4 months of riding

I have been riding almost exactly 4 months now. I have learned a lot in 4 months but looking back I am amazed at what I have accomplished.

One of the accomplishments is learning to do some things my way. No matter how much experience some of your friends and acquaintances have, horse handling has to be working for you :)

Groundwork really is an important aspect of horse riding :) it establishes a baseline for your relationship for one thing. Hey, who's making who move their feet? The horse also learns to learn.

I have learned to saddle. I have some idea what I want when I go to buy equipment like saddles and girths and bridles.

I have figured out what rein management is even if I am not always getting it right. I'll keep working on it. I am starting to understand seat and legs and reins and putting it all together. I am getting lighter in my touch.

Tucker and I have been to a group ride, can ride out alone and even done a trail trial.

I can jog on the horse and even trot some. Posting is still a challenge.

I personally taught Tucker new things like standing at a mounting block. I'm pretty sure he has never done trail trials obstacles before. How cool is that? I taught an experienced horse something new! We are stretching to do new obstacles like the teeter totter.

I have learned, at least some, when and how to firm up and how to let off and release.

I am learning to slow down. Relax between obstacles. Stand for a bit after doing something with him like backing or getting the turn I asked for. Breathe a little before moving on to the next thing.

I am getting a sense of being in the saddle. What it feels like to move on top of a horse. I still occasionally feel like "Where is the seat belt?" This is a high and dangerous perch :) My comfort level of being in the saddle is going up and up. It is starting to feel natural.

I have learned that Tucker likes to go cross country and I think we will do more of that. I have lots of wide open spaces out here.

I have developed confidence in Tucker. He really is sane and stable and isn't going to try to kill me somehow! Also, I have confidence that if I get my part right, Tucker will do his part. Yes, he was getting pushy but by taking the time to ask and then tell, he has backed off and decided I am a good leader. In fact, I am becoming the leader he needs and it shows.

I am thrilled that I took up riding even though I am an out of shape, 58 year old woman who has to control her fear sometimes.

I am very fortunate to own Tucker. We have a ways to go on some levels but it has been quite the ride so far.

Went to the lake

Team Tucker did so good today.

We went to the lake with Karen and Brownie the Wonderhorse. And there were some other people I met before as well.

We sidepassed!

We worked on being clumsy :) He needs to walk faster so we worked on that. Walking faster definitely helped with the clumsiness.

I felt I had Tucker's attention most of the time.

We went over two very new obstacles. The tarp bridge that was waving in the wind and the teeter totter!

We went across country and Tucker loves that the best.

Tucker handled himself well and people were very impressed by him.

Most important, Tucker paid attention to me. Feeding with a flag and a little groundwork has paid off big time.

The day was beautiful. The wind really came up towards the last hour. Tucker was really calm in the wind and calm around strange dogs and calm in a group of horses.

I am over the moon.

Groundwork

Team Tucker is making progress. I thought the weather is great, I should ride when I get home but I realized I am tired from my job today and my time is limited so....I did some more groundwork instead.

I did use the flag.

This time I had times when I felt we were on the same page! Tucker was doing a fair amount of licking and chewing. I tried to let him enjoy his moments when he was "getting it". No rushing but firm up a bit as necessary in some cases. Back does mean back.

He reached for some grass and I backed him up. He backed right into a pole. I kind of laughed. That is what happens when you don't pay attention buddy.

I did good at anticipating when he was thinking grass and having him do something else instead..

We did some pretty good sending although he is managing to crowd me on his off side. I actually tried to do a lot from his off side since he is a bit lacking on that side. I tried to remember how to use my energy or feel to get him to go out away from me more and that did work.

Lots of lead, stop, back, lead, stop.

Tucker is not great at moving the fore but much improved today.

I managed to have Tucker's attention most of the time!

I did not feed him yet. Going to the home pen doesn't mean eating every time.

I hope the weather holds out so I can ride tomorrow.

The pink stuff seems to be working.

The Pink Stuff

Trying the pink stuff starting at 2:30pm today.  I did a test spot yesterday and he looks fine.  Let's hope it works as well as people are saying for his scratches.

Monday is a fresh start

The photo is showing Tucker waiting for his "good" food with two eyes and two good ears and standing still and away from me.  That is the picture I wanted to see this evening. 

#1

7:00am....Went out and fed with a flag.  Didn't really use the flag much but good to have.  Tucker had his nose in the feed bin.  I told him in a pleasant voice "Move over".  He did.  I asked again and he did move sideways again.  I then asked him to back up and turn the fore.  After too much backing, he turned the fore and I immediately released the pressure.  I threw the feed and turned to make sure no one was crowding me and I had two eyes and two ears.  "Good job, buddy."  And I walked away.

#2

8:00am....Watched Respect course: Getting Attention: Case Study #3  I can do this.  Yes, I have watched it before but I need to refresh and regroup.

#3

1:00pm....I got home from shopping and went to say hi to Tucker who was hollering for me.  I asked him to step back from the gate, made him stop trying to bump me with his head and rubbed his face and neck a bit.  Walked away, brought some hay in, asked him to step to the side with his fore.  He did that.  Asked him again.  He did that.  Asked him to back away from me and the food.  He did that.  He licked his lips and stood there sweetly waiting for the okay to go get his food.

#4

5:00pm....Took Tucker out to the big pen.  Had him do respect exercises on the way out there.  Had him spend some time alone while I did some chores.  Came back.  Asked him to move out off lead.  He did some galloping and then decided a trot would be fine.  I managed to turn him properly most of the time.  When I decided he had enough, I invited him over.  He came to me.  I asked for a few basic exercises...turn fore...turn hind....worked with off side which is a weak point for him I have decided.   Had him come up along the barrel from both sides so his off side got worked there, too.  Was able to send at a walk in both directions.  Included some gentle back, step up, back step up.

We did respect exercises all the way back home. 

#5

Feeding with a flag for the "good" food and for the hay.  Asked for him to stay back.  Looked for two eyes and two good ears. 

Hope I remembered plenty of releases and hope my timing was good.  Tucker is improving and he did do some lip licking today. I know some people don't think I should be doing groundwork and I should just be riding but I think the groundwork is doing us a world of good.

Tucker tries me

Team Tucker is finally starting up again. This cold knocked me on my butt plus the whole month of October has been being sick or being way too busy with working.

Today I finally felt a bit better.
Earlier today I asked him to move over. He kept eating. I got a stick and asked him to move over with a light tap,tap, tap. He totally ignored me and kept eating. Then a medium tap, tap, tap..get over. Kept eating. Then a loud "Get over" and a smack on the hip. He stepped over!

I went out this evening to talk to Tucker who acted like I am going to bite you. I smacked him on the shoulder and shouted.

Then I walked him out to the round pen for some ground work!

The round pen is a bit small for him but I needed to get some action going here where I could reach out and touch someone if I needed to.

This horse really does not think he has to pay attention to me!

I got him going in the round pen. He insisted on running so fine...run, baby, run. He is a bit of a tangle foot and he kept running anyway.

I had to work on the stop and turn portion. Eventually he decided that a trot was a better speed. We worked on stop and turn off the lead. When he got feisty towards me, I feistied right back at him with the flag.

After awhile, the ya yas worked out some, I put a lead on him and worked on walk a bit, whoa, turn. Well, he decided he didn't want to whoa. So, I decided to lean on that lead until I got a stop with two eyes facing me! We did that in both directions a number of times.

I got on him for crowding me when he turned and walked in the other direction. "Get off me"

I think the respect aspect of our relationship absolutely needs work. I did have his attention much better at the end of our day than at the beginning of our day. He is standing at the hitching post wondering if I am ever going to feed him.

I will feed him but he will have to stay back until I allow him to get his food!

Somehow, Tucker and I are getting off track but I know I can get this choo choo back on the tracks. Having a horse isn't all rainbows and lollipops.

I looked it up. The last real work I have done with Tucker is 13 days ago. Sometimes life gets in the way, darn it.

PS - Yep, I went to untie him from the hitching post to wrap up feeding and put everyone to bed. I said "get over" and he did! I had him do a send to the left at a gentle prod he did a gentle walk. A turn and send to the right at a gentle walk and he did it. I did head down and he didn't want to :) But then he did do it and I let him off the halter even though it was an impatient head down

Rough patch

Team Tucker is hitting a bit of a rough patch.

I feel badly about Tucker's scratches trying to come back. I have had the 10 days of work and work and work and wasn't paying enough attention.

Looks like Tucker has the scratches returning on his near hind. The skin was cracked open and it is bothering him a bit. I tried putting zinc oxide cream on it but he didn't like me touching it so I switched to vetricyn which I can spray on. He doesn't seem to be actually lame and I don't feel any heat at his joints.

I am using a little toothbrush for dogs to try to get the scales off his hind feet.

On top of that, I feel like Tucker has a bit of rain rot. I know, it is a desert and my friend doesn't think so but he is loosing a little hair, he was getting really bug bit this summer and he has some small spots of missing hair. He also doesn't look super shiny. I decided to brush him and spray 50% listerine on him for a week and see what happens. I may see if I can get a small bottle of MTG to try on him at Tractor Supply.

This may curtail my camping trip this weekend since Tucker isn't really able to be ridden with his foot.

In addition, I believe that Tucker does not view me as a strong leader. I am working on being firm without yanking. Today, I took him out to the big pen and when he bent to get some grass I made sure I let him run into pressure and not yank on his face.

I used a flag today to walk him out. I am using a flag every feeding now to emphasize that he is not to crowd me when I have food. I could just throw the food over the fence but that isn't teaching him anything.

I did a small amount of groundwork going to his big pen in the back. He crowded me so I stopped and used the flag to get him off me.

Also, once I got him into the pen I had him turn and walk, turn and walk on the lead. That went smoothly. I don't want to create a pinball horse but I do want him to pay attention ! I've been making sure he maintains his space using the respect exercises on the lead. I stop, he stops. He doesn't stop, back. He doesn't back when asked, he gets told, then the flag starts really waving after that. Release at the step back :)

I want to make sure he is healthy. I want to make sure the respect for each other is being felt.