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When You're Mindset Isn't Ready to Work

5/30/2012

Today George called me as I was putting Rob's halter on to work. I was tired from not sleeping and hungry from my new "restrictive diet" to try and get the baby's acid reflux under control. I probably shouldn't have worked Robby today as I knew I wouldn't have much patience.

He actually stood pretty well at the cross-ties. I usually have the lead rope connected to the bottom of the halter, just in case something something spooks him and he bolts forward or back in the cross-ties. Today I took it off. He pushed his limits a couple times (went to the front and back) but it was nothing that got me concerned. I just pushed his chest or pulled him forward.

I brushed his tail :( I'm still very sad that he's lost so much of it lately. It's still very pretty though. Then I picked his hooves and he was great today. As normal he stood great for the bareback pad. He pawed once while I sinched him up, so I poked him and told him to stop. He did really well with bridling too.

We played the friendly game and he was really, really good. He stood there and let me rub all over his body. He was naughty during the yo-yo game. He kept dropping his head so the rope was on the ground and the shaking did nothing. Then he'd pick at grass - arghhh. Total disrespect. Eventually I got him paying attention to me again.

He lunged really great to the left. He was light and actually moving in circles. Then the problems began. I had him reverse and he took off hopping, bucking, kicking and tearing around at the canter. He didn't like the dirt hitting him in the butt and stopped and reared. I jerked to the side hard and gave him a stern "NO." He went up again and flipped over. It was actually graceful and didn't look that bad. I got after him and said "NO!." And when he got up I pushed him forward right away after one stern jerk on the lunge line. I'm not sure if this is the correct thing to do or not - I've never had a rearer before.

I don't think he reared to be naughty, I think he sometimes doesn't know what he's doing and just flips out (literally). He didn't do it again. I worked him until he settled down. His circles were still oblong this direction, but they are getting better.

I reversed him again and had him work his good way (to end on a good note). We didn't practice triangles in the ring today. Instead we went back to the barn (and put on fly spray - I'm a bad horse mom, I forgot to before we started working). Then I grabbed the sport horse lead connector and put it on his bit. He was really good leading with it. I'm glad because this is all we have if I end up taking him to the Get-Together in July.

All-in-all I was crabby and not happy with a flipped horse, but he's fine (I put extra absorbine all over) and he landed on some really soft sand. I made sure to go in to his stall and give him a good scratch and say goodbye

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Getting Back to Where We Left Off

5/29/2012

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I've worked Rob five of the last six days - here's a breakdown of what we've done

2/29 - Today we started with the bareback pad cinced up and a copper D-ring. He's great with "saddling" and putting on the bridle. He moved around more than my liking with the fly spray, but wasn't bad. He was an ASS with picking up his left front (I had already put on the splint and bell boots - my lesson learned - should'a picked the hooves first), but was great with his hinds today. I had to pinch his chestnut AND lean on his shoulder to get him to pick up his darn foot.

I put the Parelli halter over the bridle and we started out by walking the parameter of the area both directions at the walk, halting and standing several times. Then we did some yo-yo game and lunged (with the long line). His circles are getting better and again he did a very nice job with his transitions between the walk and trot. His canter is improving too.

Then we tried trotting in-hand. He usually gets a little hot and overly "playful" - I have to remind him often I'm a human and not a horse. My method only uses a little "Parelli," but I do like the improvement in his manners - LESS THE BITING. The little bugger actually BIT my forearm when we were practicing our triangle at the trot. I'm not as good at "blocking" him when I'm running. I smacked him with the end of the carrot-stick. I'm convinced he is not really an arab as it didn't phase him at all! This and the loss of tail makes me thing he's got some Appy somewhere in his lineage (I'm only slightly kidding).

We stopped and I made him face-up. Then we did a few more trot/halt and stands. We ended on a good note.

2/28 - My friend Shawna visited with her family (husband Joe, four-year-old Greta and 8-month-old Lauren). Greta wanted a pony ride, but settled for petting and brushing Cobrizo. I took Robby out for them to see and free-lunged him. It was warm so he was pretty mellow. He went around and then followed me around. It was an easy day for him.

2/27 - It was muggy and hot today. The temp was 85 when I worked Rob at 11, but the index said it felt like 94. We did an easy work out. He was pretty good. We did some in-hand practice and worked on our triangles at the walk, counter-clockwise. He's still nipping at me so I held the butt end of the carrot-stick up to block any on-coming teeth. He lunged both directions. Although his circles are more ovals, he did a nice job transitioning up and down between the walk and trot. The canter has some work.

2/26 - Day off

2/25 - Today we did some in hand first. We did a lot of walk/halt/stand combos. I did this from both the near and far side. Robby is much more mouthy than I remember. Part of this is because he hangs out with Cobrizo (the most annoying horse in the world), but I also attribute some of it to my mom letting him "play." She claims she doesn't, but I've seen her let Cobrizo grab the end of the rope and hold it in his mouth and chew. Robby thinks he can do this with everything - the lead rope, halter, Parelli halter, whip (carrot stick) end... That's not good. It's annoying and will not be funny when I decide to put his leather bridle on. This is something that I have to have patience yet be firm. Hopefully he'll mellow out on the mouthy front as we keep working.

This being said, my mother worked wonders at teaching Robby his space (versus my space). He's much more light when being asked to move over, back around etc.

His lunging today was better but is still a little out of control. He had less episodes where he stopped and spun around. It's like he's remembering he should listen to me :)

2/24 - First day working since last October ( I think). We started out slow. I put on the parelli halter and we played a little friendly, yo-yo and porcupine game. Then I put him on the long-line and attempted to lunge. Thank goodness I remembered to wear gloves. YIKES. But man this horse can move. His hawks darn near touched his tush as he trotted around.

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Hopes of a luscious tail - diminishing quickly

5/29/2012

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Darn Robby - I found this tail chunk in his stall when I cleaned it this afternoon. This is the third chuck he's taken out this year. His tail was shaping up so beautifully last fall. It was an inch past the ground when wet and super thick.

At this rate he'll have an appy tail in no time at all :( Arghhhhh.

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When You're Mindset Isn't Ready to Work

Getting Back to Where We Left Off

Hopes of a luscious tail - diminishing quickly

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