A Great Cap to a Horsin' Around Weekend

Maverick smells something in the air

What a fabulous weekend I had with all of my horses! The heat in Houston has been a preview of hell this year, but I think I am getting better acclimated finally. I had one thought with Mav, take what he gives me and shape it, no matter how little or how much energy he offers me. Friday he had very little energy, but I had a plan, and I stuck to it. Get the circle game more consistent online so it would get better at liberty, play on the rail with no reins and two sticks, weave around poles with light contact, play around the question box. No pushing, urging or nagging. It's so nice when a plan comes together.

So, today, we went into the indoor arena and it was time to test the liberty circle game. As a warm up, we did driving game forehand around the hindquarters and hindquarters around the forehand. Mav did both with a 360 degree turn, just beautifully. Then it was time to yo-yo and get sent out on the circle. I think Mav knew what I wanted, but he wasn't ready to give it to me right away, so he veered off the circle, and I used a phase four to cause him to move faster. Off he went at a canter, with more energy than I had seen in three days put together. Game ON! 

He did half a circle, then turned to me, asked a question, I said come on handsome, and he came to me at a canter, ears like semaphores all the way. Did a beautiful controlled stop right in front of me. I sent him again, and he repeated the same thing another two times. Time to change tactics. I yo-yoed him back and just as he thought I was going to send him out again, I asked him back in. I swear I saw surprise register in his eyes, good surprise. I did this three times, then sent him on the circle again. And just like that, he gave me the prettiest, energetic, perfectly shaped circle. I transitioned him down with my carrot stick, then asked him in. He came up to me and blew out a big sigh. He licked my hand and I fed him cookies. Then we left the arena as fast as he would go. 

Wow! When we got out to the front area of the barn, I led him over to get a good hose down, also at liberty, then I sat on the mounting block where he hung out with me for about a half hour. At one point, he rested his nose on my knee and just stayed there for about a minute. I think he fell asleep there every so briefly. Happy, content horse and human.

Liberty Trim Day

I had a wonderful day today, again, with my horses. First, Sarah and I rode across the street in the park, and Walker picked up his left lead really well today. Sarah and I talked about how we could improve his canter going to the left. Then we had to laugh at ourselves, because here was Walker finally getting his left leads again, and already we both wanted him to do more. Of course, I didn't, because we are both learning how to resist those urges. 

When Walker and I were done riding with Tessa and Sarah, I helped with a riding lesson, staying on Walker in the small indoor arena. This is good for Walker, because he has a hard time standing still, so doing so while someone else rides builds his emotional and mental durability.

Once we were done, I took the saddle off of Walker and let him roll. Walker doesn't seem to be bothered by getting hosed down, I think because it just feels good to cool off. Today was no exception. I dropped the savvy string I had tied to his halter and he just stood completely still while I walked over to get the hose and turn on the water. Then he just stood and took deep breaths while I passed the hose back and forth neck to dock, left side and right side.

Because Lei was at the barn hanging out with her horses, I was able to turn Walker out in the front area with her horses, and then I thought Bingo might be missing him in the back pasture. So, when I went to get Maverick, and brought Bingo along. Walker came with me, and when Bingo saw us, he let out a big whinny. So cute! Walker and Bingo are really bonded.

 

Bingo and Walker choose to be together, no matter where they are.

Then it was time to play with Maverick. The temperature was already in the low 90's, so I knew we would not do too much. I completely understand now that when my horse has low energy, I have to go with it. There are some things I can do to help bring his energy up, but if I ask too much, he'll just get unresponsive, then surly, then pissed. Fortunately, I can see the unresponsiveness and change my tack.
So, today, I had a plan to do exactly what we did yesterday, and it worked really well. So well in fact, that at one point, Mav offered a couple steps of canter! I went with it then transistioned him down to a stop, rubbed him, told him what a good horse he is and fed him cookies. Then we continued on with my plan. 

When we were done, I brought him into the small indoor arena to remove the saddle and let him roll. I went to sit on the mounting block to wait for him to roll, except he didn't roll. He just stood there looking at me from across the arena. I waited, relaxed. He stood with his ears at attention, watching me.  He finally moseyed over. He just wanted to hang out with me. I waited for about ten minutes, but he still didn't roll. First time that's ever happened. We just hung out. He licked my hand and nuzzled my visor. 
Now it was time for hoof trimming, and in true Parelli style, Walker, Mav and Bingo needed no one to hold them while Eddie Drabek trimmed their feet. Everyone of them stood still while he went about his work. 

Not only that, once Walker and Maverick were done and I brought Bingo into the loafing shed, neither Walker or Maverick wanted to leave. They just hung out with me while waiting for Eddie to finish. What a great day!

A Day in the Park

Wendy and Bingo were able to join Walker and me riding across the street from the barn in Independence Park. I think I am getting a bit more used to the heat now, it does not seem to bother me as much. There was a soft breeze coming from the coast which always helps. 
The sky today was much cleaner, a left over of two days of rain we desperately needed. The footing in the park was wonderful. Soft, but not too soft, and the grass had already grown substantially, so we hardly needed treats, the grass itself was a wonderful treat. 
Wendy and I meandered on the other side of a stand of trees that separate the field south of the barn into two sections. Ordinarily, Walker would not feel really confidant in this area, but with Bingo there, it was not an issue. 
We both did a very simple exercise, just asking for the inside hind leg to come up underneath them as they moved at the trot and walk. Walker was so left brained, he gave me a tiny little sugar footed trot, which I sat and flowed with. It was easier for him to do this clockwise than counterclockwise, which somehow must be connected to his hesitancy about the left lead, and I think it has something to do with him falling onto his inside shoulder, something we will need to play with more. 
He gave me a very nice clockwise circle, walk trot and canter, with Wendy and Bingo in the middle acting like a barrel, a guide for our circle. Then is was Wendy's turn with Bingo. I helped her feel when to ask for the inside leg to move under Bingo, and he gave her the loveliest trot followed by an equally nice canter. He did not speed up like he normally does, probably for two reasons: 
One, he had something to really think about, which is always good for a left brained horse. Two, it's hard to run off when one hind leg has to move inside the other. It made him really use his hind legs, so that when Wendy asked for him to stop with just her seat, it was easier for him to do so not falling onto his forehand (front feet).
That put a big grin on Wendy's face! And Bingo blew and blew and blew, lots of relaxation. 
Then it was Walker's turn again, this time to do the dreaded left lead. It took four or five tries to get it the first time,  but once he got it, I allowed him to canter for about a circle and a half until he relaxed a bit, then we quit again. 
Now Wendy's turn with Bingo's tougher side, the right lead. After two or three circles playing with the inside hind moving under him again, she asked for the right lead and got it right away, twice in a row. And the canter was very relaxed, smooth and calm, no crazy Bingo today!
Now it was Walker's turn again to pick up the left lead, which he did on the first try this time! Walker and Bingo cantered together, with Wendy and Bingo behind us and two wonderful things happened. Walker was not the least bit bothered that first, he was in the left lead, and second, Bingo was behind him with the energy he brings. And Bingo matched Walker's speed, which is always slower than Bingo's, which meant he had to put his energy up instead of out, giving Wendy a big collected canter, again no craziness. Wendy and I both knew, this was the perfect time to quit, so we stopped and allowed both of them to eat the fresh grass. Then we chatted about how much fun it was to have our horses respond to our requests so willingly today.
All this inside 40 minutes. 
Sarah came up with Tessa about this time and Wendy and I were both sorry we could not have stayed out longer, but we were both expected back at home. I had the steaks for dinner in the barn office refridgerator. I let Sarah know how much I was enjoying playing with Walker on the circle, as she was the one who had shown me the exercise with the inside hind leg and how much better horses can track on a circle if they can do this. 
Then we moseyed back to the barn, retrieved Mav from the turnout and put the three horses to bed in their stalls where they were all happily munching on hay when I left for home. 
It was a really good feeling to know how happy our horses were to play with us today, how relaxed they were and how successfully they were able to what we asked. I am pretty sure I had a grin on my face the entire drive back to the house.

Riding down the mountain trail

Follow this link to watch me on Ebony doing a lovely paso corto down a very steep mountain trail on a completely loose rein. I just fell in love with this horse! Click below

Trail Riding with the Lovely Ebony