Bree Learns Sideways Circle

Bree Learns Sideways Circle
By Lindsey Forkun, www.LFEquestrian.com

Yesterday I was playing with the big Clyde x Friesian mare named Bree. I was teaching her some new things, one of which was the sideways circle. Bree has already learned the basics and can do circles, haunch turns, forehand turns, etc so I have been working to test her understanding and our communication with more difficult tasks.

I decided to teach her sideways circle because it is an exercise that has the horse focus on me, think more, and establish myself as a leader. This is because it is an exercise where I stand in the centre of the circle, and the horse steps sideways around me. It is an exercise where I stand still and the horse does all the moving - which helps the horse realize that I am the leader of our herd because I don't move, but they do. The horse is always facing me so the horse learns to focus on me and follow cues. The exercise gets the horse moving sideways with no forward or backward movement which helps the horse become more of a thinker because sideways takes a lot of thought.

Bree is a very smart horse and she picked up the cue really quickly. When teaching a horse something new, it is good to remember:
- be patient: allow the horse time to think about what you are asking them to do, don't expect an immediate response
- quit when you have understanding: once the horse gets what you are doing, reward the horse by moving on to something else... if you keep practicing the horse will start to think they are doing it wrong and they could give up or get very frustrated

After Bree started to move in the sideways circle, I allowed her time to stand and think. Then we started doing something familiar to her - the circle - so that her mind could take a bit of a mental break. After some circles we did some work with hula hoops - getting her to stand with her front feet in the hoop. Then I asked her to do sideways circle out of the hoop - to my delight she remembered the cue and did it perfectly both directions!

Key tips for this week: Horses can only show you how smart they are if you move beyond the basics. Challenge yourself to try and teach your horse something new.

Merlin goes for his First Trail

Merlin goes for his First Trail

This past weekend Merlin, one of the horse's in for training, went for his first trail ride. We've been working on a lot of things including steering and speed control in the ring. One of things we also worked on was emotional control and confidence building so Merlin could be safe out on the trails.

Some exercises we have done to help Merlin become confident:
- Going over poles both forward and backward
- Stepping in hula hoops
- Going for walks around our track
- Pushing a ball

Exercises that help Merlin to think through an obstacle because he has to back over it, go sideways, etc help him to become a thinking horse instead of an anxious horse. Exercises where Merlin meets new obstacles and props like a ball or hula hoop help to teach him emotional control - because it teaches him these new things aren't scary.

All of the preparation worked paid off in Merlin's case. He headed out on a trail with 9 other super calm and well trained horses. He rode in the back so he could follow all the other calm horses up ahead. He did walk and trot on the side of the road and in the forest. He was super!

Some things to remember when out on the trail with a new horse:
- Get off your horse if either you or the horse becomes very tense. You can always walk part of the trail and then get back on.
- If you want to teach a horse to be calm and relaxed, then you need to ride the trail calm and relaxed. It is best if you don't do any fast canter or gallop on the first couple rides until the horse can understand to be calm and relaxed out on the trail.
- Monkey see, Monkey do. Horses are prey animals and follow the herd. If you ride with a bunch of anxious horses that spook and startle, chances are high that your horse will spook and startle too. If you ride with calm and relaxed horses, then it should help your horse to be calm and relaxed too.

Key tip to remember this week: If you want to trail ride, it is a good idea to practice some exercises in a controlled area first (like an arena) and introduce your horse to new things, and teach your horse to be a thinking horse. That way when you hit the trails, you have a horse that is more likely to be confident and thinking - which makes for a much safer horse.

Guinness Sold - he found a loving home

Thank you to everyone that has contacted me about Guinness. He has found a loving home where he will get to spend most of his time out on the trails, which is perfect for him!

We enjoyed having him and wish his new owners the best of luck.

Pictures of horses trained

Just a reminder that pictures of horses trained will be uploaded to the ;LFE Horses Trained' Album on Flickr, at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lfequestrian/sets/72157628432934967/

Bree and Chica - Getting used to the bicycle

Bree and Chica - Getting used to the bicycle
By Lindsey Forkun, www.LFEquestrian.com

Bree and Chica have the goal of becoming quiet and safe trail horses. There are many things that horses have to become desensitized to as a trail horse. One of those scary things is a bicycle.

Over the weekend I had Bree and Chica in the ring for training and James was riding his bike nearby. It spooked both of the girls. We decided to let the girls loose in the ring, and have James ride his bike around the ring. James was careful to ride his bike in a non-threatening way - not going directly at the horses.

Letting the horses loose in the ring allowed them a chance to develop some confidence on their own, but it also allowed me to learn more about each of these horses and how they react.

At first both horses were pretty excited and nervous about the bike, running away from it and keeping at a distance. In a matter of minutes they became curious though. They started watching the bike and James as it was ridden around the ring.

The next part was quite interesting. Chica decided the bike wasn't a threat and just started to eat grass, but Bree decided the bike was interesting and she started following the bike around the ring. She followed for a little while before deciding to eat grass too.

Watching the girls respond to something new and scary let learn a little about how they react in extremely scary situations. To my delight, these horses settled really quickly. This is great news for becoming a trail horse!

We finished up our training session me riding each of the girls at walk, halt, and back up. Erin was there to hold a lead rope in case the horse got confused or lacked confidence. It was getting darker and windier so I didn't want to take any chances with them getting nervous. It was my first time board Chica and Bree this weekend so I wanted to make it a really positive experience.

Both girls were excellent. Chica was a bit more relaxed than Bree, but both of them relaxed and understood the cues.

Key Message This Week: Desensitizing horses is important, but it doesn't have to be traumatizing and directed at the horse. In this case we allowed the horses to be free in the ring and rode the bike around the ring, not directed at the horses. It allows the horse to show you when they are relaxed.

Merlin learns to canter - Using the buddy system

Merlin learns to canter - Using the buddy system
By Lindsey Forkun, www.LFEquestrian.com

This past week I have been working on Merlin's canter. He was already trained walk/trot when he arrived for training, so we were able to progress fairly quickly in his training because he had some really good basics already developed.

With Merlin I realized fairly quickly that he doesn't have a lot of 'go'. He is the type of horse that needs a bit of encouragement to get moving. This can be a really nice thing for having a laid back and quiet horse, but it makes it more challenging when teaching a horse how to canter.

I started his canter work in the round pen. We practiced transitions on the ground, with no rider, and making sure he understood a 'kiss noise' meant canter. Once he was responding to the kiss noise really well, I tried in the saddle.

It took a couple times but he picked up the canter in both directions, but only on the left lead. Every time he cantered I gave him praise, and I didn't ask him to canter for more than a few strides. This is because we were really trying to get a responsive transition - so I didn't want Merlin thinking that if he cantered, he would be made to do a lot of work.

After some more training sessions in the round pen, we moved into our riding arena. This gave Merlin more space to canter which can really help a pokey horse because its more fun to canter in a larger space.

We continued to work on our canter, and were finally able to pick up our right lead. I have to bend his neck fairly precisely and then he will pick up the right lead... otherwise he always gets the left.

Once he was understanding the transition, it was time to get him doing some longer canters. This can be a tricky thing to teach a pokey horse. If you are too rough with a pokey horse you can provoke them to buck or get sour.

I decided to use the buddy method. This is where the pokey horse gets to follow another experienced horse around the ring. I decided to do this with Riddler because Riddler has a very steady and reliable canter - it is a good one teach a horse to follow, but also Riddler doesn't mind if a horse gets too close to him. Riddler has never threatened to kick at another horse while being ridden.

So Erin headed out with Riddler at a canter, and I followed with Merlin. Merlin picked up his canter much more easily and he really enjoyed following Riddler. He maintained his canter with minimal effort from my part and we did 2 whole laps around the ring. We finished with a ton of praise.

After some praise we did some more canter both ways. Now that Merlin understands canter I can be more specific and I correct him if he gets the wrong lead.

The buddy system is a great way to motivate a slow horse - however, you have to be careful because sometimes following another horse can get a horse excited. The round pen is usually the best place to teach canter because the horse can follow the rail easily, but also the space isn't too large so the horse can't get going to fast if they get excited.

When first teaching a horse to canter you don't want to be too picky about speed or canter lead because the horse doesn't understand - and if you keep trying to correct what they don't understand, then the horse will get frustrated and lose confidence.

Merlin now has a lot more confidence about cantering and is fairly easy to get into a canter, and he can do full laps around the ring without following anyone. Because he is a pokey horse, I still will do some short sections of canter so that Merlin doesn't think it has to be a big effort all of the time.

This next week we will spend some time developing his canter skills into some large circles, as well as developing his jumping skills.

Key message this week: Teach new things in small steps. Think about what the important first step is that you want to teach your horse. This week for Merlin it was the canter transition. Once your horse understands the basic concept, you can ask for more. Keep your expectations realistic so your horse can keep up!

Gemma's First Rides - Helping the Horse Understand

This last week I have been working with Gemma in the saddle. We spent our first week of training doing ground games only and developing a partnership. The second week has been with the saddle on doing ground games, and then starting some in saddle work.

When starting a young horse, it is really helpful to follow these steps:
1) Teach the horse the cues from the ground without any distractions: don't have the saddle or bridle on to start with because this can be too over whelming. Just start in round pen with the basic tools of a rope halter, lead rope, and arm extension stick. Try to pick a time with no or few distractions around the pen.
2) Continue practicing with some distractions: after the horse understands your cues, start to add some distractions to get a feel for how the horse will react. Add the saddle, bridle, and maybe a distraction or two around the ring like a dog running around, some obstacles set up, etc. This will help the horse to get desensitized and become more confident.
3) Start some in saddle work: first start with just hopping up and down beside the saddle, putting pressure on the horse's back. Make sure the horse understands there is no need to get upset or worried. Once the horse can stay calm and relaxed, then you can start practicing mounting and dismounting.
4) Start some cues in the saddle, and use help if needed: We want the experience to be positive and easy for the horse. Start with simple cues that you have taught from the ground like that pulling back on the bridle means back up, or saying 'walk on' means walk on. If the horse gets confused, having someone lead you on the ground, or pony you while riding another horse can help the horse understand.

I followed these steps with Gemma with huge success. She is actually quite a calm and tolerant horse. She was completely still while I mounted and dismounted from both sides. She was confused when I asked her to walk on, so I had James help me by leading her forward.

Gemma was so relaxed about riding that we even did some trots while James led us around the ring. Gemma was calm and willing about the whole ride.

We finished with James leaving us on our own, and I asked Gemma to walk on. When she did walk I gave her lots of praise. She did a couple very nice halt, back up, halt, and walk sequences that I gave her some praise and then dismounted.

It is important to end on a positive note so when you come back to work with the horse again later it will be easier.

Key message this week: Remember to take it slow and easy for horse. If you are teaching something new try to remove the distractions and slowly add them in. Try to always think how you can set it up to be an easy and positive experience for your horse!

Merlin's Assessment - Mr calm cool and collected

Merlin is a fun horse to work with, he is so calm in his nature and very willing. He tries really hard to figure out what I want, and he is very smart too.

We started with some ground sessions for him to really learn my cues for walk, trot, and canter on the ground. At first he didn't understand my send, wiggle to back up, or disengage, but very quickly he was learning these cues and by the end of the first session you would think that we'd known each other for a long time.

He responds really well to his ground cues and since he was already started under saddle for walk and trot, I advanced to riding him pretty quickly as well.

Merlin's dominance is fairly high out in the paddock - he is the top gelding, but with people it is fairly low. He is very respectful and doesn't challenge me on anything. He rarely tries to invade my space too. This likely because his owners have been careful to teach him good ground manners.

His sensitivity level is medium to high. He tries to look for the ideal cues and responds off of fairly light cues. He also isn't bothered if you put a harder cue on him - for example when riding I can give him a fairly hard squeeze and he isn't bothered at all. This is a really nice combination - he is responsive to my cues, but not overly responsible (sometimes really responsive or sensitive horses can be flighty and more difficult to work with).

His confidence is also fairly high, he has done excellent in the new arenas and around the farm and even under our 'tarp roof.' He has done traveling circles around the farm yard and over some rails. He is very willing and will try new things, and I expect his confidence to continue to grow over the next couple weeks as he will try more new things.

Last night we actually did our first canters under saddle together. He understand pretty quickly because I gave the same verbal cue of a kiss noise when riding as I do on the ground when asking for canter. We did canter in both directions, but only on the left lead.

When teaching a horse to canter, at first you want to encourage the horse that it is okay to move forward and canter. If you try to manipulate them too soon you can cause the horse to not want to go, so our first time cantering I just allowed him to canter on whatever lead he preferred.

Our next ride I will fine tune the transition and canter a bit more, and if he is ready I will start to ask for the correct lead too. Because I took so much time to develop a respectful relationship on the ground, and taught Merlin my cues from the ground, I expect the next portion of learning in the saddle to progress fairly quickly.

Stay tuned for updates!

Gemma's Assessment - Everything is brand new!

Gemma is a gorgeous girl and she is very eager to work with me. She always greets me at the fence and waits for me to come and get her. She is so excited when it is her turn to come out and play and she follows me eagerly out of the paddock.

It is fun to work with a horse that has such a positive attitude and is very willing. However, when working with Gemma in her ground training assessment, I realize she has a lot to learn - so it is a great thing that she is so eager to learn it all!

Similar to Bree, who is also in for training this month, Gemma takes a lot of time to think about things. I find myself giving her lots of pauses so she can fully digest what she has just learnt - but this is expected because she doesn't know a whole lot.

For wiggle to back up, it took several times before she started to move backward off of a softer cue. For circles she stared at me a bit, or would try going the wrong way before figuring out what she was supposed to do.

The nice thing about Gemma is that she doesn't get too worried or upset. She might not understand something right away, but she doesn't panic and try to run away.

We have been working on establishing solid basics on the ground. One thing she is learning is to become sensitive to the cues I want, and desensitized to things I don't want her to react to. Her confidence level is medium to low right now - and this is just because she hasn't been exposed to a whole lot.

To help her confidence, I introduce her to new things, like doing circles with the end of my string hanging over her back - this was quite scary for her at first, but she realized with a bit of time that my body language was relaxed and the string meant nothing.

Desensitizing Gemma to lots of things on the ground will help make her to be a much quieter horse for riding.

Gemma's dominance level is medium - she is in the middle out in the herd, but she also does little things to test my leadership like slowly trying to inch her way into my space so that she is close to me. However, she has not done anything aggressive at all and has never pinned her ears or shown any aggression in that sense. Her medium dominance level just means I have to be sure to correct her attempts to invade my space so that she learns good manners, but more importantly to be safe and respectful.

Her sensitivity level is actually fairly low. She doesn't pick up on very subtle cues, and I can get to a pretty intense phase of cue and she doesn't get bothered. I think over the course of her training I will get her to be more sensitive - she just needs to learn to be more sensitive, and once she understands the cues better this should happen.

Her confidence level is low to medium right now, only because she has so much to experience. She handles everything really well and will try what is asked of her, but sometimes she takes a bit of patience to allow her time to think. When I tossed the string over her back and asked her to trot while doing so, at first she was worried and ran forward a bit, but it didn't take her long to realize that nothing bad was going to happen and everything was ok.

With some more training on her, I expect over the next few sessions her confidence will grow quickly. She is a very curious horse which is a sign of bravery - she just needs to try more things to become tuly confident.

Bree's Assessment - Needing time to relax

Bree is a lovely big girl with a lovely personality, but she also reminds me about the importance of allowing horses to just take time to think.

When working with Bree she is willing and tries to complete the tasks, but when I disengage her to tell her she has done the right thing, it takes her a few minutes before I will see her lick her lips and show that she has thought about it.

It is important when you are training horses that you allow them enough time to thing about things. If you move too fast then you could spoil their confidence, trust, or understanding.

By allowing Bree enough time to think about the tasks, she was able to learn faster. She now easily understands traveling circles, and my cues for walk, trot, and canter on the line.

Bree has low dominance and hasn't tried to challenge any of my cues - occasionally she will push into my space, but she is easily corrected.

Bree has medium sensitivity, she moves away from pressure easily enough, but isn't over responsive and doesn't move off of the ideal cue either.

Bree's confidence seems fairly high. She was very calm in the new rings and very relaxed even with the barking dog around her.

All in all I think Bree is going to make a wonderful pleasure horse, she just needs to learn some new things and practice some other cues to make sure she has great understanding.

Stay tuned for more Bree updates!

Chica's Assessment - Smart and Sensitive

When I was working with Chica, one of the horses that has arrived for training this month, I learned that she is a very quick learner and sensitive to cues.

She was very quick to back up from a wiggle to the rope, but when I asked her to do circles she didn't understand the cues. She would stare at me, back up, and pull lightly on the rope - I kept my cue consistent and as soon as she made a step to leave on the circle I rewarded her by completely relaxing my body and taking all pressure off.

It didn't take her long until she was consistently understanding what I wanted, and she moved off of fairly subtle cues. To disengage and move the haunches she was also very easy to move off of pressure.

It is very important for a horse to learn to move away from pressure - this is the entire basis of our communication. We pull back when we want to stop, squeeze to go, push to move them aside, etc. It is also very important for a horse to understand wiggle to back up, because this is how we can move a horse out of our personal space, without having to move ourselves.

Chica is very good at both of these things which means she has an excellent foundation to get started with. Her owner has the goal for her to become a quiet trail and pleasure horse - and I think this is very possible in a reasonable amount of time given her assessment.

Chica's dominance is very low - she didn't challenge me on any cues, and did not try to come into my personal space. I also know from the field that she is the lowest on the pecking order.

Chica's confidence is medium right now - I will have to explore this more in the sessions to come. She looked around a bit in the new ring, but didn't spook or startle around. She also tolerated my barking Corgi.

Chica's sensitivity is medium to high. She moves swiftly and eagerly off of cues, especially air pressure. She is medium when it comes to direct pressure, so we can anticipate she will be medium pressure in the saddle too.

I look forward to getting aboard Chica during our next session. Our first sessions have been to establish trust and basic cues - which she is progressing really well for.

Stay tuned for future Chica updates!