29 September 2012

Getting forward

So those who know me, know that I have a green horse. They also know I'm not a novice, and pretty capable rider.

But I'm getting a little bit miffed... or impatient(more likely).

Every horse I've started or taught "go" hasn't taken much work at all. And within a week at a squeeze of the calf they pop forward. And soon after just the thought and they go.

But Foozle... well - he is a enigma.

So, there has been a improvement, he doesn't back off the whip every time, but he doesn't exactly scoot forward either.

He doesn't always back off the leg, but again doesn't scoot forward.

To get a good scooting tooting forward active trot can take a lap of the arena with me doing a combination of smack, cluck growl, yelling, leg lifting/thumping, praising at the slightest instant then straight back to escalating up the asking until I'm back at "cowboying" down the long side to get this smart moving trot again and then praising until my voice squeaks. If he so chooses to canter... thats fine by me too. And low and behold if we get in a big open paddock and i'm feeling like a good blast - but Foozle - well he just ain't gonna move past a sedate lopy canter (although very ground covering I can't say he is moving fast at all).... much to my frustration.

I've lunged him plenty, so he can do it with eyes closed moving in the toot scooting way I'm after - but thats not just voice commands the whip needs to be used.

When he is moving - its forward in the sense he is tracking up, and carrying himself through - but not always active enough for my liking. And to get MORE out of him can lead to nagging very very easily. If I get on and he is in the "mood" to go - its a run - so no good there either.

So, he has the new saddle(fitted), the chiro last week, and a MT session early this week, new shoes and is good to go.

I know he physically has to strengthen still - and his rides are short (20-40mins) with plenty of breaks, and I know he CAN do it. But the response to the aids to ask for it just isn't as sharp as I'm expecting.

Am I expecting to much, to soon from him? Any other ideas for hastening his response time? (i've tried all that is in my bag of tricks with some showing a improvement, and some going backwards)

He is a lazy horse... but that really doesn't mean much in my books.

Try picturing a rider on a thewell pony trying to get it to move - and you have me some days. Legs up by my ears, floppy reins and making and noise I can - a very Zena princess sounding one works best so far.

And you know I'm not scared to thump him.  


We think he has either been mishandled (aka overfamiliarized) as a young horse by a) being bottle feed or b) just spoilt c) left along so he got to big and knows he can walk into people...

He was backed late 2011 and had minimal work done and fair amount of hacking.

He came to me Feb -  my first ride at home on him where he reared, he had a week off, got lunged, I got on with no issues. And went to start walking laps around the paddock, there were ponies next door, and he headed in that direction and we got stuck in the corner by the garage. I couldn't get him to move out, and he went up - scared the bejeepers out of me, and when I finally whack, smacked encouraged turned, tickles and cajouled him out of the corner back to the paddock we got a walk/trot in both directions a few laps around before we almost got stuck again, got one more good walk lap and called it good. This is not good enough.

So I went back to the start ground up. I use lunging as training and not for shits and giggles. He goes forward and active to a point then its a "make me" the same with sticking to goiing in the same direction.

Climbed on again after weeks of lunging and long reining - all has been well, we had another rearing episode where we got stuck in a bad situation and it was the only way he knew how to handle a heard of 150 weaner calves stuck between 2 horses and a closed gate. I purposly pulled him over (and got covered in cow shit for it). And he hasn't reared since. But there has been a similar behaviour trend again waiting for a gate to be opened while out on trail. Rather than let it happen I disengaged until we could walk on.

He had 8-10 weeks of solid schooling in the arena, where this was a issue - but we perservered with taking what he was giving. More intent on getting him to a) go b) straighten to get the go and c) some fun. And there was some really good work coming through - until he started to build muscle and the saddle fit went way out and I pulled him out of work until the saddle could be addressed.

Saddle addressed, he has been out of work from may until 3 weeks ago.

No the reason I'm looking outside the square is - his previous baulking/ish behaviour. Inverted - not a bucker, and doesn't back up. If he doesn't rear - he shuts down. Taking going over a blue tarp roled in poles for the first time - walked, jumped and trotted over fine - then the sand hit the plastic and he LEPT - and scared himself silly. Next time I came around to approach - locked in and down and would not move. No over/undering, tap taping/kicking/clicking/hissing/zena calling/bucket feed shaking hand leading/ponying was going to get him to move over that tarp rolled up even smaller. To get over it consisted of moving past it and then keeping him moving and "sneaking" up on it while still moving and the momentum carried us over it again. Walking/coming in slowly wasnt going to do it.

Many have said tap tap tap with the whip - they missed a vital part He BACKS OFF THE WHIP at times. It was only near the end of the first training block that we actually got him to not necessarily respond correct to the whip, but at least not backing off from it.

If I can get video this week I will. Many will see the video and think - prrfftt what is she getting at. He moves. Yes, he does move with a lot of hard work and it is slowly getting less and less work. But his behaviour of a) shutting down and b) backing off the leg and/or whip leads me to this thread.
Because of how easy it is to NAG it will become a bigger issue in time (potentially).

He still also very much so moves into pressure - some that is still being worked on, on the ground. He is starting to leg yeild and did a lovely straight one yesterday but on the other rein it just wasn't happening - he moved into the leg. And no smack/tapping/booting - got it off him. Had a rider perservered with getting him off that leg - you would be leaving him with welts from the whip. We came back to it later and got it however.