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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 8, 2009 10:50:14 GMT
I have decided to bore you all with a progress blog! I have a terrible tendency to get frustrated and get the 'I can't do it' syndrome, so I thought if I write this blog it will encourage me to do better. 07.06.09 After a wonderful day at Seans, we got up early to play with the horses and it didn't go so well for me and Kainer. We played the first few games with no problem, but I just couldn't ask him clearly to circle for me. Dave came over and did it with him but at that stage I was not giving off the right body language so Kainer didn't understand me. I decided to change the subject and have a go at his feet. Picked up the fronts on the 4th level of pressure (still working on that!) and picked them out and he didn't pull away from me once. Dave helped with the backs and he picked those out too. Not a great day. Fingers crossed the rain will stop and we can have another go with more success. Thanks for listening!
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Post by Elaine on Jun 8, 2009 10:53:19 GMT
Good work with the feet & first few games. You're lucky to have someone around to help you out, makes a huge difference. Looking forward to more reports AND PICTURES!!!
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Post by sineadkelleher on Jun 9, 2009 14:40:45 GMT
Hi Jenny, it was lovely to catch up with Dave and yourself at Sean's. Just to let you know I have those good and bad days with Star too. The bad days can be tough but the good days make up for them! Just think of all the progress you have already made with Kainer. From what you've told me you've made fantastic progress with him and it will only get better and better. Who knows next year we could all be at Sean's doing liberty with our horses!Now wouldn't that be something!!
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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 9, 2009 15:51:40 GMT
Thanks Sinead I know you are right As for Kainers progress; Dave did most of it. 09.06.09 Took a few minutes to get the halter on K today because Dave was legging it around after Archie the pony! Kainer was great, relaxed straight away as I did the friendly game. Again the first few games were spot on. Had another few goes at the circling game. Not as bad this time; at least he understood me when I asked him to round, but I still need to work on my energy. So Kainer slowly half walked around as he giggled to himself at how stupid I looked willing him to go faster! Went back to the friendly game for a bit and then we did some leg stretches. He was fine with this. Apparently it takes a person three months to learn the games and a horse takes two weeks. Just shows who REALLY has the upper hand!!
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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 9, 2009 20:03:52 GMT
09.06.09 Part II Went out again this evening for more play time. Much better We did loads of driving alongside the fence; he started to get the message after a while I have a question about the circling game! I can now successfully ask K to go in a circle but the problem I'm having is he is really pulling on the rope. I'm trying not to move my feet but he pulls so much I nearly fall over, then he can feel extra pressure on the line and thinks I am asking him to come back to me. It feels more like I am longing him. And he also seems to think this is the case. How do I ask him to take it easy?!
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Post by Elaine on Jun 10, 2009 20:48:17 GMT
Sean's disappeared off somewhere so I'll attempt an answer! Hard to say really without seeing you. I'm kinda assuming you don't have an issue with body language or horses impulsion. 1st thing - the circle is game 5 so it assumes your 1st four games are pretty good as it incorporates a lot of them, friendly to start & end, porcupine to yield to pressure including halter pressure when circling and not pull against it, driving when doing HQ yield at the end, yo-yo just before you start off circle. If any of these aren't good you'll have issues in your circling. Sometimes its easier to go back and just work on these by themselves and then when better put them all together in the circle afterwards. To circle nicely with softness, bend through the ribs & lateral flexion, working towards vertical flexion (all the stuff you want when riding nicely), is one of the more advanced things you can ask a horse to do at this stage as it brings a lot of good training together. These'd be the rough steps so see if the match up with what you're doing: 1. Horse standing in front of you facing you 2. If they are very near, put your hand on the nose and ask them to step back a step or two. 3. Then yo-yo them back out to the end of the rope. 4. To do an anticlockwise circle, put your left leg one step forward and slide your left hand down the lead rope. 5. In your right hand, have the twirly end of the lead rope. 6. Using the lead rope, put your left foot back in the centre beside your right foot, and ask horse to start to walk back in towards you. 7. After horse has done a step or two back towards you, point your left hand out to the left (shows horses direction) and twirl the end of the rope in your right hand for impulsion (speed - eg walk or trot - try walk first - keep it simple) 8. The split second your horse starts to go out on the circle, feed out the rope through your left hand so you are holding the end of the rope. 9. Stand still with stick under your beer belly (!) and let horse circle you. 10. Do not move your feet. (Have horse walking first, not trotting). Stand still like a wooden fence post. If the horse pulls on lead rope, again just be like a wooden post - you do not move, you do not pull against him, you do not give (get Dave to help out if needs ). 11. Horse will learn ok he can lean on rope but doesn't get any release and will realise there is no gain in it for him. 12. If horse breaks gait (goes slower) tap end of stick at the OTHER side of the circle to ask him politely to move on again. If that doesn't work, tap stick again on ground (etc) a little nearer him from behind and slowly build it up. Don't tap or cue actual HQ area as this is the 'stop / disengage HQ' cue. Then do it again on other rein. Do 2 to 3 circles max. To call horse in, wait till he's nearly behind you, then turn and look at his HQ. Then allow him to walk up behind you till his head is at your shoulder. Don't know if that was any help but! ____________________________________________ If you are having problems actually getting him out on a circle with you at the end of the lead rope, I can tell you Steve Halfpennys way as well which is slightly different at the start.
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Post by Elaine on Jun 10, 2009 20:53:28 GMT
ps - woohoo with the driving!!
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Post by Elaine on Jun 10, 2009 21:03:01 GMT
Sean - if any of that's wrong please correct lol!
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drifter6
Young horse
Irish Horsemanship trainer
Posts: 69
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Post by drifter6 on Jun 10, 2009 22:22:29 GMT
Hi,Elaine you have it nailed ,that was the same as you would see it in a book , the bit that most people have difficulty with in the circling is the send and release, what tends to happen is that people send and are slow to release or that they don't send at all,also remember to send by aiming at the front of zone two,as to the horse leaning on the rope he may not be too happy for now at 12ft ,i sometimes use a 22ft rope this gives the horse more space and he dose not feel so trapped, remember polite ,passive ,persistence is the way forward
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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 10, 2009 22:24:01 GMT
Thanks guys I'll let you know how tomorrow goes
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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 11, 2009 16:00:59 GMT
11.06.09 Hi guys. Dave and Jenny are out poo-picking my field, so I have to be quick. Elaine, whatever you told her? It worked - thank you! I finally worked out what the hell Jenny was tryin' to get me to do. I was like "you just wanted me to do game no. 5 this whole time? why didnt you just say". God, humans are dumb!! So anyway, I gave in and did what she wanted and she was all happy and I got tonnes of extra rubs and strokes - wicked!! When I was going round the other way, she started talkin to her neighbour so I got to mess around a bit. Ha! That will teach her to take her eye off the ball!! Poor old Jen has been getting frustrated lately so I was extra good. I even let her groom me with no lead rope on. Cue extra hugs Ya gotta love them humans! Then she washed my tail. God it feels good, all flowy and light. Oh. gotta go guys. She's callin' me can someone tell Jen to get a PC with bigger keys? This is a nightMare!!
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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 11, 2009 16:05:57 GMT
Cheeky bugger! ;D Some pics; excuse the dodgy circling ones. Dave decided to get the camera out when it went wrong!! I know the rope look VERY slack but thats beter then what was happening yesterday I thought? I washed it with Fairy Liquid then combed it out with conditioner in it. I used the cheap stuff from ALDI and its BRILLIANT!! His tail has never looked so good
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Post by Ozzie the wonder horse on Jun 11, 2009 16:43:16 GMT
Fair play Kainer. I see you're a handsome bugger like myself You have the two of them coming along well
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drifter6
Young horse
Irish Horsemanship trainer
Posts: 69
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Post by drifter6 on Jun 11, 2009 18:17:54 GMT
Ah Kainer you are such a HANSOM ONE ,wish the humans down my way were as pleasing on my eye,and your silver tail a sight for sower eyes,but like all fair haired one you have one in every town ,i thought that i was your favorite when you played with me last Saturday, Yours NO more .Curious
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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 12, 2009 7:28:04 GMT
I posted on Stable2Stable about KK and one certain member could only complain about his "unruly" feathers and his tail that needs "trimming". She has really annoyed me!! She only ever has something mean to say. Apparantly trimming and cliiping your horse to within an inch of his life is the 'done thing'. My poor boy
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Post by Elaine on Jun 12, 2009 8:04:31 GMT
I wouldn't worry about it. Kainer is beautiful
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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 12, 2009 15:11:19 GMT
12.06.09 Looked out this morning to see that my lovely, glistening grey cob had a roll during the night and now resembled a skewbald ;D Headed out to the field and was greeted with a winny and K trotting up to me. I rubbed him and talked to him and gently started to brush his body. He visibly relaxed and stood. I brush his mane and tail out, I picked up his feet and stretched his legs. All without a leadrope and even a halter!! So he was fully aware that he could have walked away at any time!! A big first for us today and I'm very proud of him. The friendly game really is an amazing thing - for Kainer!
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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 12, 2009 16:37:52 GMT
12.06.09 Part II More success. Dave and my sister,Aoife, stood with Kainer for a while as next door was strimming their garden and he found it quite worrying. We did some desensitizing with a bright Winnie The Pooh towel and that went well We did the first 5 games and lateral flexion stretches. This was the best bit; I actually let go of the headcollar and he kept his head round, sniffing and nibbling his tail!!! Some pictures.... Does this colour suit me? What is the big deal? Stand on a towel and I'm the best horse in the world. Life is good!! Strimmers and lawnmowers aren't scary now either!!
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drifter6
Young horse
Irish Horsemanship trainer
Posts: 69
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Post by drifter6 on Jun 12, 2009 18:18:17 GMT
Kaineandjenny you take no notice of those that are experts ,for they are usually expert in one thing and that is bulling others ,you will find that ,that persons horse is just like its handler arrogant and fussy . Enough of that ,if you got the buzz that i got from just seeing what you have shared with Kainer ,what a way to start the day . ;)do you think that your correspondent on that other forum had the same start to their day , i would be prepared to bet not, This is just a thought but it would be nice to see this person show us mortals how it should be done ,so I am prepared to extend an invitation to the next fun day so that we might all benefit from their wisdom. mean while keep listening to Kainer he will keep telling you how you are doing,a couple of days ago 5 was not so good ,today better ,good on you and i am sure Kainer would agree that you are becoming his best friend.
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Post by kainerandjenny on Jun 12, 2009 18:22:29 GMT
aw you've got me all teary! Thanks drifter. That was fantastic advice xx
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