Serene Sunday

Trailer Training Tutorial with K

I worked with K on trailer training utilizing GG's trailer...the one I may eventually buy.  K started in the round pen doing Clinton's round penning for respect.  Dani is decent at it but just needs some reminding of it.  Then K took her outside the trailer and worked her for a couple minutes with the door closed.  She then opened the door and rather quickly Dani was ready to get on the trailer.

We progressively worked with her getting on and staying on, working on having her face forward a bit more.  Then I would close the door quickly, let Dani settle and then open the door but have her stay inside; unless she tried to get out and then we worked her.  Once when Dani backed out fast she hit the door with her butt so K really worked her hard and aggressively.  Then asked her to enter the trailer again, I closed the door and aside from a little bit of movement Dani was calm again.  We did that several more times and then K had me enter the trailer with her and stand.  She then had me ask her to back up slowly.  Step by step we did.  She never once tried to get out without me asking.  We ended on a good note of backing out really slowly.

I was very pleased with Dani's progress.  There was a lot less work needed to get her on the trailer than there was two weeks ago.  Next step, and this will be all on my own since K is leaving for the Clinton Anderson Academy, will be to practice a couple more times, closing the door, tying her up etc.  Then I plan on getting her in and driving around the grounds and letting her out slowly after we stop again etc.  After that I will have to work on getting her used to the dividers enclosing her.  Not sure when I will do that step because I can trailer her safely with the partitions secured. I want to get the first few steps of loading and staying quiet in the trailer done first plus some short trips to local parks for trail rides with Uschi perhaps and perhaps out to Lauries (though that is a bit longer of a trip).  We'll take it step by step.  I'm glad I have access to this trailer and if it does become mine....well, the more sweeter that will be!  There is progress in her trailering so I'm satisfied.

I think with previous trailerings she just wasn't WORKED hard enough.  She needs to break in a sweat or breathe heavy to realize, "oh the trailer ain't so bad!".  Clinton Anderson baby!  It's just a matter of having the tools and knowing what to do.  Being a new horse owner is certainly different than leasing or riding lesson horses.

No more pussy footing or being overly soft and gentle with her...granted I won't be mean to her!!  Don't get me wrong!  It's like Clinton says, "be as gentle as possible but as firm as necessary".  Dani just needs more firmness and the proper release, I need to learn that too.  It's like parenting, the first time one repremands a child or spanks them it's torture for the parent but afterwards you realize it's for their own good!  Whatever happened before I had her doesn't matter, we just move forward. 

I've been working on her haltering too.  I make her lower her head and turn it towards me to the side in order for me to release the halter.  Before she would shake her head and pull away since she wanted to be free.  I'll just consistently do this and then also work on tying her but I'm still trying to figure out what to do when she chews on the rope while tied.  I have a tie blocker ring so she can no longer accidentally untie herself from the quick release knot but I'd love to have a lead rope without horse goobers all over it.  Should I make her work really hard if she doesn't stand nicely or chews on the rope?  Back her really fast?  The mechanics behind having her tied and then making her work baffle me since I have to get her untied within a span of time and make her work.  Will she realize "what she did wrong" using this method?  Suggestions for this uncoordinated gal?

Mini Show!

Last Friday 4-H had a little mini horse show.  There were only about a handful of the little guys but we stopped over at the arena to check out the cuteness.

 

Most of them were quite fuzzy.  My favorite was the chocolate one with the flaxen mane that you can see above.  So cute!

 

The one below was shaved down and looked more like a miniature horse rather than a little pony.  He had nice proportions from what I could tell.  We were busy working on some other horse things so Steve and I had to get back to Dani.  It was fun to stop by and see the tiny horses.  Steve's eyes always seem to dance in a certain way when he sees miniature horses or donkeys.
 

Slow Hay Feeder

With my mare at a new place with a smaller area to roam I want to make her pen as palatable as possible.  I want her entertained with toys and lots of time to eat her food.  I've search online for slow feeder for hay.  There are many nets and these are fine but I wanted to also have her in a more natural grazing position if possible.  I was worried with having nets lower to the ground and her potentially getting caught up in it.

I found an idea online that used tubing and metal grates to make a slow feeder out of a galvanized trough.  Since I read that horses teeth can wear more trying to grasp hay through the metal I wanted to use either wood or plastic and found a site that used the privacy lattice for their slow feeder.  It looked great!  While looking at the lattice Steve and I decide the vinyl one would be safest.  It did not have little staples in it and the plastic could be cleaned easier as well.

Steve went to work with nuts, bolts, eyelets and chain to hold the lattice in place.  On one end we use a carabiner to be able to open the feeder to put hay in the trough.  It was really easy to drill the holes and get locking nuts to hold the eyelets in place.  There is nothing sharp on the chains or the lattice, we made sure to file the cut edges.

The lattice easily moves down as the hay level decreases and it gives Dani a little longer time to eat since she has to work the hay out of the holes.  The holes are about 3 inches.  I might end up finding a smaller lattice at some point because my mare seems to be pretty inept at getting the hay in big mouthfuls but it's still smaller mouthfuls than without.

I really want her to have hay available at all times and hope that this unit will help.  Below is a video of Dani figuring out how the feeder works.  It was raining pretty hard outside so that's what the noise was.  We need the rain so I don't mind not being able to ride!  Sorry I wasn't able to attach the video below but here is the link.  Not sure why my youtube videos were not being found by blogger.

 

iPhone Pics...

So lately I've just been uploading pictures from my iphone using the Blogger app on my phone.  Not good here is the difference.

 

 

The above picture is uploaded from the phone via the Blogger app.  It looks awful!

 

The below picture is from me connecting my phone to the computer, uploading it to my files, then uploading to photobucket and from there doing a direct URL link.  Why should it be so different?  It's from the same camera!!

 

 

Sorry that lately the pictures have really sucked.  Uploading from my phone using the app is so much easier and then I can write the blog later.  Oh well.  Guess I'll have to do it the longer way but I promise...all those pics were mostly in focus even if from a cell phone.

 

ARG!!!

 

Serene Sunday

A Week of Peace

It's been a good week at KCRC.  I've been going twice a day to care for my mare.  Once I get the slow feeder built it should only be once a day like a lot of the other boarders do.  I will feel better with a slow feeder too since I know she'll have more time devoted to chewing.  I have a couple toys on order as well.  She seems pretty content and I'm sure she'll be more content as other horses move into the stalls next to hers.  She has a decent amount of room even though I wish she was in a paddock at least but Laurie kept her colt Eksodus in the round pen (he was stalled with the others in bad weather) when he was still intact and couldn't be with the mares.  He seemed to be fine but I'm not sure how much exercise she gave him, it may be something to inquire about to make sure I keep my girl happy.  I'm getting out to play with Dani often and to let her run in the arena.  I also let her out in the "common" area as I'll call it when I'm working on her stall.

There is a field just south of Kit Carson that has three horses in it.  A gray gelding seems to have piqued Dani's interested.  She urinated in his direction and proceeded to "wink" at him across the chain link fence.  Oh goodness....  As stalls open those with "seniority" at KCRC have the chance to move to more coveted locations with a bit more room.  I'll hold out for that but I'm also open to seeing if there is field board elsewhere that opens up.  Again, I don't intend on moving for a few months.  I need to just catch my breath, save for a trailer and get some work done with her while I have easy access to these nice facilities.  Once I have a trailer I can trailer her places to work her but I need to get some basic ground work done until I get that "Yes Ma'am" attitude from my fiery equid.

The shelter that Dani has at least provides me time to spend with her even if it's raining.  One day I went out and gave her a nice grooming and worked on her mane/tail.  There is a portion of her mane that is flopping to the other side.  It's on the short side so I drenched it with detangler and tried to train it to lay properly.  It's not really a double mane just a top portion of hair that is misbehaving, otherwise I'd be more than happy to have a mane on both sides!

I rode Dani in the larger arena one day, just at a walk and she was pretty good.  We worked on stops and a little backing.  Consistency will be good I aim to work with her at least 3 times a week if not more.  Some days though I will need to take care of other responsibilities so she won't get a full session but I feel I'm certainly in a better position to do more with her and perhaps purchase a set of lessons!  I'll have to wait until the end of May when I get back from my step-daughters high school graduation to fork over a check but I'm looking forward to getting Laurie out again and doing some work with her.

I'm meeting K on Sunday morning for a trailer loading session.  She'll be teaching me as well as Dani.  I'm excited!  I really like the trailer of GG's and if she does sell it in the next couple months I'll be the first she tells.  She said she'd take payments on it too so I could pay for it over the last part of the year or something like that.  It's good to have that option potentially.  Not sure if I discussed that on here but it's a faded red, 3 horse slant load stock type trailer with a front tack storage room.  Perfect!  Sure it's a little big and heavy for one horse but hopefully in another year or two we will be in a place to get a second horse or donkey.  We might put our house on the market to test it out...then if it sells find horsey rental property and eventually buy some acreage down the road.  Even just a couple acres would make me jump for joy!  Anyhow, the trailer is not one we'd outgrow for a while, two horses and a donkey...it will work just fine.  Of course we are no where near there unless I win the PowerBall tomorrow...

This barn has been quieter, weekends could be a little busier with gymkhana events at 4:30pm each Saturday (open to the public) and other special events that KCRC does but I plan on attending many and volunteering to help out for others.  I also have to say that even though I'm having to readjust my sleeping and waking schedule I'm enjoying the self-care aspect.  When blizzard season returns I may change my tune since a drive up north is different from a walk in a backyard but who knows.  A lot can happen in 6 months.

I will post more about riding, training, or trailering work I will do in the next week!  Happy riding!

Kit Carson Riding Club (KCRC) Boarding

Oh what a weekend it has been!!! Friday evening Steve and I went to the Icky Barn as I will now call it to check on my girl and start moving tack.  Luckily the guy wasn't there, he was at the rental down the street, so we could move tack and supplies without having to discuss it with him.  I contacted his wife, the actual owner of the property to let her know our moving intent.  She asked if anything had been done wrong and I assured her I felt that Dani's care was fine (it was ok for the most part...) just that KCRC suddenly had an opening I had to take.  I didn't want to start an ordeal with the warnings I'd received....

I did have a bit of an issue with Dani's isolation situation.  The ranch intended to have her in a round pen separated from the other horses for a couple weeks.  It totally made sense but I didn't know that she would not have shelter or be taken in during the cold thunderstorms we received last week.  One evening I came to see her and was in tears; my baby was drenched in water with no shelter to go into and I had no ability to do anything.  She was warm at least and didn't seem to mind, I've seen her outside the run in shed drenched wet from her own choice before.  I guess I assumed that with bad weather they would move her somewhere but they didn't have that ability.  Bad decision on my part.

The second issue was that the half of the round pen facing the other horses was blocked with tarps so Dani could not see them while she ate or tried to sleep.  For the 6 days there she did not eat very well.  The owners kept saying it was my hay.  Granted my hay is not top notch but it had a decent RFV rating, certified weed free and fairly green.  It's a little more stemmy than I'd like but the best I've found locally for now.  After first cut this year we'll hopefully find some better quality hay.  Anyhow, I knew my hay wasn't that bad, my mare was just uncomfortable and couldn't see other horses in order to feel safe to eat.  I felt like a horrible horse mom.

Saturday was the big move day, the owner of the ranch said I needed to give a 5 day notice and since I hadn't she would just charge those days in addition to the 7 days I'd received the full care for Dani.  As the contract was written that made complete sense to me so we wrote up the end of contract notice and both signed it, I received my refund of board (prorated) and was thankful for no drama.  She seemed very baffled by my leaving but I was afraid to tell the real reason for fear of her getting yelled at or the person who warned me.  Better to make it seem like I'm a flaky person and leave it at that! Of course my issue was not with this gal but her absent husband; Steve, my friend Rich and I were relieved to show up at the ranch and not have HIM there. 

The night before we'd tried to arrange when we could get there to load the hay and there was issues with feeding times and calves in the runs etc etc.  After some curt emails with this man, we finally arranged a time that suited him and luckily the riding club people were understanding so I could leave my volunteer post at concessions for the rodeo at KCRC and head down the road to get my mare.  When I volunteered I had no idea I would have to move my girl so abruptly!

We arrived with two trucks to load the hay.  The original loading of the hay when I purchased it was done by professionals and Steve was more confident for us to just use two trucks to load to make sure we only had to make one trip.  The pen that was opened to give us access was the calf pen.  Uck!  I don't think this pen is ever cleaned because in the week I was here the poo just kept piling up with alfalfa smashed into it.  That's how I would have to go to get my tack, one other reason I'm happy to be leaving.  We slipped and slid moving the 30 bales of hay into the trucks...yuck!  I grabbed my metal trash can feed bin, double checked the shed for last items to grab and then went to get Dani.  The boys drove the trucks to KCRC grounds and I walked my girl down the road.

Nothing major happened on the walk to her new home, though I got strange looks from people on their porches.  One guy yelled out "Nice lookin horse!" with a smile. I laughed and said "Thanks!".  Another couple were on the porch and something loud clicked...grill ignition?  Not sure.  Anyways Dani shied just a little and I calmed her, tried to move her this way and that and get her thinking again.  I need to do some serious work with Clinton Anderson methods, the round pen and arenas at this place will be great to use!

I arrived with Dani just as the boys were done stacking the hay.  I only had a 20 quart bucket to fill for water and I placed her hay on the ground (she's used to eating from the ground since that's what they did at Whispering Winds).  She was safe and happy and began eating her hay right away.  I finished up with the Little Britches Rodeo concessions at 2pm.

Steve and I headed to Big R to get the two troughs we wanted.  100 gallon Rubbermaid for the water and a galvanized tub for the hay (we intend on creating a slow feeder with that one...I'll post information on that one when we construct it!).  We then also grabbed a manure fork, rake and broom.  I cleaned up a lot of leftover alfalfa and poo that a rodeo person's horses had left the night before not knowing this was a private stall. I was irritated that people from the rodeo didn't have the courtesy to clean up after themselves but that's another story.  I set up more hay for Dani and let my mare relax socializing with neighboring horses.  By then it was close to 6pm and Steve and I were thinking BBQ!! 

What a day but I am more than relieved and my mare is back to her hoover-like eating self, gobbling up hay like it's an endangered plant species!!

Serene Sunday

What Have I Gotten Into?

I was recently warned and made aware of something about someone at my new barn by members of the KCRC. I have verified the reasons behind the warnings and thus do not feel comfortable being there or boarding my horse there. Nothing bad happened to Dani nor did I feel it would, it's a comfort and safety issue for me and anyone I may bring to the barn. Nothing happened but since I now know, I cannot get past it and need to leave.  I really don't want to get into it here but all you readers would have come to the same decision if in my position I am quite positive.

The good news is KCRC is down the road and Dani will be moving tomorrow to her new home.  I like the facility a lot.  It's self care and being closer to home it will work out quite well.  One of the boarders only comes once a day to feed her horse and makes sure to leave plenty of hay...usually there is still left over hay too.  I'm going to work on getting a slow feeder situation set up for Dani so she'll nibble throughout the day and some pony toys to entertain her.  The only thing I don't like about the facility is there is no pasture or larger roaming area.  Dani will be a run/pen.  Not my favorite situation but in the future there is a possibility of moving her to a slightly larger area and then there is yet an even larger area that is fenced in....the primo location that a boarder with two horses currently uses.  I'm told as people move their horses out of KCRC current boarders can have access to the larger boarding areas.  Boarders also help each other out when one leaves for vacation and needs someone to look after their horse.  GG as I'll call her, also friends with K, has already offered to look after Dani when I am out east for my step-daughters graduation.  Awesome!  I'll have to arrange that with her and return the favor or buy her the best gift ever!  KCRC members are turning out to be really nice, helpful and "watch my back" kind of people!

I'll post more on the KCRC location but I'm sorry I really don't feel I can post the reasons for leaving my current boarding situation of 6 days.  It's pretty serious though and a huge liability that I will not accept.  I'm ready to reduce my stress over this and get on with moving all my stuff, 30 bales of hay and my silly horse yet again.  Luckily I don't require a trailer for this move!