Ginger

[Suzanne]

thanks Sarah!

today I took Ginger out and brushed her(as usual), and saddled her up to lunge her...

I did her left side first (just to make things different... I always do the right first so I thought I would do the other side for fun
We walked, jogged and finally loped... loping needs improvement... walk and jog were perfect, but she doesn't lope when I kiss to her, or when I crack the whip(sometimes...)... I've just been keeping after her until she goes and quit before she does, then walk(or jog) and then ask her to lope again, and keep her going for a full round or 2 without quitting, and then take her back again, and ask again, etc up to about 5 circles without stopping... (this number will increase as she gets better)
Then I switched sides and did the right... so I walk up to her and changed the line to the other side, went back to the middle of our "circle" and as I was picking up the whip, Ginger starts loping around the arena like a crazy horse bucking and running...
I figured the snow sliding off the roof of the arena may have scared her...
Anyways, we went back to our walk, jog, and finally lope... again walk and jog was fine, lope needs work (any suggestions greatly appreciated!
Our lunging session was about 30 minutes long... (mostly jogging)
After lunging, I walked her out and played around a bit with some halter work which was fun!

After all that was finished I took her back in the barn, unsaddle her and brushed her really well... As I was brushing her, I told her about her new neighbour that is coming on Sunday. Finally someone to talk to, right next door, she was really happy to hear that!
When she was groomed, anf hooflexed, I put her back in her stall and gave her a little treat and gave her a big hug!

That was our fun fulfilled day
What do you think?? Any suggestions on our(my) lunging issues??

thanks for reading!

[ponyjumper]

Ginger sounds wonderful! And she's beautiful! I bet her owner loves the awesome job your doing with her!!

[Andrea]

sunshines0shadow said:

loping needs improvement... walk and jog were perfect, but she doesn't lope when I kiss to her, or when I crack the whip(sometimes...)... I've just been keeping after her until she goes and quit before she does

You can also say 'canter', or, 'lope' in your case, so that she knows exactly what you are asking, because sometimes, your horse may think that the 'kissing' noise just means 'trot', or 'jog'. We can't really tell what their thinking, but If I were you, I would get her used to the three different words (walk, jog, lope) and not just the kissing noise.

Other than that little point, everything else sounds good! I also like that you went to her, and she did not go to you

"so I walk up to her and changed the line to the other side, went back to the middle of our "circle"

[jessicab]

Andrea: I know that english people use words as vocal cues on a lungeline, but most western riders I know use *click* to walk, *clickclick* to trot, and *smoooch* to lope. That way we can discretely use it under saddle in shows.

That said suzanne, I almost think that Patty used to vocally tell her to Canter. Or lope. I think... ask her next time you're talking to her!

Other than that, I personally wouldn't be afraid to touch her with that whip. Its not like she doesn't know what you're asking (she lopes out under saddle with a kiss), shes just being stubborn or lazy. Raise your whip up in the air (as in, straight up towards the sky), kiss to her, then crack the whip, and if she still hasn't loped out, flick her on the top of her rump to get her moving forward.

I'm not saying beat the horse obviously, but too many people are scared to touch their horse with the end of the whip and end up having their horse go around at whatever pace it wants to.

When I first lunged Fanjee she would NOT take one step forward. I had a short dressage type whip (or a carrot-stick type thing, for you Natural horsemanship people). I just had a long leadline on her, and raised my leading hand and raised my whip hand. Nothing. So I fanned the whip in the air behind her. Nothing. So I touched her with it. Nothing. So I tapped her with it. Nothing. So I tapped harder, then harder, then harder... by the end of it, before she finally took a step, I was hitting her HARD. But I gave her the chance to step forward mannnnnyyyyy times before that point. (I feel I must add that at no point during this process was my mare scared, nervous, or in pain. She was standing there half asleep and was just being the stubborn brute she is. I wouldn't use my whip if I was scared or nervous.. that would be counterproductive)
The second time I asked her to go forward, I didn't have to hit her... I just had to touch her. Then gradually, it got better and better.
Now, I can have her out on a full line and get her moving without even having to crack my whip. Walk/jog/lope. I can also get downward transitions simply by stepping towards the space in front of her.

Some of them need a little tough love.

[Suzanne]

thanks jess, you're smart!

So today we did pretty much the same as yesterday(wont type to much...). We did walk/jog/lope to the right, lots of jogging, I could see an improvement in her loping! She was doing well!
Then we did walk, jog, and lope to the left, and she was being playful and cute at the lope at first... silly girl... We also did speed changes at a jog both directions, which went well!

After that I walked her out and did a little bit of "halter work" she did great on her turning! I need to learn how to do all that halter jazz properly so that I can help Ginger!

We then went to the barn and I brushed her and oiled her hooves and made her all happy and gave her a treat! I love my Ginger! She was really happy to get a treat.
I can't wait to be there fore when her new neighbour comes tomorrow, she will be so happy to see a friend!

That was our day! what do you all think?
thanks for reading

[Hilary]

Sounds like you are doing all the right things with her! Keep up the good work!

and i know i said this befor and ill say it agan... you are amazing at keeping training logs!!! I dont think that you misses a day!!

[Suzanne]

so today I went to visit horse... She was all happy to have a neighbour!! It was so cute... She kept putting her nose over the door...
I took her out brushed her and saddled her up...

We had an easy day today... We did walk, jog, lope right and left, and a bit of backing up and 2 turn on the haunch both ways... She did very well... We also did some speed changes at the jog.

When I was done, Jess hopped on for a second and did walk, jog, and lope... Jess and Ginger looked pro, besides the fact that Jess couldn't reach the stirrups...

Then I walked her out and brought her back in the barn and brushed her off and put her in the stall, Before I left I gave her a big hug!

Thats our day!

[splash]

Appamoosa, a couple of things to consider regarding her lope: it's possible she may have some pain (back, leg etc) that is magnified when loping. you should really consider ruling that out first. Also, its crucial to be consistent in your cue to lope. Inconsistency will only serve to confuse. Consider too that if she is heavy on the forehand with her hind legs "dangling" behind her when you cue her to lope she is going to need time to gather them under her to strike off into that lope. To make her efforts a little easier only ask her for her lope from a solid working trot. She will already have forward momentum to help her. Walk to canter is advanced stuff. And finally if she is out of condition, asking her for a lope would be similar to asking me to jog you'd need to chase me too !

Good luck to you both

[Suzanne]

Splash: Thanks for your help, I will keep those things in mind, and I will check her for soreness today, although I dont think she is sore...

Yesterday, I turned her out in the indoor for a little bit, just to be a horse... she ran around playing and being cute

I then walked her around in halter and lead a bit as Jess lunged Fanjee... We did some back ups and 2 turn on the haunch (or pivots).

Then I went out and lunged her(as jess walked fanjee). We did walk, jog (lots of jog), and lope to the left, she was a bit slow on her transition from jog to lope, but Jess helped us out a bit and from then on she picked it up easily! (thanks Jessicaa). I then gave her a bit of time to walk out on the left, and asked for just a couple walk to lope transitions, and then jog, and walk...
Then turned her around and did her right side: walk, jog)lots of jog ), lope(which was a much better transition then the first as well...), and then I asked her to walk for a bit and again did some walk to lope transitions and back down to a jog, and then walk
Once she was walked out, I took her in the barn and brushed her and hooflexed her She was all cute and shiny.

I then put her in her stall and let her finish up her hay
what do y'all think?

[Lacey]

Great work Suzanne! Also, it's great now that you have a barn buddy
I think I should move in with you too and lease a horse there. DEAL.

[Suzanne]

LACEY! COMEEEEEEE WE LOVE YOU!

Shelly needs to come visit too (I saw her post on Fanjees training log) ... COMMMMEEEEEEEE! WE LOVE YOU TOOO!!!

[shelly]

Yes Lacey!!! You can lease Willow!!! ;D ;D ;D

I'm gonna try to get up this weekend for a visit if I ever get another day off, hahaha! Just wanted to point out, Patty did indeed have Ginger trained completely by voice commands when she was a youngin'. I remember watching her in the round pen lunging, and just saying "walk", "trot", "canter", and Ginger going along beautifully....Occassionally she did have to get after her when she was being silly or lazy. It's been several years though so she's obviously rusty. Keep at it though and she'll eventually remember, lol!

[Suzanne]

So today after staring at my horse eat a bit,
I took her out (brushed her, saddled her) to the arena and went for a ride...
I did rail work today walk, jog, lope (Fanjee was in the centre of the arena doing her lunging)... we did speed changes at the jog, she was doing these well , I could feel a very distinct difference between the "jog" and the "working trot"... Then we loped, she was much more responsive to my cues today, i was very happy with her, she was keeping a steady pace, which is also good!
The only thing today that she had a "problem"(for lack of a better term) with was staying on the rail... she kept "drifting" towards the centre(my thought was that it was probably to go visit Fanjee, any other possibilities?). When she would do this I would just ask her to leg yield back to the rail... and continue until she'd do it again (I would leg yield again)...
After we w/j/l both directions, We walked a bit, did a few back up... and a few turn on the haunch, walk, stop, turn on the haunch, walk... and the same for trotting and again for loping... She did well with these today I was happy with her (that doesn't mean that there is no room for improvement) It was good for her though!
After we did a few of those, we walked out and called it a day...
I then took her in the barn and gave her some loving, also brushed her, and hooflexed her, then she was back in her stall to eat her evening feed!

thanks for reading!

[Hilary]

sounds like you are having fun with her!!!
She seems like a great mair!

[Sarah.H]

sounds like you guys are doing great! Keep up the good work!