Baker - Lots of mini training sessions
I wasn't sure when I would be able to start working with Baker again, since his injury and surgery. However, as I was thinking about it, I realized that I really am working with him every day, several times a day. We aren't working on anything real specific, but the daily handling definitely counts as training. I'm still not sure when I'll get back to what we were working on before his injury. We definitely can't do trot sets anytime soon. He has to have a month of stall rest, another month in a round pen, another month in a paddock, and then he can go back to "work" after that. This type of recover usually applies to horses that are already working under saddle. The only real "work" that Baker was doing before his accident was the trot sets, so I will hold off working on those again until he is cleared for more activity. Meanwhile, I could still work with him on things like the clippers, however, I have been so busy with bringing him in and out of his stall to his grass pen, and cleaning his stall, and taking his temperature, etc., that I haven't had time to really work on stuff like that. But, with all the day to day stuff I have to do with him now, we are able to work on some little things that will help him in the future.
Without a doubt, somewhere along the way, there will come a time that you or your horse will have to take some "time off". One of you is bound to get injured or sick enough that you can't do your regular work routine. Those times are always disappointing, but there is a silver lining. Those times usually allow you a chance to go back and work on basics, or little things that you normally wouldn't focus on because you are so busy trying to reach a bigger goal. Maybe you and your horse can only work at the walk for a month. So, you work on things at the walk that will make things at the canter and over fences better - turn on the forehand, turn on the haunches, walk/halt transitions. Those things are easy to skip over when you are focusing on getting a better canter before a fence, but those things will help you get your horse to listen to you better, and therefore, help you get a better canter before a fence. Don't squander these moments. They are given to you for a reason. Use them.
And so, Baker and I have been using our moments as well. Every time I lead him out of his stall to his outdoor pen, we work on basic leading skills. Yes, we were working on these before, but they have gotten a lot better recently. Partly, because we don't have Fiona to distract him. Partly, he is excited to get to the grass, so he is very willing to go forward. Partly, because he is excited to get back to his stall, because he knows his grain is waiting for him. Partly, because he is terribly bored, so his mind is very open to learning and listening. As we walk from the stall to the pen, or back from the pen to the stall, he will often stop to look at new things in his environment. I want to encourage bravery (event horses have to be brave to go over some of those crazy jumps, after all), so I allow him to stop and check things out. If he seems afraid, then we approach the object of his fear, and he gets to see that it's no big deal. I allow him to decide when to move forward, or I might "jump start" him a little if he "stalls out". As he moves forward, I always praise him verbally. We have approached chairs, cars, the black mat at the wash pit, random objects that students have left on the ground. He is learning to be much braver and bolder each time I lead him out of his stall, and since I have to do this three times a day, he should be super confident by the end of this whole ordeal!
The other thing that we have been working on is learning to stand more politely for meals. One of my pet peeves is a horse that rushes at me to get his food. It's rude, and, above all, it's dangerous! When I bring grain to any horse, I put the grain in the pan, and then I always make the horse stand back away from it until they are being more patient and humble and polite. I have not made any exceptions with Baker. Before his injury, I really wasn't involved in teaching Baker meal manners. That was up to Fiona. But now, he gets his meals exclusively from humans, and it is absolutely unacceptable for him to charge or throw a fit when he gets fed. So, when I enter the stall to feed him, I start by making him step back away from the door. Usually, he is interested in the hay that is in the corner, so that's not a problem. I always have something to help me keep the horse back. With older horses, I will carry a whip. I usually "spank" the ground with it, but if need be, the horse might get a swat. With Baker, I have used his lead rope. Once I pour the grain in his feed pan, he loses interest in the hay and comes towards me quickly. I use the rope as I say "back!" to keep him away from the feed pan. I will swing the rope at his chest, just enough to keep him away. I have had to swat him a few times on the chest, but he gets the message pretty quickly. If he walks away and turns his butt to me, I swat his butt as well. It is equally unacceptable for a horse to turn their hind end towards a person. As soon as he stands quietly away from me, but facing me, I tell him "good boy" and leave the stall, allowing him to come forward to get his food. The first few times took a while. He didn't really understand what I expected, and all he was thinking about was how badly he wanted his grain meal. Most recently, he has figured it out much more quickly. I just have to remind him with the rope a time or two, and then he stands quietly, knowing that he won't get his grain until he does. Food is a great motivator, so this is a lesson he should learn pretty well! Hopefully, I will be able to get back to stuff like clipping and bathing soon, but meanwhile, Baker is learning some pretty important lessons.
Without a doubt, somewhere along the way, there will come a time that you or your horse will have to take some "time off". One of you is bound to get injured or sick enough that you can't do your regular work routine. Those times are always disappointing, but there is a silver lining. Those times usually allow you a chance to go back and work on basics, or little things that you normally wouldn't focus on because you are so busy trying to reach a bigger goal. Maybe you and your horse can only work at the walk for a month. So, you work on things at the walk that will make things at the canter and over fences better - turn on the forehand, turn on the haunches, walk/halt transitions. Those things are easy to skip over when you are focusing on getting a better canter before a fence, but those things will help you get your horse to listen to you better, and therefore, help you get a better canter before a fence. Don't squander these moments. They are given to you for a reason. Use them.
And so, Baker and I have been using our moments as well. Every time I lead him out of his stall to his outdoor pen, we work on basic leading skills. Yes, we were working on these before, but they have gotten a lot better recently. Partly, because we don't have Fiona to distract him. Partly, he is excited to get to the grass, so he is very willing to go forward. Partly, because he is excited to get back to his stall, because he knows his grain is waiting for him. Partly, because he is terribly bored, so his mind is very open to learning and listening. As we walk from the stall to the pen, or back from the pen to the stall, he will often stop to look at new things in his environment. I want to encourage bravery (event horses have to be brave to go over some of those crazy jumps, after all), so I allow him to stop and check things out. If he seems afraid, then we approach the object of his fear, and he gets to see that it's no big deal. I allow him to decide when to move forward, or I might "jump start" him a little if he "stalls out". As he moves forward, I always praise him verbally. We have approached chairs, cars, the black mat at the wash pit, random objects that students have left on the ground. He is learning to be much braver and bolder each time I lead him out of his stall, and since I have to do this three times a day, he should be super confident by the end of this whole ordeal!
The other thing that we have been working on is learning to stand more politely for meals. One of my pet peeves is a horse that rushes at me to get his food. It's rude, and, above all, it's dangerous! When I bring grain to any horse, I put the grain in the pan, and then I always make the horse stand back away from it until they are being more patient and humble and polite. I have not made any exceptions with Baker. Before his injury, I really wasn't involved in teaching Baker meal manners. That was up to Fiona. But now, he gets his meals exclusively from humans, and it is absolutely unacceptable for him to charge or throw a fit when he gets fed. So, when I enter the stall to feed him, I start by making him step back away from the door. Usually, he is interested in the hay that is in the corner, so that's not a problem. I always have something to help me keep the horse back. With older horses, I will carry a whip. I usually "spank" the ground with it, but if need be, the horse might get a swat. With Baker, I have used his lead rope. Once I pour the grain in his feed pan, he loses interest in the hay and comes towards me quickly. I use the rope as I say "back!" to keep him away from the feed pan. I will swing the rope at his chest, just enough to keep him away. I have had to swat him a few times on the chest, but he gets the message pretty quickly. If he walks away and turns his butt to me, I swat his butt as well. It is equally unacceptable for a horse to turn their hind end towards a person. As soon as he stands quietly away from me, but facing me, I tell him "good boy" and leave the stall, allowing him to come forward to get his food. The first few times took a while. He didn't really understand what I expected, and all he was thinking about was how badly he wanted his grain meal. Most recently, he has figured it out much more quickly. I just have to remind him with the rope a time or two, and then he stands quietly, knowing that he won't get his grain until he does. Food is a great motivator, so this is a lesson he should learn pretty well! Hopefully, I will be able to get back to stuff like clipping and bathing soon, but meanwhile, Baker is learning some pretty important lessons.
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