Stella's Latest Adventure I

Yesterday my mom, my sister, and I went out for another ride in our pasture! The horses where worn out within 10 minutes of riding. It was such a warm and sunny day, the horses' coats were making them really hot! My mom (Laura), riding Wyoming, figured this one out.

My sister, Josalynn, riding Lady, didn't get any RAC points. So, she ponied Franky, Lady's baby from 2 years ago. He is currently under going training so is getter used to having people above him.

We rode down inside a ditch, crossed a stream, and even I got brave enough to jump my feminine Stella.

At the end of our ride, Josalynn, Mom and I, took turns walking the horses through our tractor tire. I have been working on Stella to get all four of her feet in the tire at once. We finaly got that accomplished yesterday!

Stella had some friends bugging her, so she decided to bring the pictures to a hault.

Later, after the horses were untacked, Mom and I were playing with Stellas belly, brushing, and stroking her soft, fine, hair. The last time we went in the woods, Stella didn't try to run over the saplings like she usually does. We weren't at all conserned until I went to rub her belly, like she loves, and she jerked back on the rope, and flenched away from my hand. Mom tried also. The same reaction. We started pushing, lightly, on the sides of her belly. We felt something roll around inside her. Getting curious, we moved to different positions around on her belly. The baby, hopefully, was getting very active, and Stella, (the soon to be mom), was confused, and upset. So we stopped torturing my girl, and gave her some Red L, and grain for a Good Night snack.

Daylight

It's been entirely too long since last I blogged here, however, as Denise so well reminded us all, it's important to share our stories and exercise our typing hands, so, I thought I'd share some about the happenings here...
Just came in from finishing up feeding. The moon is spectacular looking right now, bright and beautiful with a few clouds streaming across it. It's been really cold and rainy for the most part, it's nice to have a little clear skies, although, of course, it makes it that much colder outside with the Earth's blanketing clouds gone.
As many of you may know, we had four Curly foals born here this summer. I've decided to go about their training in a different manner than what I've done in the past. While all four were imprinted at birth, their first month of life I've made no demands on them, basically spent it petting them all over, scratching their itchy spots, and basically just hanging out with them quietly doing whatever it is they're doing with them.

Recently I began their halter training. The first steps consist of just petting them and scratching their itchy spots, just like before, only now I'm using the halter to do so, in addition to my hands. I'm also making sure to handle all of their legs and lift a leg up randomly on occasion as I pet and scratch them.
In reading Karen Pryor's book "Don't Shoot the Dog", I am exploring some alternative methods to training. This isn't even the "Natural Horsemanship" methods, it really is all positive reinforcement. It's also not pushing my youngsters to do something before they are ready, but rather encouraging them to come to it on their own and rewarding the "right" behavior and choices. I am trying to encourage my brilliant, thinking, baby Curlies to continue through their lives that way, being respectful, but also being allowed and encouraged to think for themselves and puzzle through things. We will see how it goes. So far, really good though.
The third time I had a ground training session with them, Rogue in particular was ducking her head into the halter and trying to help me put it on her. All four of the foals seem to be getting the knack of it without any of the drama or negative experience associated with other foals I've participated in halter training. I'm really excited about training this way, it's a lot of fun, makes me really enjoy working with all the babies rather than having a little dread about what it's going to take to get them to do something they really don't want to.
I will try to keep everyone updated on our progress as I continue to work with the youngsters in their various ground work exercises! :-)
I hope everyone is getting out and enjoying these last colorful Fall days we're having, when it's not raining, I know I am! :-)
Best Wishes,
~Heather
Skygazer Ranch