Savanna

[krys]

Rocky literally used to pull me around the arena.

I just found that when you apply pressure, hold it as best you can and when she gives, give.
Every time Rocky would take off and drag me, I would make him canter in a smaller circle until he stopped pulling and then I would ask him to move out to the bigger circle and if he stayed soft, I would let him trot.

It's all about rewarding the good things and no accidentally rewarding the mistakes because that can be so easy to do. All about repetition.

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

Thanks for the tips guys. I did what you guys said, and it did work.
She doesn't stop to poop anymore, but i do let her slow down. I will work on not letting her slow down at all.

Regards to her pulling me around, she hardly does it anymore. I do walk in a tight circle while lounging. Im just guessing not a lot of her previous owners lounged her. Or did much ground work with her, maybe just a get up and go horse.

I do still have problems while mounting, she does move around and twists, and i spin her around and make her move, then i stop, and say stand, usually she stands pretty still by now, if not i do it over again, while she is standing still, i put weight in the saddle, slap the saddle, and put my weight in one stirrup for about a minute before i actually get on and ride, and once im on i make her wait a few minutes before going forward.

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

Yesterday i went over and lounged Savana.
She did great, hauled a tiny bit, but i stood my ground and she stopped hauling on me.
I did walk trot walk trot woah's while lounging, she did really good, but needs work on the woahs.

I decided after all that was done i was going to go for a ride, bareback of course, i find saddles get way to cold in the winter time to sit on.
So i've been told my whole life to get on from the left side, which you are supposed to do, but while i was doing so she would move away, not crazily like she used to do but move forward a bit, or turn her back away from me. I have to use a bucket, im really small, all the time so its very frustrating to me when she does this, because i have to get down off the bucket and make her move, then put the bucket on the left side again. So after 5 tries at this i got this crazy idea to try from the right side, she stood still, moved a tiny bit first try, but next try she was perfectly still.
Did anyone else ever have that problem?

I went around the track once at walk, until she got to the turn behind the barn, i didn't make any noises, nor did i squeeze and she started trotted then went straight into lope, she did this a few times, in different spots, i made her do a few tight circles before i went on.

I also took her to the end of the drive way to check out cars, i knew she had been ridden around cars before, but i was just seeing how she would react, she was really good for a few minutes, just standing there, but she started getting jumpy, like she wanted to be somewhere else, she might have been getting fed up with me just standing there, because its been a long while since she has been outside that fence and maybe she wanted to go, or it might have been the other horses at the barn neighing for her, because she would twist towards the barn, so i figured i would go back and do a few more laps around the track, she was fine the rest of the ride.

So im looking for tips on bareback ridding.
How to balance yourself while trotting and loping? (thats a big one, i feel like i might fall off)
And any other tips/advice you can give.

Thanks in advance

[Krista]

gosh i wish you lived closer... lol... sounds like you're doing awesome with savanna!... she's been around traffic quite a bit but may definately need a refresher!... if you just led her along the road one day with a few treats in your pocket to positively reinforce the road and being away from the other horses i think she'd come along quickly!!...

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

March 15 2010


I went over early in the morning groomed her, and took her out for a walk, while out for a walk, i stopped every ten steps, said woah, first she walked a step or two ahead of me, then she caught on that i wanted her to stop when i stopped. After walking her around i went for a ride, a tiny bit of trouble with getting on, but it was my fault (was using a smaller bucket and was hard to get my leg over), she stood still when i was trying to mount from the right side, but not the left. So from now on the right side is the way i'll go. We walked around the track a few times, then i headed up by the road, i stood still for a tiny bit next to the road but she would toss her head a snort, then i started doing figure eights in the drive way and she was fine.

Heres some pictures : )

www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=204106&id=703320942&l=a9223ffe9f

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

April 4 2010


GREAT DAY!


I went over and let Savanna outside, let her in and groomed her, then took her for a walk around the track, doing the woahs every so often. After the walk i jumped on her bareback, she moved away twice, and each time she did i made her move more. I went around the track a few times, then my friend Katie (gets lessons with the murphys) asked if she could ride her, so that was fine, i jumped off, and she stood still while being mounted. After she went around the track a few times she got off.

Then i decided since its so nice out today i was going to take her for a walk up the road to the field and go for a ride there, We waked up the road with no problem, I had grain in my pocket for the first few cars and to try to get her away from her horse friends. When we arrived at the field i jumped on again, and trotted her and walked her around the field, after that i let Katie do it, a few minutes after Katie got on, a little boy and his dad came cause he wanted to see the horse, so i asked if he wanted to go for a ride, and i walked the little boy around a few times. After that Katie jumped back on and she did some trotting and walking, then i decided i was going to try to double, just to see how she would react. She was perfect, we walked around a for tiny bit and Katie jumped off and i stayed on, walked her and did some trotting figure eights also stood her still for 10 minutes and moved around on her back . All the times she was mounted and unmounted there was no fuss, i was so proud of her.
I rode her back to the barn (ten minute or so walk) she did great, even meet up with a trike. And a small yappy dog. Once we got back to the barn i groomed her, and put her back in her stall.

Also while picking up her back feet there's hardy any struggle. = )

So today Savanna did great, im so happy how far along she has come. : )

[kylie]

She sounds like she doing great ! i love hearing about inprovements

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

Oh she is.
And Kylie the breaches fix perfect.


April 5 2010

So today i decided to start a tiny bit of clicker training, just to see how she would react. I did ears forward, back up, come, step over (from both sides), kisses and bow (i only made her put her head down, didn't want to move too fast) And i tried two hugs. She did pretty good, reinforced her with treats to do all the things, and a touch of the finger and words for making her move.
I haven't read up on it a whole lot but it seems pretty simple, wondering if you guys have any tips.

Picking up her feet was a breeze, even her back ones. : D
I picked up her feet three times since she was being so good just to make her get back into being good with feet.
Also im planing on getting stuff for her feet, since they are really soft and they tend to get tender on hard ground, now that i know i want ride her up and down the road i need that so she doesn't go lame. Calvin knows of something and is going to get some for me.

[jpoole]

Just a tip on clicker, it can be a great tool, but you should definitely read up on it before doing too much with it. It works with some horses and not with others. I found mine got really pushy, it just wasn't for him. If its not done correctly your horse can become very pushy, and always offering tricks so they can get treats. With a horse that you seem to have had dominance issues I would be especially careful, it seems like you guys are making great progress, you wouldn't want to go back any steps. Not trying to be negative, it might work great for you guys. Just from my own experience it's not for everyone : )

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

Thank you for the advice, im looking into now actually.
I just wanted some people input on clicker training.

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

So Savanna is home now, so i will be able to do work with her everyday. I haven't done much riding lately, but i have been working on picking up feet and leading since she has been home.
So today i went out and picked out 3 of her feet without a problem, and this was with no cross ties, or halter, she stood still, well until i got to the last one, and she moved, but when i went to pick it out again there was no problem.
I went up in the morning to bring her hfhf to her and she nickered at me. Which made me happy. : )
Thats all i have for now, will update on riding once the rain clears up.

[Alecia&Bam ♥]

I had a good day with her also, went to pick out her feet, she moved twice, then after that she stood still, also my sister and herfriend went up (they both went to horse camp at crs last summer and wanted to groom her) and groomed her and even picked out her feet without any movement.
There was tons of noise today, air compressor, wood unloading, saw..ect. She flinched at the air compressor a few times but after that she went up close to that side of the fence and stiffed around. I also brought up an exercise ball, she kicked it once but it frightened her, so i chased her around with it for two minutes until she stood still, let her stiff, then i rolled it up and down her body, on her head, near her legs, and i bounced it right in front of her. Although she stiff didn't play with it after words it made me happy that shes not scared of it anymore.
I also worked on her leading with pressure, she did well, but not great, she was so hard to get away from the grass, but as soon as i got her away from it she was good. Then i took her in my front yard, not fenced in and let eat all the grass, had the halter on with the lead tied around her neck so she didn't step on the lead. She was down there for over an hour.
I also went for a short ride, she listened so well, im guessing her steering was not spot on over to calvin's cause she was barn sour, and she would be more interested to whats happening in the barn.
Thats about all for now. : )