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!!
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5 comments:
Not sure if your tactic for teaching Dude to tie is going to be successful. What you are describing sounds very much like a behavior modification technique called "flooding." It can result in less reactivity (your goal) or more reactivity. The trouble is, you never know which one you'll get. You could inadvertently make his behavior much worse. You might look into some other techniques before resorting to tying him to a tree. Good luck!
Susan, on the other hand, I could try tying him for short intervals and rewrding him by letting him go. Tie him for longer and longer until he gets it. He seems to get into trouble when he's left alone and tied. If I'm right there he downs' have much problem. Your thughts, a always are very much appreciated.
Yes, you could try short intervals, so long as you aren't releasing him while he's fighting the rope. In which case, you would be rewarding fighting the rope.
He may not understand that the release is a reward unless you time the release just as he is doing a particular thing that you would like him to do more of. And, he really likes to be released.
Susan, thanks for helping me plan this. He's usually good when you first tie him up so I figure to tie him up and let him loose pretty quickly at first. The plan would be to turn him loose before he pulls back. But, what am I going to do if he gets antsy and tries to break loose? I wouldn't be able to let him go at that point because, as you say, it would be rewarding the bad behavior. So, if and when he pulls back and freaks out, I would have to let him fight it out until he calms down. I think that's where the rope halters and tree come in. He has broken every halter and lead rope I've ever left him tied in. The metal parts usually give. He cracked a 6 by 6 pole that's set in concrete (beginning of a barn that never was). I tied him to a trailer full of hay that he could easily munhc on one time and he showed up at the back door to proudly display the broken O ring of his halter by the time I was coming out from a short potty break. Sheesh. So, if we start this, learning to tie, it HAS to be on seomthing he cannot break. Otherwise he'll get free like he always has. Hmm.. I'm still in the thinking stages on this.
Some people have mentioned using a device called The Clip. It gives a bit when the horse pulls back, but doesn't totally release. I wonder if that would provide enough give so that Dude could not break the halter, but still could not get away? Anyway, good luck in working it out.
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