Art’s 2nd and 3rd ride was this last Friday and Saturday. I decided I wanted to do a back to back session on Art to see how he handled a little pressure. Of course, he was a knucklehead on Friday when he absolutely did not want me to mount him from the ground (something I hadn’t done yet). So I pushed him around the round pen a lap or six at a lope and tried again. Still wouldn’t stand, so I pulled the stool over to mount him that way (I was getting on one way or another). He then started to do the aggietwottle with the stool, so again he went around the pen, loping. He was huffing just a bit when I pulled him back in, pulled the stool over to him and hopped on before he had a chance to do something. I just didn’t want him exhausted and hot on a cold night. He then walked off just fine and was a really good boy as I proceeded to guide him around at the walk, turning and whoaing as we went. We did a couple of circles and then that was it – all done.
The next day he started off being worried about me mounting, so I asked Sherry to hold him while I mounted from the ground and couple of times. He settled in and we took off at a walk. He was being so good that I thought I would go ahead and ask for the jog. I clicked and bumped him with my legs a bit and he popped out right into a jog for me – just like that we were jogging, and boy was it nice. He really has some pretty gaits on him and they feel great in the saddle too. We came back down to the walk and tried it the other way – again no issues and right into a jog. He did break this way and I bumped him back into the jog.
After this Saturday session, Art got tied to the arena with the other 2 year olds to think about everything. It was here that I introduced Art to the snaffle, so he chewed on that for a bit too – LOL.
All in all, these were two very productive sessions and I’m pretty happy. I think he is coming along great and there is no need for me to work him under saddle more than two times a week this month. Maybe next month we’ll go to 3 days a week and see how he does mentally and physically.
Oh and I’m so tickled with his jog that I bought a really nice pleasure shirt and show pad off of Ebay this weekend. The shirt is black & green and the pad is black & white. Now I just need chaps and a nice hat and we’ll be set for some open shows in the summer (if Art and God be willing…)
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Art's First Ride
As of Saturday, January 10th, Art started his under saddle training and we walked around the round pen one way and then the other. Whoa is not an automatic for Art, so before we do any trotting, I’m going to do a little bit of driving to help remind him what that word means. I’ve started many horses under saddle and I can’t tell you how much I don’t enjoy it anymore. I’m to the point that I’m hoping that Art is the last horse that I will start from scratch. I just don’t like how slow of pace this part of training is. I appreciate the fact that it needs to be slow so that Art will learn without fear or intimidation and so that he will adjust to having someone aboard – I just really want to blink my eyes and be 90 days into our training. I like the part where you are past the point where they decide they no longer want to cooperate (and this will eventually happen between 30-60 days) and when you are finally confident that they no longer have any extreme silliness in them. This is when I can get to work and start working on side passing, pivoting, roll backs, and other training that will continue to get him more and more broke.
Of course, this all takes time too, but there is something extremely satisfying about a young horse moving away from your leg the first time. Kind of like a light bulb going off and you know that they know what you are asking of them.
I’m still extremely excited about Art and our future show adventures, but really about being there as he grows and learns and becomes the fantastic all-around horse I know that he is destined to become. I am really excited to see what Mark thinks of him. I know that 30 days isn’t much, but it will be enough for him to evaluate him so I can decide if he will start in Western Pleasure or Hunter under Saddle. This is all a very exciting time for me and Art.
Of course, this all takes time too, but there is something extremely satisfying about a young horse moving away from your leg the first time. Kind of like a light bulb going off and you know that they know what you are asking of them.
I’m still extremely excited about Art and our future show adventures, but really about being there as he grows and learns and becomes the fantastic all-around horse I know that he is destined to become. I am really excited to see what Mark thinks of him. I know that 30 days isn’t much, but it will be enough for him to evaluate him so I can decide if he will start in Western Pleasure or Hunter under Saddle. This is all a very exciting time for me and Art.
Monday, January 12, 2009
OK - it's been awhile...
So it’s been quite awhile since I’ve updated this blog and I’m going to blame the weather. Actually, I’ve really been kind of burnt out on the whole thing – showing, preparing to show, thinking about showing and blogging about showing. I even had those creeping feelings of selling Art and getting a reiner. That feeling comes about every 6 months it seems, but I’ve been able to overcome it again. You see, everytime I start searching Dreamhorse for something better than Art, I can’t find it. They might be different than Art and have something different to offer, but they aren’t better. I just need to keep that in mind every time I get the “reining bug.”
My next dilemma is showing Art at APHA shows. I started to feel that we have no place at these shows. They are not “solid” friendly. I came to that realization when I began to practice showmanship with Art. As soon as he started to get it, I started to realize that there isn’t a showmanship class for solids at our shows. Arrrggghhh! So then I started to plan on showing him only at AQHA shows once he gets his papers. Unfortunately, I don’t know when that will be and we don’t have a trailer to take off on our own yet. So now I have redirected myself back to APHA shows and can live with the fact that we will only have 4 classes to show in (unless we do the speed events). Hopefully the other two SPB’s will continue to show in 2009.
Another reason I am starting to look forward to show season with Art is that Sherry gave us a one month training with Mark Kuhlwein. I am so stoked about this as even one month with a pro can be a great thing to boost the training on any horse. I am going to continue to get Art going under saddle (we’ve accomplished one half times around the round pen) and when he goes to Mark’s in March, Art will hopefully have a walk, trot and canter going under saddle.
I also hope that Art puts on a couple more inches because he is not quite the height that I was hoping for at this age. I was really hoping he’d be at least 15’2 when he hit his 2 year old year, but he does look like he’s starting to sprout a little more, plus he just looks like he’s going to be a tall boy. Here’s keeping our fingers crossed.
Last but not least, we were not able to afford to go to the Tucson show due to financial restraints. So no Ultimate Yearling Award for Art. Oh well, I hope to be able to afford to go to a few shows at the end of next year, plus open schooling shows throughout the year. We’ll see….
My next dilemma is showing Art at APHA shows. I started to feel that we have no place at these shows. They are not “solid” friendly. I came to that realization when I began to practice showmanship with Art. As soon as he started to get it, I started to realize that there isn’t a showmanship class for solids at our shows. Arrrggghhh! So then I started to plan on showing him only at AQHA shows once he gets his papers. Unfortunately, I don’t know when that will be and we don’t have a trailer to take off on our own yet. So now I have redirected myself back to APHA shows and can live with the fact that we will only have 4 classes to show in (unless we do the speed events). Hopefully the other two SPB’s will continue to show in 2009.
Another reason I am starting to look forward to show season with Art is that Sherry gave us a one month training with Mark Kuhlwein. I am so stoked about this as even one month with a pro can be a great thing to boost the training on any horse. I am going to continue to get Art going under saddle (we’ve accomplished one half times around the round pen) and when he goes to Mark’s in March, Art will hopefully have a walk, trot and canter going under saddle.
I also hope that Art puts on a couple more inches because he is not quite the height that I was hoping for at this age. I was really hoping he’d be at least 15’2 when he hit his 2 year old year, but he does look like he’s starting to sprout a little more, plus he just looks like he’s going to be a tall boy. Here’s keeping our fingers crossed.
Last but not least, we were not able to afford to go to the Tucson show due to financial restraints. So no Ultimate Yearling Award for Art. Oh well, I hope to be able to afford to go to a few shows at the end of next year, plus open schooling shows throughout the year. We’ll see….
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