More Ground Work With The Boys!
Posted 05-19-2007 at 08:37 AM by Launa
Last evening it was nice and cool out so I decided to do some more ground work with all three boys. It was fun.
Started off with Tucker. We did a little desensitizing to the lunge whip. Everytime he sees me with it he thinks he has to move. So I spent some time working on him standing still and rubbing the lunge whip all over him. Then flipping the string over his back and around his legs. He did great! Then we lunged a bit. We did so awesome! Tucker even..........GAITED while lunging! He stayed in his single footed gait almost the whole time! Wow! I was surprised! He was in a real licking and chewing mode so I decided to play with a blue tarp. I folded it up fairly small and then flipped it over his back. He didn't move his feet but he would hump up each time it touched him. So I kept doing it until he relaxed and then went to the other side and repeated. Once he was totally relaxed I unfolded it a little. Repeated the same process each time he relaxed I made it bigger. Then got to the point where it was 100% unfolded laying on his back. I pulled it up his neck and back down. He did great! So then I put it on the ground and we practiced walking over it. No worries mate!
RimRock's turn. I started of desensitizing him to the lunge whip and then moved on to the tarp. He was a bit more nervous then Tucker so it took longer with him. But I repeated exactly what I did with Tucker and he finally relaxed. I got to the point where he had the whole unfolded tarp on his back and I could move it up his neck. I also stood beside him and shook the tarp hard so it made a lot of noise.....he was ok. Then I layed it down on the ground so we could walk over it. He would only step on the very corners of the tarp. So we circled the tarp making our circle smaller so he had to step onto more of the tarp. Eventually I got him to cross through the middle several times. Then I made him stop in the middle of the tarp and back up. He finally relaxed.
Radar my three year old was next. He was totally ok with the lunge whip. But he like RimRock was more nervous about the tarp then Tucker. I repeated the same process starting with a small folded up tarp then making it bigger etc. I ended up with the same results in the end. Tarp unfolded on his back, So I layed it on the ground for us to walk across. He led across it with much hesitation but he sure made me laugh! When he would step across it he lifted his hooves as high as he could! He looked like he expected it to be deep mud or something. It was so funny looking.
I turned Radar loose and went to shue RimRock out of the barn so Radar could eat and RimRock turned and ran and Kicked out at me!
Well.....crud! Just when I thought our lesson was over he blew it. So I put his halter back on and started to lunge him. He would try to pull away from me and kick out at me. I just kept at it until he was going in a circle like he should. (When I say lunge......I don't make them die running. I just control their feet) When he listened to me we stopped. I pet his neck....made him drop his head and slipped his halter off. I held him there for three seconds or so and walked away from him. Then minute I turned and started to walk he ran off and kicked out! Like he was getting the final word! I really am determined to work with him and his respect for me. He is not my horse he is my hubby's. But he still needs to respect me.
All and all I am very pleased by how yesterday went. I think it is time to move the boys to Clinton Anderson's next lesson. Four different ways to back up. Making RimRock back up I think will really change some things. I can make him back like away from another horse or the gate or myself but it takes so much effort on my part! Sometimes I really have to pop him on the chest if I don't have my crop or whip to get to his feet. I am tired of the resistance! So on to the next phase in Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground.
Started off with Tucker. We did a little desensitizing to the lunge whip. Everytime he sees me with it he thinks he has to move. So I spent some time working on him standing still and rubbing the lunge whip all over him. Then flipping the string over his back and around his legs. He did great! Then we lunged a bit. We did so awesome! Tucker even..........GAITED while lunging! He stayed in his single footed gait almost the whole time! Wow! I was surprised! He was in a real licking and chewing mode so I decided to play with a blue tarp. I folded it up fairly small and then flipped it over his back. He didn't move his feet but he would hump up each time it touched him. So I kept doing it until he relaxed and then went to the other side and repeated. Once he was totally relaxed I unfolded it a little. Repeated the same process each time he relaxed I made it bigger. Then got to the point where it was 100% unfolded laying on his back. I pulled it up his neck and back down. He did great! So then I put it on the ground and we practiced walking over it. No worries mate!
RimRock's turn. I started of desensitizing him to the lunge whip and then moved on to the tarp. He was a bit more nervous then Tucker so it took longer with him. But I repeated exactly what I did with Tucker and he finally relaxed. I got to the point where he had the whole unfolded tarp on his back and I could move it up his neck. I also stood beside him and shook the tarp hard so it made a lot of noise.....he was ok. Then I layed it down on the ground so we could walk over it. He would only step on the very corners of the tarp. So we circled the tarp making our circle smaller so he had to step onto more of the tarp. Eventually I got him to cross through the middle several times. Then I made him stop in the middle of the tarp and back up. He finally relaxed.
Radar my three year old was next. He was totally ok with the lunge whip. But he like RimRock was more nervous about the tarp then Tucker. I repeated the same process starting with a small folded up tarp then making it bigger etc. I ended up with the same results in the end. Tarp unfolded on his back, So I layed it on the ground for us to walk across. He led across it with much hesitation but he sure made me laugh! When he would step across it he lifted his hooves as high as he could! He looked like he expected it to be deep mud or something. It was so funny looking.
I turned Radar loose and went to shue RimRock out of the barn so Radar could eat and RimRock turned and ran and Kicked out at me!
Well.....crud! Just when I thought our lesson was over he blew it. So I put his halter back on and started to lunge him. He would try to pull away from me and kick out at me. I just kept at it until he was going in a circle like he should. (When I say lunge......I don't make them die running. I just control their feet) When he listened to me we stopped. I pet his neck....made him drop his head and slipped his halter off. I held him there for three seconds or so and walked away from him. Then minute I turned and started to walk he ran off and kicked out! Like he was getting the final word! I really am determined to work with him and his respect for me. He is not my horse he is my hubby's. But he still needs to respect me.All and all I am very pleased by how yesterday went. I think it is time to move the boys to Clinton Anderson's next lesson. Four different ways to back up. Making RimRock back up I think will really change some things. I can make him back like away from another horse or the gate or myself but it takes so much effort on my part! Sometimes I really have to pop him on the chest if I don't have my crop or whip to get to his feet. I am tired of the resistance! So on to the next phase in Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground.
Total Comments 0
Comments
Recent Blog Entries by Launa
- Lesson 8 with Tucker (07-07-2007)
- Lesson 6 With Tucker! It Was FUN! (06-20-2007)
- Today I ........Breathed! (05-30-2007)
- Lesson 4 with Tucker Lesson 2 with RimRock (05-23-2007)
- More Ground Work With The Boys! (05-19-2007)
