Good Things About Dude

Sometimes I get frustrated with the "issues" I'm working through with Dude, so I wanted to put down my gratitude list of reasons he's a great horse that is worth the frustration.

The first time I rode him on a trail ride we had to cross the overpass over the interstate highway. Dude had done that hundreds of times in his life as a trail horse at Big Tree. I was scared. Dude was unfazed.

When we came to first very deep water that Katharine and my daughter trundled through, Dude stopped, pawed the water and then JUMPED it, landing ever so gently, sideways to land on the narrow trail on the opposite side. I was hanging on and wailing! He kept me in place just fine making that jump. All that day, I hung onto his thick mane and just passengered through the woods.

In our neighborhood where we ride there are lots of loose dogs. Most dogs run up, barking, to Dude's back legs. He ignores them. One day a gnarly looking big dog ran up to Dude's FACE and began barking and snapping at his face. Dude looked at the dog disdainfully and stepped past him, continuing up the road.

On Brown Road cars pass us doing 45, don't move over much and there's very little shoulder. Dude could care less.

When we topped a rise on the creek trail and I saw a snake crossing the path, and I yelled, "Snake!" Dude hesitated a moment and then trotted past, snorting at the place into which the snake had disappeared.

When the wild turkey flew up right next to him on the path Dude was quite startled, but he didn't shake or jump. He just stopped and then balked on going forward as there were more turkeys on the trail ahead... or something...we never figured out the problem that day. Maybe there was a bobcat hunting the turkeys.

Face-to-face with a cow with horns, Dude moved forward at my urging.

He doesn't like to pass strange highway equipment that is stopped standing still and he doesn't care for discarded furniture on the sides of the road, but he'll pass them. He snorts at them, just in case they come to life.

Once, when a strange dog came into the yard, Dude moved in between the dog and my child and me in a protective stance.

When I put a 6 year old on Dude and led him around, he put his head down low and placed his feet ever so gently.

When I had a broken foot in a cast, Dude carried me ever so gently, not even bumping up and down at the trot.

These are the reasons I love Dude, plus his stupid, goofy, trickster personality. And he still thinks he's a super stud when he sees "the ladies." Sheesh.

What We Did While You Were at Church

So there's this big, mowed, wide servitude under the giant power lines that is just irresistible to ride on. Awhile back when my boyfriend and I tried to ride thru there a kid with a BB gun told us we weren't allowed. I know the kid's father ("Tractor Guy") and told him so. No dice and Tractor Guy wasn't home. Because I know Tractor Guy, I also know they are big time church goers so...

Today we got away early to ride and its Sunday so we rode down the power line by their trailer. There were big shade trees down one side. It was sweet. The "trail" dead ended in a big swampy hole as wide as the whole servitude and then some. We also investigated where they're clearing for the new junior high school. Dude trundled along happily as did Matt. I've been reading Mugwump's Chronicles and thinking about Dude and his "new" bit. He nodded some and tried to avoid getting the bit put in his mouth (this is only the second time because we were on vacation last week). I got it on him after I fussed at (talked mean to) him about it. As for saddling, I cut way back on the carrots and tried an approach and retreat with it. If he would stand still I would turn my back and leave him alone for awhile. If he moved around I'd stay with him, with my hand on the saddle till he stopped. It didn't take very long and I didn't have to hold onto the reins while I was trying to also get him saddled. I picked all four hooves, too. He didn't try to pull away his left hind like he usually does, so he got a carrot piece for that. I stretched his front legs after I tightened the girth. My attitude today was I didn't really want to ride and it was hot and getting hotter, so that may have helped. I only walked and trotted him. While my daughter was stopped drinking Gatorade I made Dude work trotting circles around her. When he did well I let him stop and eat grass. The first time I really got in his mouth he jerked and turned a white eye on me, so decided to ease him back into his bit work a little more slowly. I worked him on the buckle most of the ride, just picking up a rein when he he diverted or I wanted to turn. He neck reins just as well and goes off my leg. I'm starting to trust him more and maybe he just needs to be ridden on a loose rein more in order to relax and not be such a freak. He did not toss his head or fuss with the bridle. Its so much better than the hackamore already. When we were trotting side-by-side with my daughter I rode him with contact. He was pulling on the bit some, but not too badly.

Dude is just the cutest thing ever when you get ready to take his tack off. He's an angel, then. Baths with soap and I cleaned his sheath. He picked up his back foot, so I kicked his leg (not hard). He quit.

My next goal is I'm going to teach him to tie without pulling back. I'm going to get 2 nylon rope halters and put them both on and tie him to a tree until he learns. Its a big hole in his training that needs to be fixed. ETA: My friend, Susan, got me thinking this is a little too much of a cowboy method for me to resort to. Instead, I'm going to try tying him and sitting with him for longer and longer intervals. He seems to get into trouble when he's tied and left alone. I've been tying him up to bathe him and he hasn't pulled when I'm right there with him. I don't want to give him another reason to freak out and a set back in his progress. I'm going to continue to work on saddling. I'm also going to start lunging him again to get him in shape to canter properly. I'm going to keep working on trotting and getting him off his very heavy forehand. If he's not cantering without bucking in October (the 1 year with me mark), I'm going to send him to a trainer to put 30 days of cantering him every day on him. My goal will be I want him to canter on each lead consistently, at a ratable speed with no bucking and cutting up. I'm off to start saving $$ for the trainer. LOL.


ETA: On the way back to the house, I dropped my stirrups for awhile (folded them up and over) and I felt the neatest thing. I felt Dude shift me a little to where he wanted me sitting. I still think this bucking thing has something to do with shifting me and my not riding properly. I will keep trying. Mugwumps and Joycemocha got me thinking about reading Dude, too. He really communicated to me about the bit, while still acknowledging my authority. I still need to listen to him more. I want to learn it all now. It takes time!!

Storeybook Farm Show

We're back from the Storeybook Farm show. First pic is from Walk/Trot Eq. Second is my daughter and my mother with the 2 seconds and 4 third place ribbons!, 3rd pic is Matty running out on a jump and 4th is right after he made the jump. I can't ever get a pic of her going over -- my camera is old and weird. That's the judge in the p/u truck with the crazy umbrella. Matt was good and did not freak out at the umbrella or at anything else on the show grounds. But he ran out on a bunch of the jumps. Little bastard. They still got a second in one of the jumping rounds. LOL. Yesterday he didn't run out at all. More shows are what he needs. It got really hot so we were glad we were finished and back home by noon. I want to look into getting E back in lessons. Her leg position got better as the day went along.

Oh, and I need to be awarded a ribbon for trailer backing!!! I backed out of an angled parking space, into a road with a big ditch on the other side pulled back into the driveway and turned all the way around while avoiding cars and a tied up TB. Fun!!!

Matt gets ready for a Little Show

This is my daughter and Matt practicing for tomorrow's schooling show. How do you like our homemade jump? It is 16 inches!! My daughter hasn't ridden much in about 8 weeks because she broke her arm (rollerskting, not riding!). She's just getting her confidence back so she'll probably just enter trotting the X's tomorrow. Don't they say you should enter the class a step lower than you've been practicing? That will help rebuild her confidence. I can't wait to see this new barn and meet some English riding people. I love my local western club friends, but they just don't get it why we like to jump. One time and they'd be hooked on it, I'm sure.

Dude wears a snaffle and we chase a cow!!!

Its Sunday, so I got up early to beat the heat. I went out and put the English bridle with a Dee ring snaffle on Dude. He nodded a little and tried to avoid, but he was easier to bridle than Matt usually is!! I tied the reins in his mane because I expected him to snort and run around, but he did nothing except chew it a little and wait for another carrot.

I tried pulling on it and steering and halting from the ground with it -- no adverse reaction!! Wow! I took his picture in it to prove my bravery and his goodness. ETA: For those of you just joining us, this is a major feat since Dude has not been ridden in a bit in YEARS. I was told he had his tongue cut at some point by someone trying to put a headset on him. I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds really bad. He came to me in a mechanical hackamore and I've always ridden him in it until this day!!! I looked at the tongue and it looked okay, so I tried the bit. success!

We went for a trail ride that turned out longer than we thought. The horses were a little balky, but we got them going okay. Dude trotted fine and steered fine in the bit. We went past the neighbor horses - no problems today.

We were passing a little field that has newly gotten cows in it. Dude was looking, but not too freaked out. My daughter, old sharp eye, noticed one of the cows was OUT! on the other side, near the busy road! I had my cell so we called around till we figured out whose cow it was - our hay man, Tommy! Small world.

We were worried the cow would get out on the road, so we rode around to the side where she was. Dude had no problem going toward her. She let out a long and doleful, loud moo! We mostly stood watching her. Finally, Tommy arrived and asked if we could walk her down the fence to the gate. This entailed riding through about 3 people's back yards.

At the last we could either go through a carport, I kid you not, or around the front of the trailer. The cow went through the carport! I turned Dude and tried to hurry him around the front of the trailer and he started bucking, but I wasn't going to go through the carport!

I can't believe no one came out and yelled at us! Meanwhile, Tommy had a bucket of feed and the cow went in the pen no problem. We sure had fun on our roundup!! We didn't know we were in for a roundup when we left home! I was riding in my English saddle and we did quite a bit of reining in the new bit with no problem. Fun was had by all.

All are bathed, including me and I'm off to take a big nap.

Matt is a Cadillac!

Yesterday, I was bound and determined to ride after work. Got home a tad early - before 6, so I saddled them up. Dude was especially good for saddling! I used my English saddle. He stood very still for the blanket and the wither pad and the saddle itself and only walked a little for the girthing. He stood still for a carrot a lot during tightening the girth. He likes for me to stretch his front legs after I tighten it. He's not whirling around like he used to so, Yay! However, it might have been because he is LAME. When I went to lead him in I noticed he was walking funny, very delicately. Then, when I got on him he just didn't feel right. When we went out on the street, he would not get on the pavement. Usually he prefers the pavement to the rocky grass on the side, but he could not stand the pavement. I dismounted and took hm back and picked and checked all his feet. No signs of trouble. I think he's sore from the trim he got Tuesday. I had let his shoes get too loose and one had fallen off and the ends of his hooves had been very ratty. So, I think Bill had to trim him pretty short to get the ratty ends off. They've never been lame after shoeing before, but since it seemed generalised, and not limited to any one foot, I think it was from the trim. My daughter didn't really want to ride anyway and had been going with me under protest, so I took my saddle off Dude and put it on Matt. Matt went willingly out onto the road and we were headed off when Dude went nuts and tried to tear down the front gate, so I had to go back. I rode Matt around the yard. Matt, I must say, is AWESOME. He turns on a dime and slow trots/jogs so smooth you can hardly post. I worked on getting him to flex at the poll and he responded pretty well. I asked for a shoulder in and he really tried to do it, but he tripped. Poor old fellow is rusty! I practiced closing my eyes and guessing whether I was on the correct diagonal (I was!!) I plan to work him a little every day for awhile to get him back in shape. He needs an extended trot, too. And I need canter practice! He hasn't been ridden much since my daughter broke her arm. I wish he was mine since he's just relaxing to ride. Its nice to have a Cadillac in the garage. My daughter doesn't want to practice for the show. I told her she's going to cry when she doesn't get a ribbon because she hasn't taught her horse to WTC on cue. she says she can do that already. Okay, don't cry to me when you don't get a ribbon. But, for Matt's sake, and because I like riding him, I am going to work on getting him in shape. I sneaked Matty bunches of baby carrots. He loffs me now. I wore my tall English boots. They are stiff, stiff since I haven't used them in years. I can't wait to get Matty into shape and start jumping little X's and things on him. I'm still going to work with dude, but I need the practice on Matt and he needs to be lightly worked on a more regular basis. Tonight, since I'm giving Dude a few more days off his sore feet, I plan to try to put a snaffle bit on him and let him run around and fuss about it in his mouth if he thinks he needs to. He's pretty accepting of anything I want to do to him these days around his head, so I'm going to give it a try. Wish me luck! ETA: I'm using this, from our own Improperusername, it is really good - has audio - be sure to listen! http://horsetrainingschool.com/tutorials/

Wild Horse Eating Turkeys = Balky, balky trail ride

Thanks to Marie for reading the entire saga. I've written a LOT! LOL.

We didn't get our lazy butts up early enough to ride on the 4th or the 5th. Its getting really, really hot these days - up in the 90's with terrible humidity and p.m. lightening storms.

I did sit out with the boys while the neighbors shot fireworks on the 4th. After a little startling, they were more worried about stealing each other's hay portions and why was mommy keeping on coming to the fence and talking baby talk (?!?). They went to a corner where they can see my neighbor who sits out on his porch and watches TV out there and watched TV with him as they usually do. Sigh.

Sunday morning I finally got up early enough to beat the heat somewhat. We got started on the trail by about 9:00. It took forever because I wore shorts and stuff to groom and saddle both horses and then went in to take off my completely sweat soaked clothes and put on jeans.

Saddling We worked on standing still for saddling. I fussed just a little at the beginning -- mean voice, "Whoa, stand!" He looked surprised and obeyed for about 3 seconds. After I got it loosely fastened, I walked around with my hand under the girth for awhile till he realized he wasn't going to get a carrot till he stopped. He's almost back to just doing the box step dance instead of circling. Gee, that only took 8 months. I used my English saddle and I was glad to be back in it. I feel like it puts me in a better position than the Western one I have. I have the cheating angled irons that help me keep my heels down. Love those.

Well everybody's shoes are loose and hooves are crapped out as its now time for new ones, so we clanked down the road and finally got on the trail. Dude was a little balky and tried to turn back to make the subdivision block, but crossed the ditch and went on the trail without any fuss. We headed for the woods path that goes along the creek and has a lot of shade. We trotted some, but mostly walked and stopped to drink gatoraide a lot. Usually we charge down the woods path and jump all the little ditches, but we walked sedately yesterday. At one point Dude just stopped. I thought he had fallen asleep or something, so I urged him on. I asked Ella if she thought he remembered seeing the s-n-a-k-e (Yes, I have to spell words that I don't want Dude to understand) on this path. Even when we saw it that time he trotted past where it had crossed the path and just snorted.

All of a sudden this wild turkey with a huge wingspan took off at the edge of the woods and away from us. Dude stopped, but didn't startle. Apparently Matt startled to the side as my daughter complained he hurt her leg (groin muscle, probably). Then, both horses got balky and stubborn. My daughter saw more turkeys in the path ahead. We couldn't even get the horses to walk over one of the ditches that we usually jump! I tried fussing and yelling and slapping and rein snapping to no avail. I finally got off and led them across the little ditch.

As soon as I got back on Dude started backing up again and then got into a kicking match with a fallen tree limb that he backed over. Stoopid. He also backed into Matt and my daughter and she screamed and cried. I fussed at Dude, "See what you did? You made the baby cry!!!" He and Matt were lined up in the heading home direction so he didn't care.

Much as I wanted to make them keep going I had to deal with the baby crying and the horses might be right that there might be a good reason not to continue down the path. I heard a gun or a fireworks go off at one point during the balking ordeal -- sounded far away, but who knows? Maybe somebody was lurking and shooting the turkeys out of season.

When we headed out of the woods, we had to hold them back. There was much balking again at the next turn away from home. Great, now they know the paths, but E got Matt to go so Dude followed.

The sides of the paths are all grown up with very tall grass now and Dude didn't want to go into the lane to the pond pasture, but he let Matt go first as bait. LOL.

When we finally had the horses going forward and not balking, my daughter started to balk, complaining of being hot and tired so it was a good time to turn for home.

Matt is so funny, he strides out and pulls ahead when we walk toward home every time. I have to jog Dude to catch up now and then. Dude jumped the ditch onto the road and only fussed a little on the landing - no buck. That was my only jump of the day. They walked sedately through the subdivision to the house, for which I'm grateful. At least they haven't lost that much of their training. They cool themselves out nicely.

I gave both boys good, good baths with shampoo. Dude had scratches from his fight with the tree limb. Stoopid. He needs bell boots on his rear feet so he can kick sticks better!!

Nobody got eaten so I guess it was a success. I just hate letting them get away with any balking. I know that will just make it harder the next time!!

Escape Attempt or The Grass is Always Greener!, Part ???

Turns out the jerk wad who put up my fence, when he got to the end of a roll of wire ("hog wire") just wound the strands together instead of ending and beginning at a new post. What a jerk - a $1500 jerk. Then, I let the grass grow up on the outside of the fence. So, Dude was reaching over the fence to eat it and as he got lower and lower he just pushed on the fence and it snapped apart at the weak point. Of course Dude did not get a scratch on him, but I had to stay home from work yesterday to weed eat the entire length of the fence and then patch the section that he broke. I ran a new stretch from pole to pole (now there's an idea). Its a good thing my old geldings respect a fence and would rather try to escape at the gate. BTW, Dude is too smart. I thought I could leave the front gate untied for a minute while I went to retrieve something and he went straight to it and started pushing on it. He drives me nuts being so smart. He never actually escaped and the fence is fixed now so I call it a win. Yes, I really love him. He's such a "bad boy." He's the son I never had. He had to come over and snorfle the roll of wire and investigate all that I was doing. I gotta find my clicker and try that. Why is there never enough time in a day?

Trailering and Challenging

I have noticed a behavior in Dude which may related to his other issues. I call it the "big blustery challenge" (BBC). He loads pretty well for going somewhere, but doesn't want to load to come back home (I swear I drive carefully!), but the weather has been hot so I don't blame him too much. So, twice now he has REFUSED, head way up, trying to shake nose rope off, pulling back, backing up. At the chiro, I had a stud chain on him. When he pulled back, I jumped out of the back of the trailer (to keep ahold of the rope) his eyes got big, but he kept backing up so I snapped the crap out of his nose with it. He gave up all bluff and bluster and got into the trailer.

Sunday, at the park, I had the lead rope looped on his nose (because he'd been refusing to get in for several tries) and he started his head up crap again. I jumped out of the trailer and yanked hell out of the rope and he stopped his crap and got in. So, I've got to remember that he's always, always going to challenge me to see if he can get away with acting like a neurotic, crazy jerk. I may actually try fussing at him to make him stand still to be saddled since he hasn't really improved through gentle persuasion methods. I'm getting tired of saddling being such a damn chore. The weather is too hot and I'm too old and fat.

ETA: I'm still trying to discern when he's being a stubborn jerk drama queen (SJDQ) as opposed to when something is really hurting or frightening him. I am getting better at guessing right and acting accordingly.