Training Goals:
- Learn to Pick up Feet
- Groundwork
- Start under Saddle
- Trail Miles
Juan is a an 8 year old Registered Paint Horse gelding. He was bred and raised by his owners and has been happily living life in the pasture, but now it is time for him to learn basic handling and get started under saddle. His owner worked with him a little on haltering and leading before he came to me, but otherwise he has no training.
The first task was to work on basic handling, desensitizing, and to learn to pick up feet so we could get his feet trimmed up.
Day 1: Juan was a little unsure of being haltered and led to the round pen. Once in the round pen, we worked on lowering the head, yields, and learning to lunge. He picked up lunging pretty well. Desensitized him to the plastic bag. After initial suspicion, he accepted it well.
Day 2: Reviewed lowering head, yields, and lunging. Desensitized to the plastic bag, lunge whip, and saddle pad. The only thing he was unsure of was picking up his feet-- practiced right front.
Day 3: Reviewed of yesterday's lessons. Practiced picking up feet. He moves away in circles but I was able to pick up the front feet briefly.Day 4: Worked on lowering the head, yielding with lowered head, leading off to the side. A large rain puddle gave us the opportunity to desensitize to water. Practiced picking up the front feet pick up. First time with the saddle placed on back.
Day 5: Desensitized to putting the saddle on his back with and without the saddle pad. Reviewed ground work and practiced picking up front feet. Introduced him to the rock jug, which he accepted without issue.
Day 6: Saddled him up and he was practically sleeping. Probably the most relaxed first saddling ever. Lunged him at the walk and briefly at the trot with zero issues. Moving a little off today but no limb swelling. Did some saddle desensitizing. I was able to pick up both front feet and he allowed me to hold the right for several times for a few seconds. He was more wary of the left front so I was only able to pick it up briefly before he pulled it away.
Day 7: Juan stood perfectly for saddling and lunged without issues at the walk and trot. Still a little off. Worked on saddle desensitizing which caused him very mild spooks. Picked up both front feet for a few seconds each. Rubbed him down with plastic bag and shook it around with no spooking. Picked up his left hind leg briefly a couple of times.
Day 8: Cleaned out both front feet for the first time! He is doing great. Saddled and lunged with the rock jug and plastic bag at the walk and trot. Looking sound today. Put weight in stirrup and hopped up a bit and he really wasn't too concerned about that.
Day 9: Picked out both front feet and picked up both hinds briefly. Saddled and introduced him to the bit. Lunged with the plastic bag at the walk, trot, and canter. Worked on flexing with the bit and backing. He is not a fan of the bit.
Day 11: Picked out both front and lifted both hinds. Saddled, bridled, and lunged with side reins. Yesterday he wanted to keep his nose way up, today he overcompensated and had his nose practically on the ground. Worked on backing and flexing to the bit.
Day 12: Picked out both front feet and lifted hind feet. Used the surcingle today to practice ground driving. He did ok with it. Fought turning some but no freaking out.
Day 13: Practiced ground driving. He kept turning opposite of the bit pressure. Better at flexing. Good backing. Good head position.
Day 14: Picked out all four feet. Practiced ground driving. He is improving and better at turning. Good flexing. Stood in stirrup both sides.
Day 15: Planning on first ride today. Lunged at the walk, trot, and canter. Reviewed flexing. First ride no spooking! Took him a little while to get him to move his feet and go forward. Backed easily.
Day 16: Second ride. Lunged briefly and then rode at the walk and trot. He moved out right away and turned ok. Trotted him a little but he seemed a little eager to bolt. Picked out all four feet.
Day 17: Third ride. Lunged briefly and rode at the walk and trot. He was better with the trotting but did not really want to stop and stand or back up. He improved towards the end. Practiced turning using the barrels as guides. He struggles a bit turning left.
Day 18: Lunged and rode at the walk and trot. Better at turning today. Picked out all four feet.
Day 19: Lunged briefly and rode at the walk, trot, and canter. First canter was brief but went well. He was better at turning and good at stopping and backing. Started working on hindquarter pivots and trotting through turns.
Day 20: Rode at the walk and trot and continued working on hindquarter pivots.
Day 21: Rode briefly at the walk today. He just wasn't feeling right at the trot so I wanted to take it easy on him. Good hindquarter pivots and turning.
Day 22: Reviewed picking up feet. Worked on hindquarter pivots and turning. Rode in the pasture where he had quite the mind of his own and did not want to go where I wanted to go. Kept attempting to run off in the direction he wanted to go and sniffing the ground.
Day 23: Light ride in the round pen and then headed to the pasture. Juan did not want to go in the direction I asked at first. Rode by the pond and he was a little nervous of the bench and canoe but eventually walked by everything.
At this point, Juan continued to have intermittent mild lameness that did not change with rest or exercise, with no limb swelling. After speaking with the owners, we opted to continue to do walk-only trail rides and continue to monitor it.
Day 24: Ride by the pond.
Day 25: Led him over bridge. Juan did not want to step on it at all but after he was crossed it once he was good. Trail ride over bridge and around flat.
Day 26: Took him on a trail ride to picnic area. One little jump at squirrel, but otherwise was great.
Day 27: Took him on trail ride through timber and back field. Spooked at the hunting shack after we were close enough to touch it.
Day 28: Arena too sloppy/slippery to ride so we reviewed some ground work and then Juan got pampered with a complete full grooming.
Day 29: He started walking off as I was halfway on so I checked him back with reins and he immediately started bucking. After I made my exit, he proceeded to buck for a lap and a half before stopping. I lunged him out and he acted normal, so I got back on and he did not make any further attempts to buck.
After the bucking incident, we opted to rest him for a few days in case the bucking was triggered by pain. Since his feet had never been trimmed, we had the farrier come out to check for any feet issues that could be contributing to this. He did very well for his first trim. The farrier did not find any issues with the feet that he felt was contributing to the lameness. While we had planned on 2-3 months of training to put a lot of miles on him and give him a lot of hours on the trails, we decided to pause his training and move him back home until he could be evaluated by a vet and chiropractor.
Update 1/10/22: Juan's owner emailed me that he is nice and fat and doing well. They opted to rest him awhile and wait on having him evaluated by the vet for the lameness. The good news is that the lameness seems to have resolved on its own!
In Training July 12- August 24
