Settling In

So…this week in recap…

It’s been unbelievably hot again which is really cutting into our energy levels. We’ve still managed to do some new things though.

I’ve brought treats back… *alittle*. I only use them for VERY short sessions, maybe 3 minutes max, he starts to get too impatient and upset emotionally so we quite and dome something else for awhile. He’s finally tapping into his old self again though. I started out in the roundpen in the afternoons, and came up with very basic games that I could reward him for and get him interested, One of the first was holding the whip in his mouth. He enjoys this, and it’s a challenge to see him try to balance the whip horizontally. He even started drawing in the sand with it one day. ;p When he drops it I cluck (deeply) and say ‘good’ and he gets a treat. The longer he can hold it the more enthusiastic the reward. This is a really good way to get him mentally interested when he’s been tuned out.
The second trick was starting leg lifts. I was not convinced this would work well at all since I had NO luck tapping his legs with a whip. It finally dawned on me her prefers and understands the direct contact of my hand better than an impersonal object. A light pinch of the elbow now gets a lifted foreleg. The response was nearly immediate, I was amazed! He “holds” his left leg up currently, as if for picking. His right, he strikes out and paws. At first he couldn’t lift his right up at all without slamming it back down, but after I got extra persistent one day & kept signaling he finally dipped his head and started pawing, so he got a big reward. =) I think he’s really enjoying it because he’s offering pawing on both sides now. My next goal is to get him to raise the legs higher and flourish alittle more.

As for exercises I started asking him for the ‘neck arch” a few weeks ago. Back and forth touches from the chin to his neck to tell him “Hey…fingers are here, follow the fingers and tuck”. He does pretty well but still tries to bend to one side so he can mug me for treats. I need to do this from both sides. I am noticing a slight bit of muscle increasing on the top of his neck though!!! Not a bulge in the center, but more along the base to halfway up… I think I should start asking for low tucks AND high tucks just for the sake of stretching and building that muscle.

I’m not seeing a lot of filling out of his back muscle yet, but not more wastage saddle indentions either. I’ve used the Klimke saddle twice now and I actually like the way it fits him better, he seems fairly relaxed with it. I just can’t use it with very high impact activities because of it being SO close to coming down on his spine. We are doing long and low traveling when we can, riding and otherwise. Although on the ground he seems reluctant to stretch except on the lunge. Riding we made HUGE progress this week as I got him to stretch down both at the walk AND trot a good deal while riding. My reins are too short though, need to get new ones so I don’t have to lean down when he stretches.
I’ve been terrible about doing hillwork with him this week. He’s made it exceedingly clear he does not like it, probably because it’s uncomfortable. Can’t blame him really. But we do need to start back. I really plan to do more lunging and walking in the back pasture to rid both of us of the “boogy man” nervousness. His buttocks are blossoming into big QH looking muscle as is his chest (the change is amazing). His gaskins and lower haunches are filled with veins and bulges now. And the dips on either side of his hip have all but filled in, I’m SO happy about that!
Other exercise includes now should ins on a small circle, ala Bent Branderup, anything to help him step under on a constant basis.
Backing is one I’ve slacked on but it’s getting easier and easier for him to do it. I can really tell he has to tuck and stay under himself. My one complaint is him always wanting to back with tension in his head and neck. I have to keep fair amount of pressure on his nose usually and I don’t like that, I gives him something to brace against. Currently thought he’s so reluctant he won’t back without pressure.


As for riding I haven’t done much this week due to the blazing sun. I have worked on my seat though while using the Klimke. I find even posting is a sloppy chore, I simply can’t slide up over the pommel like I used to, “light “ posting and seat is going to have to be relearned. I DID figure out though that my ankle stiffness? Is partly caused by my boots! XD of all things… riding in hiking boots one day showed me just how flexible my ankle can be as I ride. I am looser though – Diego’s back swings so much at the walk that my legs nearly bump his sides alternately with each step! My hips dip from side to side with each step of his hind feet. I’ve given up on a ‘still” seat for now and worrying about pumping. I think I was just creating far too much tension in my body. Diego seems to respond to this infinitely better.
Reins are another project. My hands fuss and control everything and it’s done nothing but impede and mess Diego up for too long. The other day I threw my reins away and started riding on the buckle, neck reining at all paces. It wasn’t long before I noticed I’d shortened the inside rein and was attempting to bend D around it, to which I threw the reins away again, frustrated. It’s hard to unlearn 18 years of rein control. O.O My biggest thing are those corners and that “bend”. I despite going around a corner with him counter bent and leaning in and I just can’t seem to control myself when I try to ‘fix” it. I’m thinking to stay my temper I should take everything back to walk and do gentle circles with him regaining the ‘step under’. D has enjoyed and been VERY responsive to the neck reining, showing NO signs of tension like when I use a direct rein. No tension is what I’m going for right now, the less he has to brace against the more he can concentrate on his own balance and gaits. This is making shoulder in rather confusing though, and I no longer have my old way of doing it. I guess I should do it more on circles for now until I get the hang of the straight away while neck reining. I definitely have to remember to keep my weight to the outside and open my outside leg more.
Another small note is the leg. I still use mine insistently to ask for a bend or a move over of the haunches. I’m learning horses can in fact find this very rude, so I’m having to be careful. And often the nagging to tension of my leg gives the horse the impression that he didn’t do what I asked so he goes back to his state he was in before I asked and the vicious cycle continues. Donald posted a very good few posts about releasing before the horse complies out of politeness. IE “ask & thanks” before the horse responds. I really should try this more and quiet my legs or release them more often.


The rest of the week was spend monitoring D’s pellet intake. I’m giving him slightly more Gro N Win at the beginning, thinking about doing it through the summer. He’s got a bit of a belly now but I imagine that’s partly from lack of motion exercise. He’s still got large patches of gooey skin and hair loss on his forehead so I’m still treating that. I’ve resigned myself to currying his face everytime I go out. Same with his body, his coat is just not what it is when I groom regularly. He’s got a small cut below his hock that I’m treating after 2 weeks. It’s healing over but keeps wanting to grow proud flesh, so I’m hard at work watching that daily and applying copper sulfate if I need to. I can’t wait till the skin grows over completely. The rain rot on his heels are at that stubborn phase. Almost all the scabs are gone but a few little ones just won’t go away and the skin is still alittle inflamed. *sigh* The Zinc Oxide is working wonders though keeping it dry.