Maple

[Rodeo]

May 30, 2012 6:37:52 GMT -3 Gertie said:

Katrina - I for one am looking very forward to hearing all about the journey that you and Maple will take during her training. I'm sure it will be interesting and positive. You started this thread to document her progress and I encourage you to do just that. The negativity and bashing from the usual suspects should just be ignored and chalked up to ignorance. A few pictures once in a while would also be great:-)

I'm sure you are referring to me here, and I don't see anything negative in this thread that I have posted. In case you did not read my post above, I said I was NOT bashing CA.

I asked about CA's methods with starting a two year old out of genuine curiosity, but of course some people have to turn it into something else. I guess that can be just chalked up to ignorance as well

Believe it or not Katrina, I do look forward to seeing how Maple progresses. I hope she goes well for you.

[blueboy]

Can't wait for the progress report and for everyone to see the pictures!!!!!!! When?

[oxmaybesoxo]

After seeing the work you did with Nacho this winter I can only imagine how great Maple will turn out!!
Its great to have new training methods being used we can all learn something new

[Rodeo]

Thanks Jacqueline. And yes I would like to see pics too. Maple is related to Rodeo (niece) and it would be nice to see how his brother's offspring progresses in training. I have a foal expected in August and other than Tia, that's all there is. So it would be interesting to see how Maple does and perhaps to get an idea how Rodeo's baby will do.

And hell, perhaps I'll be turned towards CA rather than against lol.

[katrina]

So Maple has made a lot of progress this week. Her training started with 3 session in the round pen. After the First session she was turning to the inside each time that I asked her to change direction and I was able to do figure 8's. She has amazing draw so it was really easy to get her to come in to the center of the round pen and chase me around. While she was airing up in the center of the pen I desensitized her to the lead line, and the stick and string. She was good on her left side but move around a bit on her right side. I finished the session by doing the Jeffery's method. This is where you jump all over them, jumped on their back and rub all over them. I repeated this again later that day and again on Sunday.



Monday I moved into the arena and started working on yielding her hindquarters, backing up and lunging for respect stage 1. I found out rather quickly that Maple is a pushy horse who likes to be in your space so backing on day 1 was not pretty, I had to ask for every step and she would take 2 steps back 3 steps forward. Yielding of the hind quarters wasn't bad she walked out with her front feet but she crossed her hind legs good. Lunging went well she didn't pull on the lead but it took a little while for her to realize that she had to run around me.

Tuesday we repeated everything that we did on Monday and added yielding the fore quarters and sending. Like a typical pushy horse Maple wanted nothing to do with yielding her front end away from me. She popped her head and ran back wards trying to avoid the pressure. I was able to get her crossing over before I quit but it wasn't pretty. The pushiness showed up again during the sending exercise. In this exercise you send the horse between you and the fence. When their tail passes you , you ask them to yield their hind quarters and give you 2 eyes. She wanted to push into my space as she passed and was slow to give me 2 eyes.

Wednesday I repeated everything from the day before. Yielding the hind quarters was much better to the left she was still moving a bit but she was starting to pivot on the right. She was more willing to yield the fore quarters but still popped her head more then I like her to on the left. Sending was much better, she didn't push into my space and was better at giving 2 eyes.

Thursday, again I repeated what was done the day before and I introduced her to circle driving and the saddle. Maple has to be one of the best horses I have every introduced the saddle to. I slapped the saddle pad all over her and she didn't move a muscle, placed the saddle on her back and she stood there with her hind leg cocked, did up the cinch and she just turned and looked at me. When I asked her to walk off she slowly made her way out to the lunge circle. Each time that she would get a little nervous she would stop. I got her to jog and lope and she was perfect no bucking, rearing or spooking!

Friday I repeated everything that we have worked on all week.













Only a few hundred feet away loaders and dump trucks were banging away the whole time I was putting the saddel on Maple.

[Gertie]

Excellent Katrina! What's the plan for Saturday?

[Rodeo]

Not related to Maple really, but Katrina, do you find doing this stuff (or any beginning training really) easier in a round pen than just using a lunge line in an arena?

[Krista]

i use a 12' training lead personally, i think that's what katrina is using too. you can use the 12' lead anywhere - arena, round pen, middle of a field, etc. it's a great tool, especially if someone doesn't have a round pen or arena to work with

[Rodeo]

I bought yacht rope and made my own lead, but its about 15 feet. Same thing I guess.

[happilyeverafter]

Wow Katrina, she looks amazing! So grown up

I wish I had the energy to go out and work in the crappy weather. It is hard to get motivated some times!!

[Rodeo]

How tall is Maple? She looks pony size in the pics, comparing her to your height. She must be a stocky horse then?

I do think she's a really nice looking girl. She's got a lovely face and a nice build. I bet she'll really be a looker when she's mature.

[katrina]

It's much easier to start horses in a round pen. When your teaching them to lunge without a round pen they tend to drag you all over the arena but if you start it in the round pen they can't pull you around so you progress a lot quicker. Once they understand how to move their feet in the round pen they have an idea of what your asking for so it they don't usually pull much once you put them on the lead.

I'm using a 14 foot lead made from yacht rope. Maple is 14 hh, not real stocky not real slim but in between.

[katrina]

So this week Maple decided to wake up! Everything to this point has been going extremely well, she hasn't shown any signs of Resistance since I started working with her until I introduced her to a fire breathing dragon this week. Turns out Maple is not a big fan of plastic bags and because everything has been going so well I let my guard down and wasn't thinking when I introduced the bag. I had just finished reviewing all of the exercises that I had taught her last week and figured I would end the session by desensitizing her to plastic bags. Being an idiot I just grabbed a bag and started hitting her with it. Well she lost it! like thought she was dying lost it, she reared, leaped forward and attacked the bag. At this point I had Maple's complete attention and she had mine. Today was the forth time that I worked her with the bag and I can now flap the bag all around her without her loosing her mind. I'm hoping that I will be able to rub her with the bag tomorrow.

Today I attached buoys to the saddle and lunged her around. She didn't like the buoy touching her elbow at first but accepted it quickly.

As for the exercises that we did last week she is moving along quickly. I can back her up from 14 feet away, Yield her forequarters and hindquarters by pointing my finger, she lunges and is very light with no pulling on the lead, flexes from side to side with just 2 fingers and the lead and is very relaxed.

I am hoping to be on her by Wednesday.

[blueboy]

I was scared! My horse flinched, ran away and actually gasped every time the bag touched him at first and I thought that was an over reaction. But Maple attacked the bags, front feet striking out so fast (Misty will never die!) then twirling and double barrel kicking all in one motion. I swear at one point she did not have one hoof on the ground. Katrina was very calm but I think I peed down the leg of my jeans! Please post the video!

[Becca]

When you have a "good baby" you can forget that they can still have "bad baby" moments! Maple's daddy had one of them yesterday as well, except he just decided to be a race horse. Haha!