect for me--too depressing to want to think about. I read it sometimes. One point I really have taken to heart from that blog is that if you think something is wrong you should say something.

I checked with the associations website and they are associated with USDF. I checked the USDF/USEF guidelines on age of ridden dressage horses and it says the following:
"No horse may compete in any under saddle class if it is under thirty-six months of age (of foaling date) at the time of competition. horses competing at the Grand Prix level must be at least 7 years of age and horses competing above Fourth Level must be at least 6 years of age, the horse's age is to be counted from January 1 of the year of birth to January 1 of the current competition year."

So that is pretty black and white. It is included in the bylaws along with the banded drugs and equipment.

So I decided to write Arredondo Dressage Society a letter and this is what I said...
To whom this may concern,
I wanted to write a quick email in thanks for putting on such a great event. My friend and I had a nice time and I am always happy to come out and support a great cause like HPAF. Events like this are so great for the horse community, and so much fun! Thank you for all of your hard work.

That being said I did leave the grounds with one sour note that brought the day down for me and I wanted to write you and express my opinion. Around 1:30 or so I stopped to watch a Clinician who was mentoring a rider with a young paint horse. I think it was Shelley Van Den Neste but I may be mistaken . I watched the session thinking "My! that is an immature looking horse". At the end of the clinic I heard the owner/rider talking with the clinician and she was saying the horse was only 2 and 1/2. To make matters worse the horse in question was a draft cross. I was appalled. A horse of that age should be in a pasture somewhere allowing her bones to grow and her growth plates to fuse not participating in a dressage clinic! I know this association is filled with well educated experienced horse people so we all know the health risks and long term damage associated with working an immature horse. One of the reasons I enjoy dressage as a sport is that most riders and trainers respect the horse and allow ample time for maturity and do not start working until 3 or hopefully 4.

I am also aware that you can not control other people's actions with their own horses. However, I think something you could do to promote equine welfare is have a mandatory age for participation in any of your events. This may not keep people from engaging in riding babies at home but at least your organization would not be condoning it! Also it would be a great educational opportunity to make people aware of the implications of riding young horses when they ask for your reasoning behind the restriction.
Thank you,

And They responded with this--

Molly,

Thank-you for your kind words about our event.

I would like to let you know that we did not ask the age of the horses participating in the clinic - we did not recruit riders and horses as would be done for a demonstration, but allowed participants the opportunity to bid on available rides. It is not typical to ask the age of participating horses, and although I agree with you that I would hestitate to ride a horse of this age, I am not sure what it is that you would like us (as a group) to do. I don't believe that it is our perogative to mandate what individuals do with their horses unless clear abuse is indicated. It may be that this individual had x-rays performed that showed that the growth plates were fused - I do not know. Additionally, I am not certain that an individual wishing to participate would be prevented from doing so by our providing an age limit - we are not likely to be in a position to show proof of age - we simply to not have the manpower to police people's actions to that degree.

What our club does do is provide educational lectures each month based on promoting the health and welfare of horses as it relates to all aspects of their care and development.

I was the main organizer of this event - if you have a person to hold accountable, it is me. I will make certain that your concerns are lodged with our board at our next meeting. We would welcome you as a member of our organization and you could assure that your voice and your concerns would be heard.

Sincerely,

To me it was a bit of a cop out. I saw her point but I responded with--

Thank you for your prompt response. To answer your question what I expected of a dressage event hosted by a dressage organization is for it to follow USDF/USEF standards. Proper equipment, proper etiquette and horse welfare are all part of the sport of dressage as illustrated by the 2010 USEF rule book quotation below. A minimum age is just as part of the dressage standard as soundness of the competing horse is.

"No horse may compete in any under saddle class if it is under thirty-six months of age (of foaling date) at the time
of competition."
(Taken from the 2010 USEF Dressage Division)

I understand the issue of man power. This however is not a good enough reason to not have an official statement on the matter of the proper competing age. I am sure you do not have a way to test for illegal drugs but does that mean it is officially allowed at your events? Same goes for lameness evaluations. I would like to believe that only sound horses are welcome in your events as well correct? Even if it is just stated that it is not appropriate to the participants at time of entry and not enforced or tested that would be so much better than your silence on this issue.

I would love to join your organization and I am very happy that you provide public outreach and education. That is important work. I will not however participate in an organization that does not follow basic USEF guidelines especially when it comes to an issue of animal welfare.

Thank you again, and I hope you consider my thoughts,

Which in turn earned me this--

Molly,

Your comments are noted and although this was not a competition, we will consider your request.

Respectfully Yours,

.........

So what do you guys think? Am I fighting wind mills here? To me riding a 2 year old horse is just as bad as riding an unsound horse almost. I am not normally so righteous but I really felt that this little filly needed a voice. Watching her whinny and fret through the entire clinic did not help either. She was so small and obviously over faced. I really do hope that they are considering my request but I fear the worst.

Any of you guys gotten the righteous bug? What did it? Were you pleased with the result?

Pony Rehab

2010-04-18T07:59:00.001-07:00

Bodhi is doing well in his rehab. We have progressed to some trot work along with the walk and he is doing better with several things like releasing tension at the poll than he was prior to the injury. He has had a bunch of energy (for him) and has offered up the canter during ground work (which he NEVER does) and he has been correct on his leads in both directions. We have also had a few bad days because he is a bit fresh and easy to distract and I fear I expect too much of him. He is such a great little worker I get so flummoxed when he has an off day. I need to relax!

The long suffering husband took some pictures yesterday of our ground work and riding. He had a really hard time capturing the right moment for the leg lift work but he took a really cute video.

I chose to use my leg lifting as a cue for his leg lifting because I was hoping to use my own body language for more ground work. If I can get him to cue into my legs I could work on extending and collection etc etc. Besides it's cute. Watch out Rockettes!

Here are some photos of liberty lunging. My dressage whip is also a target stick and lunge whip. Multi-purpose tool! We are working in a fairly large pasture now I would say it is maybe an acre maybe not quite. I am working on getting him to mirror my gate. When I extend he extends
etc....

warm up!

Good stretch Bodhi!

Playing the "matching" game!

His trace clip is almost gone!
As for the riding...
My equitation is horrible! I picked the not so painful looking ones so you guys could keep your breakfast. This is why riding without lessons is bad. The last lesson I had my instructor told me I was too far forward. I have obviously took a swing in the opposite direction. Now I am WAY too far back. Something to work on. Also my ankles are always crazy and pointing out like a duck. It is a conformation fault I have. Any one else have this issue? It is infuriating!

Oh Canada!

2010-04-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

Well we had a great trip to Winnipeg. I think I am really going to like living there (minus the snow of course) We found a place to live and board Bodhi. Actually the places are one in the same. There is a guest house at the boarding facility and it just so happens to be going up for rent at a perfect time!

So I am going to finally have a house. No more apartment living! This could mean a garden (in the summer). Stella will have a yard and Bodhi will be just feet from my doorstep. Here are some photos of our future home for the duration of my graduate degree.

The Barn

The house (this was the only photo that did not have someone's car or something in it for courtesy I thought I should not post them)

Cupcake the pig

Big indoor (sorry for the blur)

Nice outdoor!

I am so excited! I still need to arrange transport for Bodhi.... Any advise?

Crazy Busy!

2010-04-01T11:03:00.001-07:00

I have been so busy getting ready for my trip to Manitoba. I am so excited to tour some barns up there and talk to some folks about boarding. I am also super excited about seeing my future campus for my masters studies of course. I hope everyone has a great week and wish me luck!

Here is a great video from Alexandra Kurland.

It is a good introduction on the Clicker training movement for anyone still confused about what clicker training is all about. It showcases all the uses of clicker training ranging from tricks to manners, to ground work under saddle work and even guide work. Yes pony guide for the blind! That is the perfect example of the power of positive reinforcement. I would like to see the popular horse trainers out there train a successful guide horse.

Oh and I stumbled on the fish version of my wonderful pony today at work!
The Genus Bodianus of course! I guess scientists did not know Bodhi is spelled with a "P"
I forgive them.

Harder Faster Stronger

2010-03-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

First 2 photos to go with Grey Horse Matters Spa Day. Bodhi was in the spirit of beautification and was given a wonderful mask by Pokey the TB.

Right now Pokey is offering buy one get one half way up your legs. Limited time only!

Yesterday we tried the trot under saddle. Just to see. Just because I am so bored with walking already. No good. I figure as long as he drags at the trot I should not try it under saddle as I don't want to habituate him to dragging his toe under saddle. I want that floating feeling back!

One of the boarders has been begging me to jump her pony Dusty for just about forever and I have been resisting ( I am not sure why). I haven't jumped over 2 feet in I don't know how long. Years. Maybe 5 years? Well I finally hopped on her pony and jumped up to 2'6. She begged me for 3 and I was feeling pretty good but I still declined. Maybe next time. Man can that pony jump. I thought my old jumper was point in shoot but this little guy is amazing. Just don't stop at the gate. He rears. So cute.

Anyways I want to re do my goals. This is more for my documentation then your entertainment I guess so bare with me.

Under Saddle

Softness on the bit
Lateral steps at the walk
corners
Duration of work on the bit
Bend
Transitions
Bitless work (if my bridle EVER comes in the mail!)
Bridless work

Clicker Work

Ground Tie- I have had a hard time figuring out how to shape standing as it is almost the absence of behavior. I read this post and now I am ready to give it a shot
Head lower on cue
Spanish walk- I have this idea that teaching Bodhi to pick up his feet high and teaching him to sustain it would be really perfect for shoulder rehab. Also I have been meaning to put picking up feet on a cue for a while now. He is always offering the behavior and I have just been lazy about it.
Generalize the back and the liberty work cue with the three D's (Distance Duration and Distraction)

Me Time

I want to ride more horses- There is Dusty, Pokey, and at Anna's there is Abby, Sneaker and her new pony. I have rides I am just being nervous and not utilizing them!
Jogging- I started with 1/2 mile. My first goal is to get up to 2 miles.
Yoga and Pilates- once a week or more to build those core muscles
Work on my riding position ( elastic arms, even seat bones, loose hips that move with the horse, neutral pelvis, siting on my inner thigh not my butt, toes in etc etc...)

Negative

2010-03-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

As in EPM Test negative!

I am so relieved. We still have a long road of rehab to go but our future is much more certain. I am still afraid that he won't heal up correctly but my fears are probably unfounded. So here's to a slow but complete recovery for Bohdzilla!
Rehab so far has gone like this...
Weds-Walk 10 mins
Friday-Walk 15 mins
Sat- Walk around the barn with lots of breaks 20 mins
Mon-work on the lunge at the walk and trot (me walking with him so the circles were giant!) 10 min
Thurs walk work (tried a trot not ready for it)
Sat 15 min lunge, 15 mins ride some clicker work. (He looked great!)
Sun(10 mins of riding only)

So far he has been really good. I am never sure if I am challenging him enough or pushing him too far. He has been 100% willing to do all of it and never seems very taxed. I guess it will take a while to find where the sweet spot is.

So obviously no more show season for us so I guess I should change our goals a bit. I want to work on...
Golden Goals

Being lighter on the bit.
Having more impulsion in upward transitions
More responsive to all aids
Working off my body and not my hands for turns and downward transitions- working towards bridleless
Work on softness in the bitless bridle
Work on lateral work on the ground
Perfecting Liberty work

I need to work on

giving very precise cues
my delivery of both - and + reinforcement
Being limber and loose (especially by lower back and hips)
Core muscles
Cardiovascular

So if you were forced back to square one what would YOU work on?

OT: The Other love of my life...

2010-03-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

My dog of course! Meet miss Stella B (AKA miss thang, B-dilly, Stella Bella, Goat Dog, Stink, or just B for short!)

What is it with horse people and their dogs?

I was commenting to Rachel about how our dogs seem to be very similar in build, breeding and temperament. I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce you to her and all of her wonderful glory.

Stella is a 7 (almost 8!) year old Catahoula Leopard dog/Aussie/goat cross. She weighs about 38-40 pounds and is very intense and full of energy. I often describe her as aggressively friendly. She is very dominant, hard headed, and a one person only kind of dog while still managing to be very affectionate laid back and trust worthy. I honestly never did spend too much time with her on formal training. She is the kind of dog that just naturally follows, comes etc. Not spending enough time laying down the law has really gotten me into trouble with things like destructive behaviors, other dogs, and house training. She is now a well behaved canine citizen but I took the long way around to get to this point for sure! I am currently taking a clicker training agility class to get pointers on my training technique and to spend some much needed time with my little dog. She is doing scary well in the class. She is one smart cookie! It is amazing what can be accomplished when you harness her energy for good instead of evil.

Alright enough gab here are some photos of The wonderful Stella B!

She has one blue eye and one light brown eye. She always has red eye in pictures!

If you look closely you will notice my hair matches Stella's collar. I dyed the tips of my hair a dark blue this weekend.It is subtle and the picture is bad lighting but it is there. Dying my hair always cheers me up

Stella hiking with us in the mountains.

What did you get into this time?

2010-03-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you guys know that all of your comments on my last post made me feel so much better! Wow thanks. They were helpful, and thoughtful, and positive and supportive. The opposite of one comment I got at the barn on Wednesday...
Boarder: "So what did the vet say about Bodhi?"

Me: "She said it was either a bad tweak or possibly EPM"

Boarder: "EPM! That's horrible! He will be stuck being a walk lesson pony forever now!"

In all seriousness I know she meant well but she almost gave me a panic attack!

Wednesday was our first Rehab session, and when I went out to get him I noticed something else horribly wrong. There was this smell, a horrible, putrid and sweet aroma wafting from my equine...

Bodhi had been skunked!

I wish I could say this was the first time....

It was cold and rainy so no bath. I did not want to get any of my brushes stinky. I was determined to start our rehab so I put a towel over him and rode him bareback. Once on board I forgot all about the smell though. I was so happy to be riding again. Even if it is only for ten minutes at the walk only. I got off after ten minutes and played with him at liberty. He was happy and willing for all of it.
The rehab is going to make me feel so much better about this situation. It is something tangible I can do to help. Am I still flipping out? Yes, but I am trying not to. I am trying to just focus on today when I start day two of rehab on my very.stinky.pony.

Sidelined

2010-03-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

The vet came out and took a look at Bodhi on Monday. His left shoulder definitely is the culprit.

He has muscle degeneration along one band of muscle in his shoulder. She has two hunches for the root of the problem. One was a turn out injury where he banged that shoulder hard enough to hurt the nerve that runs along the muscle which then causes the muscle atrophy. Another is much more sinister (EPM). She drew blood and will have tests back in a week.

With either one Bodhi needs to go on a slow rehab of walking walking walking (then trot trot trotting etc) to regain the muscle back in his shoulder. She estimated that it will take around 3 months to heal.

With either diagnose she says that his case is very mild and she thinks he will recover 100%. I am trying not to cry, or despair, or anything until the tests come back. It is really difficult though. How can my jovial youthful little pony be so sick? How can life be this unfair?

Anyone have rehab advise? I know I will be re-reading Grey Horse Matters' post about it! Anyone dealt with muscle/nerve injuries or...

Mostly I am in denial. I really can't believe that this is happening.

I mean look at this face!

The long road to wellville

2010-03-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Bodhi Says : "Hey guys! check it out. Tie is feeling better!"

Tie has been at Greener Pastures now since December 1st. He has had to battle many obstacles to his rehabilitation such as constant diarrhea, neurological symptoms(shaking, wobbling), fungus, worms, severely cracked feet, swollen legs etc. When he got here he would hardly move faster than a shuffled walk and he would just stand there with his head hanging down.

I am happy to report that all of that has gone away and he has finally been gaining weight! He gallops, bucks, rolls, and sleeps curled up in the sun. He kicked Bodhi HARD today. He escapes from his pasture and reeks havoc in the barn. In other words he is back to normal.
He still has a lot of weight to gain back.
Kathy is wonderful! She has taken care of him so well since he arrived on her farm. She stalls him when it is cold or rainy(he is on pasture board), gives him extra blankets if it is really cold, and feeds him 3 times a day! She is also graciously putting up with his antics now that he is feeling better.

I did not share pictures of him when I found him in such an alarming state because I did not think that it was necessary. To me they were a little gratuitous and depressing. I feel like now though in the context of his recovery process they are useful.

Here are some pictures of Tie the day I first saw he some needed help(Late November).

The black dots all over him are flies. I had never seen so many flies just sitting there on a horse.

Here is a picture of him in early February. We had only had him on probiotics for a few weeks and so he had just recently stopped having diarrhea.

Here are photos of him I took today(March 14)...

The Canadian Horse

2010-03-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

So I have Canada on the brain since I am moving to Manitoba this summer. Through my web browsing I have discovered a new favorite breed; the Canadian Horse (note: discovered like Columbus discovered America, I am sure this is old news to some of you)!

I really like baroque breeds of horses so this breed is right up my alley.

here is a little information taken from a Canadian Horse website

"The Canadian Horse or Le Cheval Canadien originated from horses sent to Quebec by King Louis XIV in the late 1600's. These horses, the best from the King's stable, were of French Norman, Breton, Arab, Andalusian and Spanish Barb descent.

Under conditions of hard use, sparse feed, and extreme weather conditions, the Canadian eventually developed into the easy keeping and hardy animals that they are today. It is said that the Canadian is capable of generating "more power per hundred pounds of body weight than horses of any other breed." Traits such as these earned the Canadian their nickname "The Little Iron Horse

The Canadian Horse typically stands 14-16hh. Most commonly black, they may also be chestnut, brown or bay. They are recognizable by their finely chiseled heads, arched necks, and long, thick, and often wavy tails and manes. They have sturdy legs with good bone, and have exceptionally hard, strong feet. They are renowned for their kind, sociable natures, intelligence and willingness to please. "

I don't know about you but it sounds like they have a lot in common with my other favorite breed. What breed is that you ask? The Haflinger of course!

Drafty build in a small package? Check

Renowned for their temperament? Check

Wavy manes and tails? Check

First bred for driving work? Check

I could go on...

Ok Ok I am being a little facetious about this.

In all seriousness I will keep this horse in mind if I ever have the time and money for a second horse though. I do like that they are slightly larger then the Haflinger ( I am tired of all the short jokes already! ). Also color variation is always nice though check out this Canadian Horse.

I am simply smitten with that flaxen mane and tail!

So have any of you Canadian or not gotten to see, ride, own, pet etc a Canadian horse? What did you think?

Here are some sites to check out on the Canadian horse:

The photos were from : Cherry Creek Canadians

The Canadian horse stats : Canadian Horse Breeders Association

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/canadian/index.htm

http://www.raresteeds.com/Breeds/canadian.htm

A tribute to my sliver horse

2010-03-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

Velour and I at the age of 13

It feels like I am a long way away from my silver horse on my golden pony. He has been gone two whole years now. I did not think I would be able to even live without him but I guess I have been managing. It still hurts, and I still miss him. A ton.

I have been scanning a few pictures and thought I would share them with you. They are of my first horse that I ever loved; Velour. I rode him from the age of 10 and on and actually got to realize my dream and own him at the age of 18. He had a 5 year retirement with me before he died at the age of 23. Here are some photos of him and our time together when he came home to live with me.

Clicker Carnival

2010-03-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

My recent post about Poisoned Cues was featured in the Stale Cheerios Blog

Clicker Carnival # 6

Thanks Mary for featuring us! I love reading her blog as she has so much great information about horse training. She also shares great articles about other animals, other trainers, and the science behind training.
I have had several commenters lately asking questions about Operant conditioning, clicker training, etc. I love to discuss and will continue to do so but I also want to emphasize that I am new to many of these concepts and by no means an expert! The cool thing about operant conditioning, behavioral shaping, and clicker training is the wealth of scientifically tested and verified information there is about it. Here are some great places to find more information about it for those curious readers...

Karen Pryor- She is one of the original scientists that brought the science to the public. Her book "Don't Shoot the Dog" is now used in many educational and psychology college class rooms. That is where I first heard about her; during my bachelors. Her website has great articles.

Alexandra Kurland- She (as far as I know) was the first really well known "clicker" horse trainer. She has collaborated with scientists and has done great work for applying behavioral concepts to equines. She also publishes great introductory books for the non professional trainer.

But I would highly suggest on one of these rainy days to skim through some research manuscripts! Head over to Google Scholar for instance and search away! For an example search you could go to my favorite journals; Applied Animal Behavior and do a search for Equine Behavior. See? A ton of fun stuff!

You can find real scientific research being done on so many topics relevant to horses! Not just training either, but nutrition, breeding, genetics. Horses are big business so you name it someone has researched it. Don't forget to read carefully and be a good skeptic. Did they make any unrealistic assumptions? Was their sample size n=1?

On days I feel like everyone has their own opinion and it is so hard to separate the facts out of all the jargon I enjoy doing a little "Light research"

This is what weekends are for

2010-03-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Having a great time with Bodhi!
I borrowed a measuring tape and measured out a little course of jumps; two diagnals and two lines along the rail. the diagnals are 5 strides and the rail lines are six strides. I determined a stride length the other day by setting up ground poles and seeing where Bodhi is comfortable taking them. I determinded 9 feet. I know that normal horses are 12 but I guess Bodhi is not normal!

Much to my dissapointment Bodhi is still a hair off! He had been following me around while I set up the standards and I left all the jumps as ground poles. I decided to just play with him at liberty and call it a day for him. I wanted to see how long I could keep his interest in his pasture where his hay and buddies are.

We started by targeting at the trot. We did the whole course I just set up targeting and it was so much fun! Then I tried asking him to leave my shoulder and do a 20 meter circle around me which he did. Over ground poles with halts and change of directions. what a good pony!

Today I played with him again for a few minutes just to make sure yesterday was not a fluke. He did every thing he did yesterday plus offerd a canter. He NEVER wants to canter during ground work. He even did a flying change when he picked up the wrong lead.

I feel so in sinc with him right now. He walks, trots, canters, turns, halts, rein back, all while being very light. All at liberty. I guess that is the big thing for me. He is being so light and responsive which is what I have been working twards.

I guess sometimes it is a good thing when your horse can't do real work. You have no choice other than to spend some quality time with your equine.

I will definitely need to come back to this post when things get difficult again as they always do and naturally so. I can't wait to get back in the saddle!

The school of hard knocks

2010-03-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

I have had my thinking cap on today and in the mood to summarize as I have been working on a manuscript for work. Scientific writing always puts me in the critical thinking mood. So for my 60th post I wanted to try something different.

I was thinking about my life with horses so far. What I have learned through trial and error, what I have gleaned from trainers, magazines, books, videos, blogs, osmosis, diffusion, and of course the primary source: the horses themselves!

I thought I would make a list of my personal discoveries and maybe you guys could share some of yours? There is a ton of information out there so tell me what have you discovered? What has the school of hard knocks taught you?

Use positive reinforcement-We are working with one of the few species that actually responds to Negative reinforcement at all but every animal on the planet (including whales, elephants, clams, fish, and humans) responds to positive reinforcement! Reward is the mechanism that makes work play.
Be predictable- I think being a "leader" means the student can count on the teacher to react the same way every time. Confidence means you have a plan. In order to create a learning environment you have to be predictable in your cues, your rewards, and your releases. Trust is built when your horse can predict your response and you can reasonably predict theirs. It is not magic it is repetition.
Keep it simple- Keep your cues simple and work on one thing at a time. I need this tattooed on my forehead because I am horrible at this!
Be creative- There have been so many times that I have been stuck in one mind frame/discipline/trainers' philosophy. If you have a problem then find another way to look at it. There is no one right answer and horses are individuals just as much as humans are. Be an open minded skeptic.
Have a plan for every ride- When I was younger you just got on and went through the gaits in circles. I think that really bores our equines. Same with lunging for the sake of exercise or blowing off steam. Same with throwing tarps in their faces all day. Have small objectives for every ride and when they get it right tell them! If you want a horse that likes to work make sure they know what you want them to do.
Bad days are normal- Actually that has been scientifically proven( see illustration). As new behaviors are acquired and old behavior extinguishes there are always extinction bursts. They are like clock work.
Find a yes- an answer to a bad day! If you are experiencing one of those nasty extinction episodes then ask your horse a question you know he will say yes to. That is how you build confidence.
Consider biology- Training is a science, but don't factor out of the equation of horse's innate behaviors. Work them into your training regiment and don't fight them. I think this is what natural horsemanship is trying to say but I do wish they would use a little more scientific dialog and a little less magical thinking

And on the other side of the coin...

Don't be afraid of being afraid-fear is nature's way of telling you something may not be such a good idea. We have a stigma against being afraid but it really is a good thing. Take it down to where your comfort level is and work from there. Horses really do pick up when we are nervous.
Punishment does not wor k- it doesn't! It makes our animals fearful and is almost impossible to administer correctly. It only shows the animal what you do not want not what you do want. It also has the side affect of relaying to the animals that the behavior is appropriate when it is not punished. which increases the likely hood of re occurrence. Not fun, though we have all been there for sure!
Don't use force- I know this seems repetitive but I am not talking about punishment but I mean when using an irritant in negative reinforcement. First they are bigger than us. If you use force you are playing a game you can't win. Also if you use force you are illiciting a prey response. We use force and punishment because we are primates. If we get angry or scared we aggress. We all do it from time to time, and most disciplines and training methods excuse it or condone it, but it is not productive or necessary in training. We do sometimes stoop to that level, but don't make excuses for it and see it as a mistake not a victory.
Anthropomorphize- Horses do not think we are horses! They do not think you are their alpha or leader. It is not fair to them to think about it in this way. The horse responds in a way that reflects his biology and his repertoire of learned behaviors. "Trust" comes from generalizing your cues so that he reliably responds to them including when he is scared, excited or saucy, not because he thinks you are his herd leader.

So there it i!. So far this is what I have learned.This is not what I have perfected of course! In fact I think these things are what I have learned to think about because I make the same mistakes a lot.
I have come a long way from where I started though. How about you? How have horses changed your point of view?

A funny video and a worried mother

2010-03-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a video a fellow boarder captured of when Haflingers attack. She was trying to video tape her self riding when she realized she had made one fatal error. Leaving Bodhi in the pasture! (Note the slurping noise :) )

On to the bad news. Bodhi is off. I cannot tell if it is in his right shoulder or something more like a sore foot from our rocky trail ride on Sat. He has been like this though since Sunday. He is only slightly off and it has not gotten any worse but it makes me very worried regardless. This is his first time, and he is only 4! He has been so amazing with leads and I was setting my eyes on a hunter jumper show at the end of March. I hope he gets better soon. We have a lot of practice to do Bodhi!

We also lost our ride to the Parelli Play days which were going to be so fun. On a brighter side I may have found someone to take some well needed dressage lessons from. She is 2 hours away so that will be a field trip in its' self.
Here is a tiny video of Bodhi jumping. Yes the squealing in the background is me. All you jumpers out there, do you see it? That tiny speck of jumping potential?

Time to pass the love around...

2010-02-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

I received an award from gracious miss lopinon4! Check out her blog No hoof, No Horse? if you have not already.

So, with this award, I am to share 7 things about myself that are currently not known to my blog-readers, and then tag 15 fellow bloggers. Ok here goes it...

1. I have a bachelors degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. I am going to graduate school to study behavioral ecology and sociality in mammals.

2. I have done a bit of traveling in my short life. I have been to Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, England, St. Lucia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama and Canada in April. I spent the summer as a field assistant in Panama and Costa Rica studying singing mice in mountain cloud forests and it was the best thing that I have ever done (besides buying Bodhi of course!)

3. I was in a band for a while. I played bass and sang. We just played local bars and clubs but it was a lot of fun.

4. I hate escalators, umbrellas, static electricity and peanut butter.

5. I love to dye my hair. I have no idea what my natural color is since I have been dying it non stop since I was 13. It has been blue, green, purple, pink, yellow, orange, but mostly it is some shade of red. I liked forest green the best

6. I like to paint. I was an art major before I took up zoology. Oils and Oil pastels mostly. I do a lot of horse portraits (big surprise).

7. My husband and I have been married for a year and a half but we have been together for nine. We met in that band I told you about. He was the guitarist.

Whew... Ok now to name 15 blogs.

1. Between Golden Ears If you want see more adorable golden ponies go check out Mitch! They are trail riding partners in crime!

2. Dapple of my Eye I have really enjoyed reading her blog about her life and her amazing hunter horse prospect. Go check out miss Rachel and Granite if you have not already...

3. Dressage Pony. Amazing insight into the world of dressage with a beautiful pony mare.

4. Eye on the Horse Great product reviews for the horse and rider, and tons of humor and heartfelt posts about her lovely horses.

5. Tucker the Wunderkind The banner shows it all. Tucker is a rockstar. I enjoy reading about their journey together. What an amazing pair!

6. Barb Wire I love learning about the sport of endurance through the eyes of such a thoughtful and talented horse person.

7. Food, life Horses, dogs....food! Whatever the topic I love to read about it!

8. Notes from the Rookery Her art is so beautiful and inspiring and so is her life. If faeries existed that is where they would live.

9. Grey Horse Matters thoughtful topics, humor, amazing pictures and great quotes. nuff said.

10. High Tech Horse She is new to blogging, but she has me already hooked. Maybe she can do a post about online awards now :)

11. Tekes Tally Ho! An amazing blog about an amazing breed and an amazing trainer. Thast a lot of amazing...

12. Confessions of a Struggling Dressage rider Honest, and humorous accounts about what it is like to be an adult amateur dressage rider.

13. Ethical Horsemanship A great blog discussing topics that are relevant for all horse enthusiasts! Seriously.check.it.out!

14. Me My Horses, Our Journey This is my friend Kathy. She is a good friend of mine and she takes great care of my horse. I want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to check out her blog about her horse Satin and their new journey together!

15. Vegan Dad Just to throw you guys off I am putting my favorite food blog on here as well! Whether you are vegan, veggie. or omni I encourage you to try some of his recipes. They are so delicious!

Whew all done! Hope you guys pass it on down the line. It is fun to share the love in this strange but comforting little community we have here.

I try not to question it. I just enjoy the ride!

This video says it all...

2010-02-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

Please watch this. It will give you a laugh guaranteed~
(Sorry embedding video is a little beyond my means!)

Finally some appreciation!

Friday Fun- Horse Quiz

2010-02-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

It is Friday so how about a fun little distraction?

Horse Personality Quiz

I took it and Bodhi is a "Steady Eddy"
(Submissive Lazy curious Friendly) Sounds about right huh? Bodhi always reminds me of those fat pony cartoons so I should have known.

What are your horses? I would love to know! If you want, leave what you get on the quiz in the comments. Just for a little Friday fun.

Change is in the wind.

2010-02-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

I just got an email from my future graduate adviser-- I am accepted to graduate school at the University of Manitoba. Big changes are on their way for both Bodhi and me.

I have been struggling with what to do with Bodhi if and now when I move to Canada and I think I have decided to take him with me(My three options are sell, lease, or bring).

I just can not imagine being able to function without him. I bought him as a project re sell but he really is one of a kind to me. I know EVERYONE says that but come on how many horses can you ride on a trail ride, do a dressage test, pop over some fences, ride bridleless and play soccer with? At the age of four? I really feel like I would regret selling him if I did.

Of course I have to think about him too which makes things more complicated. what is best for him? Would he be happier as someone else's horse? Is shipping him all the way to Canada selfish? I bet he will love the cold but that is a long haul.

I have contacted a barn very close to the university that would be interested in using him in a lesson program for money off board. This would be ideal as I am going to be busy and poor.

So in light of all these changes I want to set some goals to accomplish before we leave in June. Whether I lease him out, sell him, or bring him I want him to have as many experiences as possible to prepare him for this new era in his life along with equip him with valuable skills he will need for his new job.

2010 Golden Goals
March 27- HITS show- taken him in baby green, or just some flat classes

April 24- Canterbury Spring Fling Schooling Dressage- try for training level!

March 6, 20-Go to a Play day with the North Central Florida Parelli Play Group

In General
More trail rides!
Work on canter duration and over fences.

Bodhi I am so proud of you! You have come so far! Above are some of his early days learning the basics at the age of three!

Breed Bucket List

2010-02-16T13:51:00.000-08:00

I loved Eye on the Horse's post on Bucket list of animals. I have always wanted a farm of my own and these are some of the animals my dream farm would have to have...

A Jersey Cow-- I love their faces and I have always wanted to give at least one cow a humane life, but my Jersey would need a buddy!

A mini Zebu!

For the equines I would need a..

Warmblood Mule because I have always wanted to see what the differences are for training, and I would just look so cool!

A Welsh Cob-- because they are like Haflingers only they come in more colors, are even more baroque and have amazing action!

And the dressage romantic in me would really like a Spanish breed of some sort like a Lusitano.

I would have plenty of chickens too as I love chickens esspecially fluffy ones such as silky cochin chicken!

I really enjoy sight hounds but love to rescue so my next dog may be a Grey hound especially since I would be living on a farm!
This is my dream farm inhabitants. What are yours?

Cold and Wet

2010-02-16T09:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the barn manager at Greener Pastures I have these neat photos of Bodhi soaking wet. She keeps a blog of the happenings of the farm which I think is a wonderful way to keep the boarders in the know!

It has been miserable here in Florida, cold and rainy. When do we get spring?

Trainers and our inner children

2010-02-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

Confessions of a Struggling Dressage Rider had a post recently about losing her cool during a lesson which sent me off thinking about the relationship between rider and trainer. I have definitely been in the situation where I have lost my cool. It is amazing how the act of being coached can sometimes set back your mind set. I sometimes feel almost childlike. This is a good thing when my inner child is full of curiosity and wonder at the new things I am learning, it is not so fun when my inner child is scared or worse indignant!

My first riding instructor when I was a child was a very gruff "old school" type. The best you would ever hear from her was "that wasn't Horrible..." Her criticism was not very constructive either. I would often hear her yelling over the wind in my ears "DON'T FALL OFF" Needless to say she made a lot of young pupils cry. I do not remember especially losing it in front of her though I do remember coming home in a rage about her and my mom saying "you could just quit riding?"

That was never an option!

Honestly though I remember feeling mostly apathetic towards her, and her yelling. I never learned much from her, only from her horses, but she did not really get to me like she go to some of the others.

My next trainer(s) was another story. They were a pair of dressage rider twin sisters. My father worked with one of them and they saw my picture on the wall and asked if I wanted lessons... for free. My father jumped on the chance to get me free riding time and I jumped on the chance to learn something new.

They were quite different. They took the zen-master approach. No yelling but no praise just constant criticisms and corrections. They took my stirrups away and locked them in their truck for months. When I eventually got my stirrups back they tied my reins on the neck and I had to learn how to ride in a circle without reins before I would get my next lesson. I practiced in a large pasture so I spent a good deal of time in the woods before I managed to ride my circle. This brings me to my point about the extreme behavior that trainers can bring out of a person. They did not yell though they were brutally honest and still pretty gruff. I found my self filled with emotions sometimes during lessons and I was bewildered about where they came from and why? I didn't have that problem with the other trainer. Was it that these women were actually criticizing not just yelling, was it because I was growing up???

I was at a show and about to go in the ring for an over fences class. I had been warming up off and on and watching the competition. One of the twin trainers comes up and tells me to go warm up over fences. Instead of telling her I already had warmed up I go to pop my mare over the small vertical in the warm up arena just to appease. She chastises me harshly for being so careless to start to jump with out a warm up and I burst into tears. Both of us just sit there in stunned silence. I could not believe I was crying and she could not either! We never really recovered after that. I still don't know why that happened, or what it means. I was 14 at the time so still young but even now I can feel pretty overwhelmed during instruction. Why is that?

My current trainer is amazing. She really breaks things down and explains why things work. Two things I need in order to learn. She is also very positive. Quick to tell me when I do things right and open minded about my positive reinforcement training. I would consider us friends as well. We talk on the phone, and go out for coffee. We have still had a few humorous moments.

One time in particular that really sticks out was a lesson early on when Bodhi was very green, during one of our first dozen rides with the bit and out of the round pen. He was having a bad day. Being very fussy and nervous and I was getting frustrated. That was when Bodhi started stopping and standing there refusing to move. I figured he had to poop. As a baby it sometimes took him a while to actually get his business going. Also when Bodhi gets afraid or nervous he poops a lot. (Does this happen to anyone else by the way???

)My trainer tells me to get after him for his stubbornness and I tell her "No, he has to go!" She retorts that I am making excuses for him and that I need to be more firm.
"No he really has to go!"
"NO he is being difficult. Kick him. He has your number."
"No, I don't think so..." I can tell she is getting frustrated with me and she thinks I am being difficult. I feel horrible.
"Molly trust me on this one, he is being a brat. It should not take this long!"
"No I think your wrong, his back feels funny.. he has to go!" I kick him anyways and he takes a few tentative steps and then stops again. Before my trainer can say anything else he finally does his business. The tension is so high between us that we both start laughing hysterically.
It is amazing what lessons bring out of us. Trainers have a very special place in peoples psyche I think. Is it because they are telling us what to do? Is is because we are so used to having the relationship between just the two of us that adding a third party is weird? Is it just because of the fact they are challenging us and putting us out of our comfort zones? I think there is this special balance between trust and discipline without giving away your individual problem solving skills and integrity when riding with an instructor and maintaining that balance can get a little hairy.

So tell me folks what are your experiences with riding lessons? Have you lost your cool? Have you had some really bad trainers? Good ones? How are your relationships with them?

Golden Bloopers

2010-02-05T04:55:00.000-08:00

Well I was on cloud 9 yesterday as I was trotting in the big geldings pasture with my head in the clouds the setting sun in my eyes and *blap* it happened--

my first fall off of my little darling pony!

In my defense I do not think the fall should count as a fall because he fell first dag nammit!

Yes that is right. My cute little golden pony did a face plant tripping on god knows what at the trot. Sometimes grace is not our strong suit. In his defense the pasture is really bumpy and stumpy.(though I saw no significant ground problems where WE landed!) I did a quick roll over his front as I have been crushed before so I don't like to hang around falling horses anymore.

We both sat there for a minute looking confused, Bodhi looked down right dumbfounded. I check my body, his body, tack etc and then climbed back on for a victory lap. I then called it a day. Sheesh

So what do you guys think? Should that count as my first fall? What's the verdict?

Isn't that cartoon funny? I found it on Dana's Doodles :)

Poisoned cues and Natural horsemanship Part 2

2010-02-03T13:07:00.001-08:00

Now that I have explained what a poisoned cue is (or at least had a crack at it!) I am going to attempt to explain what in the heck it has to do with the natural horsemanship movement.

Human error leads to habituation, which leads to more force, louder aids and poisoned cues. Right? That gives me a big bout of learned helplessness just thinking about it! Luckily for us though -- horses are very forgiving.

What I mean by forgiving is not that they are consciously forgiving. They do not understand mistakes or good intentions. They are not forgetful either. Horses have been found to still respond to cues learned 10 years prior with little practice with those cues in between. We all know how amazing the equine memory is! What I mean is that horses are highly specific in what they do remember, or associate, so with training mistakes there is usually a way out. Poisoned cues can be replaced with a new one in it's stead! This-I-believe is why Pat Parelli and the rest of the "Natural"gang came to be so popular ( and rich too you guys want what for a halter!)

I know from personal experience as well with by personal observation that a large percentage of people that are drawn to Parelli are people that already have a horse but problems have come up using the "traditional" method and they are looking for a new way to approach riding and training their horse. Sure they have some clients that have had no prior horse experience but they do market themselves as a solution for the "problem horse". Here is a familiar but hypothetical story to better explain what I mean:

Owner/rider has a horse that bucks under saddle and is UN controllable on the ground. Most likely she has tried many of the traditional methods for fixing the issues by changing the bit, escalating the "aides" using a chain over the nose etc etc, but the horse now just bucks almost every time they ride together and is impossible to catch.

I think that this is because by now most of her aides she uses to communicate with her horse are poisoned cues.The rider when using the reins and her leg now is eliciting a fear response at least some of time-- same with the halter and lead.

Rider finds Parelli program and gives it a try. She buys the new rope halter with the savvy string, and the carrot stick, and starts playing the "7 games". Her horse starts to respond to the porcupine game and seems to be learning. Her horse also seems to be more relaxed and happier in her work. She buys a Parelli hackamore and maybe even a Parelli saddle (gee gads!). Horse seems cured!

The Parelli method says that the training issues were solved by " love, language and leadership " They say this is about communicating to the horse in a language they can understand. They say that playing their seven games and using their method builds respect and makes you your horses leader. The Parelli program is brilliant because it works but not for those reasons above. I think the Parelli system works not because you are talking with your horse or your horse now sees you as a dominant heard member but because they take away your poisoned cues and the negative associations of the equipment that you had and give you NEW equipment and NEW cues. It is a fresh start. The horse is highly specific in his bad associations. Actually just changing minor things in the way you ask and how you ask may actually be a completely new experience for your horse. How brilliant Parelli!

What I do not like is the way the sell it though. Natural horsemanship is not natural. No more natural then other ways. Natural horsemanship professionals are not speaking horse. What they are masters of is negative reinforcement. They know when to release. Just like all really amazing horse trainers out their. All the 7 games are is practicing negative reinforcement. It is just a new package for the same old message. I am glad they are getting rid of some of the mentalities and attitudes of older traditional regimes, however I think people would be better off and their would be a lower percentage of horses redeveloping behavioral issues in the "Natural" world if people actually understood the science behind why all of this stuff works. It is not magic guys! It is behavioral theory plain and simple! :)

Poisoned cues and Natural horsemanship Part 1

2010-02-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

"Pavlov hits me with more bad news every time I answer the phone so I play and I sing and I just let it ring, all day when I'm at home"
Ani Difranco

While reading Karen Pryor's Latest book I had this amazing ah hah! moment. I am going to attempt to explain what I figured out so bare with me! Let me know if it doesn't make sense. I am really excited about this if you can not tell and I would love to hear what you guys think!

First let me attempt to explain this new concept of a poisoned cue-- a term coined by Karen Pryor to describe an event that we have all had experience with. I will start with an example she gave in the book that really helped me to understand. A great example of a poisoned cue is your name. Your name does not immediately illicit a positive response or reaction from you necessarily. It can be quite ambiguous. Your name is complicated. It depends on how it is said. It can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the context.

I hear---"MOLLY" and I stop and think, is this person wanting to praise or to punish? Should I answer?

This is fine in language but it is bad for getting a consistent result in training. I thought of another great human example of a poisoned cue; the telephone ring. Sometimes answering the telephone can be a positive experience, like talking to a friend, or getting a call about a job offer etc... sometimes it can be an aggravating one, telemarketers, your mother in law nagging you about something, or surveys. It can even be a very negative one, someone calling you to yell, or to inform you of a loved one's sickness, or death. How many people screen their calls or feel a bit of anxiety when answering the phone? That is a poisoned cue!

Now lets look at this in the light of horse training--- We all know that habituation is a common cause of horses becoming "dull" or "lazy" to our aides. Habituation is a consequence of poorly executed negative reinforcement and I have never met a single trained horse that does not exhibit some extent of unintended habituation to cues.

Poisoned cues also is they key to a lot of "resistance" behaviors seen in horses. A rider's aides become ambiguous to a horse over time because of poorly executed negative reinforcement as well as the concept of the aversive stimulus of negative reinforcement must get louder if the aide is "ignored". When riders kick, pull, and tap harder it is not just a negative stimulus it becomes a punishing experience. Soon your horse does not know if a squeeze is going to lead to a release or going to lead to a good thump in the ribs. See what I mean? At the least you get muddy communication, hesitation and dullness, stiffness and mild anxiety. In worse cases you get bucking, rearing, bolting. John Lyons likes to say things like "You gas pedal is broken" Well I think it is more that your gas pedal is poisoned! Horse anxiety in training and avoidance behaviors like bucking are caused by something a bit more sinister than habituation, but a lot more subtle than horses subjected to obvious cruelty. I have met many horses with some extreme behaviors that have led very great lives and I think the poisoned cue is a concept that explains this phenomenon well!

In PART II I am going to tie this in with Natural horsemanship I swear! :)

Further Reading....
http://www.reachingtheanimalmind.com/pdfs/ch_09/ch_09_pdf_04.pdf

http://www.reachingtheanimalmind.com/chapter_09.html

OT: Temple Grandin on NPR and Advocacy

2010-01-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace. Aldo Leopold

NPR's show Talk of the Nation had one of my favorite authors(and favorite people ) Temple Grandin on to talk about her life in the light of a new HBO movie about her life and work. (As an aside I can not believe how believable Claire Danes' performance is! If I had TV I would definitely want to tune in to this! Here is the trailer )
Here is the Latest Interview
I would recommend the interview for any one that is curious about Dr. Grandin. She is an amazing person, and an advocate for both animals and autism. I asked her a question through NPR's blog that was read on air. I will include the written correspondence for anyone that wants to see it and who can not get audio. It is about what she thinks the problems are in animal transportation.

On a personal note--- I really admire Dr Grandin's work because it is something I could never do. I am a vegetarian. I am because of primarily environmental reasons. I would be lying though if I said it was not also for my personal feeling about animals-- my personal ethics. I can not stand the thought of animals living in cages, in factories, and on feed lots. I personally could never kill an animal for my food. I do not want to eat something that came from a process that I could not complete nor do I want to support an industry when I do not agree with their practices. I have chosen boycotting as my advocacy method.

Dr. Grandin has chosen to work within the industry itself and she has made some amazing changes not only in the technology but in the management of the meat we eat. I wish that animals did not have to die. But as long as people still continue to demand meat we NEED people like Dr. Grandin to fight for a humane life and a humane death for our food. Thank you Temple Grandin for doing something I would never be strong enough to do.

Here is my question...
Molly writes: I'm curious what you think about animal transportation in the United States. It would seem the transportation in the trucks I see in transit currently would cause a great deal of stress, pain and fear, especially in high-fear animals like horses. I've seen several news articles about injuries sustained by horses when shipped cross-country to Canada or Mexico. What are your thoughts and feelings on animal transportation? What would you like to see changed?

Dr. GRANDIN: One of the biggest things you have to do in animal transportation is management. There's actually been some studies that have shown a big difference between drivers on things like injuries - I mean, drivers that stomp on the brakes, they stomp on the gas. It throws the animals off-balance, you know, people handling animals going on and off the trucks. There are some cattle trailers that definitely are not appropriate for horses.

But so many of the problems of management with - excuse me - with transportation are bad management. And one way I would go about assessing transportation is bruises, injuries, and - you want to get that down to an exceedingly low level.

CONAN: That should be taken into account, as well as what time did you get the cattle there.

Dr. GRANDIN: Well, that's right. And then you don't do things like park the truck in the sun and just let them cook at a truck stop somewhere. That's another thing you don't do.

Great Weekend!

2010-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

I had a great weekend. I went on a trail ride into a neighborhood with some fellow boarders and Bodhi and I worked on clicker work. He will now pick up a cone and hand it to me (to be fair sometimes he hits me with it!) I have also had some really amazing aha! moments for training in general that are still in the works but I can not wait to share. They are about poisoned cues and Natural Horsemanship. But it is Monday and I have work to do so lets roll the pictures of the ride!

Tie also is doing great! He got a bath on Sunday and when I let him loose he took with a canter and a buck and rolled! This is the first time we have seen him roll so he must me feeling better!