Another milestone today – something I wasn’t really going to concentrate on for a few months (when the fields are less boggy) but the time felt right and I gave it a shot.

So from the beginning…

I started out tonight flowing circle, yoyo and touch together – he seems to have picked his favourite object! A little red feed bucket (note: I don’t give him any feeds from feed buckets, just hayledge from a net). He likes to pick it up with his teeth and shake it about – even played a little tug-o-war with him

Sideways came easy one way but not the other – more work required!

Turning him on the hind came easy the same way – more work required!

After a good while playing I started asking him to bend. Stood next to him and asked him to bring his head round to me as well as crossing the lead rope across his back and asking him to bend away from me. Did this both sides – I want to be sure that he is following the pressure from the lead rope and not just turning to me.

Bending was going really well so after that I decided to jump on his back. Made sure he had his balance before I jumped up. He stood solid!

I sat there for 5 minutes (remember when you get on – hurry up and… relax) making sure he and I were both happy with the situation. Everything felt right so I though why not – I asked him to bend his neck around. With very little pressure his nose was touching my knee

I gave him a scratch and sat for another minute – should I try the other side? I needed to swing the rope over his head which a few sessions ago he was a little jumpy about but since would actually drop his head to put it over. With that in mind I swung it over – no issues – and asked him to bend his neck around again. Right round again with very little pressure!

I went through the routine a couple more times each side and then stepped it up. I asked him to bend his head around to my left. Then slowly applied pressure with my left leg… his hind quarters moved round a little and I released immediately. Indirect rein

I carried on with this on both sides with each try requiring less pressure. Very happy it was all making sense to him. He did really well .

So what more can I do on his back? I asked him to go back by wiggling the rope slightly and he backed up nicely… doesn’t matter where I am, on the ground or on his back, he knows when I’m asking him to back up. Last thing to try was asking him to move forward with pressure. I slowly put pressure on with both legs until he took one step forward then I immediately released. Only did this twice before stopping for the night – just felt like the right time to quit and not something I want to get into with him right away.

So I got success with an indirect rein, got him to backup and got him to move forward from my leg. Direct rein (leading out) next, want him to back up by lifting the lead rope up (putting pressure on his nose) and work on moving forward. I would definitely prefer to be in the field when asking him to move forward as I want the time, space and safety to be able to put the pressure on slowly to ask for a turn and not have to pull his head around because he’s about to walk into a fence / dangerous situation. For moving forward I should wait until it’s a little dryer so for now I can concentrate on asking him to bend on the ground and on his back. If it feels right though I will just go for it! No hard and fast rules – just whatever feels right in the situation.

Suppose I will keep the circling and riding in sync – when I’m happy with him circling in trot on a 22ft line maintaining gait and direction I will be happy to ask for trot on his back.

I’ve got some time off work so expecting a lot of progress this week

Excellent again – he’s really getting the idea of following the feel of the rope!

I took him out to the field and circled him at walk on the 12ft line. I did the absolute minimum to ask him to circle – I wanted to be sure that he knew the game and would play without intervention being responsible for maintaining gait and direction.

So I stood at neutral most of the time! he would stop now and again but it only took a turn and point to ask him to carry on. Carrot stick was only there to lean on today . The most unbroken circles today was 5 and I’m sure I could have let him carry on but don’t want it to become to boring. Changes in direction are nice and easy. I turn against him and point. He turns and walks on both directions. Perfect!

One thing I have struggled with and that’s fore turns – he does do them but they aren’t very tidy. Asking him to move his shoulder away from me and turn on his hind legs. All this time I think I’ve been asking in the wrong way. Rhythmic pressure on the neck wasn’t working using the carrot stick (tapping his neck). Porcupine on the shoulder does but isn’t much use at driving from a distance (and this needs to improve anyway). There has been something that I have been doing as of late which has inadvertently helped though….

When I’m asking him to bend away from me and to turn and face (by having the lead rope on the opposite side to me and across his back – about the position I would have the reins to ask for a turn) as he turns and walks toward me I ask him to carry on passing me by pointing the lead rope out and swinging the tail end of the lead rope at the drive line as he passes. Then I ask him to stop (so he does a complete circle and stops in effect). This along with changes in direction at circle have got him sensitive to the direction I point and the idea of moving away with rhythmic pressure from the tail of the lead rope in front of the drive line. So how has this helped?

Tonight I asked him to go sideways by standing in front and pointing in the direction but I didn’t use the carrot stick to ask for the hindquarters to come with. I just swung the rope around which was at his driveline. He just moved his fore legs around… I realised what he was doing so followed him round so he didn’t step forward result!

Why didn’t I try this before? I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t have worked until he got the idea of me pointing and swinging the rope and when I asked him to move away I was always stood at his side and not in front.

When he turned he kept his back legs planted and bent his body right round until he could go no more. He stood with his rear hoofs pointing out in the same direction, his body bent round and his fore legs crossed now that is a good bend! I put a little more pressure on and got my full circle – other way was a little more stiff and needs work but was still a lot tidier than the way I was doing it before.

I’m also sure that the touch game has been helping come to think of it – When I direct him to an object to touch I stand in front of him and point in the direction of the object while swinging the tail end of the lead rope in front of his drive line. Before this I could swing that rope as much as I liked and he would just stand there but by doing it while he changes direction and moves away and giving him a purpose to move I guess he’s just took that as the signal to move away???

If that is the case then I’m very happy – he’s not moving because I’m scaring him away… he’s moving because he is listening to my signals – thinking and acting instead of reacting.

Just shows that you can use different exercises to get the result you want if the obvious route doesn’t work!

Been cold as of late but tried not to let that stop our fun.

He’s now solid for jumping on can’t believe it happened so easily. I haven’t progressed to walking him around yet as going to leave that until it warms up / fields are less boggy but for now I’m happy he’s accepting me on his back.

Spent some time playing touch asking him to follow direction (I point to an object and he touches it). Was good as it gave him purpose to following my direction.

Did a little circling with nice easy changes of direction on the 12 foot line at walk. Sideways both ways went well and yoyo was effortless. When backing up he drops his head and arches his back – perfect! The games flowed together really well and doing this with a mare within 10 feet

Have started working on bending him around and asking him to follow a feel / pressure. This is the third night of starting new things with him and he’s doing well.

First off I’ve been tossing the rope over his head which he got used to pretty quick. In fact he’s started dropping his head when I lift the rope over it

Next I tossed the rope over his head and body so it trailed behind him and gently put pressure on so as to ask him to turn full circle and come to face me – both ways were good the other night although tonight he was only relaxed going one way and didn’t really bend his body around the other.

Finally I’ve been standing next to him and asking him to turn his head around toward me without moving his body – tonight this was excellent. I ask by taking several steps. first I hold the lead rope at the break of his withers. Next I lift up just enough for him to notice the change in his halter. After that I use the other hand to stroke the lead rope progressively putting pressure on the direction I want him to bend his neck. After 5 strokes of the rope I put steady pressure on the rope until he bends around.

Tonight I lifted the rope and he turned his head… and in both directions!

If he keeps that up I can’t see there being a problem with asking him to turn while on his back

Reached another milestone today….

I’ve been keeping up with the jumping and generally acting like a loon to get Gerke used to a more lively surrounding rather than tip toeing around him. It’s now paying off!

I rocked him back and fourth so that he could get his stance solid and while holding his lead rope against his next in my left hand I jumped up against his left side a few times before jumping up and leaning over his back.

He didn’t move.

Next I swung my legs onto his back and lay flat down his back so that if he did spook I could easily and safely jump off.

Still not moved.

Finally sat up and brought myself forward sitting straight.

Not a flinch!

A lot of this to come for him but for now I would say he has started to accept me as a passenger. Once his balance has improved I will have someone lead him but for now just having him stand solid while I jump on is an excellent step forward toward accepting me as a leader on his back.

Very happy!

I took Gerke out onto the road this morning. Was quite quiet out so figured it would be the best time. Wasn’t bad considering it was his first time out properly since arriving here.

The route I took was about 3 miles and quite varied. He only spooked once which was right at the beginning of the walk. We were going over a bridge (crosses over a motorway) and he got a little shook up. just as were getting to the other side a car zoomed by which made him jump   He ended up in the middle of the road but was calmed quickly and brought back safely no bother. The majority of road users slowed down and gave us a lot of space but this idiot obviously wasn’t feeling the Christmas spirit. Never mind… Once we got past the road (he was very good after the bridge) we hit the dirt track.

He was happy to be lead and was very inquisitive. No snorting or bolting just looking around occasionally dropping his head to touch stuff with his nose (rubbish mostly). We got past the dirt track and back onto the roads again.

I let him calm a little more and eat some grass from the grass verge by the road before setting off again. Think he was a little annoyed that I wouldn’t let him stay longer to graze and began being quite forward. He was getting ahead of me a lot and crossed my path a couple of times. When he did cross my path I would stop and back off and bring him around me back to my side, stop and then set off again.

We crossed the road when it was clear and went down a side lane to the underpass that runs under the motorway. It’s quite low (can just about ride under it without touching your head on the ceiling) and about 50 meters long but well lit. He didn’t even flinch. Just followed me straight in and back out. He’s really proving to me that he’s willing to follow me into fire . Out on the other side was another lane with fields on the right hand side. This has recently been established as a pony sanctuary for unwanted colts. When he spotted the colts in the field he changed again! Once minute he’s happily walking beside me and the next he’s in full stallion mode :O. He was still manageable but there is a huge difference when his instincts take over. Felt like he gained 3 feet in height! I speeded up my pace and matched his energy at which point he went into a fantastic and very prancey trot. His neck became arched, head went straight in and his trot was much more pronounced. There was no sense that he wanted to have a pop at me (he has in the post lashed out at me as if he was going to bite me… but stopped short). Took quite a distance to calm him down once we were past the colts.

I have been thinking about getting him gelded as at the moment I have no plans to stud him but seeing him like this makes me want to keep him whole. It’s a decision I will need to make in the next 4 months so plenty of time to look into that. I don’t want him to lose his showiness but I do want him to be safe and not frustrated :)

We ended up back onto another busy road for a short while with a  large grass verge so quite safe there. Then another right turn down a very quite lane. He was still a little proud from his encounter from the colts and at this point and wanted to try get ahead again. His head was high and he was very forward. A couple of barking dogs in one of the gardens later and he was back at my side slightly behind  I wouldn’t say he was frightened by the dog but more preferred to give up leadership for a little while… At the top of the lane there was another field with more little ponies grazing which again put him back into show mode although not as bad this time and we were soon past them. Next obstacle was a little further ahead. A tree had been cut down crossing the back (a small one). I was expecting a snort here or a little hesitation but no… I stepped over and he followed.

A little further past the lane led to another dirt track. I let him graze while I took a seat and gave us both time to relax before heading out to the next stage of the walk. At the end of the lane there’s an opening to 30 acres of fields used by all for walking there dogs etc. I used to have a lot of fun riding here with Prince along with my friend Holly and her Horse Cochese. I took my time on the fields giving him plenty of time to graze and relax.

We followed the paths for about 45 minutes, stopping every now and again to let Gerke graze. In between each field the track dropped into mud and water where the path had flooded. I remember the fun I had asking him to walk through puddles outside the house well there wasn’t any problems now. I waded through the water and he followed (thank goodness for wellies!). No hesitation or pulling back. He did decide to jump over one of the puddles though although it was controlled and relaxed.

We eventually got to the end of the fields. There is a mound at the end we used to ride over which is about 4 feet high and very steep to bring us back onto the road. I made sure I got over it first to make sure he didn’t bolt ahead and walk right over me. Thankfully he just walked over nice and relaxed.

Back onto the road now and yet another bridge. Much better this time though   He was certainly more alert as we went over but was still in control. Following this road took us back to the main road we originally started out on and back over the first motorway bridge. He was more following me at this point than pushing forward which was a good start and he went over the bridge with minimal drama

We were back on the yard in no time and I led him straight into the field to go play with Tucker.

This time last year was the first time I rode out alone with Prince and from there my confidence in him went straight up. It was great to do the same with Gerke today and he’s proved to me that he can act like a partner in unfamiliar surroundings!

I get the sense that Gerke is a very independent and prefers to lead than be led and I think it’s great how brave he is. Very different to Prince who was very much a follower. I spent time building Prince’s confidence in himself but with Gerke I need to build his confidence in me as a leader and partner

Great day!

Short post today…

It worked!

Did the same with Gerke as I did with Tucker and although it took a little longer it paid off!

Very happy

I’ve recently been getting on Gerke and Tucker a bit getting them used to the idea of me sitting on there back.

The way I’ve been doing this is by first parking them up in front of a haynet and then letting them relax after which I would carefully climb on using steps. Now although this has been working it’s not the best way to do it as I’ve recently discovered from the recently purchased colt starting dvds.

I’ve been watching these over the last couple of days and got to admit the way it suggests was completely the opposite to what I was thinking but it made so much more sense.

The suggestion is to jump around the horse making as much commotion as possible while keeping an eye on the limits and get the horse used to it. All the while I’ve been creeping onto their backs with the thought that the slightest bit of noise or movement around me will spook them so why not get them used to what spooks them?

I did this with Tucker tonight and the results came quick – 15 minutes and I was on his back in the middle of the yard with his feet firmly planted! No drift and no feeling of him wanting to bolt / feeling tense.

I started by just being more active around him. He’s pretty solid anyway so it wasn’t long before my actions weren’t bothering him. I walked around him like I was late for an appointment. I steadily upped the pace brushing past him and making as much contact as possible. (The big ball is a perfect prerequisite for this – and I’ve already done this with both of them). Then I stood next to him and jumped up and down making contact with his side and neck. He shifted a little but again quickly got used to it and stood solid. I stood on his left with the lead rope in my left hand and my hand on his neck and back. Next I jumped on (softly) leaning over his back and then slid off again. Again he shifted a little but about the 5th go he stood steady again. Before long it wasn’t a problem to just jump up! (he is about 14hh).

Once he was comfortable with me jumping on I did it from the other side and the first time I was on his back he stood still. Perfect!

When I was on his back my confidence was better knowing that after all the commotion he was still stood solid and because of that I was more relaxed.

So no more creeping around and gently getting on – I want them both used to being a handled normally and not go into a panic because my knee touched his side when I get on. I want him used to stuff banging into him from all sides and not bolting. Suppose I lose a stirrup on his back and it starts flapping around / hitting his side?  If I do this right then that shouldn’t bother them if/when it ever happens rather than them galloping off because it’s not something they’re used to!

This doesn’t mean I’m going to start hitting them or anything  but I am going to stop treating them both like they’re made of glass. I want them to shrug off the unexpected, keep calm and carry on

Will make this a regular part of their week from now on. Have to try this on Gerke but he’s a bit bigger (15.1hh) so might struggle to jump that high

So far so good!

Have seen a different side to Gerke over the last week – he’s been quite challenging as of late. Had a few kicks directed at me which has been fun!

I’ve had to keep him in over the last week due to the weather being so poor – fields are waterlogged and in the mean time he’s been getting more and more excitable stuck in.

I took him out each day to stretch his legs but each time he had been getting more uncontrollable and even gotten aggressive to me at one point!

He was also getting aggressive to the other horses – trying to show em who’s boss

Got to admit when he arches his neck he looks really nice but it’s at that point he becomes dangerous.

Anyway I let him out in the field today to get rid of all that build up energy and what a difference it made. Good as gold coming in. Was able to sit on him without him shifting. Spent a little time with a bit in his mouth (Happy Mouth bit).

Had a walk on the lane with him and he was great – stuck with me the whole way staying calm the entire time.

Lesson learned – he needs to get out more!

Been an interesting couple of weeks…

Ball didn’t last to long and is now in need of a puncture repair kit but it has done its job

I spent a few more days from the last post making sure Gerke was happy with his ball in all ways. Bouncing it next to him, picking it up and putting it on his back etc…  he doesn’t have a problem with it at all!

I tried different objects on his back – even placed a saddle on his back a couple of times to see how he reacted to that and again no reaction.

Guess it was time to try something new on his back… me!

I started out by just putting the steps next to him until I was able to place them next to him without him shifting. Next I would sit on the step next to him just spending time with him. I sat there for over an hour one night just watching youtube videos while he picked away at his haynet. he was completely at ease . After that I wanted to be sure he was happy with me standing on the steps next to him and reaching over his back. Once comfortable with that I starting applying my weight onto his back a bit at a time – he shifted his weight getting balance the first time but didn’t move his feet to far which was good so I progressed to stepping onto the next step and leaning over his back with all my weight – no issues again. Last step before getting on was to just lift my knee over his back to make sure he was comfortable with what I was doing until finally I could just sit on his back (no saddle)

The above was done very carefully spread over a week and I have only actually got on him about 5 times up to now – No walking around just yet – just simply get on him and sit there relaxed for 5 minutes then get back off.

I’ve also had plenty of time leading him to and from the far field and using the opportunity to see how polite I can get him to lead. He’s usually quite giddy to get out / come back in so he’s gotten quite pushy at times but most of the time he’s very sensitive to the rope being shook – no need to pull on his head collar to stop him

He puts great effort into keeping up so I tested how much effort he would take to stay next to me when I walk at a snales pace…   he has quite a long stride so has found this difficult and the way he copes with it is to get a little ahead and then stop until I catch up after a couple of steps. Although not ideal it is very polite

He’s great going into his stable now positioning himself for his head collar to be taken off before going to his haynet.

If I take his lead rope and walk away from his haynet in the yard he turns and walks with me without having to put pressure on his head collar.

Tonight I stood next to him and walked backward and forward a couple of steps at a time and he followed brilliantly again with no pressure to the rope/head collar.

I’ve not been able to get him in the field as much to play due to the weather / field being so boggy so going to have to be more creative with the space I have for now.

He’s turning out to be very trusting