Dear Reader,
Lyle and I just keep on keeping on and doing the work that needs to be done to re-start him. Today it was dark and rainy. A perfect day to ride! We continue to work on yielding to the bit. This means that we are also working on Lyle's head set. Any time a horse either gets behind the vertical, that is tucks, or gets in front of the vertical, that is pokes his nose out, the rider has lost real control. So Lyle and I are working on him keeping his head in the vertical while he is being ridden.
Lyle is starting to give me a nice head set. But this alternates with either him getting in front of the vertical, poking his head out, or getting behind the vertical, over tucking. So he and I continue to re-train and to try to establish a good mutual feel. (It is this poking or tucking that makes all rollker and all force in training so devilish.)
On a personal note, I am very thankful for Mr. Bill Dorrance's teaching in his book "True Horsemanship Through Feel." This is because I never really understood "feel" of a horse before I started studying this book. Mr. Bill Dorrance's advice has also been a big help to me in controlling my temper as Lyle and I work. This is because Mr. Dorrance stresses that there will be no dominating a horse because when you ride with shared feel, the horse will do what you present to him because he understands what you want. This teaching alone has started to help me to open my eyes to what true horsemanship is.
One day Lyle and I will be on the trails. This is because I made a promise to two little kids that I would visit them and ride Lyle to do so. These children are being home schooled, I am looking forward to bringing them a nice book such as "Black Beauty" for their reading enjoyment.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Penny Johnson
Kootenai Curly Horses
Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Your visit should be fun! I bet Lyle will like the kids a lot. When I was young, I loved the picture book "Flip" about a foal (gorgeous illustrations) and then when I could really read, I enjoyed "Blitz: The Story of a Horse."
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteThank you. I will go to Amazon and look at both books.
It has taken me a while to figure this out. Lyle never learned to flex at the pole. The man who broke him rode him in a frame of being way over, hyper flexed or with his head poking out and jerking on the bit. This prevented Lyle from flexing at the pole. So Lyle and I have been working, both under saddle and on the ground, on flexing at the pole. Lyle does not yet understand flexing at the pole. But when he accidentally
flexes at the pole he enjoys it. So this tells me he will learn.
Sincerely,
Penny
Penny, I am no trainer, but what if you fed him a treat from the saddle on each side to help him into the flex frame of mind? I know it really helped Ah-D learn bending and giving to pressure. i also used to do it from the ground before tacking up. I would make him touch his nose to his shoulder or flank several times on each side and then instantly release pressure once he did. Once he figured out what I wanted (it took him quite a few training sessions to reach all the way to his body with his nose), he absolutely loved the game! Ah-D loves showing off what he knows. Does Lyle?
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your idea. Now I am going to write that I honestly want your completely honest and forthright judgment of what I do to try and teach Lyle to easily flex at the pole. (To be frank, I care enough about Lyle to accept any kind of judgment that is meant in good will. For Lyle I have, "left my ego at home.")
Lyle was taught to move in a rollker frame of hyper flexion. The treats do not help because he uses the over flexion to take them. Later today, when Lyle and I ride, I will be trying the suggestion that Bill Dorrance makes on page 92 of his book, "True Horsemanship Through Feel." I will report back about what happens.
So far, Lyle will flex nicely at the pole by accident. He will see, eventually, that this "accident" is something that is pleasant for him. That time is coming and Lyle will be mentally healed.
Thank you,
Penny Johnson
Susan,
ReplyDeleteIt worked, it worked. I did exactly what Mr. Bill Dorrance said to do on page 92 of his book and it worked. Will have Wayne take pictures of even a video to explain better. Oh, and yes, Lyle like to have his forehead rubbed when he brings his head around and flexes at the pole. And he like to have his upper eye lashes gentle stroked outwards.
Again, Susan thank you.
Penny
Penny, awesome!!! Looking forward to reading the post about your success. Horses are so different, just like people. AhD dislikes having his forhead rubbed - just about the only touching attention that he DOESN'T like! He loves having his ears pulled gently (T-touch).
ReplyDeleteI love reading your posts because they are very inspiring. The book you describe sounds so interesting taht I am putting it on my wish list.
ReplyDelete