 |
| Lunging with Side Reins |
Day 25: Stood better for saddling. Exercises with the bit went well. Asked him to back up a few steps while I was standing in the stirrup, which went well.
Day 26: Just used the surcingle today with the side reins. Tied the plastic bag on each side of the surcingle while lunging. No bolting!
Day 27: Stood great for saddling. Continued to work on getting him comfortable with a rider in the stirrup. Had him take a few steps back and forward while I was standing in the stirrup. He also did a little circle and stayed calm. Continued to work on his bit response.
Day 28: Whiskey threw a bit of a fit while saddling today for some reason but he lunged without issue. Hung a sandbag on the saddle to add weight and he did not like that. He bucked hard for a few laps and then lunged calmly. Added a sandbag to the other side of the saddle to even out the weight. Stood in the stirrups without issue.
 |
| Lunging with Plastic Bag |
Day 30: Difficult to saddle once again but eventually got it done. Put the sandbags on once again and he exploded into his bronc moves. I was certainly glad I wasn't on his back! He was able to buck the bags off so we (Hubs was helping because they were HEAVY!) had to put them back on...and he bucked some more. Since the weight was concentrated mostly on his shoulders, I wanted to move the bags back further to simulate a rider in the seat. We got the bags moved back...and he bucked some more. Eventually, he figured out they weren't going to hurt him and went around quietly.
Day 31: Very against saddling once again so just saddled and unsaddled him a bunch of times.
Day 32: Refusing to stand still- asked him to stand, worked him when he wouldn't, tried again. Took quite awhile for him to decide that standing in once place was the easier option.
Day 33: Yesterday's lesson must have stuck because he decided to stand still today! Worked some more on his bit response and standing in the stirrup.
 |
| Lunging with Sand Bags |
Day 34: He saddled well and reviewed some saddle desensitizing. Tied plastic bag on the saddle and he was much more accepting of it than previously. Lots of licking and chewing.
Day 35: Owner visiting. Saddled well. Demonstrated the sandbags and although he thought about bucking for a moment, he decided that it wasn't worth the effort. His owner was a little disappointed that she couldn't witness the show!
Day 36: Whiskey was feeling a little ornery today about backing and moving his shoulders. Stood in the stirrup like normal and he was reactive and threatened to buck.
Day 37: Lunged again with saddle bags. He briefly thought about throwing a fit but wisely chose not to. After he had gone around nicely, I took the leap and climbed on. He stayed calm but would not move forward. Hubs was around so he helped with the lunge whip to get him moving forward. Walked and trotted without issue!
 |
| Success! |
Day 39: 3rd ride. Moving forward better in the beginning but stopped going forward halfway through the session. A tap from the crop helped get him going again. He was resistant to the bit when asked to stop or back up. Worked on giving to the bit from the ground after the ride.
Day 40: 4th ride. Much better at stopping and backing. Was able to get him trotting as well.
Day 41: 5th ride. Rode at the walk and trot. Working on turning, stopping, and backing.
Day 42: Whiskey was feeling a little off today. Saddled him up like usual and started to lunge him. He was acting a little bucky. I loosened the cinch a little bit and then he lunged without issue, even after I tightened the cinch again. Rode at the walk and trot and part way through he had a little episode where he sprung straight up a couple of times and then reared briefly. After that, he behaved perfectly for the rest of the ride.
Day 43 & 44: Rode at the walk and trot. It's always a good day when the ride is uneventful!
Day 45: Whiskey heads home today! I rode him for his owner and gave her some tips on working with him at home. Whiskey gets anxious when he is by himself and can be claustrophobic, so the plan was to mildly sedate (orally) him for his hour ride home. This was done easily when she brought him but he was not letting the tube get anywhere near him today. After attempting for some time, I put the bit back in his mouth. This distracted him enough from the tube and we were able to administer the sedative.
Some thoughts from his owner:
"Whiskey has been home for 3 days now and here are a few observations:
"He is noticeably more comfortable in his own skin. I've kept him separate from the mares, and he is perfectly happy spending the day grazing on his own. He no longer feels the need to constantly have an eye on another horse. This is huge, especially given the extreme measures I've seen him take when isolated before. There has been minimal anxiety from him when I re-arrange everyone in the pastures, and his attention is very easy to redirect. I am very happy with this change.
"Secondly, his attention to me is very different- a good different. He is far more receptive to my actions and requests. There is less attitude, more curiosity, and his give to pressure is far less. It's almost as if the language barrier between us has lessened and he's finally hearing me.
"He's mellowed out... The farrier was extremely pleased with his behavior and said it was like working on an entirely different horse.
"And last but not least, his body condition. He is in pristine condition, and for his age, this makes me very happy. He's leaned out a lot and I can see great improvements in his movement. This has also reflected greatly in his overall attitude. I can tell he's feeling great and there's a happiness in his step. Our relationship on the ground has improved greatly, and I hope it reflects when under saddle."
No comments:
Post a Comment