It's About The Horse

Hertha · Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 1:24 am Post subject:

Hi Elaine,

Thanks for those suggestions and the link. I've been off dairy products for quite a few years.

I'm thinking more carefully each day about what I actually eat. And starting to change my shopping habits. We're pretty careful about fats since my husband had his heart by-pass.

I'm trying to think of it as a nice new challenge .................

Sweet tooth will take some determination to tone down

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Author of
*Book: N H STUDY GUIDE
*DVDs: Clicker Training Your Horse; Learning Universal Horse Language; 29 Ways to Ask Your Horse to Back Up; Building Your Horse's Hind End; Walking with Horses; Trailer Loading with Positive Reinforcement

jackspark · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 4477 Location: Missouri

My horse is desensitizing me

Had another good ride today and her spooks are not necessarily diminishing BUT my reaction IS. I am also pushing her to step out more and bring her energy up, as well as mine....... it seems to be helping her confidence and making me more adventurous

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Nancy

Flying Monkey Trainer

A journey of a thousand miles must
begin with a single step. Lao Tzu

bit · Member Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 4354 Location: Kansas

Had the best bd ever! EVER!!!! Went down to s. Wichata to sort cows on a ranch. Real ranch work on a real ranch with real ranch folk. Um, on a little, bitty horse named Bit, that I haven't ridden in three years. I didn't even know what she'd do, but I pretended she'd do great and boy did she kick some cow butt! We were in the herd, cows pressing on my legs and she just headed in (cows bigger than she was) got her heffer, and out we came! Honestly, working cows is the BEST thing you can do for your horsemanship, your fear, your horse, her fear...I have found my passion! I love it! We started at 9 a.m., and didn't finish up until 6 ish? My butt hurts, my thighs hurt, my arms will not raise above my head and I can't quite turn my head...I feel great!
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"It was once said I should clear my head for one cannot ride a Thoroughbred. Hot they are. And too fast they be. Forever on the fly. But I stayed the course and have no remorse. I love my off the track racehorse!"

ElaineW · Member Joined: 03 Feb 2009 Posts: 1465

bit that's wonderful!
I need to get around some cow's with Levi!
it sounds like fun...

Clarissa · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:44 pm Post subject:

Hertha I was just catching up on this thread & read of your recent diagnosis. That's really deflating news. Will that mean we'll have 2 drivers on the Driving Thread?

I hear that with these new hip replacements people do get back to riding after 6mths or so.

I've just recently had bad news about my left shoulder too. But my hips aren't that bad yet so hopefully once I get Sonny's feet better I can get back to riding. fingers crossed

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ElaineW · Member Joined: 03 Feb 2009 Posts: 1465

Oh my goooodness Levi and I had such a great day I have to share!
I am so happy with what we did today.. Since I have had Levi, it's been 1 1/2 year now, we have only trailered away to ride 3 times! Last year we made it out 2 times before winter and bad weather hit. And this summer between Eddy's accident and my illness I have not been able to do hardly anything!
I now have a new truck that can pull the trailer, so we can GO GO GO!

Other than a few weeks ago, when my friend and I took our boys over to another friends, so that makes us having 4 travel days!

But today, I had MY truck MY trailer MY horse and off we went!

Levi was just a little bit nervous when he got out of the trailer, unlike the other time, so I seen that as a improvement.
He calmed down super fast and became my calm and steady partner he is when we are at home. We rode in my friends pasture, working on Backing, serpentines, stepping the hind quarters over. and other fun things..
Today was a HUGE HUGE HUGE confidence builder for us. We are soooo good at our place, I just knew if we could get some travel time in we could bond even more. And I think that's happening! I am showing levi I am a good leader no matter where we go!..
At one point I even got to defend our 'herd of 2'!!!
It was just so much fun, a huge confidence builder!

becdubie · Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 12:04 am Post subject:

Awe Elaine...that's terrific. Sounds like freedom.
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There is more than one right way!

ElaineW · Member Joined: 03 Feb 2009 Posts: 1465

bit · Member Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 4354 Location: Kansas

Confidence builder for you and him. Isn't that the best feeling, your own truck and trailer, driving down the road, heading somewhere? I think I went 25 that first time, and it felt like I was going 60! Freedom! I love camping in my goose neck and sleeping in my bed! Watching movies on the computer and going out at midnight and visiting my horse! Take pictures!
_________________
"It was once said I should clear my head for one cannot ride a Thoroughbred. Hot they are. And too fast they be. Forever on the fly. But I stayed the course and have no remorse. I love my off the track racehorse!"

ElaineW · Member Joined: 03 Feb 2009 Posts: 1465

another thing that's been such a confidence builder. I just realized it this morning. That when I go to my friends to ride there's NO PRESSURE to even ride!
Meaning, I don't feel I HAVE to do anything that will scare me. If I had gotten there and Levi was not ridable, it would have been OKAY with her.
Now the OTHER group of friends are NOT as understanding. That's where I got into trouble in the beginning. I rode with them and they would run off and leave me, go on dangerous trails etc..
And I didn't have enough since to say HEY STOP IT WE ARE NOT READY I CAN'T DO THAT. They are not understanding.

so by going to my more understanding friends I am able to 'sneak' into this traveling! LOL.. I shut down under pressure, but at Her house there IS NONE! It's wonderful,, and since I was so calm Levi was calm too!
Thank you all for your replies and have a wonderful day!

I was gonna ride today, but I think I am gonna have to take my sister in law to the hospital.. I think my niece will be born today!
yay!

jackspark · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 4477 Location: Missouri

Wow Elaine! So nice to hear success stories, keep'em comin'

_________________
Nancy

Flying Monkey Trainer

A journey of a thousand miles must
begin with a single step. Lao Tzu

amygrimis · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:24 pm Post subject:

What an amazing thread! It is SO helpful to read about other people, their fears and what they've done/are doing. I agree that it might help me not only to read about other people's fears, but to also write about mine. So, here we go.

I have never owned a horse before. I've been on trail rides, but the last time was about 13 years ago. My husband's family has owned horses, but it's been some time. The chance came for us and I was so excited to get my first horse (at 36!!) a couple of months ago. I read a lot, went to different forums (how I wish I'd have found this one first!) and talked a lot with a good friend who's had horses her whole life. I found a 5 yr old mare who I was told was amazing for beginners and was very calm. I didn't ride her and honestly, I wouldn't have known what to do to really test her out anyway. Her name is Rhia and she's a beautiful quarterhorse/paint, who, I just found out, was a barrel racer. She's super affectionate, and the first week I was too stupid to know I was doing a ton of things wrong. Treats were our biggest downfall. That first week I was crazy confident. She didn't scare me at all and I just walked through that enclosure with her, haltered here, groomed her, etc, like I'd been doing it forever (not really lol). And then, one day I didn't have any more treats. I was trying to show her a ball and she was pushing me. I gave her a little shove over and she reached back and bit at me. Then, she turned and shoved me with her hip.

WHOO! Yikes, that reminded me that she weighs over a thousand pounds!

The next week I built myself up to ride her. It was one of those dumb things .... I have to ride her, I have to get past this. I knew about groundwork, but I definitely didn't realize how important it is and how much more there was to having a horse than riding.

I had ridden her once around our enclosure for about 10 min and we realized after that her bit wasn't in tight enough. I thought my husband fixed it when he tacked her up for me and he thought I had. Stupidly, I only checked her saddle and cinch and ignored her headstall ... I was/am very wary of being near her face. Well, it hadn't been checked and was still too loose. My in-laws were going to walk with me, but she was just too fast. She grazes like crazy and then as soon as you get into the saddle her head comes up and she's ready to work (my feeling is that she wasn't worked with except to go racing). She was a little quick walking and then suddenly she took off, turned sharp and headed for a fence. I decided to bail (lol) and ungracefully dumped myself out of the saddle. She reared up and I turned to see hooves coming right for me. Scary! But, she thankfully turned mid-air and came down next to me.

That's when I decided that she was just too much for me. She wanted to really move and there is just no way that I'll be ready for that anytime soon. Anyway, I tried a different horse out. He was old and crazy underweight. There was NO way this horse was going to rear, bolt ... I was lucky to get him to walk. But, I was terrified. I didn't choose him, but I did find another older guy who was in an equine program. I only rode him when I first met him and I was definitely feeling better, but I'm still scared!

So, my plan is to keep doing groundwork, grooming and things like that. I also groom Rhia from outside the enclosure which she loves and it's helping me to feel better with her (she's my husband's horse now). Anyway, thanks for this place to share!!

Hertha · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:11 pm Post subject:

WOW, ex barrel racers are usually movers!!!!!!!!! If not by nature, they have been driven to move. Five is a very young horse.

Sounds like after a week she had you sussed out and was testing all the boundaries to see how far she could get.

Hope you can build up your confidence. The horse has to feel your confidence in order to see you as someone to be with comfortably.

One way that works is to work entirely at liberty.

If you go to the FRIENDSHIP thread in this forum and click on Horse Herd Harmonics you will find an outline of how you can:

a) become part of her herd
b) rise up in the hierarchy so you rank above the horse
c) create a willingness in the horse to follow you suggestions.

It requires only a safe, roomy area to work in, your horse at liberty, a chair, a book to read (at first), and two swishy twigs to enlarge your personal bubble as needed. No tack.

Does your horse live with other horses? Horses have a deep need to be in a group or pair situation. To do this work it is ideal to have the horse separate from his mates, but able to see them.
_________________
Author of
*Book: N H STUDY GUIDE
*DVDs: Clicker Training Your Horse; Learning Universal Horse Language; 29 Ways to Ask Your Horse to Back Up; Building Your Horse's Hind End; Walking with Horses; Trailer Loading with Positive Reinforcement

amygrimis · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:10 pm Post subject:

Hi, Hertha, thanks for the advice and insight, yes, she had my number quickly! My husband took over, she's his now. I bought an older TB for myself. But, I do still spend time with rhia. I adore her and I figure that if I'm going to get past my anxiety the true test is with her. So, to answer you, right now we have 3 horses. The 5 yr old mare, my older gelding and a young filly. We're looking for a new home for her, which I know is going to change all the dynamics again.

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Amy
McDreamy LBI TB
Rhia LBE QH/Paint

http://homesteadingnewbies.blogspot.com

thelmanelle · Member Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 3253

Wow, yes . Good advice from Hertha. An ex- barrel racing horse is quite like owning an ex-endurance horse. It can be a challenging lesson to learn. Glad you read the thread. It's the start.

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A Good Apple Pie. II Corinthians 4:16-18