July 30, 2008

We are back on track!

This morning, I went out to work with Billie in the round pen, determined to really apply all I've learned through the years. She's a good little horse. I've been watching my videos again, studying my heroes, so I felt sure I could overcome this running at me thing that's been going on.

Wrong. That filly ran at me at least three different times, sometimes making two passes. It's amazing how this switch goes off. I'll be tap tap tapping the ground, tap tap tapping her rump, trying to get her to move (and pay attention to me). She'll take a step or two, so I let off tapping for a couple of seconds, till she puts her head down to munch more grass. Then I repeat the tap tap tapping. All of a sudden, she waggles her head and comes at me. Sure, I wave the whip at her, but she barely swerves enough to miss me, and sometimes turns to make another pass! Of course, I high-tail it out of the pen. I'm so frustrated that I let her do that, and I think I know what I did wrong, so I re-enter the pen. Starting again, confident that I can channel my heroes, I start again. The second time she "pretends" to play my silly game and runs around the pen once, then she makes for me again! I exit again, and really ponder what is happening. Is she wanting me to play? Is she showing me that SHE is boss? Of course she's boss--I keep running out of the pen! I sit for awhile next to the pen. Meanwhile, she flips the switch a few times (without me in the pen) and runs, kicks, and bucks at nothing. I am determined to not let her be the broodmare in charge, so I enter one more time. But I still cannot keep her from running at me.

I left the pen and called Beverly. I knew she would help me if she could. I knew she would be able to see where my holes in dealing with this filly are.

Beverly met me at the house this afternoon and after working with her for an hour, I feel like this is a task I can manage once more. She pointed out when I was letting Billie invade my space, pointed out where I need to be more firm. She took over for a bit. Billie only once time turned to kick at Bev, and she never ran at her. Bev worked her on the end of a line and then round penned her. Billie quickly understood that she was not the top mare in the pen. Then it was my turn, and I had just as good results in the end. I round penned her, I lead her around the pen, I backed her up, I got her out of my space, I even got to show off the Bev how great we are at picking up hooves! Wow! What a great way to end the day!

And what a great place to get to start tomorrow!

July 27, 2008

Back to frustration time. Some days I just really wonder what I'm doing. Last night, I turned Billie out into the round pen. After she was hanging out awhile and eating grass, I decided to go into the round pen with her just to hang out. After a few minutes, she decided to get wild. She made right for me, shaking her head and being silly. I shooed her away (thank goodness I remembered to take the whip in with me), and she veered off. She circled and tried this again. When she was past me, I made for the gate and got out of there.

I watched her as she ran circles around the pen, kicking and bucking. This lasted about 5 minutes, I think. Really, I don't think she was doing anything to me. I think that she just felt like being silly, and since she sees me as a playmate, I think she was inviting me to romp with her. Problem here is that I'm NOT a playmate, nor do I want her viewing me in this manner.

I "tricked" her to get her to go back into her small pen a while later.

Tonight, I tried some of our leading in the smaller pen, thinking to lead her out into the round pen. It was not so good tonight. I think she was distracted with Charles there, whom I'd asked for assistance. She also had not had her dinner, and I'm finding it always goes better when she's been fed before training times. Bummer for me. I did not get back out tonight--life just got in the way.

I'm going to borrow a friend's Clinton Anderson tape on working with young horses. I hope I find some help there. I also think I will order a rope halter her size. I really think a rope halter solves a lot of issues. She's just too small for any that I can buy locally, and I suck at making them.

July 24, 2008

Billie leads like a pro in her small pen. This evening, I was pulling up rocks in the round pen, getting it ready for Billie to investigate. An especially large rock would not come out with my meager tools, so I opted to leave it in place and tucked the dirt back around it.

Elizabeth came out with me just in case I needed another set of hands. I had no idea what would happen once Billie made her way into the round pen.

While Billie was distracted eating some hay, I opened the gate that connects the two pens. It didn't take long for her to notice the gap and start investigating. She made her way through, and I made my way back out, not knowing what sort of shenanigans were in store. Mostly, it was pretty boring. She pulled and ate grass as though she's not had any in MONTHS...oh...yeah...all she's had is hay. She covered the ground like a search team, working her way back and forth, left and right. Every time I thought I saw her getting ready to let it rip, it seemed a new piece of green green grass caught her attention. She would start to step over the patch, back up, grab the patch, and then continue her search. Pretty funny.

Night was descending, and I didn't want to be chasing her around in the dark, so I went back inside the pen while Elizabeth held the gate wide open. It was pretty un-exciting. Billie kept eating (I know, I should have made her pay attention), and so I started tapping the ground with my whip, slow and rhythmically. This got her to saunter in the general direction I wanted, as she continued to pull what little grass is in this pen. After a couple more minutes, it was as though she knew something was up. Her head came up, and she made as if to wheel toward me, so I shook the whip her way, and she went through the gate, by accident I think. I closed the gate behind her.

Here's where it gets really amusing: As soon as the gate was latched, she turned back my way and tried to poke her head through the panel as if to say, "Hey, wait a minute...How did THAT happen?!?!" She set to tossing her head and pretending like she was going to tear around her tiny pen. She sure seemed disappointed to be back on that side of the gate! When I picked everything up and started to head back to the house, she did her baby-buck routine. She's a fiesty little girl.

Tomorrow evening, I'll let her out into the round pen when there is more daylight left. Depending on how she seems, I may go inside and hang out while she's hanging out. Hopefully, on Sunday AM I can start some round penning exercises...we'll see.....

July 23, 2008

Leading Billie is getting easier and she's fooling me that she's a pro at this. I think she kind of enjoys the diversion.

We brought in the panels for the round pen and got it set up outside her pen. I've still got some stuff to move out of the way, but expect to be able to turn her loose inside the round pen by the weekend. I can't wait to see her explore!

My goal for that is to let her run around some, and also to start working her. Clinton Anderson says you should be successful round penning before starting ground work. We'll see. In my personal experience (only two horses), I've not round penned, only done ground work.

Billie's a pretty smart girl. I hope not too smart for me!

After we've had some successes round penning and/or ground working, I'll start setting up some obstacles for us to lead around. Cool, cool, cool! Can't wait!

July 17, 2008

More good work today and a few more steps toward my goal. She's still worried about the beach towel, but is leading some and seems to enjoy the task. Picked up all her feet today, too, as usual. I was reading in Mary Twelveponies book on colt starting about how you can work to get the young horse to start lifting its foot (so you do not have to pick it up). I think I'll work toward that--should be interesting!

July 16, 2008

I feel like we are back on track. I put Billie's halter on her this morning to lead her around. We did some bring the hind and a little leading. When I led her today, I felt comfortable giving her a couple of feet of lead rope. There was the start of her being able to work off and around me, the start of ground work. Yay! Not perfection, mind you, but a start. I can stand off to the side, face her, and lead her by tapping with the whip on her rump and leading with the lead rope with the leading hand. Did I say Yay?! We worked this both directions and even had some whoa working. Double yay! This we can build on.

The difference? Before I went out this morning, I could picture myself standing in the center of her pen and sending her around me, real ground working. That's my goal.

Keeping the whip in hand helps. I can tap her rump to get her moving. Sometimes it takes a few taps before it registers, but she doesn't seem perturbed. I can use the handle end to poke at her to keep her out of my bubble--it works better than my knuckles and is easier on me. Billie does not seem worried about the whip in hand at all, but I do notice that she seems more "at attention" when I carry it--in a good way. I use it as an extension of my hand to direct her; it's working well to make her turn and move. I feel bigger when I have the whip in hand; Bev knows what I mean.

July 15, 2008

Sometimes it seems that Billie knows exactly what I want. Today I was leading her around the pen. We turned left, we turned right. Then she'd lean into me and I'd have to elbow her away. Not sure if I'm causing that, or if she's being pushy. She'll go back to being led, and then we repeat the cycle. I guess this is just part of her figuring it out. I love it when she licks her lips, though. It makes me think I'm getting somewhere good.

I'm finding the beach towel all over the pen. I hope this means she's actually pulling it around and hope I get to see that soon. When I pick up the towel to hang it back up, she still gives it the hairy eyeball, so I'm not so sure how the towel is moving around. She might just be pulling my leg.

July 14, 2008

Going into the pen with the whip in hand seems to keep Billie from being so pushy. And it comes in handy to direct her. I put the halter and lead on her again today and worked on leading a bit. She's still trying to tell me she has no idea what I'm asking, but I think she's fibbing! It's getting better, and I feel sure that when the additional panels get here and we can make a bigger pen, it will all come together.

July 12, 2008

Progress today. I worked the girlie today, putting the halter on her and using the long rope and swinging it over her back. She was fine as usual, which is bothersome--she's fooling me. I also flexed her head each way toward her middle. At some point the little imp bit my arm--she definitely thinks she's a teenager and wants to be boss.

After a bit, I went out of the pen and decided to toss the rope over her back while I was out of range. She didn't really care for it (too bad) and so I decided that this was our de-sensitizing project for the day. ; ) I kept following her around the pen (she on the inside, me on the outside) and tossed that rope over her body again and again. Some of the time she thought she could get away by going inside her shelter; no such luck for her! I imagine anybody watching would have thought I had lost my mind and was torturing her. But I knew that when she stopped traveling around the pen and just stood for me to toss that rope over her back, I'd have progress and could stop. It took a good while, close to 30 minutes, but she finally gave up and stood for the rope.

I went out again this evening and repeated the whole thing. Charles added to it by coming out and standing at the rail. Billie thought she would find a rescuer in him, but no. I followed her around for about 5 minutes before she decided to stay in place. At that point, I put down her grain and started up again. It took just a minute or so for her to stand still (yes, she was eating) and let the rope pass over her again and again. After a couple of "standing still" and not caring times, I quit for the day. I'm pleased.

July 10, 2008

This morning, I worked on flexing Billie. I put her halter on, added the long lead rope, and then grabbed the halter and used that to make her flex through the poll to each side.

I started back with this basic so that I can perhaps get back to using the rope to make her spin back on herself.

I think that I've hit a wall of sorts. It's not really a wall, but look at it this way: That first month I had Billie were phenomenal. I was quickly able to pet her, then brush her, then pick up her feet, start leading her around the pen...I think I expected everything to move as quickly. She was amazing me every day.

She still amazes me. But I want progress, and I want it now! I want to be able to walk her around outside the pen, and it really surprised me at how much her being keyed up surprised me and worrried me. I've been asking everyone I know what to do next, what to do next, like there is some magic formula and I've skipped some step and am trying to get back on track.

After talking to a friend today, I realized something. She's a horse, she's a baby, she's wild, and OF COURSE she is going to be worried about things, startle at things, get keyed up about things. That's just to be expected. MY job is to understand and expect these reactions and take them in stride. It's no big deal. I'm not the reason she's reacting; she's just reacting as any normal horse exposed to something new, scary, strange, etc., will react.

I've wondered at the calm that I see in the horse trainers on the videos I watch. Of course they are calm--they've seen this a million times before; it's expected; it's normal. I've been beating myself up for my reaction, but really, that's normal, too.

What I have to do better is to think through more than just my plan for what I want to try with Billie on any given day. I need to realize and predict that, yes, she will likely react strongly when I introduce anything new. I need to be ready for that reaction, expect that reaction, and when it happens, know that it is a normal thing for any horse to react this way to this new thing, and that it, too, will pass. I can keep myself out of the way and safe, and keep Billie safe, with my prep. So what if I've not had to handle it a million times already and not had to chance to become de-sensitized to her reaction? I'm the one walking on two legs, so I'm smart enough to fake it; fake calm; fake that I know what I'm doing; fake that I was expecting exactly that reaction because it has happened that way so many times before. And if I'm a good enough faker, maybe Billie will realize there is nothing to be reacting to, and we'll be back on track and moving right along.

I got lucky and lulled into a sense of how easy my mustang was going to be to halter break based on how easy this all started out. I think the mustang I have now is more like what I had expected before I brought Billie home. It will all work out. I have a better plan now.

July 9, 2008

I've been putting Billie's hay in a short water trough for a few weeks now. The past few days, I've pulled the hay trough in under cover since we've had rain chances and the hay gets gross when it is sitting in water. What does Billie do when her hay is under cover? She pulls it out of the trough and strews it all over the floor of the shelter. She must be having a pajama party at night, or something. Maybe she's trying to tell me that she would like a more cushy bed?

July 8, 2008

Today is one of those days I'm wondering if we are taking steps backward. I'm still working to get Billie used to the beach towel hanging on the pen. I had it in a heap on the ground, but put it back on the panel today. She still gives it the hairy eyeball.

When I got home from my ride on Decker, I took his sweaty baby pad out to Billie, thinking maybe this would be easier to tolerate since it smelled like a horse. She was wary at first, but seemed to work her way to accepting it pretty fast. I left it in her pen on the ground, and it was fun to watch her approach, sniff, pick it up, startle when it moved (because she picked it up), and her re-approach.

I also wanted to practice leading today, so I put her halter on mid-day, too. That was no biggie, she didn't mind her halter or the lead rope. That is, until I got the lead rope on her off side, thinking to cause her to spin to the outside as I think Lucy was showing me. Just about the time she felt that rope on her off side, the utility company tree workers starting moving the tree branches they had cut down in the morning around. Billie gave a huge startle, and was trying to get AWAY. So I do not know if it was the rope or the brush. I got her "settled", which means not running around, and when she looked like she was going to stay in place, I took the halter and lead off. She was still at attention. I hate stopping when she's like that, but I'm beyond my comfort zone at those times. So I stepped out of the pen and worked to get her interested in the scary baby pad and beach towel.

July 6, 2008

Billie is still have trouble accepting the beach towel. I left it on the ground in a heap this morning. This evening, it was strewn part way inside her pen--she must have played with it? I picked it up, which really got her attention, and then let it hang in my hands. I thought she might step up and sniff it, but instead, she walked away and did not want to look at it, which I'm learning means "I don't have to accept that". So I left it back in a heap outside the pen. Hopefully she will have played with it in the night.

July 4, 2008

Poor Billie is having a new experience tonight--fireworks.

I live in the city, meaning there are not supposed to be fireworks in my neighborhood. About 9:30 tonight, somebody shot a wad of high-class fireworks, the kind that make huge beautiful bursts in the night sky. Normally I would enjoy seeing these, but not when I have a mustang in my backyard. Those colorful lights really frightened her. Once those died down, we had the more usual noisy popping ones. After awhile, Billie stopped running around her pen and just stood as those she was trying to be a statue.

Geez, people...happy 4th.

July 3, 2008

Billie left the towel hanging up, so I moved it to another spot. She's still looking at it. This evening, it was on the ground, but I think the wind pulled it down. I put it back above her hay, and then fed her grain on the other side of it. Tee Hee!

This morning, I brushed her out again. I think that she must have lain in her poop! Or maybe she was extra dirty from the little shower we had yesterday afternoon. I also picked up each hoof. She's getting better at this, but I still have to get her to shift her weight around to free up a foot.

She tells me each day that she would like to try going outside again. Fat chance!

I ordered more of the Priefert Hoss panels from American Fence today. It may take a few weeks for them to come in. It will be good to expand her pen so that she has a bit more run around room, and I have more room to work her.

Tomorrow is July 4th. I sure hope that firecrackers, which are illegal in the city but get popped anyway, will not frighten her too much. I hope my panels hold--they will. I just worry about her being worried. Maybe I should have thought to make loud noises before this to get her used to that?

July 2, 2008

Back to basics today. I started out today with brushing Billie out, and then "shoving" her around, picking up her feet, and leading her around. I used the rope and twirled it over her back, yada yada yada. She still wants to be a lap-dog. I worked to keep her out of my space, and even employed some of the neck-bite that Mark told me about. What this means is that when she misbehaves, or rather pushes limits, I pinch/grab a bit of her neck just as a mother horse would grab her baby. I didn't work it too hard, but I think I definitely got her attention.

This evening, I put a different beach towel over a panel. It started out near where she was eating. She kept looking up at it, but continued to eat.

Later on I found it on the ground. I don't know if she pulled it down or if the breeze did. I then placed it a rung higher than it had been before. Snort snort snort was Billie's response. It got her attention for a bit. Wonder where I'll find it tomorrow?

July 1, 2008

After talking with a few trainers about what to try next, I think I'm developing a plan. I'm told I need to start increasing the pen size, maybe adding a panel each week, so I can start ground-working Billie. I also need to keep working on de-sensitizing with flags, towels, etc.

This afternoon, I took a beach towel out to the pen and hung it on a panel. HELLO!!!!!! This sent Billie flying. I took the beach towel off and tossed it in a heap on the ground. Next, Billie was very interested in this pile, so I moved it closer to the pen. After awhile, I held it up to the pen and let her sniff at it. After a bit more, I folded it so that it was smaller and laid this across a rung on a panel next to where Billie was eating her grain. She finally paid the towel no mind. In fact, I left it out with her and went inside to fix supper. After supper, I found the towel in a heap inside the pen--she had pulled it into the pen with her! Charles retrieved it for me. Next, I unfolded the towel again and hung it on the panel as before. This got a little bit of reaction, but not nearly like before. I decided to take the towel inside with me when I went in for the night. I'll take a different towel out with me tomorrow; one that I won't mind that she plays with!