All The Kings' Horses

 I worked with Gia lunging over jumps in the round pen today.  I started her out with three poles about 2 trot strides apart (about 10').  First, she had to go through them quietly at the trot.  That was tough for her, since she was a bit wired and ready to go.  Once she settled down, it was fairly easy though.  Then, she had to do it at the canter.  That part was very easy for her.   Next, I raised the poles, and she had to repeat the exercise at the trot and canter again.  Finally, I raised them one more time, and she had to repeat the entire exercise again.  There were different challenges each time - sometimes too slow, sometimes too fast, sometimes distracted, sometimes trying too hard.  She did her best when she was relaxed, so I had to create that atmosphere, while also creating obedience.  Each time she did the exercise correctly, I "clicked" and she got a treat!  This is a great exercise to help her get stronger, especially in her hind end, and it will also help

 Gia and I went to CDP for our lesson today.  She only barely tried to kick at her shipping boots when I walked her out of the crossties.  Once I corrected her, she was fine.  She hesitated a few times at the trailer, but I could tell she was trying, so I allowed her to "check it out" for a few minutes.  When she backed off and refused, I had her work around me in a few circles, and then went to put her back on again.  She went right on the second time with almost no hesitation. At CDP, we started with leg yields, bending, changing direction, collecting and lengthening at the walk and trot.  She really likes to carry her haunches to the right, so we worked a lot on pushing her haunches to the left, and then straightening her on the left side.  It was very difficult for her overall.  She did get it fairly well at the walk, but the trot was a lot harder.  We did have a better canter after a bit of practice though!

 I did a little bit of dressage with Gia this morning before the lightning forced me to hop off.  We worked on a lot of transitions, including transitions to the halt, and rein back, to trot.  We were only able to get one canter in before the lightning, but it was ok, a little resistant.  I also worked on getting her softer through the transitions, as well as straighter overall.

 I took Gia out in the field today for a light jump school.  In warming up, I worked on getting her to focus more on me with lots of leg yields, bending and transitions.  Thinking back to the show this weekend, I could have done more down transitions, rather than half halts, to help focus and balance her better.   She jumped almost everything I pointed her at today, except for one stop at the flat tires.  I kept my leg on, and she did get over it, and then went over it just fine the second time.  After each jump I clicked, and when she stopped, I gave her a treat.  Sometimes, she wanted to keep going and jump again, and as long as she was obedient and quiet, I allowed her to. One side note - When we were teaching lessons last night, Gia shocked herself on the hotwire, and reacted like she always does, by getting pissed off and kicking out at it and bucking around.  It occurred to me that she has touched that hotwire way more times than most horses would have, and still continues to run

 I took Gia to a new venue for a Starter level horse trial yesterday - the lovely Heather Ridge Farm!  Danielle warmed her up on the lunge line, and said she was ok - looking around at everything, but nothing too bad.   In dressage warm up she was her usual self.  I actually expected it to be worse since we hadn't really been anywhere different in a while.  There were still things she was worried about, but no more than usual.  She was tense in warm up, despite me trying to keep just a light contact, but we did manage to work through all our movements and get into our canter work.  She did do a little bucking at the canter, but not too bad, and I was able to manage it and redirect it and ended up with some nice canter circles! Our test was a bit messy, partly my fault, partly the wind, and partly my wild beast.  She didn't do anything specific, although I messed up the ending to the test.  She just felt a bit all over the place, and her gaits felt especially big, fast and splay

 Gia was a bit nervous about getting on the trailer this morning.  She kicked out a few times at her shipping boots, but stopped quickly when corrected.  When we first approached the trailer she stopped short of the ramp, so I immediately started making her work in circles around me in both directions, getting her to move her hind legs around her forehand, and also getting her to back up when she got too close in my space.  After a few rotations, we approached the trailer again, and again she stopped short.  We repeated this process several times until she finally tired of the "game" and decided it was a lot easier to just get on the trailer than to have to deal with all the work.  Which is exactly the idea.  I want the trailer to be a place of rest, and not getting on the trailer to be a time to go to work. At CDP, we worked on overcoming the anxiety about everything that was going on with a lot of leg yields, bending, shoulder-in, collecting, lengthening, changing of direct

 Gia and I had a dressage lesson with Suzin today.  We started with a really nice free walk!  When I transitioned Gia to medium walk, she did fairly well.  We worked on having a steadier and softer connection.  When that was good, we worked on keeping the steady and soft connection as we transitioned back and forth between trot and walk, and as we changed bend and direction.  Finally, we worked on keeping the steady and soft connection while transitioning to the canter.  That was a bit harder for both of us.  I mainly focused on keeping the connection equal, no matter where her head or body went, and just continuing to softly ask her to yield to my hand and leg on the stiffer sides.  We kept chipping away, and our last one was really good! 

 I took Gia out for a jump school in the field today.  Since we had just lunged over the jumps in the field yesterday, I decided to follow things up and do the same jumps under saddle today.  After a warm up at the walk and trot, I took her right to the flat tires first.  She stopped, so I kept my leg on, my eyes up, and kept her pointed at the jump.  She struggled with it for a few minutes, trying to go sideways, going a little forward, but then stopping short again.  Finally, she went over it.  I clicked and she got a treat.  And the light bulb from yesterday came back on. We went back over it much more easily the second and third times.  We proceeded to play over the log jump, then we went in the other field to the hanging log jump.  Both of those were easy.  Then I played with the up and down banks and the ditch.  The only problem I ran into is that she wanted to get a bit quick and bossy after the down bank, so we did it a few times to practice coming back to me afterwards.  Then

 I took Gia out in the field today to lunge over some of the jumps.  I warmed her up with a few laps of trotting in both directions.  Then I let her warm up over a very easy jump, before I asked her to attempt one of the jumps she is not fond of - the flat tires.  She stopped at them the first couple of times, but I let her check them out, clicked, and gave her a treat when she touched them.  When she finally went over them, she also got a click and treat.  She went back and forth over them several times with no problem after that.  We did the same with several other jumps that she is a little more concerned about - the regular tires (which I have never even asked her to go over) - she stopped at them the first time, but then took them from a standstill, and then from a trot a couple of times after that.  She also did the up and down banks and ditches easily.  We finished with the brick wall, which she is also not fond of, but she went over it, hesitatingly at first, then fine after th

 I took Gia for a hack on the trail today.  She was a little nervous about getting there, walking past all the stuff that is on her way to the head of the trail.  She did ok with it though.  Once on the trail, I think it was the best she's ever been!  She was so relaxed, and just looking around, but not in a spooky way, more in a way that she seemed to be enjoying the scenery.  She was a little less nervous on her way back out, and I managed to get her to touch something, then "clicked" and gave her a treat.

 Gia and I had a dressage lesson with Suzin today.  We started out warming up with the usual work at the walk and trot - leg yields, stretching, straightening, changes of direction.  Once warmed up, Suzin had me work on getting Gia to yield to my hands in both directions.  When she wanted to pull, I had to let go (which is a lot harder than it sounds), and "see where she wanted to go", then correct her from there.  We were able to get a really nice working trot and stretchy trot!  I was also able to get a decent canter in each direction.

 I took Gia to CDP for my lesson today. Gia was a bit extra about her shipping boots and getting on the trailer today.  I had to correct her twice about kicking out at her shipping boots.  She was much better after that though.  However, on approaching the trailer, she stopped firmly, about 10 feet before the ramp of the trailer, so I immediately put her to work on a circle, moving her feet in both directions.  After a few minutes of that, I approached the trailer again - another halt at about the same place, so back to moving her feet around me in a circle again.  The third time we approached the trailer she did keep moving up the ramp, although she did hesitate a little about halfway up.  I tapped her on the behind, and then she kept going. At CDP she was quite a bit more distracted by things going on than usual.  I was having a lot of difficulty getting her attention.  She was responding fairly well to the leg yields, but when I would go to straighten her, or try to do even a little

 Gia and I worked on our flatwork at home today.  We did much of the usual - transitions, leg yield, bend, straightening, haunches-in, and changes of direction and bend.  Everything was fairly good at the walk and trot, although a little resistant on the up transitions.  Her canter to the right was very good!  When we worked on canter to the left, she had a harder time staying straight, and anytime her shoulder fell in to the left, her haunches would fall out and she would get the urge to buck.  Luckily, I am getting better at feeling that coming, so I was able to head those bucks off at the pass.  Then I had her work on a very steep Travers (where her forehand stays on the rail, but her haunches bend to the inside).  It was difficult for her at first, so we started at walk.  As that got easier, we moved on to trot, then tried canter.  That helped her a lot, and she was able to keep the correct bend and not lose her shoulder on the last one!

 I took Gia to a hunter show yesterday to get some extra schooling in.  We entered a 2' division, but went unjudged, so we could put our focus on the stuff we've been working on rather than the ribbons (for those that don't know me, I'm just a little bit competitive ☺).  We had been to this venue many times, but we had to park in a different location due to all the rain.  It had a little bit of an eerie feel to it, to the horses, so they were all a little spookier than normal.  When I was lunging Gia, she was a bit wilder than usual - calling to the other horses almost constantly, looking frantically around, etc.  I just kept pushing her around the circle, and then stopping her and changing direction, until she finally got tired and gave ME her attention rather than giving it to everything else. Warming up started fairly well, but it was quite empty too.  We worked on leg yields, straightening, shoulder-in, haunches-in, mostly at the trot.  We started over a few jumps,

 I worked with Gia on her flatwork at home today.  We basically practiced all the same stuff we did on Tuesday - leg yield out, straighten with slight outside flexion, haunches-in, collect, lengthen, all at the walk and trot.  We did transitions between gaits, including canter.  Her canter to the left was fairly easy.  It took her several tries on her canter to the right before she really got it.

 So, I'm sure you are all wondering, but Gia got on the trailer with almost no incident this morning.  She did kick out at the boots once or twice when I first started walking her.  I reprimanded her, then stopped, let her relax and tried again.  She was perfectly fine after that. At CDP, we started at the walk, then the trot, and worked on leg yield out on circles and changes of direction.  She started a little anxious, but not nearly as bad as last time, and quickly relaxed.  Charlie had us work on a straightening exercise - leg yield out, slight flexion to the outside to straighten, then haunches-in.  We also added in some collecting and lengthening.  When things felt fairly good, we tried the canter.  For the most part, it was pretty good!  I have to work on making sure to give her time to "answer" the first "question" I ask her, before moving on to the next one, and always remember to relax when she gives me the correct answer.  I also have to work on "

 After Gia's horrible trailering issues of last week, and knowing I had to get her on the trailer again tomorrow morning, I decided that getting her on the trailer today would be her main job. I put her hind boots on her, so that she could also work on her issues with those.  The only thing that I did differently today (other than the time of day, and the hustle and bustle) is that I didn't have Danielle help me.  She was busy with other stuff, and I wanted to experiment with some new stuff if Gia didn't do what she was supposed to. I started by taking off the crossties, but I did not move forward with her until she had taken a breath and given me a sign of relaxation.  As soon as we stepped forward, I was prepared to reprimand her for kicking out at the boots...But she didn't. We walked up to the trailer like normal, and she started to get on, then I felt a slight hesitation.  I was prepared to try out my first new tactic... And then she just got on the trailer.  Went

  Whoops I did it again.... with Danielle (by Danielle Bryant) Gia was supposed to have the day off today, so I did not expect to be writing this blog today. However, consistency is key when working with horses and sometimes a behavior arises that dictates the need for an intervention. For whatever reason, Gia is having a bit of a moody teenager week. There are many possible reasons for a young horse to test their boundaries, and it is not unexpected, especially with a mare with feelings as big as Gia's. As Heather noted in her blog, Gia was in a bit of a mood about getting on the trailer yesterday. Her grumpiness continued at home with a student who was in the field to get another horse. Initially, I suspected she was just having one of those days. However, this morning, when I was in the field with a new student, Gia became upset with me for walking away from her. She turned her butt towards me and essentially threatened to kick me. This is never, ever acceptable behavior from an

 It has been about a month since we have had a lesson at CDP, due to holidays, vacations and vet visits.  We finally got back out there today.  Before we got there, however, Gia was a bit of a PITA about getting on the trailer.  She has continued to have a small tantrum with her hind shipping boots, and I've been trying a few different tactics lately.  I experimented with a new one today - After I took her off the crossties, I waited until she gave a sign of relaxation, and then I started forward.  As soon as she kicked out at the boot, I yanked on her rope halter, and Danielle popped her on the behind.  We stopped again and waited for her to give another sign of relaxation.  We did that about 3 or 4 times, and then she finally walked calmly the rest of the way.  However, when we got to the trailer, she was again resistant about getting on.  Every time she went forward and stepped on the trailer, or made progress to go further in, I let her rest, and waited for a sign of relaxation