Santa Baby/Tack Store Lady (as sung by your horse)…
Tack store lady, slip some horse treats under the tree, for me
I’ve been an awful good horse
Tack store lady, so hurry to the barn tonight
Tack store lady, Eskadron boots too, light blue
I’ll leave the barn light on
Tack store lady, so hurry to the barn tonight
Think of all the people whom I could have nipped
Think of all the places where I could have cribbed
Next year I could be just as good
If you’d check off my Dover Saddlery list
Boo boo bee doo
Tack store lady, there’s one thing I really do lack, custom tack
Saddle and bridle
Tack store lady, and hurry to the barn tonight
Tack store chickie, one little thing I covet, a numnah
Hunt green and made of sheepskin
Tack store lady, so hurry to the barn tonight
Tack store lady, I’m filling my stocking with Hermes, and hay
Sign your ‘X’ on the line
Tack store lady, so hurry to the barn tonight
Come and trim the aisleway
With leather made by Passier
I really do believe in you
Let’s see if you believe in me
Boo boo bee doo
Tack store lady, forgot to mention one little thing, some bling
For my browband
Tack store lady, and hurry to the barn toniiiiiiight
Spotlight on Spaniels: Rusty and Bear
Meet Rusty, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel…
And Bear, a Cocker Spaniel…
As an equine photographer, I come into contact with all sorts of beautiful dogs. It was so much fun to do a session with these two- both dogs are playful and fun-loving.
Wizard Ride #23: T-R-O-T!
Mon 12/15/08: Tacked Wizard up and brought him into the outdoor arena. The weather was unseasonably warm so I took advantage of it by spending a little time outside; plus, it was nice to have a break from the indoor arena. I like working in one arena, but a break is nice every once in a while.
Walked around the arena in each direction in hand. Wizard felt good and a little forward. Longed him in both directions for about 10 minutes total. He was responsive and focused.
Got on and walked for about 10 minutes. Did a few figure 8s and a few halts. Then I took a deep breath, put my heels down and my shoulders back, and TROTTED. Not for very long, but just enough to get a feel for each other.
How was it?
It was GREAT! Wizard responded beautifully and came back to a walk calmly.
And he has a nice trot! It felt springy and comfortable at the same time.
What a good feeling it is to overcome my anxiety and get back to doing something so normal and natural. We both enjoyed it. I’ve been riding my whole life and I’ve ridden many, many horses, but for some reason, it’s been tough to get comfortable on Wizard- probably because of coping with the loss of Alibar. But now things feel good. The challenges ahead are far bigger in the physical sense but I overcame a big mental block tonight.
Wizard: Recess- Of Candy Canes and Liberty Photos
Sat 12/13/08: Wizard was introduced to Santa hats. He wore his hat and posed for his photos like a pro. And he gladly accepted candy canes as payment.
After the photo session, I turned Wizard out in the outdoor arena and let him stretch his legs. My friend guided him to the edge of the ring but he needed no encouragement to RUN! He appreciated the size of the ring (over 100 ft x 200 ft) and I finally got to see him gallop for the first time. Although he was an OK racehorse (15 starts, 1 win), he can certainly run a little! After I was done photographing him, I called him and he walked up to me very sweetly. He even did the chewing thing.
After I walked him to prevent stiffness, I grazed him for a while and groomed him. What fun is school without a little recess?
Wizard Ride #22: Out of the Box
Friday 12/12/08: Great ride! As mentioned in my recent winter plan post, I assembled a square out of four jump poles and used it as a training tool. It worked really well!
First, I brought Wizard into the arena and let him loose while I set up the poles. Silly horse followed me like a dog. I found it to be quite flattering. When the poles were set up, I asked for a little free longeing. It really seems to be a great way for us to communicate. I can get him to travel in both directions and he even stays in a perfect longeing circle for a few rotations! After he trotted and cantered a little bit, I introduced him to the square with the clicker. He was loose in the arena but he figured out the square really quickly. I really liked his expression when he walked into the square and looked at me as if to say, “I’m in my box, where’s my carrot?”
Then, I tacked him up and we worked in hand for a few minutes. I asked Wizard to walk in the square, walk out. Then asked to walk in, halt, walk out. Then asked to walk in, halt, do a really basic turn on the forehand for a quarter turn, then walk out. He loved it! I was using the clicker and he picked up on the idea really quickly.
Then we longed for about 5 minutes. He’s so much better now that I understand how to get him moving. I don’t need to twirl as much and I’m working on training verbal cues. I hope to have him longeing without the twirling longe whip eventually.
Then we rode for about 15 minutes. It was our best ride yet (not too tough since we have not done anything but walking so far, ha ha). Working with the ground pole square kept him focused on his task. It also produced a really precise halt! I did not try the quarter turn in the square yet, but we;ll give it a shot next time. He seems to move his hindquarters with the cue of an opening rein and a little leg. Wizard felt very relaxed and willing- I could almost feel him waiting for my next cue. I walked him over ground poles, did a large Figure 8, halted, and we were done. Good boy!
Before our ride, I took Wizard out to graze. It was brisk and windy after so much rain and all of the horses were feeling silly. Wizard gave a big spook behind the arena while I was grazing him, but I held my ground and he went back to normal.
Pictured below is Gala enjoying playtime after the rain.
Wizard Ride #21: An Unexpected Test
Thurs 12/11/08: Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain… New Jersey got several inches of rain on Weds and Thurs. These are the days when I really appreciate having an indoor arena at my barn.
The horses stayed in the barn on account of the rain so Wizard seemed pleased to get out for a little ride. I brought my mom with me to the barn and she got to see me ride Wizard for the first time in a few weeks. When I got into the arena, there were several people indoors already. Some were schooling and some were getting ready for a riding lesson. During our worst ride (Ride 4), Wizard did a little bit of fussing and hopping when there were a lot of people and jumps in the arena. But a few months later, he responded SO MUCH better this time under even busier circumstances. There were far more people and far more jumps. He chewed on the bit and wiggled his neck but did not disobey or balk at all. And no porpoising ;^) I was pleased because he relaxed each time I asked him to relax. I had expected to get a little new work done but instead, we took an unexpected test and Wizard did very well. Mom was also pleased with his demeanor in the barn. He’s becoming more affectionate and even seems to enjoy grooming a little more.
Making Plans for Wizard
Making Plans for Nigel/Wizard…
When I tested Wizard on Monday night, he got an A+ on his report card with every behavior and habit. Here’s what we have right now:
Longe a few rotations at the trot without violently stopping or spinning- check
Stand quietly at mounting block- check
Stand quietly facing away from arena door for about a minute- check
Walk under saddle with a decent forward walk without any balking- check, but ongoing
No tightening or bunching up at the walk- check, but ongoing
Walking forward after a halt- check, but still needs work
Lead from left and right side- check
Walk comfortably over ground poles under saddle and in hand- check
Clicker training: head down for 3 seconds- check
Clicker training: target objects high (dressage letters) and low (jump poles)- check
In-hand work: walk, halt, and jog with little rein/leadline contact- check, but still needs work
Grooming/crossties: stand quietly and be less sensitive to grooming- check, but ongoing
Walking comfortably in an arena with another horse and with lots of jumps in the arena (he had a blowup with another horse and a bunch of jumps in one of our first sessions)- check
Some goals for the winter- thanks to the suggestions of my favorite training books/methods, as well as some esteemed equine colleagues:
Clicker behaviors: Begin work with standing squarely beginning with standing one hoof on a piece of cardboard, learn to stretch his neck up, out, down, to the side, continue liberty work with clicker, and teach safe tricks like smiling.
Begin very basic under saddle trot work with the goal of improving forwardness and also improving Wizard’s overall balance and flexibility. Begin the free walk under saddle, starting with the diagonal, then advancing to a shallow loop.
Work with moving his haunches in and out at the walk with the goal of helping to straighten his gaits and control the hind end.
Introduce turn on the forehand, first on the ground, then under saddle.
Work on various exercises with a square of 4 ground poles to improve Wizard’s balance, attention to detail (for me and Wizard), subtlety of my cues, submission, placement of hooves, relaxation, and working with obstacles. Walk into square, halt, walk out. Turn on forehand in square. Walk in, quarter turn, walk out. Back Wizard in. Put front feet in the square and hinds out and ask for him to take sideways steps keeping the pole under his belly, starting with a few steps and ending with the entire square. Also, ride through and learn to back through an L-shaped chute of ground poles. Also, place a barrel on its end and ask him to keep his nose to it as he pivots around it- this will help with hind and front end control as well as taking bigger steps in hind end to match smaller strps in front.
Wizard Session #20: At the Car Wash… Playtime!
Pictured: Miss Tuesday navigates the car wash during the Parelli Support Group in Jackson, NJ.
12/10/08: On Wednesday night, I photographed a bimonthly Parelli group at the barn. It was so nice to see a group of dedicated horse people getting together with their horses. While I’m not fully on board with the Parelli program, I do like how it gives people a plan for working with their horses.
So many times, horse people head to the barn with no particular plan in mind and start riding. It’s the beginning of a really good ride and the horse is doing everything right. The rider keeps pushing since the horse is being so good. Then the horse is pushed out of his comfort zone and the session goes in a bad direction. With a plan, that sort of mishap happens far less frequently. Keeping on track with a plan is one of the reasons that I keep this journal. And putting the journal online keeps me honest ;^)
The Parelli group had a series of obstacles including: the car wash (a tarp cut into strips and suspended from the ceiling), a platform (wooden and about 4 inches off the ground), a tarp on the ground, hula hoops, traffic cones, a mattress, and a little black culvert. It was fun to see the horses navigate the obstacles and work with their owners.
When the session was over, I asked the group to leave a few obstacles out so I could try them with Wizard. When he walked into the arena, he immediately let out a snort of apprehension. I think he was trying to warn me about the big scary tarp on the ground. I let him know that the tarp was part of our plan. He pranced past it a few times when I led him in. We kept circling, closer and closer to the tarp, never stopping to look at it. I clicked when he walked within a step of the tarp, reinforcing bold and calm behavior. He became more relaxed and focused. Then we walked over the tarp. Wizard did not balk or stop- he walked right over it. I clicked and gave him a treat. Good boy!
On to the hula hoops. He looked at them, mostly out of curiosity. We walked through them. When his foot was in the circle, I clicked. After a few passes, he was intentionally putting his feet in the hoops. Good boy!
On to the platform! This was the biggest challenge of the night. I tried my best to keep the lead rope slack and never pulled him. Every step was forward on his own accord. I clicked for any forward movement toward the platform. Eventually, he tapped it with his hoof, then put his two feet on it like a circus pony. Good boy! Lots of carrots. I then asked him to walk over it in a straight line. He was a little awkward about navigating it and bumped it a few times with his hooves, but we got three good passes over it. On the last pass, he felt more reluctant and I felt badly because I probably pushed him to do the platform too many times. We moved to the next obstacle.
On to the car wash. This is harder than you think. It seems like it is visually confusing for horses. I had to part a few strips for Wizard to get the idea that he could walk through it. He would slink down to half his height as he crept under it, but he listened to my cues and walked through. I was just looking for forwardness and he responded at every obstacle. We can get more technical next time the obstacles are in the arena.
I then went back to the platform. I wanted to get it right since his head was clear again. I kept my eyes up, walked briskly, and we walked right over! I was so glad that I moved on when he felt reluctant the first time. Giving him a little while to try a different obstacle and rest his brain really helped. I must keep that in mind in the future.
Wizard Ride #19: On to Bigger and Better
12/8/08: I feel more comfortable and Wizard feels more comfortable. We’ve finally climbed past that pesky plateau and we’re ready for bigger and better! How do I know? Wizard told me so.
We started with in-hand ground work. I led him from the left and right sides to continue our efforts to acclimate Wizard to handling on the right side. We did a little clicker training and I asked for his “head down” behavior and we did a little targeting. “Head down” is becoming a solid behavior after three good sessions. We are increasing the length of time that he lowers his head and Wizard is very relaxed and willing- I think it helps that he naturally is fairly low-headed. We also walked over ground poles in order to work on Wizard’s coordination and begin the long process of strengthening his back.
As you can see in the photo, Wizard’s back is long:
We need to keep it flexible and strong.
We were in the arena with Cathy and Miss Tuesday, another green but sweet Thoroughbred. Both horses seemed pleased to have the company.
After about 15 minutes of ground work, I mounted up and we began our short but highly successful ride. I rode for about 10 or 15 minutes, all at a walk. We started with big circles at the end of the arena near the gate. Then I increased the size of the circle and asked Wizard to step over a few ground poles. He walked over them like a champ. We changed direction and I continued to work on keeping my posture relaxed and moving with Wizard’s back. Wizard appreciated it, and did not bunch up, break into a jog, or get tense a single time for the entire ride. This was a first for us and I’m SO proud. I could feel that he was walking the same way that he walks in hand: a nice, big, relaxed walk.
At the end of the ride, I walked Wizard to the far end of the arena, facing away from the gate. We stood for a good minute and I dismounted and praised him profusely.
Then I did a quick check of his longeing abilities. I try to change my routine whenever possible to keep things fresh. Sometimes we don’t longe at all, sometimes we longe first, sometimes last. Since our revelation about twirling the whip to keep him going (see Session #18), Wizard is FAR better on the longe. I’ve begun working on voice commands for walk, trot, and halt.
After about 5-10 minutes on the longe at a trot, I untacked Wizard and turned him loose in the arena to try a few minutes of free longeing. I expected him to a) gravitate toward the gate or b) fly around like a ninny. He did neither. When I asked him to go forward, he longed two rotations around me in a perfect circle as if he was still attached to the longe line! I asked him to change directions and to use the entire arena and I got to see a really fluid, happy, big trot. I also saw his canter, which is not the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. As he becomes more balanced, his canter will improve. His trot looks pretty since he has a nice hind end and his joints seem quite flexible. He has a bit too much hock action in my opinion and I’ll be interested to see if his “chicken hocks” go away as he learns how to balance himself.
When we were done, I asked him to halt and he responded immediately- he was so good! I brought him back into the barn, gave him a quick grooming and a little back massage, filled his bucket with warm water, put ThrushBuster on his feet, and put him to bed.
I left the barn with a really good feeling. Wizard confirmed that he is happy and comfortable with everything I ask him to do. I do my best to listen to anything that might be bothering him, but on Monday night, nothing bothered him at all. He is starting to come out of his shell and I’m beginning to see more of his personality. Now it’s time to create a few new plans under saddle and on the ground. Lately, I spend more time daydreaming about riding than I do in the saddle!
Wizard Session 18: Cracked the Code… Twirl = Tap!
12/6/08
Do you speak Wizard-ese? I did not, but now I DO!!! Tonight, I asked my friend to longe Wizard. Out of curiosity, I wanted to watch Wizard’s body language and also see if somebody else would have better luck with him.
So did he go forward on the right?
YES YES YES!
What was the magic bullet?
TWIRL, TWIRL, TWIRL!
As soon as my friend had him ready to longe, she continually twirled the longe whip and off he went! He went around several times. He stopped once but she got him going again very easily. He does not know verbal commands but a smooch got him to speed up and he stopped when the twirling stopped.
She also told me a little more about his background since she has known him for a few years. She said that he definitely has little or no training on a longe line.
All my life, I was taught to tap, tap, tap for forward motion on the ground. A horse longes until he is told to stop. But this makes so much more sense now that I think about it. Wizard got a little bit of barrel training after he retired from the track and somewhere along the line, he was taught twirl, twirl, twirl of a whip or lead rope is a forward command for loading into a trailer, travelling in a round pen, etc.
He never learned tap, tap, tap from the ground! This explains why he kicked out a few weeks ago when I tapped him as part of a groundwork session. He was not responding so I kept tapping and he got so flustered that he kicked out behind him (not at me). I growled at him to go forward and kept tapping and he eventually moved forward but it was clear that he was reluctant. I thought it was physical but now I wonder if he was just totally baffled by me and my silly tapping. His body language reflected his confusion when we were longing in past sessions. He was rushing and stopping because he did not understand to keep going. And now I know how he acts when he’s trying his best but cannot understand what I want. Problem solved!!! Now we can work on verbal commands.
He understands the tap of a whip under saddle because he was trained to race. I’ve tapped him with a dressage whip under saddle and he responds quickly and quietly.
After the great revelation, I longed Wizard just a few times around each way at the trot. Changed direction a few times to make sure it was not just a coincidence. We did 10 minutes of clicker work and he’s becoming quite a pro at “head down”. We also had a great walk today. I took him for a hand walk on the trails behind the property. He was awesome.
I gave Wizard extra carrots and told him how sorry I was for confusing him.
On to bigger and better.
Don’t you wish every horsey problem could be solved to easily???
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 