Re-test for Herd Position Day

Didn't get to ride this weekend because I have the painful crick in my neck from hell. I mean the can't sleep at night because of the pain kind of thing. Doc only gave me NSAIDS and Flexeril, so no narcotic fun for me. Anyway, it stormed bad yesterday and really rained hard. Dude was eating and I was getting his other bucket to fill it with hay for him. As I passed behind, Dude raised a cranky foot at me! Already past him, I swatted his ass and fussed, "Don't kick Momma!" before I knew what I was doing. As I stood there, he lifted the near foot crankily, so I touched it with the toe of my boot and said "No!" He was not swishing flies, he was giving me "get away" signals. I didn't let him get away with it. What was it, test our place in the herd day? Oh, I know what it is, my daughter fed them for me several times over the weekend, so it WAS re-test for herd position day. I read somewhere that leaders (animals) are swift and decisive. If I had been thinking (and awake) I probably wouldn't have swatted Dude's ass that fast. I was surprised, because I'm watchful for getting kicked, but he hasn't done that to me ever or since I can remember.

Responses on Mindset and Centered Riding

Yeah, I think my mindset has a lot to do with it, although I tried, when working with Dude, to remember not to hold my breath, to act casual, sing, talk, etc. but I'm sure my heart rate was up. When dealing with Matt the other day I was "all business" not coddling anybody -- just "Dude, get the hell out of the trailer as I need to load Matt now. Maybe the "all business attitude" works best. The coddling may be his cue that he has something to worry about. Hmmm.. I was so busy trying not to act nervous, that I may have clued him in a different way. Thanks for making me think about that.

Susan, Hey! What I "use" from Centered Riding seems to have amalgamated in my tiny brain as, having my legs further back and using the insides of my upper thighs as part of a 3 point seat (part of this I got from Stacy Westfall's article on bareback riding in Horse & Rider), allowing my seat bones to move with the horse at the walk -- I used to wonder why Dude walked so much slower than Matt and now he walks the same speed; weight evenly distributed in the stirrups at the trot (the ice cream melting into the bottoms of the feet visual); not pinching with my knees or thighs, staying up over a couple of beats at the trot to find my balance (I cheat by grabbing some mane while posting until I can find my balance) and something Katherine taught me which is to post slower if you want him to trot slower. I added post more gently (my word) to that. If he starts to bend and trot crooked, I know it is me that is causing it and I check my weight distribution. I am now experiencing his different trotting speeds and being able to ask for the one I want. He does a nice mellow western trot which I can sit as well.

Dude Did Not Buck and Self-Loaded in the Trailer

Dude must have been reading my blog and read that if he bucked again on the trail he would get the crop, because yesterday we rode and voila! canter - no buck. Threw his head down, but not badly and didn't shake his head either. We trotted a good bit on the way out. I was feeling good, balanced, etc. He was more collected, didn't stumble or rush - this latter is all the result of reading "Centered Riding" and putting it into practice. I made sure to get well out of his face on the couple of jumps we did, so I think that helped, too. Man, I love to jump him! He is so fantastic!

Funny note on trailer loading: Saturday I was getting ready to load Matt to go to the speed events at a local show. I had the trailer open and was trying to catch Matt when I heard something and turned to see Dude getting into the trailer! He got in and licked the manger, looking for leftover sweet feed. He didn't find any as I had wiped the manger clean, but he stayed in there anyway. I had to shoo Dude out when I got Matt up there to load. I guess I'll put the divider back in and start taking them both when we go somewhere. Dude seems ready. LOL. I still haven't shut him in, but I was proud that he practiced his trailer loading without me. He got out pretty slowly when shooed. LOL.

Escape Successful Horsies Worn Out Now

Dude popped the snap on the rope that was holding the double gate shut yesterday. I heard the dreaded sound of running hooves on the driveway and got outside, albeit barefoot, pretty quick. He and Matt galloped, kicked and farted for awhile. No cars came by during the whole thing. Matt did a sliding stop on the pavement and SPARKS flew out from under all 4 hooves! My daughter just thought that was awesome! I parked the truck blocking the gate shut all night and reinforced it this morning. These boys are asking to be worked more so that they are too tired to get into trouble. They were both lying down this morning. LOL.

Trailer Time for Dude

Last night and this morning, I worked on trailer loading with Dude. I haltered him and led him over to the feed shed to obtain his nightly feed in a bucket. He leads really well. He respected me while I was carrying the feed bucket. I had the trailer ready -- hitched up, back door open, butt bar open, escape door pulled "to" but not locked. Dude followed his nose (me with the bucket) into the trailer almost immediately. He stood well (eating) and I practiced banging the trailer sides and top, shaking it, stomping my feet, etc. Only a slight reaction to the shaking. No reaction to anything else. Chomp, chomp. I was still holding the lead rope, standing in there with him.

I decided that maybe the more he backs out the slower he will get. So, I put my hand on the lead right under the halter and said "back up." The first time, he ZOOMED back so fast it was unreal. I, of course, let go under his chin, but still had the long end of the lead rope. I got out with him, petted him and told him good boy and all and said lets get back in. I got back in and he followed readily. Resumed eating. I went back to making noise. I tried slamming the escape door and that made him back out fast, but not as fast. Again, he readily followed me back in and I slammed the escape door some more times to which he didn't react.

The next time he backed out it was on my cue. We got in and out a few more times and he got a little slower backing out each time. Still faster than I would like, but not break neck speed. He could slip and get hurt he is going so fast.

4H&H, I don't know if I could stop him during back-up at this point, until he slows down enough to be a little more reasonable.

I gave him lots of praise and pats and put him away for the night. Left the trailer hitched up for this morning.

This morning, Dude was a little reluctant to be caught, but finally realized I wasn't going away or feeding him. He came up and stopped for me in his feeding spot in the pasture. I had the trailer ready again. He followed me right in. He backed out on cue, still fast, but slowing down a little. I "futzed" with the escape door some more -- no reaction. I opened the escape door and climbed out, climbed back in, no reaction. Chomp chomp. I climbed out again and jumped up and down outside the door, stepped up and popped into the doorway and said "Here I am!" He slowly turned his head toward me, but was mostly unconcerned, continued to chomp.

Once, he anticipated my cue to back up before I gave it -- I was actually reaching to push the feed back together, but he thought I was reaching under his halter. I didn't like that anticipation, but we practiced in and out a few more times. The school bus came and went noisily, he looked out at it, but didn't spook. He slows down a little bit each time he backs out. I gave him lots of praise and reassurance each time.

Here's the thing... I want to try tying him with the bungee trailer tie that I bought and climbing out the escape door. I dread the broken halter that I am pretty sure will result, but I have to try it sometime. He may surprise me. The bungee tie has a quick release snap, but, if he's really freaking and pulling, I'm afraid I'll be too fumble fingered to get it loose. If he will stand tied while I go out the escape door, I will try going around and putting on the butt bar. Then, finally shutting the back door. Wish me luck. I'm only going to try the tying up today.

ETA: Mr. Eddie suggested that I try letting Dude get in ahead of me and then shut the butt bar. Its pretty sturdy, although I've been told not to shut butt bar or door until horse is tied up. It wouldn't matter with Dude, since he'd probably pull back and break the halter anyway and then end up hitting the butt bar. I might as well find out at home whether he's going to bust through the butt bar and/or the door rather than on the road, I guess. I am planning to go slowly enough that we don't have any wreck at all in the process, but it pays to envision the worst case scenario ahead of time.

Dude gets Corrected

On our ride this weekend, after we crossed the first ditch and my daughter lost her reins and I had to get off and get them for her and remount, Mr. Dude thought that he should get to crop some spring grass. For the first time in months, I popped him with the tail end of the reins (plain nylon - no poppers!) and told him "No!" He was so freaking surprised that he was head up and behaving himself walking down the trail before he even thought about what I had done. LOL. I never did canter -- I wasn't feeling too well. When we turned for home he started doing his happy/rodeo buck the way he does when he starts off to canter. I think he realized he wasn't going to get to run and he wanted to! I'm trying to get up the nerve to carry my crop and, when he does the happy buck, to pop him once with it so he will quit freaking doing that!! I mean, he doesn't buck hard, but its not very good manners and I don't want him to do it at Ms. Dee's!

Oh, that's my plan. Since E doesn't cre for front end showing this year, I'm going to work on taking Dude with us to Ms. Dee's and start taking barrel and pole lessons myself. Won't that be a hoot?!

First, I have to work on trailer loading with Dude some more.