Oct 20 - Transitions

Rode Chester today with a saddle in class. He gets really dominant when I'm putting the saddle on him and he likes to hold his breath a lot and I have to tighten his saddle like three times before I finally actually can get on him. Brother Twitchell had us work on our transitions today in class. When I say transitions I mean the time period when I am getting Chester to go from a walk to a trot or a trot to lope and vice versa. I practiced walking five strides and then trotting five strides and go back to a walk for another five strides. He has gotten so much better about picking up my energy and starts trotting with very little pressure given to him.

I also wanted to see if he would lope for me. So I started out do small phases and adding small amounts of pressure as I went. By doing this I found out that he has like 4 different trotting speeds! He trots so fast that at times I have difficulty posting so I either just two-point it try to somewhat sit it. I quickly realized that slow and small amounts of pressure to get him to lope wasn't going to work. I had to use a TON of pressure and a TON of energy to finally get him to lope. He finally did lope for a couple of strides or so and I was happy with that. But I know that is definitely something that I will continously need to work on and play with him it.

Oct 16 - Trotting Bareback

Here is a clip of me trotting bareback on Chester. At first I really just focused on keeping balance and feeling the rhythm of his gait. Then as I got more comfortable I started really keeping my energy up and let him keep trotting around in a small circle. I also practiced keeping him in a circle and not shifting or wavering away from it. In the beginning it was really bad. He would only trot for a couple of strides and kept cutting the circle or drifting toward the door and things like that. The more we practice and me making sure he felt like he was still succeeding, the better he became. I was allowing him to have some responsibility 1. Maintain gait 2. Maintain direction 3. look where we're going! It was overall a REALLY REALLY good day! :) and a TERRIFIC experience for me! :D

Oct 15 - Bareback Outside

For class today we played out in the outdoor arena the entire time. Started off with groundwork and tried Dawn's way of having Chester yield his hindquarters. It works so much better than how I was orginally doing it.

Chester was being very stubborn today and kept trying to eat the grass that was all over the floor of the arena. I really used the Yo-Yo game to get him to not constantly eat and ignore me. I decided to try how he would do with side-stepping. He would back up a lot instead of just moving his shoulder but we did succeed a couple of times, which made me happy to know that something was working.

I was then finally able to ride Chester bareback without someone leading me on the lead rope. We had to have the rope loose though and toss it over his head whenever we wanted to turn a different direction.

He would fight a little bit when we would turn around but he not always. I really wanted to try trotting a little bit bareback, and he picked up my energy really well. A lot better than I had anticipated. He listens when I ask him to stop and he doesn't fight me doing that at all. He also does amazing at backing up with very little pressure.

Overall it was a great experience, I was able to see how he would react to being outside, also how he would was while riding him. He is very difficult to turn but he does a great job reading my energy and that makes me extremely happy.

Oct 13 - MIDTERM and RIDING

So the Midterm went AMAZING! The main thing was that I WASN'T NERVOUS!!! Like AT ALL! Before it was my turn we were listening to Garth Brooks on the speakers and I was just singing and dancing along until it was my turn. Then when it was my turn I didn't feel like I was being graded or anything. It felt like just another day of practicing and playing with the obstacles with Chester! It was SOOO AWESOME!!! :)

Tarp --> walked right over it, just slowly but thats normal for him.

Poles --> Walked across the first way great, turned around really weel, started to avoid them at first on the way back across them but then corrected himself. Actually waited for me to ask him to come to me and walk across the poles. He backed up slowly and slightly missed the poles but overall not bad.

Cones --> There was another horse tied up in the corner right next to the cones and he immediately wanted to go greet the horse. Kind of walked away from and knocked over some of the cones but I started over again and he did much better.

Raised Walkway ZigZag --> Started really well stepped out for a second but I tapped him on the shoulder and he THOUGHT about I could completely see him asking me and then stepped back inside and finished great! (A Really good job considering we never played on this obstacle)

Jump --> Went right over it but slowly of course

Bridge --> Went right over it as well! He didn't try to avoid it this time!

SUCH A GREAT DAY!!!

Because we all went through the obstacles so fast, we had time to Ride!!!!! :D :D :D What we did was we teamed up with someone else and rode as a passenger. I was with Dawn, and she worked on the ground with him while I was on his back getting accostumed to his gait. She actually taught me a much better way to get him to yield his hindquarters away from me. She would tap her carrot stick 4x and go through the 4 phases - getting bigger, faster and even louder. It was great!! I'm so glad I learned that!

Ah... such a wonderful day! :D :D And below is the video of the midterm! (sorry if its shaky...blame emily :D)

Oct 12 - Practice for Midterm

Today I knew I really needed to practice with the obstacles. I wasn't really nervous about the Midterm at all this semester but I wanted to just be as ready as I could for it.

Wasn't doing too well with the poles. However, when I walk to the front of the poles to yo-yo him to me, he doesn't wait for me to ask him to come forward. And I know that means I really just need to play the Yo-Yo game with him a lot more.

With the cones, he was completely plowing through them and not listening to me at all. There was some grain on the ground a couple feet away from them and he kept trying to get to it. However I kept at it. Being patient with him and asking him to ignore it and he gradually got better.

I went a different way back to his pen then I normally do and he was a lot more perked up than he normally is, so I might try that more often just to change up the order of things.

Even though the practice with the Midterm obstacles wasn't all that great, I made myself not become nervous because I know thats where I mess up.

Oct 9 - Observations

Chester was feeling absolutely wonderful today! I could tell that the colic wasn't bothering him as much today. When I brought him into the arena I was going to set up some of the obstacles for the Midterm, so I decided to just unhook his lead rope and let him go.

He actually RAN! He trotted around the whole arena and even loped! It was so wonderful to see him happy again! Then I decided to do At Liberty with him using the whole arena. It wasn't too bad but we definitely can improve. I drove him over the jump and got him to pick up my energy and trot with me for a little while.

Sylvia then came out and started kicking the green balls toward Chester. He still really isn't comfortable around the yet and he would take off across the arena but when we stopped kicking them he would gradually make his way back to us which was really good.

A Really Fun day!! I loved seeing him feeling better and playing and being curious about different things. He ran into the new cattle shoot and investigated it and was like a young horse again! I am SO HAPPY he isn't sick anymore!!! :D

Oct 8 - BIG Bouncy Ball

Chester was a lot better today about not stopping for food when bringing him into the barn. I am able to use less pressure on him to get him moving again. However, whenever he sees grain, thats another story....

Today was when we got the Big green balls in! And he is very nervous of them. At first he smelled them and then would almost like completely avoid them. I could get him to go up to the ball but he wouldn't smell no it no matter how long I stood there waiting for him to. I tried bouncy the ball a little bit next to him and he froze up but steadily started to relax. However when we left it alone and came back to it later he would become nervous again. The main thing I noticed he doesn't like about the ball is when it is kicked around the arena. He jumps and then freeze for a while making sure its not going to attack him.

We also worked on the Midterm obstacles of course. He was doing much better on the cones and I would ask for less pressure. Then with the poles he started doing really well, but the more we played with it the more lazy he seemed to become so I moved on realizing that he was just bored. Bro. Twitchell then advised us to try something new today. So I tied the lead rope around his neck instead of to his halter for a little bit. Then I did the obstalces and he did so much better that way that he had previously. I think because it was something new and he wasn't bored doing them anymore.

My favorite thing is that he is picking up my energy like crazy!! I LOVE IT! I barely start trotting now and he will pick up into a trot as well. I have hardly any pressure on him to get him to do that.

Did a little bit of Liberty with him in the arena and he caught my energy again and trotted with me! That was so awesome! He even turned with me and I would turn sharply away. He did walk away from me when the arena door opened.

When I put him back in the pen I stayed with him a little bit longer and he didn't fight me when I was trying to get his halter off. He also did run directly to his food as soon as we got in there.

A very informative day!

Oct 6 - Trailer Loading

For the first time in a LONG time he was extremely alert and curious. A lot of it was with him starting to finally feel better and also because of the trailers in the arena which was new to him.
He smelled all of them and walked around them somewhat tense but overall not too badly. Brother Twitchell's truck was the only that had a 5th wheel type trailer. Chester was more nervous of this set up and the wire that plugged the lights in, also made him jump a little. He was snorting like crazy and completely focused on the truck. I moved slightly at one point and he completely started. We played the Squeeze Game by the truck over and over until he was able to go by it at least somewhat calmly.

Then I started loading him into the trailers. He was hesitant at first but was also extremely curious about each of them. He tends to try and move away and avoid whatever he is nervous of. He went fully into all of the trailers except one fairly quickly considering. Sometimes however, I wasn't sure if he only went into the any of the trailers because he saw food in it and wanted to eat it.

I'm not sure how he is nervouse but will constantly EAT! How does he change the order of the hierarchy around and put food before EVERYTHING else!!!??? Maybe he's nervous of the trailers but not nervous enough to let it bother him and his need for food. I don't know I really don't know yet.

--- Side note, when I when got him from his pen for the first time he walked up and greeting me!!!

Oct 2 - Pushy Today

Chester has been getting very mouthy with me lately and nibbling and my clothes and my hair a lot. He hasn't ever bitten just playing with it. He also is getting a lot more pushy than he has previously been. He definitely is testing me a lot more. I had to really practice the Yo-Yo Game with him today. Letting him come into me when I WANTED him to and I was ready for him not him doing it all the time.

Is doing so much better with reading my energy and I actually got him to start loping for a little bit when I was running along with him. Then when I stopped fast, he did too instead of continuing on.

Did at Liberty in the round pen today. Did much better at turning directions and turning his shoulders around very well, when pressured. Responding better to pressure on his shoulders and nose.

Connection - Oct 1st

Chester wasn't feeling well again today and kept kicking at his stomach but I made sure to keep him distracted and things seemed to start to improve as time went on.

I tied his rope around his neck and played with him that way. I definitley have to use more pressure with it there then compared to hooked to the halter. He was very respectful of my space and at one point when Bro. Twitchell was talking I sat down on the ground and he put his head down next to me and I just sat there scratching it and he didn't push me or anything!

At one point I went to figure out the radio and left his rope hanging over the wall so I could turn it on. Well, he ended up walking through the walkway and came right up to me in the corner where the radio is. It was very sweet. He came to me hesitantly and very respectfully which I greatly enjoyed!

I was able to get him to put his front hooves up on the pedestal! That was so AWESOME!! I've had a horse that I've been able to do that with, and to see even though he really didn't want to he did because I was asking him to and he trusted me!

IMPROVE ON --> Not stopping to eat every two seconds when walking to and from his pen
Not circling around me after trotting again.

Improvement YES - Sept 29th

Today in class was absolutely amazing! Chester and I "played" on the obstacles that were set up for the Midterm. He walked over the poles and backed up over them beautifully, I had to step out of the hula hoop only a couple of times. When weaving through the cones he at first just barged through them but then as we kept going around he slowly started listening to me and I was able to get him to move his shoulder to go around or his hip. Chester was REALLY asking questions today and listening to whatever I asked of him.

When we went to go over the bridge he tries to walk behind it. I think a lot of this has to do with him being used in the Basic classes and he always got away with going behind it. I didn't let him squeeze all the way through, but stopped him and asked him to back up using the yo-yo game and asked to go on the bridge again and he did it this time without hesitanting. He even turned around on top of the bridge and went back off the way he came on. We went on it again and I had him jump off the side and he did that even if he was a little bit more hesistant.

I tried trotting with him again, and he read my energy so well, and even got him to pick up into a faster trot and he slows down as soon as I slow down. He was very alert and attentive to me today and in turn I was to him as well.

I then tried Liberty in the round pen. It took him awhile to turn in the opposite direction that I asked him but he would eventually. I could tell that he was enjoying himself, his ears were perked and he was listening to me even if I had to use a lot of pressure to get him to understand what I was asking. Near the end he started to get better. He is very good and turning toward when I ask him to and can sense the pressure I'm putting on him.

I also worked on picking up his front feet from the opposite side and was able to do it! I haven't tried his back yet but thats the next step. He has improved greatly in turning his shoulder around in a circle when I put the pressure there and his Right side was also doing amazingly well.

IMPROVE ON --> Not circling around me when I slow down to a walk after trotting together.
Yield hip faster now that he does it, it just needs to be done more quickly

Playing Some Random Games - Sept 28th

This morning he seemed to be doing a LOT better and was actually eating again which is always good because thats what he loves! :)

I have noticed that everytime I clean his hooves he always picks up a ton of rocks in them so I have to clean them constantly to make sure he doesn't get injured or anything.

Doing the Driving Game today, he did a lot better and kept farther away from like he's supposed to.

The main thing I worked on today was getting him to stand still next to the bench in the Green Barn so I could eventually mount him. He most definitely needs to improve on this! I think a lot of it had to do with that the Feed truck had come and he knew it and could also see it so wouldn't listen to me. When I put him back in the pen, he becomes so anxious to get food that he starts shaking his head and pulling away from when I'm taking the halter off.

IMPROVE ON --> Standing still so I can mount him
Sidepassing upto an object so I can reach his back
Standing still and calm when taking his halter off him while in the pen.

Introduction to the Seven Games

I realize that I still haven't given an introduction to any of the Seven games that I keep mentioning when playing with Chester. These games are things that a horse can learn and they even use them with each other to some degree. Lots of times we just have these games to give us some type of direction when playing with our horse.

The first three games are known as principle games, where there is a principle behind the game that can be applied to other things used when playing with a horse. The last four are more of Action games, where the principles of the first three are applied together.

1. Friendly Game - Also considered the confidence game, where you help the horse to desensitize to you and other objects. It is a lot about trusting in you and each other. This is where Pressure and Release can first come into play. When you give your horse pressure it "motivates" him to do something and then the release is their reward.

2. Porcupine Game - The principle behind this one is to "Follow a Feel". Pressure and Release is used in this as well. It helps teach the horse to move away from pressure. The four phases are very important in this game. You start off with the slightest pressure imaginable and slowly or quickly depending on the horse get bigger and bigger. These phases are commonly called 1. Hair 2. Skin 3. Muscle 4. Bone

3. Driving Game - The principle is to "Follow a Suggestion". The first phase is to point in the direction you are asking you horse to go. You then raise you carrot stick and start to apply more pressure until they move in the direction you are asking. This is NOT leading a horse! You should at least be aligned with the horses shoulder and not up in front otherwise it is just leading and you are completely in charge and not giving the horse a choice to 'follow your suggestion'.

4. Yo-Yo Game - This game is key in making sure that your horse respects your space. This is a very important game because it can help with keeping you safe and out of harms way. If your horse spooks at something, if he respects you he won't run over you but around you.

5. Circling Game - This gives the horse responsibility. The principle is to Send, Allow and Bring Back. The difference between the Circling game and Lunging is the difference between Engaged circles and mindless cirlces. The horse also has reponsibilty to maintain direction and maintain gait.

6. Sideways Game - This game you use a lot of the porcupine game, but the hip and head move together in a lateral movement. This is unnatural for horse so it truly shows their trust in you. Teaching a horse to move sideways is also good for forward-aholic horses and can help with lead changes and spins

7. Squeeze Game - Horses are naturally claustophobic. This game helps them to remain calm when there is pressure coming from more than one angle. This is very helpful when walking through gates and loading into trailers.

The main thing to remember when playing all of these seven games is to BE CREATIVE! I know I still have trouble coming up with something different to do but it will help you and your horse improve regularly. Ask for advice on different ways to use the seven games or even watching someone else work with their horse is very effective as well. Just don't do the same thing over and over again because soon the Seven Games turn into the Seven Jobs and not far from that the Seven Tortures.

Colic - Sept 25th

I got a ride out to the Livestock Center today because I really just wanted to check up on Chester to see how he was doing. He was extremely listless - probably a lot of it had to do with being drugged up! I took it slow with him at first and just groomed down really good and cleaned his hooves.

I did some driving games but kept it really slow and simple and was doing so much better with pressure on his hip and his head was well, the right side is better than it was but still needs improvement. During the circling games he really didn't want to move away from me, I'm not sure if part of it was because he wasn't feeling well or not. When trying to do the circling game he tried lying down again and continued to walk him around. Randy and Sylvia showed up and listened to his stomach and they heard very little noises. They also pulled up his skin and he didn't go back as fast as it should have meaning that he was extremely dehydrated. Sylvia then called Dr. Waddoups and he told her to tie Chester up in one of the stalls and give him a bucket of water but no feed. I then went to my Barrels class and we could him in the stall kicking at the door. After class he was extremely anxious because of being tied up and left there but wasn't as dehydrated as earlier. We left him there so Reed could check up on him and decide what to do later that night.

Colic - Sept 24th

In the beginning of class, he was doing absolutely amazing. He was really disengaging his hip, following and reading my energy and I could get him to trot a lot quicker and he would slow down along with me very readily. In the circling game I need to make sure he doesn't come into me until I ask him to though.

Then the second half of class he started pinning his ears back and was NOT respecting my space at all. He kept trying to lie down every few minutes, kicking at his stomach and standing in and odd stretched position. Talking to Sylvia and then Brother Twitchell, they thought that he might be coming down with Colic - abdominal pain - which can be deathly for horses if not treated right away. I had to drive the van back to campus so I couldn't stay with to make sure he was alright. Later on I found out that Emily had walked him around (so he wouldn't lay down) for like an hour or more! They gave him some pain medication and then put him back in his pen.

Later that night I had my pole bending class and I went into his pen to check on him and he was standing up which was good and then I went to class. As class was ending and we were cooling our horses down I saw Reed walking to the arena and he had Chester with him. When he got to the arena door Chester almost layed down right there! We all quickly got after him so he wouldn't. I then decided to walk him around well Reed tried calling Dr. Waddoups or Bro. Twitchell. Again though I had to leave with the van so I never knew what happened afterwards. Heidi called me later that night and said they had giving him more pain medication and Reed had put him back in the pen.

All I know was the Chester looked terrible that night! We had to really keep at him to make sure he wouldn't try lying down. That was an extremely nerve racking experience.

Energy - Sept 22

Today I really wanted to see if he would be able to read my energy and trot when I asked him to. So we were in the outside arena this time and again because we were outside he was a lot more alert then when being in the arena. I had to use pressure with the carrot stick to get him to trot with me and I made sure to "trot" as well so he could read my energy before the stick came into use. He seemed to get very annoyed with me when I asked him to trot but once I let the pressure go he did better. He does alright slowly down when I do, but does go a little too far forward sometimes.

Turning his hindquarters has gotten a lot better. His right side is doing so much better because of my wrist again, I couldn't work with his left side as much. So I guess it was a good thing for me and him, because I got more comfortable working with my left hand and his right side started moving better as well.

What was the best thing today was that I could really see him starting to ask questions of me and actually paying attention to me more than previously.

IMPROVE ON --> Picking up on my energy

Exploring Green Barn - Sept 21st

My goal today was to try something new and to explore different things outside in the green barn (couldn't go in arena) and also outside as well.

Still EXTREMELY FOOD ORIENTED! I left him tied up in the green barn when I went to go get a drink I came back and he had gotten loose again and was over by the hay in the corner eating away. Something I definitely need to work on with him.

I did the friendly game for a little while. I borrowed one of the small tarps from the arena and did the circling game with it drapped over his back. He completely ignored it. He didn't appreciate it on his back but it was more of an annoyance thing then it truly scaring him.

I took around outside and did the squeeze game between the trailers and the green barn wall. He did really well and was extremely curious about them. Chester definitely perks up more when he is outside compared to when I worked with him in the arena. Disengaging his hip is getting better he does it eventually but not as fast as he should, but it is improving. He isn't as pushy around me as he was before and is respecting my space a lot more this time around.

IMPROVE ON --> Do something about being Food oriented and BEING CREATIVE.

More Games/Horsenality - Sept 17th

This was the first day I actually worked with him in class. He is definitely bored very easily. I had trouble because my wrist was still really bothering me at this point, but I tried to work around it as much as I could. Chester doesn't respect my space and kept walking into me and pushing me around. I had to get extremely BIG to get him to back up. I have to move through the phases really fast with him especially when he is trying to walk over me because he doesn't listen right away. Still isn't yielding his right hip and I know I still need to work on that.

When driving around the arena I realized that he really didn't care about anything out there and would smell something but then move on and just walk off.

Again I noticed that he is VERY food oriented. He gets very impatient when he is tied up and is able to rub at the lead rope and unknot it so I have to tie it slightly different with him than I have with other horses.

To Work On: Yielding his Right Hip and BEING CREATIVE!!!

Horsenality: Before I forget to do this I want to discuss the difference between Right Brain/Left Brain and Extrovert/Introvert.

Right Brain: These type of horses tend to be more nervous and fearful of things around them they also tend to lack confidence in themselves.

Left Brain: These horses are more dominant, they have more confidence, they are calmer horses and are also very tolerant of other things around them.

Introvert: Are drawn inward more and have more "whoa" than "go". Introverts on the Right Brain specktrum are sometimes unpredictable and will freeze up and then suddenly explode withoutout warning. They also are more shy and hesistant about certain things. Left brain introverts are easily bored and can be extremely pushy and stubborn. They also are the ones who are more food oriented, disinterested and unmotiatived.

Extrovert: This horses of more energy and you can vividly see that energy they have more "go" than "whoa" As a right brain, Extroverts ususally can't stand still and are extremely forward-aholics. They tend to be flighty and spook easily. They usually react before thinking about it. Left brain extroverts are extremely energetic, mischievious and playful. They can also be very mouthy and bossy. They want to do thier own thing and not listen to as much as they should.

So after that brief lesson and the little bit I have worked with Chester I can tell that he is definitely a left brain introvert. One he is kind of lazy and nothing seems to really focus his attention a whole lot and is disinterested in everything. He is much more dominant and can be extremely pushy. He does cross the bondary of course when it comes to different things. But essentially he is a Left Brain/Introvert.

Grooming Chester - Sept 16

I finally took Chester out of his pen for the first time today. I mainly wanted to just groom him off and things like that to see how he reacted with me around him like that. I also had sprained my right wrist so I was unable to really do a whole without being in pain. I quickly realized that he was EXTREMELY food oriented. I could tell that he was a little 'fresh' today as they put it. He really wanted to go into the arena where a class was going on with other horses.

When picking up his feet he's not too bad. He does like to fight more on the back feet, but I he eventually stops trying to pull away from me. He isn't scared of me he' most definitely doing it take control of things and to show his more dominant side.

I did work with him a little bit on the circling game. It was actually probably a good thing that I had hurt my right wrist because that meant that I couldn't work on his left side and was forced to work only on his right side. His right side most definitely needs a lot of work. He's very dull to that side and I need to use a ton of pressure on the right more so then his left side.

I also did the driving game around to different objects around the green barn. He was very curious about things that were out there, and would walk right upto to something and start smelling it. Sometimes he would mouth it and probably realizing that it wasn't food would stop.

The main thing I knew that I had to work on was getting him to yield his right hip to me.