and basically do what your horse does. Dancer assumed I was going to try and catch her since I had the halter, so I decided to try this game for fun! She walked around in circles a bit, but it was still really interesting. Anyways, when I decided I was done I opened up the gate, Dancer acted like she wanted to go out. So, I'm like hmm, "how interesting!!" I got the halter and offered it to her and she let me put it on easy as pie!!! So, I let her go outside the pasture and wander around a bit. I tried to be really provocative without making her work. I let her go over tarps, rubbed her with swings, sniff things, eat a little grass. Jeez, she is difficult to entertain!! It's like practically nothing bothers her! Even the tarp I was expecting something from her, but she just sniffed it and walked over it like, 'that's it??' But after I entertained her a bit, I took her back to the pasture (yada, yada) and so I'm hoping that she'll let me catch her next time, too. I mean, what other excuses can she come up with? Lol.Thursday, July 31, 2008
Problem solved!!
I don't think I mentioned it on the posts (it's in Dancer's information, though), but I was having problems catching Dancer recently. Well, I'm excited to say that after spending some undemanding time with her - lots of scratches and brushing her - she's letting herself be caught!! I went outside to pet her today, and I took the halter. She walked away, I threw it at her once, but she barely went anywhere. Then, I went up to her and petted her and walked inside her stall. She followed, and I kept petting her. I decided try a game I found online called Matching and Mirroring where you position yourself in Zone 3
and basically do what your horse does. Dancer assumed I was going to try and catch her since I had the halter, so I decided to try this game for fun! She walked around in circles a bit, but it was still really interesting. Anyways, when I decided I was done I opened up the gate, Dancer acted like she wanted to go out. So, I'm like hmm, "how interesting!!" I got the halter and offered it to her and she let me put it on easy as pie!!! So, I let her go outside the pasture and wander around a bit. I tried to be really provocative without making her work. I let her go over tarps, rubbed her with swings, sniff things, eat a little grass. Jeez, she is difficult to entertain!! It's like practically nothing bothers her! Even the tarp I was expecting something from her, but she just sniffed it and walked over it like, 'that's it??' But after I entertained her a bit, I took her back to the pasture (yada, yada) and so I'm hoping that she'll let me catch her next time, too. I mean, what other excuses can she come up with? Lol.
and basically do what your horse does. Dancer assumed I was going to try and catch her since I had the halter, so I decided to try this game for fun! She walked around in circles a bit, but it was still really interesting. Anyways, when I decided I was done I opened up the gate, Dancer acted like she wanted to go out. So, I'm like hmm, "how interesting!!" I got the halter and offered it to her and she let me put it on easy as pie!!! So, I let her go outside the pasture and wander around a bit. I tried to be really provocative without making her work. I let her go over tarps, rubbed her with swings, sniff things, eat a little grass. Jeez, she is difficult to entertain!! It's like practically nothing bothers her! Even the tarp I was expecting something from her, but she just sniffed it and walked over it like, 'that's it??' But after I entertained her a bit, I took her back to the pasture (yada, yada) and so I'm hoping that she'll let me catch her next time, too. I mean, what other excuses can she come up with? Lol.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
TWH show!
I just got back from a TWH show. My mom was practically foaming at the mouth, lol. The horses were just gorgeous!! Anyways, we took a bunch of pictures, so have a look!!
[caption id="attachment_71" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Very pretty black walker!!"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_73" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Winner!!"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_75" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Cute champagne yearling parking out"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_77" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The yearling again"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_78" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Western Walker"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_80" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Another western walker parking out"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_81" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Horse head"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_71" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Very pretty black walker!!"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_73" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Winner!!"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_75" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Cute champagne yearling parking out"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_77" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The yearling again"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_78" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Western Walker"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_80" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Another western walker parking out"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_81" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Horse head"]
[/caption]
Thursday, July 24, 2008
SMART smart smart . . .
I had another session with Arruba yesterday. I'm very excited. Things went really well this time!! At the beginning she was a tad RB, but I backed her up a bit and she got loads better! She never got away from me either!!! Actually, I just prevented it in the first place. I never did circling game, I only worked on games 1-4. Also, I realized that in order for her to run away, she had to take her head way over to the other side and then start going. So, I never allowed her to turn her head where she needed it to be!!!
And I never realized just how smart that horse is!!! Holy cow!! Friendly game she aced, it's kind of funny actually, because I can slap the ground with the rope while she just stands harder than I can with Dancer! I also worked on porcupine game a lot. She usually gets around phase 2/3 still, but she's getting better!! Driving game was nice on the hindquarters, I actually had to up the pressure on phase 4, because I realized that my pressure was more like phase 3. Once I did that, she learned very quickly what I wanted. Her yo-yo game is fantastic (in my opinion) from just 2 sessions. Like the title says, she learns amazingly quick! It'll be interesting to keep her entertained.
And I never realized just how smart that horse is!!! Holy cow!! Friendly game she aced, it's kind of funny actually, because I can slap the ground with the rope while she just stands harder than I can with Dancer! I also worked on porcupine game a lot. She usually gets around phase 2/3 still, but she's getting better!! Driving game was nice on the hindquarters, I actually had to up the pressure on phase 4, because I realized that my pressure was more like phase 3. Once I did that, she learned very quickly what I wanted. Her yo-yo game is fantastic (in my opinion) from just 2 sessions. Like the title says, she learns amazingly quick! It'll be interesting to keep her entertained.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Undermined by a YEARLING!!!
I decided to play with Ruby for a little while yesterday. "Oh boy," was that interesting!! Ruby was in the pasture with the other horses at the same time I played with her (for lack of a round pen, man I need one of those!!!). She aces Level 1 friendly game, so that's not a big deal. Porcupine with the hindquarters was pretty good for the first session, but the forehand was kind of difficult. I didn't do the driving game, because the porcupine game needs work first. Mainly I focused on the yo-yo game, because Ruby likes to run people over. I had to go to phase 4 a couple of times and she just stood there (tells you something, huh?!? lol) even as I created a ton of commotion. I considered switching to a different strategy for phase 4, but she started to get it. So, she backs up pretty nice now.
But now, here's my dilemma. Ruby kept wanting to walk away, so I decided I'd send her out on a circle. It took phase 4, and she started trotting around. She didn't circle around me, though. Either she would take a couple steps and stop, which is alright (just resend!) or she'll decide to start trotting away (the normal one). So eventually, she reaches the end of the rope (22'), and I start walking after her. I can't yo-yo, because the rope is taut; I didn't work on driving game (oops); and I can't bend her neck towards me, because the rope will either be between her 2 front legs or on the other side of her neck. So, she got away from me twice (and got the other horses all worked up, it took me at least 5 minutes to catch her once), because those things happened.
I realize now that I set us up for disaster by not preparing properly (WAY smaller pen, better games 1-4), so I think I'll chalk up this session to a learning experience. Though, I still anticipate trouble with the circling game, because she gets the rope caught between her legs a lot which really reduces how much I can control her. I also don't really know how to get her to actually circle and not run away. All in all, I suppose Ruby has a lot to teach me.
But now, here's my dilemma. Ruby kept wanting to walk away, so I decided I'd send her out on a circle. It took phase 4, and she started trotting around. She didn't circle around me, though. Either she would take a couple steps and stop, which is alright (just resend!) or she'll decide to start trotting away (the normal one). So eventually, she reaches the end of the rope (22'), and I start walking after her. I can't yo-yo, because the rope is taut; I didn't work on driving game (oops); and I can't bend her neck towards me, because the rope will either be between her 2 front legs or on the other side of her neck. So, she got away from me twice (and got the other horses all worked up, it took me at least 5 minutes to catch her once), because those things happened.
I realize now that I set us up for disaster by not preparing properly (WAY smaller pen, better games 1-4), so I think I'll chalk up this session to a learning experience. Though, I still anticipate trouble with the circling game, because she gets the rope caught between her legs a lot which really reduces how much I can control her. I also don't really know how to get her to actually circle and not run away. All in all, I suppose Ruby has a lot to teach me.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
About me
Well, my name is Erica. I live around horses, though they're mostly peanut-pushers and such. Umm, I do Parelli, but seeing as I haven't even passed Level 1 yet, I shouldn't really say that (lol). I just sold my first horse about a month (or 2) ago, and his name is Junior. He was a LBI (left brained introvert - go to www.parelli.com and click on Horsenality for an explanation). I didn't think it would be a big deal selling Junior. I still don't really. But I am starting to miss him a tiny bit, because I'm getting sick of being horseless. The reason I sold him, is because of rider error after rider error after rider error which eventually turned into fear.
he could've worked perfectly for me, but because my mom and I kept making mistakes our relationship suffered. But since this post is about me, I won't go into too many details about him at the moment. Here's a quick pic.
Hmm, I checked my horsenality and I would say that I am a RBI/LBI. I have a passion for horses, and I love to read. I am quite partial to the fantasy genre, though I have read almost all of the horse books in our library, not kidding!! I also have a thing for psychology, so horses and psychology fit very well together. Another interest of mine is writing fiction stories. I have yet to complete one, but hopefully someday! Well, I'll keep you posted!!
he could've worked perfectly for me, but because my mom and I kept making mistakes our relationship suffered. But since this post is about me, I won't go into too many details about him at the moment. Here's a quick pic.
- Cute picture of Junior
Hmm, I checked my horsenality and I would say that I am a RBI/LBI. I have a passion for horses, and I love to read. I am quite partial to the fantasy genre, though I have read almost all of the horse books in our library, not kidding!! I also have a thing for psychology, so horses and psychology fit very well together. Another interest of mine is writing fiction stories. I have yet to complete one, but hopefully someday! Well, I'll keep you posted!!
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