Wizard Ride 192 & 193: Truffling
Thursday, 10/21/10
Somewhere, I read that the word “truffling” describes the rhythmic purring sound that horses make when they are exercising. I notice a lot of truffling horses at the track in the mornings, but I’ve seen riding horses truffle as well. I rode Wizard on the trails on Thursday and he was a truffling fool. Purr, purr, purr! Unfortunately, our ride was cut short because we saw a herd of deer cross our path (Wizard watched brightly and bravely- good boy!) and then BLAM! Gunshots in the woods. Way too close for comfort. So we truffled right back to the barn! I finished the ride in the indoor arena, just doing some simple patterns and exercises at the trot.
Saturday, 10/23/10
Rode in the indoor arena at night after a wonderful day in Far Hills, NJ at The Hunt. Wizard did not ride well- he was a little distracted and not great on his feet. I felt him stumble slightly a few times. We did light walk, trot, and canter work and he was responsive but not at his best.
I gave him a few days off and then rode again on Wednesday night- that ride was also cut short because he’s feeling a little under the weather. He did not have a high fever and he’s still eating well, but I’m giving him a little time off while he gets better.
Wizard Ride 191: Different To Me
Saturday, 10/16/10
Wizard and I had a riding lesson with Heather, one of the new instructors at the barn. I’m planning to take a few lessons from each instructor and decide who is the best fit for us. The instructor we worked with on Saturday is a judge, as well as a trainer. She specializes in jumpers, which is of interest to me, since Wizard and I need help to keep moving forward with our jumping schooling.
Our lesson was focused on equitation and my communication with Wizard. She likes a rider to place pressure, contact and weight in the seat and thighs and not in the calves. She asked me to roll my knees toward the saddle, tipping my toes in and my heels out. It felt so different from what we normally do! In the corners of the arena, she asked me to give an indirect rein with my inside hand and open the outside rein to allow Wizard to bend, and also to step out with my outside leg to encourage Wizard’s shoulder to open up a little. All upward and downward transitions were done with the seat, slowing down posting, etc. She asked me to keep much more firm contact with the reins than I usually do. I asked about Wizard’s busy mouth, and she said that when I have more contact, he’s less busy with the mouth.
She had some interesting observations about my position- she called my right leg my “hold leg” since it’s an anchor for my position. I lean on it and it’s less flexible than my left leg. She could see a definite difference in my position on each side. I’ve never heard it called a “hold leg” but it made sense!
Another good observation of hers was that I allow Wizard to rush into his upward transitions. He hurries through his walk to trot transitions so we worked on asking him to flow more smoothly from one gait to another. Wizard was good throughout the lesson, but near the end, he got a little impatient, probably since it was a very different routine from our usual routine.
We have another lesson on Wednesday night- it has been really helpful to get different perspectives on our training goals, position, and performance.
Wizard Rides 189 and 190: The Sweat Descends
Wednesday, 10/13/10
Wizard and I had one of those really delightful autumn evening rides where the air is cool and a little damp. I got a really cute quarter sheet as an early birthday gift, and I used it to keep Wizard’s muscles warm. We did a really straightforward ride, focusing on fitness. I rode with my stirrups a hole short to let my heels sink into the stirrups a little better. We walked, trotted, and cantered in each direction with very light contact. The biggest reward of the night was when Wizard was seeking contact on the bit on his own. It was really cool! At the end of the ride, Wizard was steamy and a little sweaty but happy. His coat is growing longer- it is very fine compared to his barn buddies, but it still takes extra care to cool him off in the chilly weather.
Thursday, 10/14/10
Another straightforward ride. I have a riding lesson on Saturday so I kept things pretty light. We rode in the outdoor arena again, and did light, forward work at the walk, trot, and canter. Wizard was quite keen on long-and-low work at the trot. I rode a 5-stride line from a cross rail to a vertical, but the line was really a lonnnnng 4-stride or a short 5-stride. We kept hitting the second fence a little off rhythm. It was nothing bad, but just another little hint that I need a professional to help me take the next step with our jumping.
A Visit to Days End Farm Horse Rescue
In early September, Hidden Meadows Equine Rescue in Martinsburg, WV had over 50 horses seized by the the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department. The horses had little to eat and had no water. Eight were euthanized within the first few days due to their failing health.
Days End Farm Horse Rescue a 501(c)(3), volunteer-based, animal welfare organization in Woodbine, Maryland took the most critical horses into their care. On my way out to Kentucky to photograph the World Equestrian Games, I visited Days End and met both the horses in their care and the volunteers who care for them.
My first impression of Days End was how organized the rescue is. On the phone and in person, every volunteer was courteous, knowledgeable, and businesslike. The barn was tidy and orderly, with clearly marked signs, color-coded buckets, carefully latched gates, swept barn aisles, and a special section of the barn designated to the West Virginia horses. A day sheet hung from each stall door, marked with notations from every visit to the stall: “Filled hay.” “One manure pile.” “Cleaned stall.” “Filled water. Drank half a bucket.”
All of the horses at Days End from Hidden Meadows are Thoroughbreds (all are off the track as far as I know), and the condition of some of them is extremely critical. When I was visiting the farm, Zodiac was the horse who needed the most care. He was placed in a sling when he had problems standing, and he needs bandages changed, vital signs monitored, and some activity in his stall to keep his circulation moving. Zodiac’s entire digestive tract is riddled with ulcers, and he requires medication for them. His eyes have ulcers, which also need care. When I read about him, I expected him to be completely lethargic and disinterested in his surroundings, but this was not the case; he was alert and would perk up just a bit whenever someone entered his stall. Through his runny eyes, he examined visitors. When I visited with him, he nibbled hay and eventually dozed off when things were quiet.
The level of starvation of these horses is extreme, and the rescue has to take great precautions when re-introducing food to them. Stone dust and dirt were found in the horses’ digestive tracts. The digestive system of a horse is quite delicate when it is thrown off, and horses are prone to colic, founder, and choke, just to name a few risks. The horses in the care of Days End are fed very frequently in small amounts. The process of renourishment is a tricky one, and horses can suffer something similar to refeeding syndrome in humans. When the horses are in their stalls between meals, they have to wear muzzles to keep from eating their stall bedding. Nibble Nets have been placed in their stalls so they can eat a small amount of food on a frequent basis.
When I walked in the barn, I immediately noticed the mattress in one of the stalls. I commented that it is probably appreciated for a little shut-eye after a long night watch, and one of the volunteers remarked that they had no time for sleep for the first few days that the horses were in their care. I met the veterinarian who is caring for the horses, some local Animal Control officers, as well as some of the primary caregivers. They all knew their jobs very well and knew every lump and bump on the horses’ bodies.
Some of the horses are bouncing back more quickly than others due to their age and overall health. One filly named Buttercup is about 3 years old, and I could already see her filling out since her last photos that were taken two weeks earlier. Although her hips jutted out and her spine clearly protruded from her back, there was a sparkle in her eye and a spring in her step. Days End turns out the horses whenever possible, and when they put Buttercup outside with her paddock buddies Aaron and Felicity, she did a little playing before she settled down to munch on her hay.
Before I left, Days End President Kathleen Schwartz-Howe took time out of her day to meet up with me and we got to talk about the rescue. She explained how things are run and a little bit about the history. I get the feeling that she could fill a book with everything that she’s seen, both good and bad. I thanked her for all she is doing for these horses.
Readers, here’s a little more information about how to learn more and to help Days End:
– Notes From the Barn (blog with updates about the horses)
– Days End wins ASPCA Henry Bergh Award
– A little info about the history of the rescue
– How to tour the facilities
– Financial/donation data
– How to help
– Wish list
– Facebook page
– Euthanasia policy
Just one day later, I was at the World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park, photographing the greatest equine athletes on earth as they competed at an elite level of their respective sports. Six hours east, seven mighty Thoroughbreds fought their own daily battle for their lives and they never left my mind once while I was in Lexington.
Wizard Rides 183- 188: Life and How to Live It
Monday, Oct 4
Wednesday, Oct 6
Thursday, Oct 7
Friday, Oct 8
Saturday, Oct 9
Monday, Oct 11
I hate to lump all these rides together, but I’m wrapped up in what seems like an endless stream of projects, and while I’m finding good saddle time, I’m finding very little blog-time. So here’s horse life for the past week, in a nutshell…
Monday, Oct 4
We had a stretch of rain, so I rode indoors. I’m discovering that we’re sort of stalled in our training. I need to a) re-evaluate our ride plans and b) get some riding lessons. I set up some trot poles and two cross rails on a circle. After our warmup, we trotted and cantered the cross rails on a circle to the left and right. Wizard was very game but a little rushy, so I think we need to strengthen our flatwork.
Wednesday, Oct 6
Rode Wizard indoors again. Just for fun, I tried him in his old Happy Mouth soft plastic snaffle. There was a riding lesson in the arena, so we got some good schooling with another horse in the arena. I’m always grateful for a little change of pace and company. I focused on lateral work, and it seemed to bring him back onto my leg, seat, and rein aids. It was interesting to feel how he responded to the old bit- he actually took contact with it, but did not feel flexible on it at all. I’m happy to see how he accepts contact with his Myler bit better than the Happy Mouth now. I think he’s developing a better relationship with the bit and with contact.
Thursday, Oct 7
Finally got to ride outdoors again! The big arena was a little sloppy so I tied Wizard’s tail up in a knot, but my skills are slipping and the tail knot fell out several times. We had a good, basic warmup at the trot and canter and did some jumping, from trot poles to a cross rail and finally a small vertical. Wizard has been rushing a little at jumps, so I think it’s time to go back to some basic trot-in poles into fences. There was recently a horse show at the barn so there were still some jumps set up with flowers underneath them and Wizard never batted an eye at them :^)
Friday, Oct 8
A delightful but quick ride. I had only a little time to take Wizard out so we did some trot and canter work on the trails for about 30 minutes. We even found a new trail!
Saturday, Oct 9
Wizard again assumed his responsibility as Trail Guide at the barn and we took some people out for a walk on the trails. We rode for about an hour and a half total, all walking. I think it was really good for him to do something different. I really like to change our gaits on the trails so he does not get used to fast or slow speeds.
Monday, Oct 11
My grandma met Wizard! It looked to me like mutual admiration- Grandma liked Wizard very much and he was very sweet to her. I ran him through a basic ride to show her his repertoire. Walk, trot, circles, leg yield, shoulder in, cantering (picked up each correct lead the first time- YES!), and just one line of jumps.
Next Stop: World Equestrian Games!
All packed and ready for a new adventure!
Wizard Ride 182: Follow Me
Saturday, 9/25/10
Our barn is surrounded by a great network of trails. There has been a recent influx of boarders and students and a few of them expressed an interest in learning about the trails. Being a trail riding fanatic, I’m always happy to take people out and show them around. On Saturday morning, Wizard and I took three people and their horses out for a 45-minute ride. It was a great success, both for the other riders and for me and Wizard. Wizard was the perfect trail guide, but he also fell into line when I urged the other riders to try riding on the lead. I’m a big fan of the “carousel horse” concept on the trails… each horse and rider should lead from time to time to avoid ugly habits on the trail. Alibar, for example, used to jig and fuss when he was not on the lead- he could have benefited from some follower/leader rotation.
When we returned to the barn, I took Wizard in the indoor arena for a short spin, working on loosening him up and doing some long-and-low stretching work. He complied with alacrity- our ride was perfect from start to finish :^)
Wizard Ride 181: Perfect Circle
Tuesday, 9/21/10
Autumn officially arrived late this evening as I was leaving the barn. It was a perfect night to usher in the new season- the moon was bright, the air was cool and clear. I rode Wizard outdoors. The arena footing was great, with a good bit of moisture but not muddy at all.
Our warmup was simple, consisting of a long time walking on a loose rein, followed by walking on contact and then trot work. He is stretching nicely into the bit during the trotting warmup. Wizard’s shoulder-in to the right is still much stronger than the shoulder-in tracking left. Wizard’s trot to canter transitions are becoming stronger as he becomes more balanced. He picked up the left lead after two tries and we nailed the right lead on the first attempt. Forwardness has been the big focus on our last few canter sessions so I decided to test Wizard and rein him in a little- he was able to balance and rate himself and did not break into the trot a single time.
Taking another chapter from 101 Jumping Exercises for Horse & Rider, I set up three trot poles about 35 feet apart from each other, in a straight line. We rode over each pole, then circled and at the next pole, we circled in the other direction. It was good practice for staying balanced on both sides and for riding a proper circle instead of an egg or a lemon. I definitely rode a few oblong circles before we got something resembling even patterns on both sides. I also noticed that I made more circle after the pole and then would approach the trot pole from an angle- to correct this, I used the circle as a midline and worked hard to keep my leg and hands even throughout the circle. We capped off the exercise by doing figure 8s at each pole. Our little setup was a great exercise in bending. An unexpected result of the exercise was Wizard’s relaxation- he was round, reaching for the bit, and sooo relaxed.
Wizard Ride 180: Nobody Beats The Wiz
Saturday, 9/18/2010
Nobody Beats The Wiz**… but some folks suggested doing so after seeing his antics on Saturday.
I arrived at the barn early Saturday morning and prepared Wizard for our trip to Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. While I packed my tack, I turned Wizard loose in the big arena for a few minutes so he could stretch his legs. After a good grooming, we were ready to go. The weather was picture-perfect: 70s and not a drop of rain.
The trailer pulled up to the property around 8:30 and we prepared to load Wizard. It was a two-horse trailer with a ramp. Wizard has not been trailered off the property in several years so I did not know how he would be. We have done a lot of ground work over the past two years, so I knew we had all the cues needed to walk up, stop, and back up. My plan was to begin purposefully but methodically. I carried a dressage whip in one hand, and led him forward at a brisk walk. I looked straight ahead into the trailer, and we walked up part of the ramp. Wizard got a front foot on the ramp and stopped. Okay, it’s a start. Each time he balked, we circled back (I made sure to keep his feet moving when I asked him to do so) and tried again. After a few attempts, he was almost entirely on the trailer. I slid a little awkwardly under the chest bar, asking him to step one more step forward so my friends could fasten the clip in the back and put the ramp up. But Wizard resisted that last step forward, scared himself, and flew back HARD off the trailer. I rarely let go of a lead rope on a horse, but he was moving so fast that I would have gotten myself hurt if I held on. He did not get more than a few steps away from the trailer before we started again.
With each attempt, I tried my hardest to keep my cool and make my cues clear to him. We had an added challenge because the divider in the trailer did not swing to the side so the entrance into his stall was quite narrow. Another challenge was the ramp, which had a strong spring connecting it to the trailer, so it did not touch the ground when it was open- it looked a bit like a diving board. To make the ramp more inviting, my friend stood on it. I think the additional person standing on the ramp made things more challenging to Wizard, but as a girl with no truck or trailer of my own, I cannot be picky when my friends offer a lift!
So the attempts continued. For a long time. Some were good tries and some were bad. Wizard began doing the typical evasions, including swinging his hind end off the side of the ramp, backing up, and barging to the other side. When he was responsive, I gave him a few mental breaks. When he was resistant, I tried to keep him thinking and moving. It was exhausting and a bit of a helpless feeling. I’ve loaded dozens of horses onto trailers when I worked at my old barn, but usually my old trainer was around to coach me with the tough cookies.
A funny thing happens when you struggle to get a horse to load on a trailer: you get an audience. Before long, I had a dozen people watching the struggle. And when that many people are watching something, there are bound to be some opinions. I accepted a few suggestions and allowed them to try a few things. One girl backed him up a few times. One let him chill out and eat peppermints. Nothing was working, so I asked one person to hold his lead rope and lead him on while I stood by his hip, asking him to go forward by touching him with the dressage whip. Wizard is so sensitive that just a whisper of the whip is enough for him to get the idea. After a few more tries, and with me leaning on him whenever he tried to bail off the side, we got him on the trailer. Once he was fastened in, he munched his hay contentedly and was ready to roll.
The drive to the park was good, and we were the only ones in the unloading area when we arrived. After the show we put on during the loading process, I was prepared for anything as I unloaded him. This time, he surprised me with his calm demeanor. He carefully backed off the trailer and looked around with curiosity. He picked at a little grass as I led him around. I was thrilled!
Once we saw that Wizard was relaxed, my friends quickly went to their barn to tack up their mares and meet up with me. While I waited, I grazed Wizard some more and tied him to the trailer. He munched on hay and stood like a gentleman. He was great! We were all tacked up when my friends returned on horseback. I mounted up and the ride began. At the very beginning of the ride, I could feel Wizard’s bottled energy. He was a little overwhelmed and anxious but mostly interested in his surroundings. We walked for about 10-15 minutes through the first few fields. We tried a trot as a group and the first time, Wizard was a little too excited and bounced more than he trotted. We walked some more and then tried again and it was a success! Wizard snorted excitedly with each stride, ears forward, neck arched.
We rotated from leader to follower to the middle horse throughout the ride. Sometimes when he was in the back, he chewed anxiously on the bit, but by the end of the ride, he was comfortable at any spot in the pack. He liked the lead the best. After a few nice trot sets, we tried a canter. At first, he awkwardly transitioned from trot back to canter, then to tranter, and then he got the hang of things and moved along quite well. I would have never imagined a year ago that we’d be cantering in big open fields with two other horses like this. It was such a wonderful feeling.
We rode through wooded trails, crossed a stream, and reached a lake. I don’t know if Wizard has ever seen a lake before. At first, he danced a little on the shore but when he saw the mares stopping to take a drink, he took a drink as well. He had all four feet in the lake and played a little with the water.
After our quick stop, we continued our ride. More trotting, more hills, and then some hand galloping- wheee! There’s no feeling quite like flying along a grassy path with three horses, all purring excitedly as they rip across the field. After the excitement, we cooled them at a walk for the rest of the ride. Wizard’s walk is BIG, much faster than the Morgan and Arabian/Saddlebred mares’ walk. I had to pull him up or circle many times to let them catch up :^)
We reached the trailer and I untacked him and let him graze while my friends dropped the mares off at their barn. I intentionally led Wizard past the trailer a few times. He felt relaxed and good. I sponged him off and we were ready for Take Two of Trailer Loading when my friends returned.
It started off well, encouraging him gently, getting feet on the ramp, etc. But then he became more resistant then he was at the farm. He backed up more forcefully, and was balking harder. When he backed harder, we urged him more, not allowing him to stop. Wizard reared straight up, spun to the right, and almost came down on my friend who was on the ramp. I saw his hooves swing past her head as she ducked. I kept hold of the lead rope and made sure not to let him stop after rearing. I did not want to reward his behavior. Thankfully, my friend was fine, but it was one of the scariest things I’ve seen in a long time. I plan to wear a helmet from now on if I’m in a trailering pickle like the one we were in.
Consistent with Murphy’s Law of Trailering, a group of people showed up, offering suggestions and asking questions. One girl (thank you, whoever you are!) worked with me to do the racehorse gate-loading exercise, and we locked arms and pushed Wizard’s hind end with all our might. It showed some success, but did not get him on the trailer. They suggested whips, brooms, longe lines, everything imaginable.
Somehow, it crossed my friend’s mind to try moving the trailer divider (the one that was not supposed to move). With a little fiddling, we got it to move. And once the divider was moved, I had way more room to work with Wizard as he stepped on the trailer. Once I could give him the forward cue from the angle that we usually use, he was on the trailer within a few tries. We gave him his hay and he was on his way home.
The trailering was exhausting. I don’t own a trailer, but now I’d like to borrow one from a buddy and see if we can do a little work with loading. Technically, a well-trained horse should be able to load on any kind of trailer, but this was certainly not the best one for us to start our adventure. It was perfectly safe, but not as inviting as a big airy stock trailer.
In the future, I think I would try A) a more inviting trailer to start and B) backing Wizard off with each positive step forward. Backing him off would relieve the mental pressure and prepare him for the next step forward. I like the idea of trailering cues to be similar to riding cues, so forward is forward, whether we are longeing, riding, or stepping on a trailer. There are a lot of methods, from Clinton Anderson to Pat Parelli to John Lyons to operant conditioning to old-fashioned load-em-up, and I’d like to find the method that is the most consistent with our training. And I’d prefer to avoid beating the Wiz :^)
Leave it to a horse to humble you. I slept well that night. Although the trailering experience was exhausting, the ride was superb and I hope to do it again soon.
** For readers who are not from the New York/New Jersey area, The Wiz was an electronics store and the slogan/jingle was, “Nobody Beats The Wiz!”
Wizard Ride 179: The Lines You Amend
Monday, 9/14/10
OK, back to business. No more fooling around. I’ve slacked off with our ride plans and we’re not making the same sort of progress we were making at the beginning of the summer.
So I pulled out my copy of 101 Jumping Exercises for Horse & Rider for inspiration. I decided that raised trot poles were a good idea, so I set up four poles with two on the ground and two raised a few inches off the ground, one lifted on the left side and one lifted on the right (see photo). I also set up two poles on a straight line so I could practice circles (see diagram below).
I warmed up Wizard in the indoor arena, really trying to take my time. He was very responsive to my leg and felt “ready” for each transition. I walked him over the raised trot poles so he could get the hang of them. We did leg yields and a little shoulder-in at the walk, followed by stretching work at the trot. Then I asked for the same work at the trot, leg yield and shoulder-in. Wizard’s a little resistant to the left, but I also have a weaker left leg.
We trotted the single poles on a circle, then on two circles (circle right, take Pole one, circle again, take Pole two). Then I rode a serpentine, trotting over one pole, looping to the next, and then ending with the grid. Wizard was animated but responsive. We worked in both directions. He banged the pole once but was otherwise very careful with his feet. On the flat, however, I felt him stumble a little bit. I’m not sure if it was the footing or if a stone got to him. I checked his feet and there was nothing stuck in his shoe.
When Wizard was working on the bit a little better, I asked him for a canter, starting with the right lead. The first departure was a little jumbled but his canter was good. He’s now able to rate himself much better than he did in the past. I cantered him in a circle over the poles a few times and also did leg yield in each direction at the canter. Since he does not know flying lead changes (well, I suppose he did them as a racehorse ten years ago…), it’s pretty easy to get him to leg yield at the canter without mixing my messages. I asked for a second trot-to-canter transition and it was better. The left lead trot-to-canter transition was like butter! When I really hold him together, he can get the transition much better than when I chase him into it. We did more slow canter work and took the poles a few times. Once again, it felt like he stepped on a stone and he broke out of the canter in a really funky trot. I let him walk it out and asked for one more quick canter to end the session on a good note. I can’t put my finger on it, but he felt a little funny tonight. He was strong and responsive so it was not impacting his mood, but after 179 rides/sessions, I’ve got a pretty good feel when something is a little funny.
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 