# working with my horses



## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

***Long Post***
So I have FINALLY decided to start a journal on her because DH just doesn't get why I get as excited or frustrated about working with my horses as I know the people of HF can. While I love him he just doesn't get it though he tries being excited kinda loses it's luster when you have to explain EVERYTHING for them to understand.

Anyways since I'm not doing any shows the rest of the year and only plan on doing some trail riding I thought it would be a perfect time to "retrain" my two mares. Reinforcing good habits and getting rid of bad ones. I recently got a Clinton Anderson book and have been using his methods on both of my mares and in two days I'm amazed at the transformation!!! So I wanted to record their progress as we continue and hopefully I'll be able to take pictures along the way! So onto my mares and their habits- good and bad

Buttercup- 6 yo Red Dun Paint/QH cross mare. Pretty good mare under-saddle though needs fine tuning. Not-so-good on the ground.
Good habits:
-On Ground:
- will stand tied
- good about grooming/fly spraying/hosing
- will walk over tarps and is good with tarps flapping about on or around 
her 
- will pick up all four feet willingly
-Under saddle:
- point and go kinda mare
- very responsive
- pretty good about listening to directional cues in walk/trot
- fairly non-spook
Bad Habits:
- On Ground:
- pushy, not respectful of your space
- knows how powerful she is
- has been known to rip leads out of your hands when she doesn't want 
to do something, 
- or will stand like a statue no matter how much pressure is given
- will NOT lunge(does one or both of previous two habits)
- won't turn on forehand if you are on her right side 
- Under Saddle
- won't back up(braces against bit)
- needs a faster "whoa"(takes at least 20 steps)
- doesn't listen to directional cues at canter/gallop very well


Colly- 17 yo Black Mustang mare. My go-to mare when trail riding. she is almost the polar opposite of Buttercup as she is very good on the ground but can be a witch under saddle when she gets it in her head to do so.
Good Habits:
- On Ground:
- will stand tied and ground tied all day
- good for grooming/fly spraying/ hosing
- willingly picks up all feet
- respectful of your space
- will follow your lead
- will turn on the forehand and haunches with a little pressure
- backs with a chain
- Under Saddle:
- NO SPOOK
- point and go
- will take care of inexperienced riders
- the less pressure/cues the better
Bad Habits:
- On ground:
- doesn't lunge very well (will but with some pressure)
- wont back with regular lead
- wont flex
- Under Saddle:
- wont stop if she doesnt want to
- will rip your arms out of their sockets
- wont listen to directional cues(see habit above)
- wont back(braces against bit)
- refuses to flex or turn
- picks up speed and gets harder to control when heading home

Whew!! So now after that breakdown I started with Buttercup yesterday on CA's methods and we stopped after I got her to back 20 or so steps with little cuing! At this point we were able to stay out of my personal space, disengage her hind quarters and even lunge a little!!! I was beyond happy with the change in her in the little time I had worked with her! Today we went back to the beginning and started all over just to reinforce what we learned yesterday she was so much more respectful and listening to the slightest cue. We ended today just before the under saddle work. We did more lunging both ways (i even had slack in my line!) and directional changes by disengaging the hindquarters. we did turn on the forehand on BOTH sides with a little resistance but we did one step at a time and she understood that I wasn't going to eat her on that side. We also did a lot of flexing in the halter which at first she didn't want to give but by the end she would flex with a little pressure (but not much) both ways. She was also leading right beside me without running into me or dragging me behind. She still needs a little work on slowing down/speeding up when leading.
Colly also did amazing today. She blew through most of the lessons like disengaging her hindquarters, turning on the forehand and leading. But what really surprised me was by the end she was backing beautifully (with a nice tucked head and nice energy), she was also lunging really well (also with slack) ,she would even stop on a dime(disengaging her hindquarters and facing me) when I said "whoa", and she would flex in the halter really well, with a bit more pressure on her right side..but not much! The one thing that really worked to get her backing nicely was having her disengaging he hindquarters 360 degrees then asking her to back by "bumping" her with the halter before she stopped moving. I was astonished how quickly she went from literally having to push her to just gently tapping the lead/halter and back she would go with her head tucked.

So far I am extremely impressed by the progress my girls have made in just two days (one for Colly) and I am excited to see where they will go from here!!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

So today I reinforced and went over all the lessons again with my girls and I can't believe how well they are responding Buttercup will back on a slack lead with me 5 feet away. I still have to give Colly a small cue with the halter but not much! Colly also did wonderful today with flexing! She was a little stiff on the right side and it took a little longer for her flex that way but she eventually did and she even held her head there for a few seconds with slack in the lead before straightening out her neck and head. She also needs a little work on turning on the forehand as does Buttercup but on the ground both are almost a complete 180! I think I'm going to start working on flexing in a bridle tomorrow but I may just continue working on the basic groundwork until they have it down 100%.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

So i decided to take Colly on a trail ride today and even though I haven't started working on any under-saddle work she was great!!! I also rode Buttercup today though after they ate we worked on their on-the-ground exercises and both of them did great I had my sister take picture but I only had enough battery for Buttercup  well anyway here they are!
1. Getting her out of my personal space
2. Disengaging the hindquarters- left side
3. Disengaging the hindquarters- right side
4. Yielding the forehand- clockwise
5. Lunging counter-clockwise
6. Backing with little cuing.
7. Flexing to the left
8. Flexing to the right
9. More backing with a little more cue
I think she's doing awesome for only a couple of days


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

So I went for another trail ride on Colly and she was perfect we even did some transition work and while there was some pulling against the bit there wasnt near as much. When we got back to the pasture I had her flex in the bridle while I was on the ground and I guess the flexing in the halter is paying off!!! She flexed really well on both sides but when I sat on her to get her to flex with me on her back she first just wanted to walk in circles and when she finally stopped she braced against the bit and even though I didn't put any other pressure on the rein she somehow got the bit through her mouth. I hopped off and went to grab a curb chain and once I put it on she realized that I just wanted her to bend and as soon as she did I would release the pressure. I did this on both sides for about 4 mins. As I was walking her back to the barn to get dinner she tried taking off. So I decided I would have her do bending exercises until she calmed down and when she realized that the more she fought the more she worked she quit fighting so i asked for a whoa got off and walked her to her food. All in all I think today was a good day! Also my little sister hopped on Buttercup bareback with a halter and leads and was walk trot and cantering around the field she even got some nice stops in and she backed her and could disengage her hindquarters from her back.  My little sister even said that she wanted to take her on our next trail ride.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

So today I worked with Buttercup on flexing in the bridle while I'm on the ground and while in the saddle. She did really well but she leaned against my hand more than I would like so we will continue working on that before we do anything else. But while we were walking around the pasture I saw this huge snake (I HATE SNAKES), I hopped off Buttercup and walked over to it. I decided that I was not comfortable with that big of a snake in my pasture so I went and found a big rock and proceeded in killing it. I was curious to see how long it was and grabbed my dressage whip and laid it next to the snake. It was as long as the whip! And the whole time this was going on Buttercup was standing by quietly(she was actually falling asleep) waiting for me. So proud of her!


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## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

That snake is huge!! And I know how big your dressage whip may be, it looks very similar to the ones we use for walking pigs. 

How close is Colly to having her baby?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Roman said:


> That snake is huge!! And I know how big your dressage whip may be, it looks very similar to the ones we use for walking pigs.
> 
> How close is Colly to having her baby?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Yeah it was the biggest I have ever seen when I held it up with its head on the ground it was up to my hip and I'm 5'5! And Colly is at 133 days and she is "due" between March 8-13th but she can have it anywhere from March 7th to the 22nd.


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

*On Cloud Nine Tonight!!!*

So Colly has made a humungious breakthrough!!! I was working on her flexing in the bridle and bending and OMG!!! she was bending beautifully in the walk trot AND CANTER!!!! This has made my day as she never would bend in the canter! She did fight a little but all I would have to do is tap her rein and she would bend around! My little sister even rode her and was amazed at the difference. She is so much more willing to bend and flex and moves so much better. We even jumped a little 2' jump and she didn't try taking off after the landing!!! I am so proud of her and her progress. She even got a nice bath today after such a good job, though she did need it as she sweated quite a bit but it was due more to the content of the work than I worked her really hard. Most of the work was trotting and walking and we only cantered a little but I'm so proud of my girl!!!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

So today was another success with Colly!!! We walked, trotted and cantered bareback today with her responding to my cues and she would bend at the slightest touch of the reins! She would whoa beautifully and while she still chomped at the bit and would pull a bit it was sooo much better! She even had a beautiful western jog with a nice headset (natural not forced). We still have to work on her staying at a consistent speed but she is doing fabulous and hopefully I'll be able to get my sister to take a video!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

Another success with Colly! We went on a trail ride today and we did bending exercises along the way at the walk trot and canter! She wanted to speed up a little going home but it was SOOO much more controllable then it was before! We even did a nice gallop and when I said whoa she actually stopped! I am so proud of her progress and can't wait to work on Buttercup with riding next week! I've been doing her ground work which was her biggest problem and she is so much more respectful and she will actually listen to subtle cues!


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## danicelia24 (Jul 16, 2013)

I have videos!!! I finally got my sister to take a video yesterday. Now while Colly looks a little rough still, which she is, she is 110% better than she was. She would never back under-saddle and we are still working on refining everything but she is actually enjoyable to ride now! Also I haven't started working on Buttercup under-saddle yet but my sister hopped on her yesterday and took her over a 2' jump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzQoPC59-C0&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQV00TKtfX8&feature=youtu.be


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