Do your job

This is where it starts to get fun and the depths of stupidity is mind numbing and just, well, 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

At feeding time one night, the trainer approaches me to ask me about the mare. "Miss Izzy, what is the deal with this horse??? I had her in long lines the one day and she went full blown NFR on me. I was afraid to get on her." 

Yeah let that last line sink in for a bit. The trainer is afraid to get on the horse the owner has no problems riding. 🚩

She then proceeds to untie the mare and jump around in front of her, expecting her to spook. Which apparently  the mare learned to do now too. She jumps and lands in a pose with her feet apart, arms wide and in the air.... well Duh! The horse is going to jump. You go from normal size to BIG! What kind of stupidity is that??? 👀😲 

How many times in the wild do we see horses, let alone herd leaders do that shit? Zero. Nadia. Zip. None. All of the Above...  🚩 She is not a herd leader.  When you do stupid shit and don't give the horse a reason to trust you? They're Not going to trust you. 

So I'm messing with the horse and rubbing her neck and shoulders. Explain again that I had No problem with the mare and start to show new trainer (poser) some of the amount of stiffness and tightness in the mare.  I also do some of the stretches with the horse to release the tension and anxiety she's feeling because of the other trainer. 

When I get back in the car to leave I tell a friend of mine about all of this. The trainer is afraid to get on the horse and the horse is jumpy around her, but as I was doing all of the stretches and relaxation work on the mare - I was wearing Flip Flops! 

I also explained to my friend and then to the owner that the "trainer" should be able to figure this all out on her own. I didn't have anybody else to go ask. She's a trainer - figure it out 🤷‍♀️ This is all part of the evaluation part at the beginning. 

Daily Facts

Yep! That about sums it up! 

Trainer things

One of the few issues I discovered with the horse? She was super tight thru her neck and shoulders. When asking her to bend and give to the left she wasn't too bad. Bending and giving to the right? Not so much. 

Out in the pasture one day I was checking her to see just how sore and tight she was. Right side not too bad, which explains why giving to the left was okay. Left side- she reached around to bite me. That explains the resistance giving to the right.  Alrighty then!

Because she's stiff and sore, let's do some stretches and relaxation techniques to soften her up. No big deal, help the horse out. I always try to rule out pain first, fear next and then if the behavior doesn't change? Then Maybe the horse is misbehaving thru learned behavior that has worked in the past. Gotta go with what ya know! 

Still the mare never bucked. Not on the lunge line, not in long lines and not under saddle. Apparently with the other "trainer" she bucks in all three scenarios. Which makes me ask - What the hell is this "trainer" doing???

Backstory

The horse in the previous post is a younger mare. Probably around 6-9 from the vet.... supposedly 10 from the seller and still a solid, quiet little mare. She's definitely broke to ride and can be a little stubborn at times but doesn't do anything dumb. 

The owner is and intermediate level rider. They prefer a quiet horse that isn't going to push their buttons, but also isn't dead sided and ignores them. 

We have both ridden the horse in the arena and out on the trails. Never a single buck was offered ...

Texting the owner I had to remind her that bits do not cause the bucking. The bucking is a symptom of something else. 

When she said the trainer told her she didn't think the horse was very well broke I about laughed my ass off. Told her the horse was pretty damn broke for however old she actually is and again reminded her We never had these problems..... But she still went with this trainer and good for her.

When You Know.....

 IYKYK - If You Know, You Know

WYKYK- When You Know, You Know

When you know your shit and everyone comes to you for answers.... Lol 

There's another couple "trainers" at the barm where I board. In quotes because, well, yeah..... 

Now I'm Not trying to be cocky or anything, but Dayum the stupidity is a bit mindnuming and can be unconscionable at times. 

I was working with a horse at the barn and his owner. Got busy with life and other things.... She went with this other so called trainer. I get it. No big deal really, but this is where things get Fun! Lmao 

So the owner sends me a text one day. Her horse is now Bucking. "Trainer" doesn't think he likes the bit and "He isn't very broke". What! The! FUCK!?!?!? 

🤷🏼🤦🏼🤣🤣🤣

Trust the Process

A while back I got pics of Miss Mazy doing her thing as well as her being ridden. What I seen in the pics, wasn't exactly her on her best day. She wasn't "Killin' It!" and there was something needing to be fixed. 

I tried this, tried that, gave something else a shot, tried something else and still kept missing the mark in fixing it. So I reached out to another trainer I know and respect and asked if I could pick his brain. I'm having a problem with my ponies and since it's Both of them with the same issue.... His response? What's the matter? Aren't they fast enough??? 😂😂😂😂 He knows me well.... 🤷🏼🤦🏼

I described the issue, sent a few pics showing what was going on and all the different things I've done to try to fix it....  The bit we use, the different one's I've tried. All the things! And there have been a Lot of things! 

Mazy is more prominent with the issue, Casey not so much, but at the canter, they arent so much lifting their shoulders and moving off their hind end like they should. See the pic

That front hoof? It should Not be on the ground, but rather still be in the air like the inside hind. There's plenty of room between the hind legs as she reaches up under herself. Plenty of room between the front legs as she reaches out with them as well, but the distance between the hind leg and the front legs should be about the same, not scrunched together like in this photo.

I had tried everything, except one. Or two actually. Bitting them up and using a German martingale. I figured I would start with Mazy and bitting her up. After having a major DUH! moment and a blonde moment (or three) in our conversation, I remembered all the times before, bitting the horse up to lunge them and let them learn to elevate and lift on their shoulders all on their own. 

The pic above is towards the end of the workout and she's starting to improve. Its not a one time thing and may take a few more times doing this, but I need to trust the process and let the horses sort their shit out on their own. 

To bit the horse up, it's best to use a simple snaffle bit and split reins. If saddled, run the reins down between the front legs and up o the rigging D's on the saddle. Some people just run the rein through the D and leave it that way while others tie it off.

Clearly I prefer to tie mine off since there needs to be some resistance when they pull against it. 

Mazy worked well enough like this and we need to do this a lot more, but like the title of this post, its a process... And sometimes I lose my patience in the process. Not losing my patience with the horse, but more with myself and wanting to see the improvements Now without having to wait for it.  🤦🏼

Whew!

 Its been a while, I know.... Pic's, lots of pics to come. 

A friend of mine and I got together and hosted a driving clinic. Maybe hosted isn't the right word, but more like presented it. Another friend of mine hosted it and let us use her facility. 

Loved her movement in the pic above so I had to zoom in on Miss Mazy doin' her thing. 

It was a weekend of learning and Fun!  We talked about harnesses, carts, carriages, showing, pleasure driving for Funsies and focused on Safety. 

Loved this shot too even though a lot of it is blocked by the rail and the carriage.... Lol

We worked on ground driving and long line work, being in control of the horse without the cart and all the things leading up to hitching them to the cart or carriage. 

Then we moved on to actually driving. After working Mazy for a bit and putting her thru her paces, a couple of the participants got to take the reins and drive. This lady had a blast on the back of the carriage and even more fun up in the drivers seat. 

A big shout out to Revolution Sporthorses for hosting the event and CeCe's Horsemanship for helping to present it. We're looking forward to the next one!

Grounded!

 Warning, graphic pics ahead.... 

If you've been reading here for any time, you may remember a short time ago when Mazy kicked Casey's ass in the pasture. Well she did it again, only this time much worse. 

These pics are the morning after, after I rinsed Casey off to clean her up

Mazy can be brutal at when she wants to be. I don't know what started this one, what it was about or how it went down, I just know some shit went down. 

Since these two are the only ponies in the pasture- the aggressor here is obvious. This was the Monday after Memorial Day weekend. 

While there is plenty of skin missing, there was a lot more hair missing all over. It was so painful for Casey that just the water running over it had her tucking her ass end up underneath her with hind hooves trying to be in front of the front hooves. 

So I gave her a shot of pain meds to help ease things while I cleaned her up. Trying to stick her with the needle for that? She tried to reach around and take ogf the side of my face. Um NO baby girl. We don't do things that way here. The 3rd attempt I was twitching her with one hand and giving an IV shot with the other. Something I have gotten good at. 

Rinsed her off, cleaned her up and put her away in the stall to have breakfast. Her sister got lectured and now they no longer get to play together. 

I'm just lucky things like this heal rather quickly and with minimal issues later on. Still there will not be another attempt made on anyone's life. I can't afford this. So with all of that pink skin.... Casey goes out at night, Mazy goes our during the day. They are grounded and not allowed to play together anymore. Life will be good this way. Ugh! Mares! 🤷🏼🤦🏼

Cowgirlin' it

Casey got her cowgirl clothes on and we went western for the day...

Picking up a nice jog down the fenceline 

Driving from behind and pushing up into the bridle

Casey was just handling it really well

We got a lot of good work in at the jog. She's really turning out to be such a fun pony to ride and I'm looking forward to getting into 3rd gear. 

Buzzzzzzz

Last week Miss Casey got a clip job. This was her first time really going under the blades (lol). 

Not hardly dude... 

Now that I look at this pic? Look at the Motor on her. Holy Crap!  

I noticed she has some wrinkles in the girth area 

Girl was so good, she got to graze as a reward. 

Casey looking a little miffed because shes only half clipped. 

All the hair on the ground... 

Before with reddish brown, bay horse spots... 

After spots with all of the roaning and also some dark colored spots.

Casey also used to have a dorsal stripe but lately it's covered in dirt. Of course you can also see her pink skin. She now gets turned out at night to prevent her getting sunburned. 

Casey did really good for her first clip job. The only thing that didn't get clipped was her ears. Most horses dont like this so its normal. And nobody died that day. Lol 

Long lines & mud

I worked Mazy in long lines a while back. Always a good refresher for her and a chance for me to watch her move, see what changes need to be made and fix her issues without me on her back. 

I like how uphill her movement is in this pic. She's starting to lift her shoulders and move a little laterally to the outside. 

Just love that big sexy butt she's got. And the arch to her neck. 

Just one word comes to mind- round. 

The reach in this shot. Why bells boots for life and why splint boots always when working horses. 

I could look at these all day long. Shes back to reaching up underneath herself and using her back and core. 

Again nice and uphill, and because of the mud maybe(?) lots of action and lift

Leaning a bit to the inside so its not just when I'm on her. Now I know. But a fair amount of extension in her gait, on the vertical and doing well enough. 

Again leaning to the inside again, but otherwise lifting, extending and balanced. Now if I can just Ride this... Lol 

Hooved Souls

Shout out to my friend over at Hooved Souls! We met two barns ago and have been getting together for a lot of things. The other day she stopped by the barn on the way to a lesson. She doesn't compete, but has seen a short video clip on YT of what combined driving is all about. 

I had Casey put to the cart and was driving her when my friend arrived. She got a little bit of video as we went around and I asked her if she wanted to get on? Hilarity ensued! We had Such a blast. Laughed our asses off all the way around the arena. After her lesson she stopped by the house for dinner. Steak, fish and chips- surf and turf with fries. 

She put together the following to post on TikTok. 

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRpaG7kY/

The comment- We've got dirt- because I forgot to pay attention with her phone and videoed the ground.  We went thru the mud because Casey was in control for a bit. Loose reins not so much when driving. So then when she started to take up slack and make contact- Casey responded, we hit the barrel and wiped it out! 

Casey hasn't been driven in a while since this was the first time I've been on the cart since coming off Mazy over a month ago. This is also only about the 17th or 18th drive for her. Cassie has never even been on a cart before.... All things considered? It went really well! 

We have laughed and laughed, watched this over and over and laughed some more. It was so raw, unfiltered, unplanned and there's no way to possibly go back and do it over again to get the same hilarious result. Even just thinking about it- we both still just crack up. And neither of us had been drinking! 😆🤣😂

A few more tweaks

Mazy back in western tack again

This pic you can see my hands have come up a bit. Mazy is bent to the inside but she was getting a bit braced against my hands. To soften her up, I lift my hands up and ask for her to flex at the poll, soften her jaw and give to the bit. 

We had paused for a break above and I took the time to praise and reward her efforts. Then I stepped off to tighten the girth another hole. 

Getting back to work, Mazy started to stiffen up, set her jaw, raise her head and hollow out thru the back. Lift the inside hand asking for both lateral flexion and vertical. Give to the bit, soften and I will let go. I also have my inside leg on her. This can be used 2 ways. At the girth means move your shoulders over and make a bigger circle. Behind the girth, more towards her back end means move it over to the outside. 

Since a horses body is sorta triangle shaped (from above viewpoint), asking then to move their butt over to the outside- means the inside shoulder will turn in, making the direction you want to go pretty much a no brainer for them. Remember to follow the horse around with your outside rein. 

I really like the size of Mazy's neck and shoulder in this pic. She's really stepping out in her walk. Again shes bent to the inside, soft thru her jaw and her head is down and relaxed so my hands are too. 

She's moving with her head low and relaxed, reins are good. Hands are good, legs and seat? Check, check, check. 

Picked up the jog and while this pic isn't great its not all bad either. I need to Look Up which will help me Sit Up. Open up my hands- out to the side a bit more and down a touch. Maybe push for a little more forward movement while her legs are in the air.... 

Asking for a bit more softness when she got a little goofy on me. Still keeping her bent to the inside and look where that left hind/ right front diagonal leags are at. If I were giving her a bit more rein she may have gotten back to giving me some beautiful overstep- why she wears bell boots 24/7. 

Listen mare.... Inside rein is straight up to get Mazy's mind back on her work In the arena. She may be a bit ADHD. Seriously. SQUIRREL!! 

My hand comes up so she knows to put her head down and soften. I'm asking her to bend to the inside, but my leg says "Don't fall into the drain. We're just circling it for now." Lol 😆