Well, last time I posted I spoke about Arwen and our difficulties with catching. Things have improved amazingly. A few weeks ago I began going back out to the fields with Arwen and Riva when we were done for the day. After a few days of this I began removing the halter at the gate and walked out to the herd with them. This has made a huge difference for Arwen. She sticks with me when we walk back out and does not leave until I say we are done and send her to her friends. At that point she walks away and meets up with the other while I go and get Riva or walk back to the barn.
Last weekend I walked out to get her. Spent some time deburring Leah and then asked Arwen to come with me. She and I walked back to the barn with no halter or lead. Just quietly walking with no hint of her thinking of leaving. Once we got close enough to the gate I put the halter on. Amazing !! Things are looking up.
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June of 2014 I started playing with a mare named Arwen. My own horse Riva was unsound and after spending many dollars treating her lameness I decided to turn her out for a year and ride other horses. Arwen seemed like an interesting girl as she did not like to be caught and had some issues with humans.
So I started the process of getting to know her and the first step of course was to be able to catch her. I spent a number of hours hanging out in the field with her and just being there offering treats etc. It took about 3 days before I was able to clip a lead on her and that was after offering food and walking away instead of grabbing her while she ate. She still has issues with being caught but I am trying something a little different. When I am finished riding her instead of just turning her out I walk with her back out to her herd and let her go there. The idea being that if you just desert them at the gate you are just dropping them into an un safe situation. If you just leave them at the gate many times they go galloping back to their friends calling. I do remember how many times I have seen this happen over the years. By going with them to the herd you are kind of transferring them back and they know that they are free again. Well this seems to be improving our catching and joining up with more success. I have not had to walk around after her for a few days now and she is allowing me to walk up more easily although I still don't rush it. Looks like it is helping her feel more confident and comfortable. Today I went out to the field to get Riva and she started walking to me so I jogged backwards and she trotted to me.. That was so nice. Spent some time rubbing on her and giving carrots. It had been raining and everywhere was muddy so we rode in the small indoor and practiced some stopping with the seat. . Did some carrot stick riding and sideways with one rein and then turns on the haunches building up to turns with no reins and only using leg and carrot stick with no walking forward.
I love the connection that Riva and I have. Even after her year off with no riding and only a little ground play we are still connected. I don't think I have ever had such a good connection with any of my other horses. Took the bridle off from her back and walked around for a little bit, she likes that. She was a good girl. Got lots of treats. She likes that too . We all need confidence in everything we do. Confidence helps us to achieve and create, to start new projects, and in general just feel good about ourselves. We need to feel confident to be comfortable with our abilities or our ability to learn and become confident. As we learn we become proficient at the skill we are learning and become confident in our ability to perform the skill. Confidence is one of the most important things we can possess, it can make the difference between success and failure or just how confident we feel even if we fail at a task.. If we are confident we are able to try again and not be put off by failure.
Humans are not the only beings to feel confident or unconfident but I really never thought of animals as being confident or unconfiden until I began studying Parelli. . Equine behavior is also directly related to how confident they feel performing certain tasks or skills and fear is so close to the surface for the horse being a prey animal. , If unconfident they may unable to perform the activity as the human has requested and then humans may resort to force to make sure the goal they have in mind is performed or the activity completed. This lack of understanding is what causes most problems in the horse/human relationship. Good training and schooling on the ground and in the saddle can help the horse become more confident and feel more relaxed and happy about performing the task. We as humans need to understand that horses do not refuse or become uncooperative because they are lazy or mean or stupid. They are uncooperative because they are afraid and unconfident. It is out responsibility to help them gain confidence and feel less fear. Ground skills done with patience and awareness of the horses comfort zone will help the horse and the human develop their relationship and build the confidence level of the horse and the human. Ground Training can be an invaluable tool for helping the horse to gain confidence and skills on the ground which will later be transferred to the under saddle relationship. When something is familiar on the ground it is the first step to it being familiar under saddle. 15 years ago I purchased a foal sight unseen from a website in western Canada. Little did I know that this purchase would lead me on a journey of horsemanship and partnership and learning.
I had owned and worked with a number of horses at this point and felt confident in my ability to bring along a foal to maturity. Riva is a PMU foal born out in the fields with her herd. She didn't interact with humans till she was weaned and shipped to the auctions . She arrived to the barn I had chosen to keep her in late September 2000 at approximately 5 months of age. She was wild and unhandled. Two weeks after her arrival she cut her leg and I had to call the vet. She was scared but eventually let us examine her knee. It took us 10 minutes to catch her in the stall. Dr Peace was such a good sport about the whole thing. Even though she was terrified she never tried to hurt us. Once caught we medicated her knee and gave her shots for it. She was prescribed 7 days of penicillin . The next day it only took me only a few minutes to get her to allow me to handle her and we had started on our pathway to a lifetime relationship. Two years later I learned about Parelli Natural Horsemanship and I started on my learning journey. Now 13 years later we are have finished Level 3 and working in Level 4. Riva has some physical problems but as long as she is comfortable we will continue with the Levels program and now some dressage. Last summer Riva had the year off as she was unsound. I am back riding her again and so far she is doing well. Riva is the longest I have kept any of my horses. I have learned through Parelli that there is so much to play with and learn. It is not just about riding and showing. You can spend hours just hanging out or playing online or at liberty. You can develope trust and a partnership. Horsemanship is way more than just riding and that is so true. I am sorry I didn't see that when I was younger and taken the time with some of my other horses. If I had know then what I know now I could have changed and improved our relationships. Well, you can't go back you can only go forward so onward we go. :) Horsemanship is a journey. A road that some of us choose to travel.. Given the opportunity to pursue other things in life we decline and continue with our first love of the horse and horsemanship despite the hardships that our choice can bring. It also brings with it much pleasure and satisfaction in developing this relationship with the horse and learning more along the way.
Horsemanship is not just about riding and going to horse shows, getting that ribbon to hang on the wall.. It is about the relationship that develops between horse and human. It is the development of a language between you and your equine partner that continues to grow and progress with each year. When I was younger and interested in showing, the show seemed to be the goal and the ribbon the reward but as I have gotten older I can take more pleasure and satisfaction from the horse learning something and doing something well that we have been playing with for a time. It is an internal happiness that comes without a ribbon or an award and I may be the only one who even knows it happened. That's okay, I find that every time I play with my horses there is always something to look forward to for the next session. I can take pleasure in small things that I may have not even noticed 10 years ago. The more my horsemanship grows the more I want it to grow and the more I see there is still to learn. So as I say, Horsemanship is a never ending journey that brings much pleasure and even pain at times but that some of us won't trade for many other of life's adventures. It certainly has been hot the last few days I rode Friday and Saturday but Sunday was just to warm. It was a productive day though. I hooked up the trailer in one try 😊 and drove it around the yard just so it does not sit in one place for to long.
After that I brought the girls in and gave them some carrots while I cleaned out my tack trunk. Riva and Arwen observed from the arena. They hung out in the shade and I worked. So it was a day of undemanding time for them. Arwen was not that eager to come in and we had to do our "catching dance" for awhile before she decided that she would come close to me. I don't know why she is like this or what caused it but every day is different Saturday she walked right up to me but Friday she walked the other way. She's not afraid she just doesn't want to interact. Somewhere along the line something has made her wary of what happens when humans catch her, either that or she would just rather stay out with her herd. Not sure which it is but I must not take offence as it is just they way it is . Something we are working on. Maybe one day she will just stop doing it. 😀 |