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Training Gaps

I wanted to talk for a bit about my take on training gaps in horses. I’ve come across this recently because as I ride Nikki, I’m finding that there are things she knows, but can’t connect together.

Here’s our issue:

She knows how to do Manuever A: Give to the bit. And she knows Manuever C: Move away from the leg. But what she does’t know is Information B that will allow her to connect those two ideas.

So what happens is that I will ask her to move her body; either around a turn, in a circle or trying to control her legs. Her response is to get frustrated and back up. And back up. And back up.

So the first thing I did was cure the backing up. She seemed to think that when I put on my leg that backing up was an option. I had to teach her that no matter what she did, backing up did not solve the issue of my leg. I put her in an open area where she could back up at her leisure. So I would put on my leg and the LIGHTEST of rein aid, and she would shoot backwards. I continued to put my leg on stronger as she backed up. We went about 20 yards and she finally moved forward. I took my leg off and petted her. We did that until she stopped backing up when I put my leg on.

Then I decided to start with the basics. I would pretend like she was a 3 year old with no training. I was going to do everything I would do with a baby. If she knew the training step we were working on, we’d refresh and build.

It began at the walk today. I began walking in a circle while asking for some bend both directions. If she responded and gave to the bit, I gave her the rein and a pat.

We broke up the monotony and frustration of this for her by doing some loose rein trotting and cantering at different intervals throughout the ride. It kept her mind from getting beaten and allowed her some time to move and relax.

Eventually she got really soft no matter what I asked so we moved to an easy sitting trot. She picked up the bending quickly and I let her walk, satisfied.

I knew it was pushing it, but I put her back on a smaller circle at a walk. I began asking her to move away from my leg while maintaining some bend. Because we had worked so extensively on the bending and she was rather sensitive to leg, she really clicked the ideas quickly and would move out of the circle.

Adding a bit of outside leg and a blocking outside rein, I maintained this beacutifully bent circle without Nikki popping out her shoulder or drifting out of the circle.

We finished on that note and her and I took a long walk down the driveway to relax her even further. She ended up happy, relaxed, and having learned something.

I had this same issue with Mistic back in Ohio. He didn’t know how to move his hindquarter independently of his body and could not be stopped from popping out his shoulder.

I stripped down this issue to the very basic. He knew how to give to the bit. He knew forward. But something was missing that he didn’t know how to control his body when asked.

I stopped Mistic and really thought about it. I thought about how a horse learns to move their shoulders and hindquarter independently. It occurred to me that Mistic had never learned a turn on the forehand or on the haunches. This was a very basic function he had never been taught. As I tried to ask him for it, he sidepassed, backed up, pushed through my hands, and generally did not understand what I was asking for. It was his gap, and was something simple that…once fixed, made a world of difference.

Working the round pen

I love round pens. Whether you are working a broke horse, a green one, or a two year old….I think round pens are an invaluable tool.

When I was first working Alibi several years ago, we used round pen work in a variety of ways.
First, I used the round pen as a method of exercise. He was young and I wasn’t riding him long or hard, so he needed an outlet for his energy.

While getting out that energy, I used round penning as a means to learn to trust me and listen to my body language. When I was training Alibi was the big kick on natural horsemanship. I had attended a bunch of clinics and was fairly interested in Monty Roberts/Gawani Ponyboy approach. I applied a lot of it Alibi’s work in the round pen with those methods. He learned to submit to me, to not come into me until I allowed him, and that /i was in control. Him and I both enjoyed at liberty work with him following me. It also improved his showmanship.

Also, round pen work really improved Alibi’s lunge line work. He became very voice trained on the line as well as in the pen. This really translated at shows when he was feeling fresh and needed lunged.

I also used it as an educational tool. Sometimes we used loose side reins to give him the freedom to explore being on the bit and using his back without me interfering and inadvertantly punishing good behavior. I also used it to introduce him to rollbacks. We worked from the walk and eventually to the canter of crossing his center of motion and having him spin around. It really transitioned very well into riding.

 I use the round pen with every horse I’ve ever worked with. Depending on their issues, I treat it differently and work each horse differently.

Right now I’m working with this wonderful mare. She’s a 17hh thoroughbred mare with the best disposition I’ve ever encountered; mare or gelding. She’s absolutely willing and a perfect angel no matter what I ask.

So I took her to the round pen all this week before ever riding her.

I wanted to know a few things about her. All things I could assess through round pen work.

I wanted to see how she moved, see what her education looked like, and check her disposition while moving.

The first day I simply wanted to see how well she moved and what she was like while moving. She lunged quite well, but needed the lunge whip for a bit of encouragement. She knew her voice cues and had VERY cute movement. There were a few times when, in me asking for the canter, she would leap into the canter and throw out a playful buck. I haven’t seen it since that day.

The next day I round penned her again. I used a surcingle to see how she was going to react to tacking and how she would carry a bit of tack. No problems. After warming up, I attached some very slack side reins and let her continue. She traveled without fuss. I tightened them two holes and allowed some pressure to get to her. She backed way off and didn’t seem to understand. She didn’t throw a fit of any sort, but didn’t seem to know what I wanted.

Today we round penned again. I was looking this time for her to submit to me. She took some time to come around, but eventually chewed, lowered her head, and asked to come to me. I let her stop on the rail, walked up to her, and she followed me around the rest of the time we worked together; even outside the round pen and all around the stud, the barn, the wash rack, and her pasturemates.

Have I mentioned that I adore round pens?

Well good news, I’m not Satan

The report was generated with the following birth data: female, born on 18 May 1989 at 11:48 am in Youngstown, Ohio.

Your sun sign is Taurus. This is the sign in which the Sun is in your birth chart. Your Ascendant is in Leo, and your Moon is in Scorpio.

Sun in Taurus, Moon in Scorpio

You were born with the Sun in Taurus and the Moon in Scorpio. This combination of opposite signs denotes a very strong personality. Internally, you are warm-hearted and amorous. You have a tremendous amount of patience, firmness, and self-determination. You are intensely ambitious and have a strong desire for a position of renown in the world.

Your personality is in keeping with the individuality just outlined. Others view you as very determined, assured, and self-reliant. Often you are too brash and direct, and your remarks can be offensive. You are attracted to high-quality goods and luxuries, and you will work hard to secure them.

Because of the Sun in Taurus, you are conservative and resistant to changes. The Taurean gift of patience is somewhat overshadowed by your irritability and tendency to anger. It is best for others to stay out of your path when your pride has been pricked.

The Moon in Scorpio indicates a person of marked sexuality with strong tastes and an appetite for pleasures. Your aura of mystery appeals to men. At times you sense that your love of pleasure violates your most essential nature – basic tranquillity and rooted individuality.

Ascendant in Leo, Sun in the Tenth House

At the time of your birth the zodiacal sign of Leo was ascending in the horizon. Its ruler the Sun is located in the tenth house.

People with Leo in the Ascendant seem to possess a flair for the life of nobility and regality. Your life will be in many ways influenced by decisions you make that have been motivated by your pride, desire for power, for authority, and your need to convince others of your courage.

In life you will act with a rather frank, generous, and amiable disposition. The course of events in your life will unfold themselves swiftly, and a life full of chance and circumstances will be the outcome of your desire to rule, to organize, to hold the keys of authority. You should be aware that as a result of overly strong impulses there is the danger of failures and upsets in life. You will be generally regarded as an amiable, sincere and generous person who, however, has much pride and sensitivity. Egocentricity is one of the prices of being born with the Ascendant sign of Leo. Another aspect of this zodiacal sign is that your personality becomes excessively charged with passion and sexual desire. On the other hand, these zodiacal signs grant in life a large dose of vitality as well as a fine physical shape and a strong, healthy constitution.

Willpower is a characteristic of your personality. You seek opportunities and when you find them you go to it, using both your mind and your emotions to strive for success with zeal and determination. You are very self-assured and you implement ideas with a self- assurance that lets nothing get in your way of success.

It would be beneficial to you, however, if you were not so candid and frank and if you did not expect others to act and feel as you do.

Leo will grant you very sincere and affectionate relationships in which you desire to bring happiness and an overall feeling of charitable spirit and warmth to your loved one. In your sexual relationships you appear as happy, strong, playful and even a little innocent.

You will always act better as a leader than a subordinate.

The Sun here denotes that there are great possibilities for honor and success in life and for obtaining privileged relationship from persons of power. During the middle age you will have the opportunity to experience the most important event of your life; one which can bring fortune and prosperity, proper means of earning a livelihood, and the ability to become totally independent and successful.

Your negative tendencies are arrogance and pride.

Moon in the Fourth House

The Moon was found in the fourth house at the time of your birth. Moon here will definitely influence events concerning your mother, places of residence and family matters. Insert here: Holy crap! If you know me, you know how shocking this is.

Both your childhood and even your older age will be characterized by a love of romance, various journeys, and interesting adventures.

The liability of this astrological combination is that it gives you an uncertain position in life and a perpetual striving for material security that seems to be hard to come by. This may be relieved temporarily by your receiving a small inheritance and will be almost overcome by the final years of your life by excellent family care and assistance.

Note: The Moon is technically near the end of house 3 and is therefore interpreted in house 4.

Saturn in the Fifth House

Saturn was found in the fifth house at the time of your birth. Circumstances may oblige you to appear humble and patient in connection with love affairs and as a response to obstacles that will come between you and the object of your love.

It is possible that unless you can exert good control of your temperament, the obstacles can create a response from you that is harsh and severe. You must view these matters in light of the spiritual cause and effect.

We advise you to be very careful in business speculations and not to become involved in operations that have a risky element.

You should make an effort to become involved with the various human experiences of love so that your communicative power is increased. You must be sincere with yourself. Secretly you nourish the desire to be involved in human situations, but you apparently have lost the ability to relate to other people. A little more openness and confidence in your loved ones could be a good course to follow.

I’ve never been so accurately described. In every way possible. How exciting!

I’m horrified

I am ashamed right now to call myself an Ohio University student.

Riot police Shut Down Palmerfest by the Ohio University The Post

Athens Street Party Becomes Near-Riot
in The Columbus Dispatch

College Street Party Marked By Fires, Injured Police Horses on WBNS10TV News

And finally, Athens Police: Fires, Near-Riot At ‘Palmerfest’ on the Columbus NBC4i News.

Grow up, OU.

 
Update:

Since I’ve been sitting in my room sick all day, I’ve had time to do a bit more investigating on this matter.

15 people were arrested total. The Dayton Daily News, 10TV, and WSAZ-TV all covered it.
I’ve been scouring youtube, and there are PLENTY of videos, but this one by far glorifies the students the least.
Watch it in its entirety, especially from about 5:30 to the end.

Music for the Soul

This is the most wonderful, beautiful, amazing compilation/song I’ve ever heard.

Pure bliss.
“Love Story” meets “Viva La Vida” by Piano and Cello

I highly recommend visiting the websites of both pianist Jon Schmidt and cellist Steven Sharp Nelson and listening to some of their music. They are wonderful.

Derby Time

I can’t stand horse racing. However, I am intrigued by the communication aspect that shrouds the industry. Especially now as the rest of the country catches up to what horse people know all year round: Horses are awesome.

I found this article that I thought was quite interesting on Mentalfloss.com, a non horsey website.
I knew several of this things mentioned here already, but I still gained some knowledge from it.

The Jockey Club
Since 1894, the Jockey Club has been charged with maintaining The American Stud Book, a registry of all Thoroughbreds foaled in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, as well as Thoroughbreds imported into those countries. North American breeders register approximately 37,000 Thoroughbreds each year and the Jockey Club has an online database of more than 430,000 names in active use, all of which must first be approved by the organization’s censors.

One of the most common naming conventions is to combine the names of the foal’s sire and dam. For instance, 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch was the son of Gulch and Line of Thunder. A cleverer example of this sort is the name Inside Information, which was derived from Private Account and Pure Profit. Of the roughly 60,000 name requests submitted annually, about one-third are rejected because they fall into one or more of the Jockey Club’s 15 classes of names that are strictly forbidden.

The Guidelines
The first rule of naming a horse is that a name may consist of no more than 18 letters, and spaces and punctuation marks count as letters. Eighteencharacters is acceptable (and is, in fact, a registered horse name) but Eighteen Characters is not. Other ineligible submissions include names consisting entirely of initials; names clearly having commercial, artistic, or creative significance; names that are suggestive or have a vulgar or obscene meaning; names considered in poor taste or names that may be offensive to religious, political or ethnic groups; and names of living persons unless written permission to use their name is on file with The Jockey Club.

In an interview with NPR, Jockey Club registrar Rick Bailey said he once received written permission on White House letterhead granting permission for an owner to register a horse named Barbara Bush. In 2005, the Jockey Club rejected an owner’s request to name his horse Sally Hemmings after Thomas Jefferson’s slave and reputed mistress. The owner claimed the name was meant to honor Hemmings and filed suit, but the Jockey Club’s decision was upheld by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. Today, there’s no shortage of political statements being made on the tracks, with registered horses named Obama’s Promises, George Dubya, Palin Power, and McCain. Names of horses that win major races are retired permanently, while all other names may be recycled over time.

Slipping Through the Cracks
With as many names as the Jockey Club reviews, it’s no surprise that some questionable names have found their way onto racing forms. Slate took an amusing look at some of the racier names that slipped past the Jockey Club’s reviewers. Among them: Blow Me (1945), Spank It (1985), Date More Minors (1998), Bodacious Tatas (1985), Sexual Harassment (1997), and – say it aloud – Hardawn (1937). “It’s difficult with the use of some words that meant something 20 years ago may mean something totally different with the MTV generation,” Bailey told NPR. There’s also Hoochiecoochiemama (1989), Panty Raid (2004), Thong Thong Thong (1989), Thong or Panties (2004), and, because the Jockey Club is an equal opportunity registry, Boxers or Briefs (2007). While it’s hardly dirty, a horse named Mental Floss was registered in 2001.
Fusaichi Who?

The Jockey Club requires an explanation for names with meanings that are not self-evident. In the case of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, they could’ve also used a pronunciation guide. (That’s foo-sah-EE-chee.) The name proved so difficult to pronounce that some of the reporters covering the race for ABC referred to the horse simply as “Pegasus.” Owner Fusao Sekiguchi combined his first name with “ichi,” which means “one” in Japanese, and Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology. Here are the stories behind the names of a few other famous horses:

• Big Brown: The 2008 Kentucky Derby winner was named after UPS, which allowed its trademark of the moniker to expire in 2005. Big Brown’s owner, Paul Pompa Jr., was a trucking company owner and said the horse’s name honored UPS’s renewal of a contract with his firm. UPS, in turn, agreed to a sponsorship deal and the value of the Derby exposure for the company was estimated at $4 million.

• Giacomo: The 2005 Kentucky Derby winner was named for the son of recording artist Sting, who worked with A&M records co-founder and Giacamo’s breeder Jerry Moss.

• Seattle Slew: The 1977 Triple Crown winner was named after his owners’ two hometowns, Seattle and a soggy area in Florida, where a swamp is often called a slew.

• Secretariat: Elizabeth Ham, the secretary for the stables where the 1973 Triple Crown winner was born, had submitted 10 names to the Jockey Club, all of which were denied. Ham’s 11th submission was finally approved.

• Seabiscuit: A sea biscuit is the name of a type of cracker eaten by sailors known as hardtack. Seabiscuit’s father was named Hard Tack.

• War Admiral: The 1937 Triple Crown winner was the offspring of Man ‘o War and Brushup.

• Burgoo King: Foaled near Lexington, Ky., the 1932 Kentucky Derby winner was named for a local grocer who was famous for his burgoo stew.

By the way…

Here’s Pioneer of the Nile running the Santa Anita Derby earlier this month. I like the way he runs, he’s an easy runner, not wasting too much energy and using himself how he needs to when necessary.
Pioneer of the Nile is another colt I really like. He’s one of the top horses and going off at 4-1. He won the Santa Anita Derby less than a month ago. His father was second to Funny Cide. His trainer is Bob Baffert and he’s being riding by the nation’s leading jockey in 2008, Garrett Gomez. He isn’t running quick times in workout, but I think they may be holding him in general and will probably not run him all out until Derby Day.

I will say, the favorite, I Want Revenge, has a gorgeous running style. Reminds me of Secretariat the way he runs. He’s got great breeding…but he’s been beaten by Pioneer in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes…I just don’t believe in him the way i believe in Pioneer.

live and learn

I’m really excited about the opportunity I’m being given this summer. I applied several months ago to work at a summer camp. It is a beautiful place about two hours north of Atlanta. It is in the very south Appalacian mountains ontop of a specific mountain named “Lookout”.

I received a call a few weeks ago from the woman who owns the camp and she gave me the news. I had received that job! It will be three 2 week sessions throughout the summer beginning June 28.

The camp is an all girls private equestrian camp. It is called Valley View Ranch. I know this would be a great experience for me in so many ways. It mixes together the old and the new for me. This is definitely a comfort zone for me in the sense that I get to be around horses and teaching lessons. However, I think it will be a good transition for me into a more “Full-time” position as well as exploring communication ventures and occupations. Everything involves communication, I do realize this. However, this job will allow me to research, analyze, and explore my knowledge and abilities as a communicator.

I’m getting a little deep here! I’m excited though! New opportunities! New adventures!

News Jokes

Since our mascot is the Bobcats, when I first read this I thought it was an OU joke.

So a Bobcat walks into bar in Arizona…

More Spring Break

I’m surprised at just how much fun I’m having this week while I’m on Spring Break.

Last night, a few friends of Michael and I’s came into town and we all went to eat yummy Tokyo House and then played pool and cards in my basement. As boring as it sounds, it was a really fun and pleasant evening that I’m glad we had.

I’ve been having a lot of fun riding Alibi this past week. I can already see major improvement in his work ethic. Even his coat looks a thousand times better just from daily brushing.

We’re still working on forward so I’m still putting him together hard so that he doesn’t enjoy it. I do that for a few strides and then put my leg on and give a little. That way, when I release, he is relieved and is willing to move up to me. He’s already starting to slightly engage his hindquarters at the trot and asks me to hold him in my hands.

I didn’t get any pictures, but on Tuesday I took my 4 year old nephew out to ride. He rode Alibi at the walk. It was really fun for both of us.
Dayton rode all by himself and even steered when I was up there with him.

He helped me lead him, brush Alibi, tack him up….and then he fed treats to all the horses and then fed them hay.

I’m having a really great break. Tonight I’m supposed to watch Dayton and then go out with Jazz and her new boyfriend. I have no idea WHAT we’re going to do, but I really hope it’s a fun time.