Trailer Loading Practice

Since Deuce is going home in a week I decided to make sure she loads. We had the trailer out for the field trip with the other horses so when we got back I put Deuce on...and off, and on and off and on and off.

She did great! I have a short video. I will have to get picture of her with her new collar on!

Halter on, Halter off

Deuce has been awesome with having her halter taken on and off and on and off.

I don't think that Deuce is ever going to have her leg/tendon well enough to be a riding horse. She WILL be an excellent behaved horse though and her ground manners will be fantastic.

Riding Evaluation

I was able to hop on Deuce for a couple of minutes yesterday. She is moving much better since she got her shoes! I'm not sure if it is because the soles of her feet aren't sore anymore or if it helps her tendon.

She stepped out a lot more freely and was generally happier.

I got her out today to see if she was tender and I couldn't see anything glaringly obvious like I have in the past. I put her on a tight circle on the lunge and she was still sound. Cross your fingers that she stays sound.

She'll have another big ride on Saturday so her owner and I can evaluate her soundness together on Sunday morning.

Yesterday was the day!

Yesterday the most patient farrier in the world came out to work on Deuce. She wasn't trilled but did fabulous. She was great and her shoes look great. Here are a few pictures of her getting worked on. Hopefully I will have some video of it later today or tomorrow.

Fishing with new poles....

The teenage girls have been doing a GREAT job with D. This week they will start catching her and putting another halter on her. Leading her around some and then taking it off and letting her go. I'm sure she will take it in stride like everything else.

She gets her first set of shoes EVER on Wed. I will have pictures and hopefully some video too.

Riding and Evaluation

Tuesday was a GREAT ride. She stepped off like she should have and was perfect. We did more steering and backing.

This morning she was tender when I pulled her out to ride. You can see how she will hold her leg out in front of her even more than normal and step out tender.

Next week the farrier is coming out to see about putting shoes on her that will hopefully help her leg. Cross your fingers!!!

Little Sore

For the past 2 days Deuce has looked sore when she has been moving in the pasture. She looked a lot better this morning but with the rain I will have to wait until tomorrow to ride her again.

BIG Steps!

Sorry for the lack of posts. I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off! Lately I have been doing the same thing with Deuce. We have been working extra hard on her being caught, then I tack her up and we work on changing eyes, bending, and getting more accustomed to my hand on her side where my foot would go. This took a while longer than I had expected but I'm glad I took the time to REALLY get it one right.

So I made sure I had extra people around just in case and of course to take pictures!

We started out like normal with getting her nice and forward.

Then made sure she was really comfortable with me being above her. We have done this part a log before.

Then there was the deep breath and I sat down. She stood like a champ. With her good conformation it helps because she hardly feels my weight. She didn't twist up or get nervous at ALL!
We did lots and lots of bending and rubbing. She was content to just stand there. When I did start asking her to move it was just a turn or two. She did great. She adjusted to the weight quickly and was calm.

The ride was about 10 minutes long. We did lots of standing, walking, and backing. She did GREAT.

Next week I have a surprise for Deuce. There are 2 teenagers that have horses living in the house at the barn. They are going to be the second and third set of hands to ever catch Deuce. Their job will be to catch her each morning and evening. Its time she started trusting ALL people not just me.

Early Week

Sorry I have been missing the daily updates. Its been a crazy busy week. I promise to try to do better.

After the farrier visit on Monday we have been doing the same thing everyday. Tacking up and working on bending and getting used to my hand on her side where my foot will be. I'm sure by this weekend I will be getting on and off of her regularly. I want to take this super slow. She had taken everything I've done great so far but it would be easy to push her too far.

She is still doing fabulous.

The farrier visit was awesome. Summer camp is this week so there were 12yr old girls younger than 14 out at the barn running around and being loud. She walked through it all and stood like a champ while the farrier examined her. She didn't mind him picking up her feet and working on her legs at ALL! I was very proud of her.

Saturday and Sunday

Wow what a weekend!!! I won't go into details....pictures say it all.

More Fishing!

Since Tuesday went so bad with the vet and yesterday it rained and rained and rained and rained I decided to fish with her today. I kept going out in her paddock over and over again to catch and release.

She did GREAT she was walking up to me in the pasture to get rubbed on and being sweet. It was a great change!

Vet, Feet, and Tying

Today was quite a day. The vet came out to pull coggins this morning. She was easy to catch and walked into the barn like a pro. Stood tied until the vet came. We untied her and led her out. This is when the shit hit the fan! She was NOT thrilled about being stuck!

We decided to twitch her after she slammed the vet and I into the wall and bent 3 needles. She stood twitched and we were able to draw the blood we needed.

I tied her back up while we worked on the other horses at the barn.

After the vet left I grabbed some brushes and a hoof pick and treated her like any of my other horses. She stood there while I brushed her all over and even picked out all 4 feet. This was the first time I've been able to really study her feet. She has surprisingly flat feet. She might need shoes if she will be a trail horse. The farrier is coming out next week and we will see what he says about her feet. She needs her heels brought up and her feet balanced.

So once she was cleaned I tacked her up and she stood like a pro. This was the only picture I could get of her. I forgot my camera so I just had my phone. I was very proud of her!

2 Steps Forward

Looky looky what Miss Deuce learned this weekend!!!!

Gone Fishing

Today was a LOT more catch and release. I must have caught her, lead her a few feet and released her more than 20 times today. By the time I was done she was bored.

Tomorrow we will hopefully be back to working with the saddle.

2 Steps Back

Yesterday I went out to catch her to get to work and she wasn't having it. She ran and ran and bucked and ran and ran and ran. So for the next hour we worked on me catching her and then letting her go, then catching her and letting her go.

This was all we did yesterday. Today I caught her this morning before breakfast and we will keep doing it until she is back to the way she was.

Saddle Time!

Today was the first day she had to be caught with her buddy in the paddock. She did fabulous!

We worked in the arena for about 5 minutes just for a refresher course.

Then we went over to the middle and I put the saddle pad on each side of her. She stood like a champ. I rubbed it all over her and she didn't care. I then grabbed the saddle and threw that on her.

Then it was time to combine them. She was calm the whole time!

I put it on tight enough that it wasn't going to come off but it wasn't super tight and asked her to move. She was fine so I tightened it up like I was getting on. She was fine with it ALL.

I'm quite proud of her today.

The Princess and the Pea

Guess who is getting sensitive to pressure!?!?!?! She travels around bent at the poll and I don't have to have measurable pressure on her poll to get her to walk forward or put her head down.

Today we skipped ahead. It was a very pretty morning with storms rolling in during the afternoon. I was worried about the rain coming so I decided to work her. I wish we had the camera crew out there! It was a perfect morning. We worked on her circles, feet, and backing and then stepped out of the roundpen.

She was nervous at first but once she realized the same rules applied she was better than most of the horses at the farm. She lead, stopped by my shoulder, walked through gates like a pro, ignored other horses, etc. We even took a trip into the barn. She was nervous with the light change but followed me quietly.

She did so well I turned her out into a small paddock on her own. While I was bringing water over and fresh hay I would go into the paddock and "catch her". I would walk over to her and have her stand still while I would rub her shoulder/neck then walk away. She got to where she would walk over to me and offer me her face.

It was a GREAT day.

Day #3 BIG steps

Today was the first day I was able to touch her before the rope did. She stood there and let me rub her all over and then I attached her lead rope.

She was fantastic tonight! She has really gotten the hang of moving forward at the end of my rope and stopping when I ask. Its like a mini lunge line. She changes directions easily but is still less comfortable with me on her left side.

We also did more work on her feet and I can hold her front two feet for about 15 seconds right now. We will tackle the hind feet once she can be tied. I'm hoping to start tying her tomorrow.

One of the girls at the barn had her video camera out so as soon as she sends me the video I will post it. It really shows how far she has come!

They didn't stay long and after they left we worked on getting Deuce to drive through me and the fence. I gave her about 6'. Once she grasped the concept she was great going to the right and quick going left. She eventually calmed down and went quietly both ways.

Once she ties nicely we will start taking walks around the farm. Hopefully she keeps letting me catch her so easily so she can go out in a regular paddock. I hope to have video for you this evening.

Deuce Day #2 Pt 1

Today was a good day. She remembered everything we did yesterday. We stared out the same with moving her hind end over some and getting her to pick up her feet. She did great.

After that I started asking her to move forward. She was a LOT more receptive than she has been in the past. She was was quicker and more nervous to the left. She would prefer to keep me on her right side and eye.

She was sluggish and calm to the right. She would trot but wanted to stop and face me. Once she understood that I wanted her to keep going she did great. Then I added more by asking her to switch sides. She had a BIG blow up and bolt to the left. She came back down controlled though and didn't get out of my hands.

She settled down and then was able to get her breakfast.

Day #1

Deuce had quite a day. After I fed this morning I took a few minutes to go in her pen and move her around some. She was calm but aware. I didn't catch her until lunch time. She wasn't too thrilled but let me throw the rope over her neck and hook it her her halter. We just worked on leading a little and then I let her go.

This evening though we got to some real work. She had a few bursts of protest but was overall MUCH better than yesterday. She is getting REALLY soft in the halter and leading like a mature horse.

Getting her attention to catch her.Asking her to move forward was met with some panic and resistance but was easily corrected and we got onto some nice trotting.
Then we went the other way.Then more face touching.
Then we worked on feet.