Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Silence

A note from Beamer.....

He just wants you to know that he taught the kidz all he knows when it comes to getting airborne.....

And THAT's how ya do it!

The young 'uns

This past week has slipped by too fast!
Roper went to his new home on Wednesday, and I have been spending more time with Amber, teaching her the new rules she needs to know for living with the adult dogs.... and trying to puppy proof everything within reach of those busy teeth.... I'm pretty sure plastic and insulation aren't digestible.....

I think she will have amber eyes... how fitting!

She does pretty good though, I take her out often to do her business, and keep her on a string with me while I do my chores; she's getting it all figured.

Haven't had the chance to ride Rio since the clinic but when I handle him I remind him of the groundwork he learned that day, and it's going well. Turned him and Josie out this afternoon, and apparently Rio has found that he actually can run- and fast!

Shayla better get some stampede strings for her hat when she gets to running the barrels with him someday, he's one powerful horse and he is just now discovering the joy of flat out fun.

8 feet airborne!

Josie is growing and getting prettier all the time- sure do love this filly!

Can't you just picture the mare she will grow up to be?

 She has some speed too, and I am hoping for a career in reining for her. Her baby days are nearly done, as soon as the weather is a little warmer she will start equine kindergarten. Sure need my round pen back! I had to take it down and use it to build the stalls for the horses when this place changed ownership back in November so I really don't have any "schoolroom" for Josie. There's lots I can do just in the yard or pasture though. 

Meanwhile, she might just as well run around and have some fun! I keep her separate from Rio in the stall area, so they do enjoy their turnout together.

Wordless Wednesday

A few good things

I woke up during the eclipse and tried to get a photo, but I just couldn't get my camera to cooperate. I even had everything all set up; the settings I wanted, fresh battery- everything. But there was a haze over the moon, it was very dim and I think the camera couldn't focus, and it doesn't want to release the shutter if the focus doesn't work. Oh well, at least I got to see it! Earlier in the evening, I took this photo of the moonrise.

On Sunday I headed to town to deliver Pip, the last of the female pups, to her new owner, my friend Carol.
She travelled well, and as I let her out of the truck there were people already waiting to pet her, as Janice was there with Pip's big sister Kali, and another lady and her son were waiting to see the pup. Everybody loves a puppy!
Here is Pip with her big sister- looks like Kali thought there was entirely too much attention being paid to a mere pup, and that SHE was much more deserving of the attention!

So only one more pup to go, Roper will be leaving for Alberta tomorrow. Then it will be time to get to work on training Amber, I need to crate train and house break her, as she has been living in the Canine Hilton (dog run with a nice big shed)  for the last 3 weeks.
The young horses are still reacting to the spring grass with swelling in their salivary glands (aka grass glands- google it if you want more info) so are getting very limited turn out. I have been unable to work them for the last few days but should be able to get back in the swing of things today. Beamer is unaffected by the grass, so he gets longer turnout.

It is truly spring here, Ted had the lawn mower out, but it quit on him so he needs to tune it up before cutting the lawn- something to do with the fuel lines and or filter. Most of my perennials are up, and I have the first flowers blooming in my flower beds- these precious little violets.

Another sure sign of spring- I have started buying plants to stuff my flower containers! I just can't wait!!!!
Of course the other side of the coin is all the clean up that needs to be done, branches al over the lawn from all the high winds we had this winter, a few more weeds to pull in the garden before it can be rototilled, scoop up the yard cigars (courtesy of the dogs), and my least favorite thing, wash the windows.

I think I'll hire someone....

A birthday clinic for Rio

Yesterday, Rio turned 3, and I had entered him and Shayla in a Jim Anderson clinic- most of you know Jim from his big win at Road to the Horse last month, where he won the Wild Card challenge on Maverick, the horse he picked last year, the Fan Favourite vote, and the Road to the Horse Competition on Smoky.
Speaking of Smoky, Jim brought him along; we didn't get to see him being ridden, but he was hanging out in the sunshine enjoying some hay while the clinic was on.

Shayla decided the focus for this clinic would be working on Rio's evasive behaviour. Lately, he's been giving us that "I don't wanna and you can't make me" attitude. He is a big powerful horse, and combined with that juvenile attitude, it was making it tough to get through to him. We need a willing partner! Since Shayla is leaving for California today (!!!!! Lucky girl!!!!) I'll be riding Rio for the next 6 months, and I really didn't want to just baby him along, so this clinic gave us some very good tools to work with to teach this boy to keep his mind on work.
Jim started out with ground work- not longeing, because it's not productive to longe a horse that is mentally just leaving, he had to get Rio's mind by controlling his feet and body. So with a shorter line, and a stick, he asked Rio to move his hip, at the same time giving the cue of bending his (Jim's) upper body a bit. This also has the effect of the horse facing up. Step to the hip, bend, ask the horse to move the hip away. Any time Rio decided he was leaving, he had to move his hip over. Sometimes Jim had to get big in his ask, but before too long all he had to do was step and bend, and Rio was giving his hip. Once he got that, Jim asked for a shoulder yield- one step over with the shoulder, and then move the hip. Once Rio was consistent both ways, Jim asked for the sidepass, which is basically a hip and shoulder yield in unison. Down the fenceline they went. It wasn't until Rio understood all this that Jim longed him, and then any time Rio wanted to blow out and evade, he had to move his hip over and face up. This exercise allows the handler to control that big body and teaches the horse to keep his focus on the handler.
Here are a couple of videos that show Jim coaching Shayla on controlling the hip while longeing; you can see that Rio is wanting to get strong and blow out, and how this simple exercise helps to keep him going. When Jim says "move your feet" to Shayla he is telling her to go to the hip for control.

After this, Jim rode Rio, and worked on the next evasion: Rio's penchant for sticking his nose in the air and leaning on the bridle in the lope. Now, it's easy to pick up a nice soft feel on Rio in the walk and trot, as you've seen in some of my photos, but it isn't always there when you ask for it in the lope. It was interesting to see what Jim did for this. When Rio tried this Jim held his nose up there... and held it... and held it.... making it really uncomfortable for Rio, until he could feel Rio soften and want to give. Of course, being a baby, Rio had to try it several times, but he did eventually understand that it was a lot of very uncomfortable work to try that particular evasion!

Up goes the head....

Jim holds ......

and releases.

I'm really happy with what we learned in this clinic, and feel confidant that I can use what I learned to really improve this horse over the summer; and like Jim said, he needs lots of wet saddle blankets!

On other thing I'd like to touch on, is this moving the hip over is something I was taught many years ago in the Walt Vermadahl clinics I attended, only it wasn't taught from the ground; we were taught to do the one rein stop and kick his hip out of gear while riding if the horse got strong in the bridle or if there other issues like fearful ramping up. It's basically the same thing as this ground exercise, but it makes so much more sense to teach this on the ground first, and it makes that one rein stop so much more quickly effective once you are riding.

Wordless Wednesday

Longeing Josie

Both Rio and Josie are reacting to the spring grass this year; this is a first for me, usually the colts are on the pasture year round for a limited time each day, but this year the grass must be extra high in carbs as they get swollen "grass glands", so I'm taking them right off the grass for a while. Of course, this means getting their exercise in hand as I don't have a dry lot to turn them out on at the moment. Not a problem with Rio, being rideable, but miss Josie is going to kindergarten now to get her exercise. Shayla dropped by and I twisted her arm (grin) to get her to teach Josie to longe. It was pretty windy this afternoon, a nice strong south wind that blew in really warm temperatures. We all know how edgy horses can get in the wind, and apparently Josie "had the wind up her tail" at first, but smart little girl that she is it didn't take her long to get with the program.

I don't have a round pen at the moment, so Shayla took her in to their turn out pasture for the lesson.

She got it pretty good for a first lesson.

Lots of positive reinforcements.....

and a few more moments of red-headed 'tude.....

but overall she did really well. 

In which Thumper educates the pups on catitude.

 A proper cat shows no fear.....

is cool under pressure.....

always puts himself in a superior position to educate the minions.....

can never be stared down even by the most persistent border collie and is always willing to give some one-on-one tutoring......

is not above using confusion as a tactic......

and is always willing to accept  those who humble themselves in his presence.

Tug 'o'war

Anybody been missing the puppies?

Ridin' the boys

Yesterday we rode- Shayla came over and rode Rio and I rode Beamer, poor Josie got left by herself in her shelter. She calls a bit, but doesn't get worked up- good Josie!

Beamer is getting arthritis in one knee, so I take it easy on him. I have him on supplements Omega Alpha's Sinew X and some extra MSM. I let him pick the footing when we ride, he chooses the soft shoulder of the road, I guess it's less jarring on his knee, and he walks fine on the softer ground. I'm facing the fact that his riding days are winding down, it's limited riding for him from here on.
He loves getting out though, and his walk is so fast that Rio has to trot to keep up! Considering that Rio is a full hand taller than his sire, it's pretty funny. Also, Beamer's fast trot is a lope for Rio. Small but mighty!

Rio is really starting to look like an adult horse now. His chest and hindquarters are filling out.

He has a natural head carriage that is slightly behind the bit- I guess it works for him.

I let Shayla take some pics of me on Beamer.... love his little ears in this shot!

We had moved off the road onto a field, and next thing we know, a guy in a pickup came driving up, and stopped and got out... oh oh, trouble!

Sure enough, it was the land owner, who requested us not to ride on his field, which we politely agreed to. With profuse apologies! But dang- it sure was nice riding ground!
Back onto the side of the road we went!

At the end of the ride, Shayla worked Rio on his spins. He did well on softness during the ride:

Don't they make a pretty picture together?

His spins are coming, he is learning that he can't just opt out of them. **grin**

Rio turns 3 next Thursday, and they are in the Jim Anderson clinic that day- then it's off to California for Shayla, so Rio will have to put up with me for the summer.

Sweet grass and Beamer pics

2 days ago, we had a sunny warm day, and I turned the kidz out in their usual pasture with a side of hay to keep them happily munching. However, the sunshine must have really boosted the sugar in the grass, because Rio was swollen in the throatlatch and on the salivary glands. Josie had only a small swelling on either side of her throatlatch. 

I know, it's a terrible photo, but it shows the swelling!

We gave him a shot of Alpha Omega Immune Plus, and by the next morning there was only a small spot on the cheek. His feet had no heat, hopefully there should be no lasting effects. The kidz stayed in their shelter yesterday, and today they are getting some limited turn out. 

However....

Since they weren't using their paddock yesterday, I took the opportunity to turn Beamer out there; it's much larger than his turnout. It gives him the chance to do some flat out galloping - and of course, there are interesting poo piles to sniff....

 A stroll to the far end....

and then it was time to run and play.

He was flat out in this photo, note the dirt clods he's kicking up. I could barely keep up to him with my camera! All 4 off the ground. This horse has some serious speed in short bursts.

Feeling good! 

And then there were 2

Nick and Tag, and Quinn went to their new homes today, much to the delight of their new owners. We all met up at a parking lot in Cranbrook and it was like a Border Collie convention! Janice was there with Sage and Kali, the aunt and sister to the pups, and the people who bought Nick and Tag brought their two older collies who are great uncles to these pups (they are litter mates to Tess's daddy). I also took Amber along for the ride. Too busy to get photos though!
Now I only have Roper and Pip here, for another week or two. I had them up on the deck today to play with Amber, and when it was time for them to go out on the lawn to do their business.... well we had a little conversation about the stairs. At least, the pups had some opinions about navigating those stairs.

Roper: I dunno, that looks mighty steep from here! You seriously want us to go down there?

Pip: Aw c'mon Roper! We can do it!

It does look mighty steep though! Maybe Roper is right!

Aw what the heck- I'll go first!

Once I helped Roper to navigate, the pups intercepted Thumper who was on his way to the deck. He was pretty good, didn't run from them or scrap with them, so I rescued him- Amber is a merciless pest, she really wants to work anything that moves, poor Thumper!

Amber has discovered the joy of eating horse poo- she found some old poo at the hitching rail.