The Scary World of Training

Well, today I was wandering around the internet like I do, and I ran across this little beauty..

DEAR GOD what is that supposed to be?? I don't know, maybe I'm a tad old fashioned or something, but this looks a little like bit-on-crack to me. Oh, but then I got curious, and searched for more bits like this. And believe me, I ran across some bits that I would die before they touched my horse's mouth. Would you like a horror show? Look on.

Well well...here we have what looks like a double twisted wire that is offset. Not to mention that this is a gag bit, and has a mile long shank...which is fairly straight. Oh goodness...I can only imagine the horse's mouth just being ripped clean off. I mean....do people actually use this bit??

Oh and take a look at this one... What is that, chain for the mouthpiece? But not even chain...it looks somewhat like...what, a chainsaw chain?! With the big old long shanks to boot. What do you really need a bit like this for? I mean, sure, a horse is sure not going to run through this bit if it values its life....but it is going to create about a million other problems, I bet.

And then theres these.. Both are gag bits...The left has an itty bitty wire mouthpiece that just may shred your horse's tongue, and the other has a hackamore piece on it made of bicycle chain...

Sigh. I mean I could go on and on. There must be hundreds of these bits out there. And thats just bits! I can't even imagine the amount of weird pully systems created to yank heads down, hold horses still, or keep horses from bucking. I mean don't get me wrong. I'm all for training devices- I myself used my draw reins today on Gypsy to remind her that she can't ignore my rein cues. But I used them for five-ten minutes and then took them off. Draw reins do not cause pain. Martingales, training forks, draw reins...these things don't cause pain to get the job done. Thats the difference. I mean, sure! Ride your western horse in a shank bit, your big warmblood jumper in a pelham....but it doesn't have to be these bits that I've pictured here. There is a huge difference. If you can't ride your horse in something nice and soft like a snaffle, then I think you have more training to do. A bigger bit is not a shortcut for training. A bigger bit is something to graduate to. A bigger bit means less rein contact, more neck reining, more softness. It does NOT mean 'I can't control my horse so I will throw this huge barb-wire gag shanked bit THING in my horse's mouth'.

Really people. Just spend a little more time creating a softer and more responsive horse, and sure, use the humane training devices if you need them. But they are aides, not something to be relied on. And if you do that, there will never be the need to resort to these painful, inhumane bits that intimidate horses into submission.

End rant.

Summer?

Well, as we all know, this summer really isn't acting much like summer. Its been so rainy and cold and icky! Its June for crying out loud! But today it is actually summer-like! Its been sunny and super warm all day. I'm a fan of this, it can stay. And I found out yesterday that because of this stupid weather we've been having lately, people all over the Northwest are having difficulties in breeding their horses- the mares don't know what to do! It acts like winter or fall or whatever, when it's really summer! So yes, Gypsy has been bred twice now, and was still in heat today. WHAT?! Yes, she was flirting and talking to the tease stud, so back Mario came today and we bred her yet again. We are desperately hoping that she takes this time- my teacher, and the lady that is in charge of breeding, is feeling more confident about this one. So lets really hope this one takes... Third time is a charm?

Anyways, I rode her today before all of that, and decided to finally start riding her over jumps. I set up a baby little cross rail with a trot pole in front, and over we went. We just trotted over it, and she did great! So I put the jump blocks standing up, instead of laying down, so that the cross rail was a little bit higher, and we jumped that too. Gypsy did awesome! She stayed pretty calm and controllable, and would come back down between jumps and listen and lower her head. I am thinking she will be a good hunter...She's getting to have that real low, level headset without a whole lot of rein contact! That's her trot anyways, her canter is still really crappy, but her trot is beautiful! I want to get a chiropractor to work on her when I bring her back home, and I think that will probably help a lot.

In other news, spring term is over! Finals week is this coming week, and that means that my horse training class is over. So I had to say goodbye to my training mare yesterday....it was bittersweet. I mean, she has been getting on my nerves lately because of the whole random bucking issue, but for the most part I thought she was pretty fun to ride, and had a really friendly personality. I will probably miss my big sausage horse. Did I write a blog entry about the OSU Colt challenge we competed in? I don't recall, and if I didn't, I don't feel much like writing about it now. But I got pictures from the trail course today. So this picture will be dedicated to my training mare. She came such a very long way, and taught me a lot about training a horse from scratch. I am proud of her!

Schooling Show

I took my training horse from class to a little, low key schooling show yesterday! The owner of the horse, and the lady running the show had entered me in a lot of classes and I was really very worried about it, but it turned out just fine! My little mare did fantastic, I am so proud of her!

So we entered into.... Lets see if I can remember this. Ha

1.Walk/Trot novice horse (english)-----2nd place

2. Walk/Trot green horse (english)-----2nd place

3. English Pleasure novice horse----2nd place

4. English Pleasure green horse----1st place

5.Walk/Trot novice horse (western)---2nd place

6. Western Pleasure green horse----3rd place

7. Extreme Trail novice horse-----no place

I am SOO proud of her!! I think the judge really liked her- we kept placing really well, even in classes where I didn't think we had a huge chance. So take that, those of you who say headset is the most important thing! My girly doesn't have a good headset right now...She kind of trots and canters around with her head and neck straight out...But she has a beautiful and even cadence- she is very very consistent! This was her very first show ever, and also mine (discounting the IHSA where you don't ride your own horse). And I won my very first blue ribbon ever! I was so very extremely excited. The only thing that was difficult for her, I think, was the very long waits between classes. Sometimes it was an hour or more of just standing around saddled and being sat on, and she was very impatient with that. But she has never had to do anything like that. She did fantastic, better than I would ever have imagined! Yay!

Discouraged

Well, I can safely say I am now having a very off day. Didn't feel like riding Gypsy, so I lunged her around and that was all great and fine. Got out the clippers again and shaved off her whiskers, attempted a bridepath, but the dang clippers were kind of dull. Ventured to try her ears, and discovered that- while she is fine and dandy for everything else- clipping her ears is an act of war on her poor little self. Fun.

Then had an iffy ride in training class. I mean she wasn't terrible, but I was getting annoyed, and just felt so hopelessly discouraged. Now that she is finally giving me baby haunches and shoulders in, she is being stubborn on moving her hindquarters over. And I have yet to get her to canter at a decent pace. There is no speed control...it's fast, or break into a trot. Ugh! If I had more room in the arena, I might be able to work on it. But it is so hard in there. We put out a mini trail course for the first time. She was great at most of it- cross the bridge nicely, walk over poles, back an L decently... But oh boy the gate. Not that she was real afraid of it. She wanted to push it over, and didn't want to be manuvered around it. But yes. She is still a work in progress, but if I step back from today and look at her, she is still doing well and is getting better. Sigh, I just get discouraged and worried about the rate of her progress is all, I suppose. I'll be over it in the morning, I'm sure.

In other news, I fed a duck some tortilla out of my hand at the park today.

Silly Gypsy

Well, its been a little while. Ive been lazy, shame on me, about updating. But Ive been at it like always, Gypsy and training class and work.

Gypsy has been doing very well! Been riding her bareback/with saddle off and on a lot. She is strangely better bareback....not great saddle fit a possibility, but who knows. That mare wouldn't like a saddle that was zapped down from God. So yes, she's slowly learning to keep her head and neck nice and low, and actually use her hind end, oh gasp. Still a long ways to go, but is a lot better than she was. And she continues to remind me that she is NOT a trail horse. Took her out to the big field... was a little weird going out, not wanting to go forward in anything but zigzags...perhaps she was tipped off that a sniper was out to get her? Oh I'm sure that was it. Rode her into a 'little' puddle that turned out to be a heck of a lot bigger than a puddle. Rode her in to about her knees...then changed my mind! Gypsy was grateful for that. But then proceeded to prance and be a general idiot the whole way back. Very annoying.

Our mare in Training class has been doing well! Rode her english the past couple times, and she is doing better. Have a nice, forward moving trot, instead of her poke-along thing she attempts to call a trot. Getting more solid at the canter all the time, too. Yay! She is progressing so nicely. Gotta love that silly little mare. If she can be called little. Ha.

At work, some big progress too! Mr TB gelding got his toofers trimmed down, so the bit shouldn't hurt him anymore. He should be a much happier boy, although I haven't ridden him since he got done. Planning on doing that tonight, actually! And miss drafty mare, well thats the most exciting news of all! I rode her! Yes you read it. Rode. Ha well kind of. I sat on her, and she was led around. But she didn't hunch up once, and really couldn't have cared less. I was very suprised she didn't throw a fit. I have a video of her first ride, but haven't gotten a chance to upload it yet. As soon as I do, it will be here!

Ahh. So. I didn't want to ride Gypsy today...a bit tired...So I lunged her around, and then was messing around. Gypsy decided she wanted to wear my coat. She really did, I promise. So she did. I love my little mare :)

Haha, at first she wasn't sure about it covering her eyes. But decided it wasn't a big deal.

Doesn't she just look thrilled with life?

RIP cellular device

Ah yes, alas, my cell phone was trampled to death today. I was riding Mr. TB cross gelding at work today, and he did not feel the need to canter when I asked him to. And when I finally made him do it, he thought it might be fun to try and buck me off. And sadly enough, my cell phone was sitting in my jacket pocket, and out it fell, and proceeded to get stomped to death. I got thrown, and then oh boy was Gelding in trouble! I climbed back on that sucker and MADE him canter, and gosh dang it, he was going to like it!
So in the aftermath... I had to run to an At&t store and replace my diseased phone. And I have now discovered that the world's gnarliest bruise now resides on my leg. Sad day. Have a bit of a headache too, but besides that, I'm A-okay.
Besides that, today was a pretty good day! Ha. Rode Miss Mare in class today, and she was fabulous...maybe she knew her little brother was going to be a poop today, and was cutting me a break. Cantered her again today, and did the best yet! Was even riding western today again, and she actually listens enough to leg pressure that I can manage just fine now! Haha, my western skills are pathetic.
So yes, we will see how I feel tomorrow...might be kinda achey. Good thing my massage class at school is tomorrow!

Madame Horse Trainer

Guesssss what! I am now officially being paid to train a couple horses for the lady who owns the mare that I am working with in my class in school. That sentence was confusing. She sent our mare to the school's program, but also has four more horses at home. She apparently likes how my partner and I work with Mare, because she asked if we would like to work with her other four. And of course we said yesyesyes!

So I am on two horses, and partner is on the other two. I have a Gelding who has about 20 rides on him, from another girl in our class [who is too busy with other things to continue training blahblahblah] but had pretty much no ground work put on him. Other horse is a big drafty mare who has nothing at all on her. So she is my starting-from-scratch horse.

Went and worked with them for the first time today. Ground work for the both of them. Sacking out with ropes, leading, backing, moving hindquarters away from pressure.... Some lunging. Took Gelding and put in him surcingle, and hooked lines to him. Ground drove him a bit at walk and a little bit of trot- he did fabulous. Was giving to the bit and turning nicely. Put surcingle on Drafty too, just let her wear it around...Free lunged her a bit. She is so out of shape! Ha! Next time, I think I will lunge her on a line instead...She was a tad distracted and disrespectful at times. Also, Drafty has bad bad habit of leaning to the point of falling down when you pick up her feet. Like...She purposely pushes herself back so that she falls over, while leaning all her [massive] weight on you. Problem! Anybody have some tips for helping that? Anyways, excited to be working with them!

In other news, played a little with Gypsy today. Took out the dreaded clippers, which I have never tried on her. To my utter amazement, she couldn't care less about them. I clipped her little nose whiskers off, and it made me happy inside.

No Whiskers! Success!

Also tried to do a bit of a bridlepath, but the clippers were very dull. Sad day.

Oh, and I almost forgot. In horse training class today, I decided to try and canter our Mare under saddle out of the round pen for the first time. Just about almost came off...Scared me silly! But our instructor helped me get a few good strides of canter in, and then let her be. Hopefully next time will go a little better!

Success!

YAY! Finally some headway! So Gypsy has been iffy for the past week or two, and so today I decided to do something completely different. She has been refusing to walk nicely, and especially around the rail of the arena. So today I hopped on bareback (she's usually a bit calmer bareback) and set up some cones and a ground pole. So today all we did was walk calmly and nicely all around the cones. Lots and lots of bending, and lateral work, and occasionally we would walk out to the rail and walk down it. And Voila! Gypsy was calm and bendy and was going marvelously! Success!

Also asked a teacher of my equine training class about Gypsy and her issues and got some tips. She said to come off the rail way more. Do nothing but circles and serpentines, and bending bending bending. Rarely go back to the rail. Sounds like it makes sense to me, so I am definately going to try that. Put out the cones again and trot all around them like mad.

Speaking of that training class I'm in....drama today in there! Gah! My partner and I are assigned to a QH/Percheron mare who is about as sensitive and dead sided as a brick.

<--Exhibit A.

Love that horse- such a sweetheart, but boy can she be difficult.

Anyways, put an english saddle for the first time on her today, to see if she would be easier to get momentum if we rode that way- with the ability to have some more leg on her. I got on first. So much better! The saddle fits too narrow for her fattyness, so she was throwing her head a bit (planning on bringing my other saddle for the next class-its so wide, it could fit a house), but she was acting better than she has before! Yay! Had her bending a little, the very beginning baby steps of some lateral movement, and a bit of trotting. More success!

Ah, but it was foiled. My partner climbed aboard- she doesn't ride english- really, not at all. And before too long, I look over to see My buddy go flying. Apparently she got ahead of our Mare's motion or something, Mare got upset, hopped around a little, smashed Buddy's head with her own big fatty head, then sent Buddy to the ground.

Gah. All with the owner of our Mare standing up in the viewing platform to watch it all. What a mess. Talked to the owner. She is massively worried about my Buddy- who took quite a spill- and also worried about the bad fit of the saddle. I assured her we were going to use the wider saddle on Friday, and that the saddle was not the cause of Mare's blowup. Owner still seemed very nervous and unsure of what to say about this little event. I can hardly blame her, really. I would feel the same way in her position. We just need to realize what went wrong, and be sure to fix it.

Sigh. Drama. But still some success for today. I am happy enough about it all. At least Mare was good for me to ride. Ha.