Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Time to get back to work!

So after 2 weeks off work, and a day inside due to the weather, today was a longing day.

You could tell Petey wasn't used to this much indoor time, and he was full of himself on the longe line. Then we did some showmanship and he's getting quicker to learn. Squaring up will be the hardest part for him as its SO tedious!

Chubbs did a couple laps and was ready to be done. Showmanship was improving on his pivoting, hard to tell if he's starting to get it or not.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Training with the Expo going on?!

NOT LIKELY!

Last weekend the 2 boys got off of working, because they were turned out together! Yippee!

Other great news is Walle has a great new home where he is going to be a trail mount! It sounds like a great place for a great horse!

This weekend I've been gone all day everyday since Thursday until Sunday. So again no training. But I'm ready and restless to start up again on Wednesday!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Oops, I got behind, but with good reason!

Wedneday I had a trainer at the barn take Walle out on a trail ride, to see what he knows, but so she can also tell who would be able to handle him (I'm getting chicken in my aging!) Walle did WONDERFUL. He didn't spook once, she took him out with another horse and alone. If he was unsure of something he looked, didn't spook and run, buck, or anything.

Then I tacked up Petey and had good progress with him. He's getting much more responsive to the bit, and was fine out side for his first ride.

Thursday I had a lady come out to look at Walle for her family. He rode great for me, fine for her, so he left Friday for a week long trial to make sure he will work at her place with her children. Starting Saturday it'll just be training Chubbs and Petey for a while!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Petey & Walle

Petey & Walle-

Petey had side reins put on, and was left in the arena, while I rode Walle. Needless to say the reins didn't hold him back in the least (and not just cause they were loose :P) By the end of Walle's ride he was trotting and loping to keep up and cut off in some instances! Worked out well for Walle, as he got used to annoying, consistent pester while riding! Talk about having to focus!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Petey & Walle

Walle-

Hopped on with no longing. Nice walk/jog/lope to the left, really progressing at the lope.
Going to the left, his lope needs MUCH work. Not as far along there.

Petey-

Also hopped on Petey with no longing! But with 3 other riders in the ring it was still a great ride. We are still working on the giving to the bit!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Catch Up post!

Saturday all three of the guys got longed outside. Got a lot of cooped up energy out!

Wednesday I turned Walle & Petey out in the round pen, which Chubbs was in the stud pen. Chubbs seems to be coming along with the idea he is no longer a stud. Next step is the stud and Petey in the round pen, with Walle in the stud pen.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Chubbs, Petey, & Walle

Chubbs-

A good question came up today of when I'm going to start riding Chubbs again after his gelding. I had thought about hopping on him with an English saddle, and long trotting for the 15 minutes I have been longing in the afternoons. The past couple days though with the cold spells, he has been a tad "off" every now and then though. So I've decided to wait until after I get some joint supplements, and then start riding him again. After longing we did a little showmanship, and while he has squaring down pat, his attention time is SHORT, something to work on for sure.

Petey-

I was considering riding him without longing today, but with another horse riding at the same time as I would be, I decided against it. Needless to say, when I did get on he stood great for having a distraction in the ring. We started walking, and then the ADD kicked in. He thought it would be a great idea to trot since that would get him to the other horse FASTER! Well unfortunately he had to keep trotting right on past that guy, and he sure learned quick that wasn't one of his better ideas. We did get in a little bit of a turning fight, but it only showed me that his headstall was too loose, and hopefully that will be fixed for the next time we ride. I was VERY happy though when the other horse in the ring had an episode. As soon as he saw the trouble starting, he stopped and stood and just watched from afar. No young horse tantrums or freaking out. A good ride in all.

Walle-

It has dawned on me that Walle maybe finished before Chubbs is. His spur stop/lope confusions are getting less and less. He is still having the shoulder issue, which I have to remember to research tonight. Today I put the spurs on to lift him and drop his head at the lope. When I stopped he was starting to respond to it, which is progress pure and simple!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Petey & Walle

Petey-

I think I'm up to my 10th ride on Petey. Since I hadn't worked him since last Friday, I was expecting to have a little "fun". I made Petey and Walle run a little in turnout while I cleaned stalls, and then did a few minutes longing prior to riding. Today was the first day I really notice him starting to slow down on the longe line. He was very interested to see the horse riding in action with him on the longe line. I hopped on and had a convo while talking with the other rider. She left right as we started our ride. This was the second ride with a snaffle, and not the side pull and he's really starting to get it. This lope departures are still a little bit of a leap, but if that's all he's got, I'm happy!

Walle-

Walle got a long workout last week. He rode Wed, Friday, and Saturday! So today I hopped on with only the turnout time running, no longing. There was one other horse in the ring, and our first time in a Myler, not a snaffle. I must say I'm really starting to like this guy. He's spur stop is really coming along. He went right from a walk into a nice jog. He's stilling having issues confusing a back lifting/head dropping cue with the lope, but its getting less and less. Also he still likes to go with his shoulder farther off the rail then his hip. We had our first ride working on slowing and collecting the lope, which again went much better then imagined. I have no doubt he can be ready to show by spring!

My New Training Blog!

I decided to start a blog tracking the training of the prospects in the barn. Its so nice to have a good day on your horse, and not remember it!

My goal is to find potential western pleasure horse, train them, and sell them to homes where they are truly enjoyed. I like going from a "hag" to a show horse. Something about taking that backyard pony and showing them the pampered lifestyle of a show horse that just makes me grin. That's not to say every horse I buy is a hag or back yard horse. It just says that when I see the horse I see potential and not how it looks or behaves that day. Just its mind and movement.

I also figured this would be a good place to send new owners, and potential new owners, to see how there horse developed and learned there new skill. We'll see I guess!