# Our Journey Together



## kittersrox (Jun 15, 2011)

Well, decided to keep Lookit, and keep trying. I'm more determined than ever to get him better! I'm going to keep this journal mainly for my personal use, to see our improvements, and setbacks. I bought Clinton Anderson's Gaining Respect and Control.

Lookit had been really bad with picking up his feet. I worked on it for at least 45minutes with his old owner (Bruises HURT!) The farrier came right after we finished, and Lookit was a complete doll. For one of the things, his old owner said to me, "Oh, he's not going to do that!" Lookit did everything with no problem  I think it was good we worked so hard with him right before.

12/20/11
We worked on lesson one of Clinton Anderson’s Gaining Respect and Control. Desensitizing with the lead rope. He did fairly well. He didn’t like when I wrapped the lead rope around his back legs. When we finished I took off his halter, and asked him to trot around the round pen, he trotted for about a third of the round pen then he stopped. I walked over to him to urge him forward; he turned his hindquarters towards me threatened to kick (Too bad I didn't have my whip at the time). I put his halter back on, and worked with him a little more.


12/21/11
Worked on Lesson one again and started lesson two, desensitizing him with the whip. He did well. Didn’t mind the whip wrapping around his legs. Didn’t like it on his neck. He was very curious of the whip when I rubbed it on the ground. I picked up all of his feet, he didn’t resist at all. He was very compliant.


12/22/11
We reviewed lesson one and lesson two again. Didn’t like when I did the whip around his front feet, he tried to strike at it. Lifted up front left foot with no problem. One of his back feet he even lifted up before I asked him to. He struck forward with his right front foot. I lifted it up. I did all of his feet again.




12/2?/11

I started working on Lesson 3, which is yielding the hindquarters. Honestly, I thought it wasn't going to go well at all. The first time I had to tap the air, tap him, tap him quite firmly, then he moved. After that he was very responsive, and sometimes I didn't even have to touch him with the whip.


12/2?/11
Worked more on Lesson 3, he's doing a lot better. He thinks every time I rub him with the whip he needs to move. I'm working on doing a lot of rubbing.


12/26/11
I hadn't ridden him with the saddle for weeks (I'd done a little bareback) I'm a little nervous to ride him with the hard, slippery ground. I rode him in the round pen. His trot was super fast (like always) so I worked on slowing it down. We got it a little slower. I asked him to canter, but he refused, and started to act naughty, so I sent my mom for my little whip. When I spanked him, he bucked. I can't remember what I did next, but I probably should have spanked him again because he bucked. A little after that he stumbled, so I got off to check his legs. After that I walked over to get back on, and he kicked at me (He shouldn't have done that, he unleashed the inner devil in me :twisted I smacked him hard with my whip, and sent him flying pivoting on his forehand (So, hey! We got another lesson on yielding the hindquarters haha) I've never seen him hustle like that. I think he regretted kicking at me after that! I actually didn't get on him after that, I untacked, and we worked on ground work.


Later I told my brother I was MAD at him when he kicked at me, and that Lookit could definitely tell, and that was why he hustled like he never has before! There have been only two other times when he unleashed the inner devil, and let me tell you, afterwards he's like "Oh crap! Not doing that again!" But anyhow, then my brother said, I thought you aren't supposed to get emotional? Psh! Wouldn't anyone get mad if their horse kicked at them? It's not like I have this deep hatred for him, after I disciplined him for kicking at me, I acted like nothing happened, and I didn't even think about it again. It was just something that happened, and he learned, it is NO fun!


12/27/11
Did ground work again (sorry I'm not going in to detail, but I can't remember =P) I hoped on him bareback with just his halter, and we walked around the round pen.


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## kittersrox (Jun 15, 2011)

Oh yeah, every time I go out, I work with his feet. He's getting pretty good, but he's not perfect. His old owner said he was never that great with lifting up his feet. Well, I think he's doing pretty darn well!


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## kittersrox (Jun 15, 2011)

*12/28/11*

Today we worked on backing. He didn't do fabulous, but it was his first time doing it, so that is okay. He had a lot of distractions, the other horses were play fighting, he was in a grass field (Instead of the roundpen) and wanted to EAT, and the other horses were getting fed. Oh yeah, there were also loud cars. I picked up all of his feet nicely. Hopped on his back and walked him in a few circles (bareback). My plan is to ride him tomorrow in the big field with only his bridle, hopefully it will be a nice change for him.


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