Day Ten: New Advancements

Session Ten: 

Mocha haltered and led really well. I got her porcupine and driving game better, and worked on circling. I mounted twice, both times she stood still and was relaxed. 

Worked on flipping the lead rope over her head and ears, she was a little prance-y but she relaxed as I got the rhythm going. She behaved so well. I worked on getting her to lift her feet and that went well. 

I moved into the bigger round pen, and her spirits went up as she got a little nervous, but she stuck by me and didn't leave. After I introduced sideways to her, I took her out to expand her curiousity and confidence. 

She balked at the saddle and the stand, but after five minutes she was biting at it and we moved on. She sniffed the chair and got really nervous at the barrels. She ran right into the milk crate when she wasn't looking where she was going...got a chuckle out of my trainer and me. 

She ended up touching the barrels and realized "oh, it won't eat me". 

We went back to the stalls and she worked, worked, worked in the circling game to say "you getting back to your stall doesn't mean you get rest". 

Session Four with Caramel:

Haltered right away. Took a while to approach, did a lot of retreating. She's still very shy with her right side. Worked with mainly friendly game.

 Ride on, 

Mb 

Day Nine: Off Day

Thursday:

Due to it being the busiest day of my week, all I did was halter both horses and play friendly game. I sent Mocha in and out of the gate a few times and she did amazing.

More to come tomorrow. 

Mb

Day Eight: Another Human // Haltered

Session 9: 

Mocha haltered easily and led even better than yesterday. Focused mainly on Porcupine and Driving, and her Circling is getting so much better!

My trainer worked with her to get her to be with another human, and that went well. He got Porcupine and Driving really well with her. 

I mounted her again, and worked on backing up with two reins (bumping both up one after another). We also walked off, which one of the times she began to trot and my dismount was not the most graceful of dismounts.........got an ear full of dirt and down my back (:P). 

I worked on her staying on the rail after that and quit after I got on and off with her not walking off. 

Session 3 with Caremel:

Touched her right away and spent the next forty minutes getting the halter on (she's still shy on top of her nose and her right side!) and she ended up spinning out before I could tie it.

With my trainer's help, after two and a half hours of her running and using the telescoping carrot stick, we got a halter on her. We also used a rope on her neck previously to introduce the feel of the rope to her and to help work her way to the halter.

With the halter on, we worked on her having the feel of it and leading a bit. She was such a trooper! We quit there and we'll see how well next time goes!

Ride on, 

Mb

Day Seven: Games // Human Touch

Session 8:

Haltered Mocha in her stall; it went a lot faster than yesterday. Led her to the round pen with no problem. We worked on Yo-Yo, Circling, more Friendly, and added Porcupine along with Driving. I added walking, stopping and backing in synchronicity. 

Ended on me getting on and off—her second session of me being on her. Worked on backing; pulling the lead rope straight up, and walking off. 

She amazes me every time! 

Session 2 with Caramel:

Wasn't sure where this session was going to go. She's picking up on disengagement really well. My approach with the carrot stick went well and after rubbing her on her withers and stopping, she'd take step forward wanting more! 

She's extremely sensitive with her right side and won't allow me to get anywhere near it. After working with her left side for ten minutes, I began crossing over her neck to get the right side, and get her used to seeing my hand in her right eye. 

I used the carrot stick and string to get the 'first touch' on her right side by draping it over from her left side. I then moved in closer and got a touch with my hand! I retreated and went right back in. After rubbing her wither with my hand, I worked up her neck, to her face (where she'd let me touch her) and back to her withers. 

Id walk away and walk right back in and she'd stay perfectly still. So proud of her! I finished with draping the halter on her right side and rubbing with that. Hopefully tomorrow she'll get a halter on! 

Ride on,

Mb

Day Six: Leading

Session Seven:

Went to go see the two girls after volleyball. Haltered Mocha in her stall, which took a good ten minutes, and took her out into the arena. 

I played friendly game with her, along with Yo-Yo to work on her backup and for her to give me two eyes. Began the 'send' of the circling game to get her feet moving before disengaging her and bringing her back in. 

Rubbing on her face, I did some porcupine game to get her to back up, and rewarded every try. I also worked on backing when I jiggled the rope straight up next to her ear. 

We played some driving and squeeze game with some empty stalls; squeeze through the gate, give me two eyes and disengage hindquarters. We did it inside and out four times and she put slack in the line each time. 

As the light faded, I worked on leading her back to her stall, turning and making her walk circles around me if she changed gait or got ahead of me. Once back in her stall I played friendly game with the halter, sliding on and off, rubbing it and lots of rubs on her neck. 

Such a good girl! Caramel is going to her a lot of attention tomorrow!

Ride on, 

Mb 

Day Five: Rained Out

Day Five: 

Woke up to it pouring and drove to see the girls anyways. Their stalls and the arena was a muddy mess, and I gave them a flake of hay before we let them out to the field. 

After I let both of them out, Caramel walked up to me and touched my fingers when I extended my hand. Such a change from yesterday! I also got a touch with Mocha before turning them out. 

The 'herd' chased them around for quite a bit, and then both of them set off to explore the field. We locked the gate and I prayed they wouldn't get out. 

The weather is back tonight so it may be a few days before I can work with them again. 

Ride on, 

Mb

Day Four: First Ride // First Touch

Day Four: 

Session Six: 

Started with Mocha and had her haltered in five minutes. Moved right into friendly game—rubbing and itching, quickly feelih down her legs and tail, repeat. Untangled her mane with a metal comb, she stood perfectly still for about twenty minutes and got antsy. Moved, moved, moved until she settled down and I brushed her. 

Worked on going in, doubling the rope over and tossing it over her back, and marching in place. Worked on both sides until I could hop three times and quit. Her right side is getting better each session; she always tries to block me when I go to it. 

I introduced her to the milk crate, which after a few moments she was biting it and trying to pick it up. When it flipped over, she put her nose in it and pawed at it. Extreme LBE! More curiousity than fear. I worked with her to get the milk crate by her side and have her stand still while I stood on it. 

After a few times of hard disengagement, she stood still and I leaped halfway on her back onto my stomach. I rubbed, rubbed, and slipped off before she could move. I retreated to having my back to her while standing in front of her. She licked after a few minutes and I repeated it. 

Advancing to laying on her back, I rubbed rubbed rubbed, and took the 'green light' to swing my other leg down. I inched up her back and rubbed both of my legs on her sides. Sliding off, I  retreated in front of her and waited for her to lick. 

I got on and off half a dozen times. On the second to last, she walked off and I hd her walking a circle until she decided to stop, which was a very good fifteen minutes. No panic, no fear, just walking in a circle content as could be. After she stopped and planted her feet, I rubbed and got off. I got on again to reinforce that me getting on doesn't mean go go go, and that she needs to stand still. 

After I got off, I walked off and she promptly followed. She's such a fast learner. 

We worked next on squeeze game and disengagement through the round pen's gate, trying to break the problem of her running back to Caramel and her stall. After three or four times, she disengaged with respect and didn't tear the lead out of my hand. 

Using "Leading with Confidence", after fifteen minutes I had her back in her stall. We (she mainly) walked in circles around until she could walk, and each time we'd progress. But when she would trot and not drop down a gait, we'd stay in the same spot. 

Once in her stall, she pranced around until she stood still to be unhaltered.  I rubbed her one more time and left. 

Session 1 with Caramel: 

Moved Caramel into the round pen for her first session. Let her have time to wind down, which she did extremely fast. I then went in and got her focus on me, working on disengaging her hindquarters. I got closer and closer with my arch, and began advancing into her personal bubble, and then retreated. 

No luck there. 

She sniffed the ground quite a bit and LAYED DOWN. I went to my knees and didn't focus on her. She rolled around and stood back up. She walked partially up to me, retreated back to the panels, walked to the rope, pretending to be  interested and came a step closer to me before retreating. 

I kept kneeling, not focusing on her and let her approach and retreat. At one point (this was a 20 minute thing) she can up behind me and almost nudged me. She walked back to the other side of the pen and rolled AGAIN, which was a shocker. She walked around, repeating the rope sniffing, taking a step towards me, and went back to the opposite corner.

She proceeded to LAY DOWN a third time and stay down. What a shocker for my first session with her. This leads to her being a LBI(Left Brain Introvert). A RBI would never do that, and she's shy and timid, leaving her to be introverted. 

After ten minutes, I stood and retreated to the rail opposite of her. She stayed down, eyeing me. After some approach and retreat, she rolled around and stood.

With my trainer's help(he got the telescoping carrot stick and used that), we got the first touch (reg/telescope carrot stick only) and quit on that note. With the hopes that she likes getting scratched, she'll allow us to go further tomorrow.

What a day!

Ride on,

Mb

Day Three: Yo-Yo, Squeeze and Driving Game

  

Day 3: 

Session 5: 

Another 6 am morning. Both Mocha and Caramel busted through the gate leading to the pasture to go see Pockets, a horse that is getting boarded at my trainer's. Thankfully, they didn't get any further and my trainer saw them, and got them back to their stalls. 

After cleaning stalls again, I got Mocha into the round pen and got her focus on me. She's protective of her right side, so I spent time going back and forth between sides before I haltered her. 

I spent some more time on friendly game and leading before moving into driving game. Working on her right side, I put feel on the halter to the right and tapped her right shoulder until she moved away from it at a walk. A few times she took off and I had to reel her in. 

I also worked on backing her up, the first 'Yo' part of of Yo'Yo game. She responded well after I got to Phase Four. 

My trainer stepped in to show me some things to do and his timing is WAY better than me. Mocha was timid and jumpy with him, but as soon as I took her back, she settled right down. 

Using the rail, I drove her shoulder away from me, forcing her to squeeze between the rail and myself. We advanced the Squeeze game with a chair. 

Her 'Yo', disengagement of her hindquarters and driving got a lot better by the end of the session. I spent quite a bit of time on her right side, going in, rubbing, retreating, and repeating. I got back to the top of her tail, which she loved for me to itch. 

I felt down all of her legs and got her to the point where I could walk into both sides with motion and she stood there. I rubbed, rubbed, rubbed, backed out and went right into the other side.

Overall, today is the best she's been. 

Tomorrow is the day for Caramel and a quick session for Mocha. 

Licking and chewing as she processes my friendly game with her. 

Ride on,

Mb

Day Two: Haltering

Six am drives.

Mocha and Caramel. 

Day 2:
Session 3:
Up at 6 am, at my trainer's at 6:45, helped bring his horses in and did session with Mocha. I got human contact (my hand this time!), played friendly game with the lead rope, acted like the string was a halter and by the end of our session, I had her haltered! Leading her around a teaching her to yield to the pressure on the halter.

This was our first session of the day and we'll have another haltering session tonight, and hopefully will get Caramel some attention.

Content with her halter.

Session Four: 
Got Mocha haltered again. She was extremely jumpy and as my trainer let out the other horses to pasture, she got the lead rope wrapped around her neck and ran for a good fifteen minutes, while I ran with her so she didn't run into the pressure. 
She had no intention of stopping and my trainer had to help block her so I could untangle the rope and take the halter off. Rough evening for both of us.
After filling waters and cleaning stalls, we let them out into the arena for the night. 

Ride on,
Mb

Day One: Meet Mocha and Caramel

Mocha is a two-year-old AQHA red dun Quarter horse, and most likely a LBE(Left Brain Extrovert). She's curious and is extremely smart.

Caramel is a three-year-old AQHA dun Quarter horse with palomino coloring, and her horsenality is yet to be decided, but I think she's a RB. She's timid, but may change as I work with her.

- - - -

Day 1:
Session 1:
Mocha and Caramel both trailered (first time in their life!) fairly well with no complications. Caramel was brought first to my trainer's and then Mocha was second. We settled them in their stalls and I worked with Mocha.
During our first session, I got Mocha's attention on me, worked her a bit, and then asked for two eyes. When she gave me two eyes, I retreated. Correct answer! Whenever she turned her hindquarters to me, I put pressure on. Wrong answer!
After she got good with that, I raised my expectations and asked for her to yield her hindquarters and step under. This means she moves her butt away from me, squares up and looks at me with two eyes. Correct answer! When she would do that, I would turn away, taking the pressure off.

Session 2:
Our second session we did the disengaging and she ended following me around the pen, slow, but it was a big step. Letting her sniff the carrot stick, I then began to move into her 'bubble' even more and 'rub' the air with it, and progressed to the side of her face and soon her neck/withers. With that, she got the official 'first human touch' and progressed farther. My hand accidentally rubbed against her face and that was the real human touch.
A few moments later, her nose rested on my shoulder, her breathing tickling my neck and her slightly nudging me.
We quit on that note, putting her back in her stall next to Caramel and feeding/watering both of them.

Mocha is our top priority to get haltered because her right hind needs to be evaluated by a vet and fixed by a farrier, but I have full intentions on spending time with Caramel tomorrow, either in our morning session or night session.

I will be working with both of these fillies for the next few weeks and then make a decision to buy them or not. If bought, I will be starting them under saddle and will be starting my career as a senior in highschool.

Ride on, 

Mb