Crunch time is on!! Only a few days left of the 2010 RAC and we are taking full advantage of the fact that its a quiet week!! I'm not a holiday/boxing week shopper so its really great having the extra down time. A good friend with a strong equine background came to meet Linus today. He was super impressed by his growth for his age and could not believe how square Linus is. Then we went to see his Dad's horses. Standardbreds which they race and a team of Belgians....I was more drawn to the Belgians!!! I just love the drafts!
When I went back to the farm Dad already had most of the chores done so I had loads of free time to spend with Linus. We started with grooming - I really should tie him for this instead of the norm where I don't even have his halter on him. He was funny today and kept trying to back up so I would keep scratching his neck. The friend I mentioned asked if I had been on Linus yet. I have leaned over him when he was a bit shorter but I cannot reach to do that now but it gave me a great idea to practice that with him today. And actually introduce him to me being on top of a mounting block or in our case today, a turned over bucket. I brought in a large bucket, which used to be his water tub when he was on pasture, but he was pretty intrigued by it so I let him play with it for a bit. As you can see in the pictures below. Then I turned it over and got up on it with him beside me. He looked at me kind of funny but I just kept talking to him and rubbing up and down his spine and all over his quarters. He loved this!! Then I leaned all the way over him. He swung his head around to sniff at me but that was about it. Then he walked a few steps so I slid off of him. A few people have said to me that he is solid enough to have me sit on him but I'm still not comfortable doing that yet. Not out of any kind of fear of being up there, more because of his age. Today's goal was for him to learn to stand with me up high beside him and he did great!
Then I brought the saddle out and put it on. I love how this is no big deal for him at all. Off we went for a walk. I was super impressed with him again today. Despite his usual early excitement, he still listened exceptionally well. He is responding faster all the time to verbal cues before I need to back them up with other cues. Something seems to have really clicked in terms of his respect for me. We had another really nice side by side trot...first time trying it the way we went today. Such a nice feeling to have a responsive and well behaved horse that you have trained!! The weather was beautiful and we had an amazing walk. So relaxing!!
Linus also met not only his first but also second snowmobiles today. I heard one coming up a sideroad and was actually glad for it. I knew we would encounter them sooner or later since our road has a major trail which crosses over it. The first snowmobiler was great and slowed right now letting Linus have a look at him. But, Linus really wasn't all that bothered by it. He was more interested in investigating it. We waved at each other and off we went our separate ways. We crossed the main County road and then went over a bridge. Linus walks cautiously over it because it echoes due to a very large culvert underneath it. On the way back over it his neck was stretched out and the expression was exactly that of "Phillippe" from the Beauty and the Beast movie when he is going through the dark woods. It was hilarious!
We met the second snowmobiler on our way back and he was really great to slow down and actually had to stop and let us pass before he could cross the road. Linus wanted to go and meet him!! Must be because he is used to playing and chasing the quad when we have it out.
Linus was tired when we got back but he had been so great he got 2 apples. It amuses me how different he is to Mickey, the 1 speed Quarter horse I had growing up. When you went out for a ride on Mickey, it was a struggle to get him away from the farm but when you turned around the pace quickened to a slightly faster walk and he was going home!! With Linus its more like he says "Ok, let's go somewhere new today" . He loves going through deep snow and tries to go up every trail we pass by. I do have permission for a couple of local trails but I don't go down them on late afternoons during hunting season!!
Best of luck to everyone during the last few days of RAC 2010. Can't wait to read your new posts and meet all the new people entered for 2011.
Oh and love the new format Denise...thought for a second I had clicked on the wrong link but its all good!!! :)|
he kept them on for quite a while!
I love your tales! And your approach! And one line in particular caught my eye "Such a nice feeling to have a responsive and well behaved horse that you have trained!!". We believe that every person every moment they are interacting with their horse is training, most just don't realize it! So we have gotten away from selling a trained horse and instead sell the training to the human with a horse as a bonus! :) There is no greater sense of pride than is reflected in your comment and CONGRATULATIONS!
ReplyDeleteOh and a suggestion - I saw a gent who worked with some wild caught horses' new owners at an adoption. He demonstrated a method of using the panels for the intial step of getting higher and sitting on your horse. This allows the person to keep their weight on the panel while allowing the horse to leave - if it feels it is necessary - while the person just stands back up on the rail. The key he used was to have a long line and to use it to turn the horse back into the rail if it left. He was good enough to realign the horse without ever getting off the panels - I am not this good. I have found this method also teaches communication as you have to train the horse to line up and stay put etc etc etc.
Good luck with the rest of your quiet week!
Nice tips for Donna, Ellen!
ReplyDeleteDonna, did you teach him the foot on the bucket trick?
Thanks for the tip Ellen. Sounds kind of like what I had tried with Linus last week with leaning over the gates.
ReplyDeleteNo Susan, I didn't teach him the foot on the bucket trick....he did that all on his own. He was trying to flip it over - and succeeded.