September 13, 2020

Now with the newest addition to the barn, we have three horses at very different training levels. This works great for us because it helps us have more variety of training each day. We can go from beginning training on the "go forward" cue with Serita, to the flying lead changes with Shine. Then jump over and work with Soot on pulling the tire.

Each horse has a different learning style too, much like people do. Having these horses at the same time also helps us keep our minds open to different ways of training that might work better for different tasks we want them to learn.

Here is a recent update on each horse:

Shine: He is enjoying our time together, usually meeting me at the gate when I enter. He has good energy. Working on having him bend in the correct direction when I am mounted. Have worked on the barrel pattern and he is getting better. Have also done some pole bending practice.

Shine and Soot: (8/3) We did Soot and Shine together. I rode Shine bareback and Sheena led Soot. We walked all over the SPVR property then to the round pen in the corner. We did some with working them together in there, but then one of us waited in the middle while the other one worked. Shine did a good job and listened quite well, both when Soot was being worked and when he was just standing there. Soot was a little distracted when Shine was being worked, but then listened better when Shine was just standing in the center of the round pen.

Soot: Soot is getting more confident in pulling the tire. He pulls it with almost no effort now and seems to love it! Getting better control of turns and practically drags the whole round pen until it's flat!

Serita: She loves to be petted and loves attention, though she has learned to calmly wait her turn while we work Shine and Soot. She is learning to more consistently "go forward" and to hold her feet up in preparation for hoof trimming.

June 13, 2020

Shine

Shine is visually more balanced after doing some bending practice for a few days (see * below for details on the bending). It’s a good way to wake up the muscles, get the blood flowing, and the brain engaged. Shine has always liked groundwork, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. I think, especially with Shine, that having a groundwork day once or twice per month is really going to help him stay nimble.

 * We do the bending in their stalls, so they don’t get going too fast. We use the western split reins looped through the cinch to remind the horse to keep his head toward the center. The inside rein is much shorter than the outside rein, causing the horse to get a pull on the inside if they don’t keep the bend in their body. We suggest starting out with only a slight pull and working up to him keeping his head more toward the center.

Soot

Soot is getting much better at leading. We usually don’t go too far before we work him, but from his stall to the close round pen has been working well. Been working on walk/trot transitions and trot/canter transitions. The trot/canter transitions still need more work. We have been using the nylon halter for Soot, but we recently switched back to the original rope halter. We do have more control with the rope halter, and we get a better response rate from him too. We have also figured out how to allow him to pull the tire evenly by using 2 calf ropes (one of each side). That way the tire follows along behind him rather than to the inside.

April 17, 2020

It is always good to switch up your horse’s training schedule throughout the year. If you do the same thing all the time, the horse and human will get bored and the results won’t come as quickly.

In the rainy season, we need to change our training schedule a little so can still enjoy the horses while keeping everyone safe. Our horses live outside, so they are more used to all the elements than we are. We don’t get snow here in Southern California, but we do get some rain and lots of sun! When it’s raining a lot like it has the last few weeks, we still check on our horses every day, but rather than riding or working them hard when it’s muddy, we shift to doing more groundwork and even give them a day or two off. These animals are much bigger and stronger than we are, so it is always better to take a day or two off rather than do something you’re not sure about and then to later wish you hadn’t.  

Sometimes it is also a great de-stresser to just go and brush or pet your equine friend. Worries from the rest of the day, just float away.

March 28, 2020

Back in July 2019, we purchased our first draft horse. He hadn’t been looking for another training project, wanting to focus on getting a “finished” horse for our lesson program. However, when we saw Soot he reminded us of another passion we have. Most lesson programs have a weight limit of about 200lbs for lessons students. We would love to extend that weight limit for our lesson program. With a draft horse or in our case, a draft x (cross) we have that possibility. Meet Soot, our draft x who at almost 3 years old is already 16.2 hands high and from our weight estimation, already weighs in at 1318lbs. With our lightweight saddle Soot will be able to easily carry a rider well over the 200lbs.

March 20, 2019

Every moment you spend with your horse is telling them something. That's why in the first year of Shine's life, I tried to go out to see him every single day. Just a few minutes multipled a few hundred times turns out to be quite a lot of time.
I remember on Thanksgiving the first year I owned him, I had so far been out to visit him every single day. Well I decided that day would be no different and I would make time to spend a few minutes with him among the festivities. Well, I turned out that I didn't have a chance to go out there till 11:15 pm. I still made the drive with my Dad and enjoyed a few flashlight moments of petting him and brushing his legs. I feel that Shine really trusts me now. When we're in a new situation, he might start with a flight response, but then he realizes quickly that I'm okay and he is okay too. That's where all that spending time with him comes into play. You can't get a horse used to all situations right away, but you can give them each a foundation of training both with and without the saddle that they can fall back on in those times when they find a new obstacle to overcome. 

March 19, 2019

No matter how long you have been riding you can always critic yourself and get better. I suggest having another horse enthusiast watch you and give you a few pointers. They can see how you ride from a different angle and might have an idea or two for improvement. I also find it helpful to carve out some time to watch other people ride. Even if you don't know them, you will learn more about riding and be able to pick up different pros and cons from others that will affect the next time you mount up. Remember... a smile on your face will help your training session, whether it is going not so great, or if it is already video worthy. Keep riding!

March 12, 2019

It has been raining a bunch the last several weeks, so I haven't made much dry ground to train Shine. He has been having a lot of days off and wanting to run when I do get him out for some exercise. He also loves to roll in the mud (apparently) because each day when I go to get him, his stomach especially is super muddy!
Today I rode him bareback and he was quite good. I brushed him some then rode him then brushed him some more. He is really listening to the rein cues I'm giving him and he is listening to my leg cues as well.
The manager out at the stables gave me another comment today about how good Shine is. "He really is a good one, isn't he?!"
Enjoying walking and trotting between the puddles. :-)