Z's Day by Day, Step by Step! :)

[hobbidance]

I just thought that I'd make a thread about my horse Z and our day to day little leaps in progress. I only started training him with natural horsemanship less than a month ago. I've always used kindness and understanding while training so I guess I was always a 'bit' natural but I never did things like join-up and the games etc.

In literally the space of 2 and a half weeks he has trusted me more than he ever has in the past 4 years I've had him. He's never been afraid of me but he's always been stand-offish and distant. Now I think it's because I've taken him away from his herd mates for a while (he was losing condition outside and needed to be stabled) so he's actually only got me for company but when I was coming home today he did something so amazing it actually made me a little emotional and yes I shed a tear or two I'll explain it later though first I'll just document the small little leap and bounds he's made in 2 and a half weeks that I couldn't achieve over 4 years.

Please if you have any advice or anything at all please post and discuss it with me, I have read and learnt so much already but I feel like I've only tipped the iceburg! I'm ready to dig down deep and learn all I can and then keep trying to learn more.

[hobbidance]

March 18: Bring him in from the field he roars and screams for his herd and they roar and scream back for the entire night. Don't get any sleep, neighbours complain next morning. I apologise, get ambushed for feed at breakfast time, he's still keening for his herd they still call for him but only every 20mins or so now. Go out for our normal 2 hour hack work on our 'active walk' at all times seeing as he tries to nap and try and get him to concentrate on himself while trying not to constantly nudge him and nag him. Woman walks past with umbrella and puts it down. I ask her to open it and he finally gives it a sniff and walks on now he's stopped calling and starts working. Arrive back he's still quiet and only calls out a few times when he hears the others.

March 25th: Z wakes me up every morning at 8:30 now not calling out for his herd any more but whinnies like a crazed starved animal every time he sees me. Loves his grub, spills half it on the floor over his door spends the next hour sticking his head under the door and grabbing as much food as he can after he polishes off the tub. We go out for a hack he's no longer distracted, does plenty exention and some collection but he tends to over collect and so he needs far more work extending. The first time he extends for 3 paces I walk him gives him loads of pats and praise and for the rest of the hour and a half he burts into extended trot the second I ask. (Hurray he finally gets it!) I haven't been nagging him to stop looking around and get to work (usually a bad habit of mine as I used to expect it of him to know how to behave by now, he's almost 9, but then I realised I never really showed him how to behave and when he did I just accepted it and didn't do much) so after a week of 'i'm just going to sit here and we're not moving till your head is actually facing forward and your not leaning on the bit' now means I still have a lovely forward moving horse who just wants to go go go can still look around as long as he's relaxed and when something dangerous comes along like a cow he can give it a bit of a sniff, I praise him and we carry on like nothing was ever there. So we're both much happier out hacking.

March 26th: The Day of MUCH Celebration. While I was grooming today Z let me stroke the back of his ears all the way up to the tip. Not once in 4 years has he even let me near the base of his ears unless he wanted them scratched after a ride. I wouldn't even be able to pat him on the head unless I had a halter on first or had food. Hooray hooray hooray!!! Have another lovely ride. As we canter on a grass verge cattle start chasing us along the hedge I can almost hear their thoughts going 'one of us, one of us' me and Z get a little creeped out and go back to walk, sniff the cows for a bit and then wander off as the stare at us over gate licking their nostrils. Get in some very nice, light touch leg yeilding towards the end, then I lie back on his rump in the sun as he carries me home.

March 27th: The dreaded BIN DAY. Found out the week before that Z doesn't like bins. I am never bothered when it comes to bin day, bins aren't scary. Got him to give them a snort last week but Z doesn't like bins and they interruped his hacking on the same circle of road. Encouraged him today to sniff them today but try and touch his body off them too. After much praise when he moved towards the bins, even more praise for sniffing the bins about 20 mins later and some curtain twitching and a quick explaination that I wasn't trying to jump the bins the house owner watched as my horse suddenly lifted one front leg gave one of the bins a might old boot and while he watched in amazement as the bin toppled over and it's lid fly open. I was giving loads of praise, Z looked chuffed and was going for the one with the blue lid next when I noted a certain disapproving glare and took my nosy horse elsewhere to try on other unsuspecting bins along our way. What was normally a two hour exercise turned into 4 hours of me and Z trotting up to bins rubbing up against them, lifting lids, bangind them and generally making noise. May I note that if it makes loud noises Z loves it, can't leave the wheelbarrow outside his door he'll pick it up and toss it. Same with buckets, and yard equipment. So needless to say, no longer afraid of bins...

April 1st: Let Z out in the field today, he no longer runs to the ditch or calls for his herd instead sticks to his ritual of running to the middle of the field, performing a slidding halt into his mud patch that he has dug up over the space of 2 weeks then proceeds to throw himself around in it and afterwards tries to eat as much as possible.
Went across the river to ask neighbours if I can borrow their small outdoor for some loose lunging. They approve and I go back for Z.
First time ever Z spots me coming to the gate STOPS EATING then whinnies and walks to me. Actually physically removes himself from the field!!!! and stands there looking at me as I try not to fall over from shock. For 4 years I have either had to bring half a bucket of feed and discretly snag on a lead rope or if he goes out all night without a headcollar on spend at least 30mins trying to get a headcollar on and usually don't even bother and just lead the mare he always follows instead.
We hadn't gone for a hack today so I decide today will be the day where I try join-up I've read all I can on it, seen it over 50 times. Have a good idea of what I should do and decide what the heck.
3 hours later I have blisters on my feet from my boots I haven't worn in ages and remembered why I always wore ski socks with them and a very very top to toe sweaty horse who is on the verge of joining up but has been for the past two hours and it's dark and there's too many distractions for him to focus on join-up so I cool him off, call him in with a piece of bread and jump up and take him home. He's quite happy to wander home in the dark, with just a headcollar on and someone riding him bareback which I've only ever done twice with him. Even crosses the river without pausing. Plods up the hill and i notice his ear flick and then I hear the thundering hooves of the other two horses tearing across the feild above me because they just happened to be in that very feild on my way back. I was thanking lucky starts they weren't there when I went over the first time.
While I ponder whether to get off and lead him past or just see how it goes Z answers the question for me. As the other two charge up to the gate we round the corner and he moves to the COMPLETE OPPOSITE side of the lane, they're whinnying and snoting and squealing as he walks past and he doesn't even turn his head in their directions and keeps walking home with his ears pricked forward as relaxed as can be. The other two start galloping and bucking and screaming on the other side of the trees and he doesn't even miss a step. I am in AWE. This horse was so clingy two weeks ago and now it doesn't even bother him. I was so moved that I actually shead a few tears and was so happy I gave him about 5 large carrots in his feed and am still in shock.
Even though we didn't get join-up I think we achieved so much more today! At least I feel like it. I have a few ideas to make join-up easier next time, like putting poles across the corners so the arena is rounded and he doesn't get stuck in them and do it about 5 hours away from nighfall. Wise man Monty Roberts said "If you go at something like you have all day to get it done, it's likely to take you 15minutes. Go at something like you have 15 minutes and it's likely to take you all day."

[hobbidance]

April 2nd: Tried join-up again today after putting up some 'bumper' planks in the corners of the arena to stop him from stopping in the corners. I also skipped out the dung from my neighbours horses as it will probably distract him also.
He starts circling nicely and doesn't stop in the corners now the panks are up and after about 15 mins he starts licking and chewing and dropping his head every now and then. I turn my shoulder to his slightly and look away from his eyes and towards my shoulder and he moves in on the circle very slighty. After waiting for him to come closer he moves out again and we start from scrath again. After about an hour and a half he's getting very tired and but has stopped licking and chewing and no longer lowers his head. I play a few small games with him and give him some treats at least something possitive will come from the lesson then. Then we go home for some grub.
I'm trying to figure out why he went backwards instead of forwards, maybe there was something I did that made him move away from me instead of come towards me or maybe he might just take a very long time to join-up. I'm thinking of recording it next time and then posting a link to the video to see what you guys think.

[Elaine]

Aaww well done With the join up, to be honest if you're not getting anything within a minute or so (ear pointed to you, horse darts a quick look at you for a split second, slight softness through the body, a tiny lowering of head) I'd stop doing it. Instead maybe move onto some online work? There are lots of yields and stuff you can do in a halter and long lead rope which would be fun & good for leadership & to supple him up and install your ridden seat cues Well done though! I love your moments above with the ears and the catching. Sounds like you are having fun. Have karmaed you ;D

[rover]

Wow you have something special going there,your accounts take me back more years than i care to remember, The what i call the Hard Men would have great fun at your expence , or at least they would think so , but you are so tuned in to what is going on with your horse and you are getting so much joy from it ,Isn't that what it is all about, enjoying your horse and all those little moments, so long as it is not put in the realm of little johny taking his first steps ,( baby talk) one other thing. join up is a result, not a beginning so don't lose any sleep over it. might i add that computers are a new thing to me and i am more used to talking face to face , my typing skills are more of a pick and poke style ,so please excuse. :-[

[hobbidance]

Thanks very much, I went back to reading a bit more and I think I know what I was doing wrong. All the videos I watch are obviously demonstration videos so they would'nt exactly put something up like a horse making all the right movements but once you invite them to come in it might take and hour or so of just waiting and then sending them out the second they stop paying attention. I read that it could take a very very very long time for a horse to join-up after giving out all the right signs or he could be very obvious within 5 minutes and come in straight away.
I think I'm just going to have extreme paitience with my horse as this is all very new to the both of us I had once again assumed too much and thought it would be as easy as it looks... you'd think by now I'd learn that it's NEVER as easy as it looks haha but ever the optimist I still try and have the attitude that if it's able to be done by anyone (as long as you have the right mind-set) then it shouldn't be too difficult and i'll always try my best.
He does make all the right signs when i send him off from the start as he's always make some of the signs on the lunge (such as the ear nearest me being stuck on me and streaching his head down) but like I said before he was always distant and I'd like to have him trust me like my 3 year old does. I'm thinking of starting training her now as well but if I do then I need to find some company for my pony and maybe put her in foal again.

[hobbidance]

April 03rd: After another 2 hour lunging session I was still only getting halfway towards a join-up Z would come in closer on the circle, head down licking and chewing ear trained on me, all the right signs and when I invited him in he would walk half way towards me, stop and then turn away and trot out on a circle again. I stopped after about an hour and a half seeing as now he was no longing licking and chewing and was distracted and sweaty all over. So I jumped up and while mosying home thought about why he would only come half way in. He wasn't scared of me because he wasn't running away from me when I approached him or watching me with that look that says 'I don't trust you right now.' but still seemed reluctant to come in. Then I considered changing from flicking a lunge line at him to just using a short lunge stick. I don't think he trusted me enough that when he got close he wouldn't get the rope flicked towards him so I decided to give it a shot the next day.

April 04th: Went out to the stable and found that old broken, short lunge whip and snipped off the broken tip. Haltered Z and then rubbed the whip all over his body until he was comfortable with it. Took me a few minutes for him not to shy his head away from the stick but after a few pieces of carrot he was quite willing to scrath his head off the stick and even move away from some light pressure on his poll. So I took him over to the small ring and did another few little games with him. Rubbing him all over with the stick, waving it over his head, back, under his belly around his legs and he was fine, even after I waved it a bit faster so it made a little noise in the air he looked at it for a moment but then relaxed and touched him all over with it again. Played a bit of Yo-Yo and some yeilding to pressure all over. Then I turned him loose and asked him to moved out. He trotted out, ear stuck on me and head streaching down after about 3 laps I raised the stick in my left hand and he changed direction immediately and then came in on the circle a bit, I immediately stopped and asked him to come in and about 2 mins later hey presto we had join-up. He followed me around like a puppy for about 15 mins and then I took him home and turned him out. Delighted that I was able to figure out what was blocking him from joining up with me. I have now decided to introduce ropes a bit more gently because even though I was able to drape a lunge line all over him and he was quite happy with it he was obviously still a bit unsure about it.
Tomorrow I plan to bring in a big exercise ball and get him to play around a bit after join-up again. I'm sure it will be quite interesting

[Elaine]

[hobbidance]

Haven't been able to spend much time with Z lately as I just realised that I'm leaving thurs to tues and I thought it was next week not this week so been super rushed off my feet getting everything sorted as I might be moving house on the 18th. Other than playing around with him a bit in the stable and before I turn him out we haven't done much. He picks up his feet by himself when I tickle his belly now and holds them up for about 2 secs so at least we've been practising something new
There'll probably be a little lapse till the 18th but then I'll be settled in a new home and we can get everything back in action again.
Till then, have a nice Easter weekend!

[oliviadreamcatcher]

ROVER, or might I say old rover, how much do you want for the monty roberts head piece you had, in your tack room. I didn't have a nosey around recently to see if its still there.

[drifter6]

That old dog has still got some teeth and sure what would a smart young one like you be wantin with such rubbish haven't you got all the rope and HOPE that you need ;D

[Elaine]

I'll have to figure out how you managed to log on as rover, 'old' rover!! Nice to see you again Olivia yesterday I managed to sleep for 12 hours last night after my mad early start from Dublin yesterday!

[oliviadreamcatcher]

thanks for the wonderful day elaine, its great to see an old dog teach you new tricks, so thanks to old rover too.

[drifter6]

The old dog taught you all you know but i don't think that he has taught you all he knows

[oliviadreamcatcher]

:)knowledge is a small part of a big equation. [That equation has six parts in total.] while knowledge does take you from A to B it doesn't take you everywhere.

[drifter6]

Well if i remember rightly there are only three places one can go , you can go somewhere, you can go somewhere else ,and you can go no where, but then there is always HELL ;D

[oliviadreamcatcher]

Very smart, ha ha. I'll put it another way. I don't believe that intellect and knowledge should be our god, while it quite obivously has powerful muscles it holds no personality.