dancing horses

dancing horses

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Curiousity

I'm continuing to work through the lessons with Carmen whenever I can. The weather is not helpful but I try to apply the principles in just my general day to day work. I can see that it can clearly help her.

What I like about the program is that you are not to strive for perfection: you work on something and when the horse is starting to show understanding you leave it and let them filter it. The theory is that if you continue to drill the horse starts to think that they don't have the answer and it leads to shut down. So our sessions consist of cycling through things, starting with the easy thing. For Carmen that is the leading exercise where she has to measure the space and maintain it no matter at what speed I walk. When she seems to get frazzled we go back to that as a 'reset'.

All progress is rewarded with a rest, even if the horse went backwards. You let them rest if they try to do the right thing, even it is less than what they were doing before.

In our last session I introduced the idea of going by and over potentially spooky things. I put the whip with the plastic bag attached in a pylon. When were walking up to the ring Carmen spied it flapping and went on high alert. However, she never pulled back or balked. When we came into the ring she demanded to walk up and investigate it.

We worked though the leading and ground pattern. Then I reviewed the approach of the bag and other objects. She did not care. I then put down a tarp between pylons to walk over. I didn't expect it to be an issue and it was not. I propped my phone up on a post and did a short video:


Right at the end the phone fell off the post but was unharmed. I need to find a gadget to attach it.  You will notice that I don't lead her over/through. We're not supposed to- because then it's not about them figuring out to manage themselves. I'm probably explaining it poorly but it makes sense. When I'm sitting on her I can't lead her either so I can see how it can transfer.

I've noticed that she is expressing more curiosity over strange things rather than being wary. The other day I was trying to repair Irish's stall door to the outside (it was frozen). I felt a nose at my neck and looked over to see Carmen.
Hey, what are you doing? Let me see. Also, do you have any carrots in your pockets? 

So even if this doesn't result in a perfectly zen magical unicorn it is a good tool to add to the toolbox.

waiting (somewhat) patiently for me finish cleaning her stall
during the storm. I'm really happy with her weight this winter. 



18 comments:

  1. Sounds like it's going really well! One of the things I love most about this work is how nicely it transfers to under-saddle work. :)

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    1. I really hope so. Actually that’s. It true. I can see how it does. I hope that I can transfer it.

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  2. What a good girl! Maybe I missed this, what program are you following?

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    1. She is good. I’m following the Tristan Tucker Method.

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  3. For the last 8 days we've had snow and sub zero temps, just enough to solidify the mud and make it dangerous for my animals, so I can only hope they don't start to cavort for some reason.

    I have two gates into my horse area. One of them broke off completely, the post the gate is attached to rotted, though cemented underground, so....um to repair it, I assume we need un-frozen ground. So every night I worry my animals will push through and discover freedom in the full-moonlit fields. Our other gate, to our pasture from the street, has a combo lock and the lock froze and I cannot open it, so if there is an emergency - a tree down on a fence, well, we can't get to it with any vehicle.

    I don't hate Winter, I'm a Summerhater. But lately I've had pain in my head through my ears from the cold, and I cannot chip away the manure from the mud, as you photographed. And every day is more, and worse, and on Sunday I have to go away for a week for my final EMT course. It is like this itching in my mind, all this frozen poop I cannot clean, and that my animals could twist a leg, or not have drinkable water!

    I'm from Seattle and we don't have this crap. I love the snow, it's so pretty, I've been making fires in our stove, but this has to stop now.

    One of the worst parts is the attitude of the animals - they are getting really pissy with each other, and even Mag gives *ME* sour looks when it comes to feed times. I make him go way, far away, to minimize the food drive, but I see it and it's ugly. I don't know what to do, cuz we had a drought this year and there is no more hay to buy, so I have to limit the hay I feed, and it's like telling your children, "No, you only get one slice of bread tonight."

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    1. Winter is hard. I have to let the manure go and then, when it thaws, go in with the tractor and scoop everything out. Are you using a slow feed hay net? That might help.

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  4. It is fun when you see an increase of curiosity in more reserved horses in response to training. I think that is how you know you are going in the right direction.

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  5. Sounds like good progress. I’ve found over the years that it’s useless to drill a horse. They never learn to think for themselves. I let them figure stuff out by themselves as much as possible. Nice work.

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    1. I agree. And I would have said that I was much less a drill sergeant then before but I'm learning to be even less so.

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  6. I love curiosity in a horse. Gem was pretty aloof about most things seeming them underneath her dignity to notice. H’Appy loves all things and checks everything out.

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    1. I think that geldings are generally more curious than mares but I agree, it's nice to see the confidence to check things out.

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  7. This stuff is so cool - what a great way to keep working on stuff despite not having good riding weather !

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  8. Winter is such a tough time for getting things done, but I commend you for pushing forwards despite the cooler temperatures and less than ideal weather. Annie and I are kinda in the same boat - a snow filled outdoor arena makes schooling impossible, and icey roadways make for impossible road-hacks. So, we've been doing some in-hand stuff and playing around. Some days I just leave her be too - I think she went thru another growth spurt because she was starting to look a bit weedy on me (again ugh) and her blankets no longer fit properly.

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    1. It takes some self-talk on some days to do things. I won't when the wind is high because it's just so uncomfortable. It's hard when they grow over the winter to keep them in good weight.

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  9. I’m doing similar work with Tweed—rewarding a try of any kind. It’s very easy to go too far and hit the “shut down”. Boy, that sets you back when you do. 😭 You may want to invest in what I have—a tripod for phones. They’re only $20 and easy to fold up.

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  10. Oohhh what a good girl feeling happy and confident enough to express curiosity! I love it.

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