December 31, 2016

This past month Shine as been growing a lot!

I have now had Shine for 3 months and am enjoying the leaps forward in training as well as the challenges. My sister mentioned that some people don’t even start training the horse until he is a year old, so anything he learns now I’ll be that much ahead. It is totally true! I try to remember to keep this in mind each day I spend time with him.

Achievements: Shine is learning to walk beside me when I lead him, and only occasionally tries to look across behind me. He doesn’t pull on the lead rope much anymore. He is also more ready to pick up his feet and is getting better with more commotion around.

Next steps: I would like to get Shine comfortable with standing on three feet, so he holds still when he is being shod. He also pulled back the other day, but he quickly stepped forward again and was calm.

November 26, 2016

Shine continues to improve quickly. We went for a walk this week and he is getting to where he can walk up the steep hill right with me. He is so fun to work with! When we got to the top, there were four large stacks of hay quite over our heads. I led Shine around those columns of hay and he just followed me between and around them. He did try to eat them some. Heehee!

There was also a small X jump just sitting out in the open space, so we walked over to that. It came up to just below Shine’s kneecaps, but he didn’t halt the first time we went over it. We went over it a few times and he even jumped over it a few times.

He pushes off with his back legs, I love seeing that! I can see his power coming from back there, both when he’s running in the small pen and when he’s going over the jump.

October 29, 2016

Shine is getting better at following when on the lead. I am taking him for longer walks now and he enjoys it! We have been all over the ranch and he very interested around the cows. It is fun to see him interested in what they are doing. Looks like he is going to enjoy working with them when I'm on his back later. I can hardly wait!

October 16, 2016

Shine is improving everyday! He whinnied at me today when I started to walk away for a minute. Funny boy! He also accepts the western saddle pad and didn’t mind it falling to the ground on either side of him. The former owner did a great job starting him out!

October 10, 2016

Shine has really improved even in the first week I have owned him. He still tugs a little when leading, but he almost immediately yields forward and is getting better all the time. He accepts many things that others horses older than him, don’t accept. Definitely a good boy! :-) He has a wonderful disposition and is gentle to all who step forward to pet him. I introduced him to the western saddle pad today and he accepted it like it was no big deal. This is truly a wonderful horse and I am excited to see him develop. He has great bloodlines and it is already showing. Next we'll work on crossing a small creek that runs through the property.

October 2, 2016

Yesterday I thought we might not make it up to Riverside to pick up my little horse. My car started running weird even further south than when we lost the trailer tire last weekend. Oh no!

I exited at Old Highway 395 and did some driving around, but my car seemed fine. Dad met us and followed us the rest of the way, but we had no more problems. I guess Dad was just supposed to come with us.

Mr SmartShining King was in the round pen and did a little running around before I slipped the halter on his head.

Absolutely no problem getting him into the trailer and he had a smooth ride down to his new home. He was calling to the other horses when he came out of the trailer. :-)

He is a beautiful horse and I know I will have fun working with him!

September 27, 2016 - Adventure #1

A new horse, new adventures. . . In this case, even before I get the new horse.

Mr. Smart Shining King is scheduled to be purchase on Saturday, October 1^st. There is much excitement at the ranch. Mr. Buck will be the youngest horse to join S&S Ranch and we are looking forward to training him.

The adventure started last weekend when we headed to Riverside to pick him up. We had spent all morning Saturday cleaning the Circle J trailer, no more cobwebs, and shiny clean windows!

On Sunday, after church, we started north. We got to just below Temecula when my dad said, “we lost a tire.” A moment later he said, “and we lost a fender too.” It was good we had not picked up Mr. Buck yet.

The weather was hot and dry at over 100 degrees and since we were on the freeway, there were no trees to shade from the sun. The tire we blue was on the right, however, putting us in the shade of the trailer for changing the tire. That was a blessing!

Even with the heat, I was dressed in my western garb and wore my black cowboy hat, shading me from the sun’s direct rays.

I had to hike back up the freeway for a quarter mile to pick up the fender, which had ripped off with the force of the lose tire tread.

We had planned to get new tires in Temecula, but most places are closed on Sundays. The place we did stop at would have to order the tires.

So, this week, I made a few calls. Trying to get a horse transport or rent a trailer so we can still get Mr. Smart Shining King.

May 18, 2016

The last month of training has been a little discouraging. I have taught Charmer so much, and he's overall getting better, but he recently bucked me off again!

I did a forward roll and landed hard on my right hip before continuing to roll and stand up. The problem of me not letting go of the reins helped me this time. Charmer kept backing away from me and pulled me back to my feet.

I took him through a series of turns from the ground, having him go right and left around me, but not letting him cut into my space.

I did mount back up also, but I was in the round pen.

~ ~ ~

Today I got out there and Charmer met me at the gate. I rubbed down both sides of his neck then haltered him. He finally drops his head for the halter! For a while there he would drop it then raise it before I could get it buckled. The last few times he has left his head low for me to put the halter on and buckle it.

I took him to the round pen under the trailers and did some groundwork with the halter. Then I did some free lunging (without the halter).

I then felt perfectly safe to mount up. Let me clarify, that's without a halter and no saddle. I did some directing with my legs. I want to do more of that. I even asked Charmer to canter a few steps. He protested some, but was really smooth for the few steps he did canter.

I want to get him going both ways, he kept turning around and only wanting to go race way. We'll get it!

I finished in his pen by rubbing his legs and shoulders with a thick plastic bag.

April 6, 2016

The last few rides I've had have been very enjoyable! They haven't been perfect, but I have enjoyed most of my time.

Charmer has had quite a bit of energy, but he is also getting better at listening. I feel like I am giving him more subtle cues and he is doing what I ask.

The ride today was a little different because I didn't rude in the main arena. The arena below the cows was being used, so I used the round pen below the trailers. It is a slightly bigger round pen than the one by the main arena.

Charmer was slightly excited because we were closer to the street traffic, but it was only a few minutes before he was listening and following my lead.

I worked on turns and smaller circles, working on keeping the energy up even though we were doing the smaller circles. I think he still has a tendency to not drive forward with his hind end, which makes it harder to maintain a quick speed in a smaller circle.

Charmer is getting gentler when leading and tying. He walks along beside me and I feel like he likes being around me. He still comes to the gate when I get him on each visit and he follows my hand signals when we do groundwork in the round pen. We really have a lot of fun together!

I have found I am more excited to work with him each time now and we get great results as we work together!

March 18, 2016

Charmer didn't have any "go forward" energy today. It was more up and down. I did some ground work in the round pen and had him run some.

Down at the tie-ups a girl tied her horse, a Mustang, at the other end of the pole. Charmer was more interested in the horse than normal. I think he could tell she was not from around here. Well, Charmer spooked at the tack box. I'm not sure why because it looks like mine only it's blue.

I rode Charmer to the main arena, but he still didn't want to go forward. He actually bucked and I slid off, super annoying!!! Charmer pulled back enough to pull the bridle off. He stopped immediately, bridle still on, then as I walked over to him, he pulled it off and took off running. *Sigh!*

After that . . . I actually had a pretty good training session. I rode him in the small round pen quite a bit, loping for a long time. It still felt like his cantering was more vertical, not driving from the hind end.

I rode him down along the front of the property below the trailers and stopped off in the round pen down there. He had more energy, so we did more cantering and worked on a smaller circle.

I finished by riding in the main arena again, working on trotting around the barrels and a smooth canter in a slightly bigger circle than before in the other arena.

February 13, 2016

Wow! I had a great training session with Charmer today! I started out with some groundwork in the round pen, having him follow my change of direction and speed. He seems to like that time and is even getting a little more playful. When I was leading him back down to the tie-ups he was getting excited, so I turned him back on himself in slowly traveling circles and got to where I wanted without him getting excited.

Another rider out there said I am getting a lot done with my horse, that my patience is paying off. I would agree with him after today.

I tacked Charmer up easily, though he was alert and looking around. Then I rode him to the main area. I had it to myself today because the other riders were all at the roping arena. I did various sized circles at walk, trot, and canter. Charmer is really listening to me when I am riding and I can tell he is responding to my cues much quicker.

I think the groundwork puts us more on an even field, but he still knows I am the “alpha” and I am feeling that transfer to in the saddle as well.

His rollbacks (a technique used in sorted the cows) were amazing today! Not only did he stop quickly and pivot on his hind legs, but he quickly picked up the canter in the second direction. He had an excitement in his movements today and I couldn’t help, but smile on some of those cues he followed so exactly.

Sorting cows here we come!