Rawhide's Long Ride

Today we took a group of horses out to ride at Alice's amazing property in Livermore.  I rode Rawhide, Jasi rode Miss Pea, Joan rode June, Alice rode Sloane, and Joyce rode Khreed.  We were out for a couple hours riding all over the property, up and down the giant foothills (in other parts of the country they would say we were riding in the mountains).

All the horses did well, but we were mostly interested in how Rawhide would behave.  All the other horses are proven trail horses with many miles of experience, but Rawhide is so new to riding that we were a bit careful with him to make sure this was a positive experience. 

I started out early in the morning with him, introducing him to the inside of my trailer.  My trailer is great because I can open up the front stall and lead the horse into the trailer then out the front.  I began with cookies on Rawhide's trailer training, and I had his grain for breakfast set up in the front of the trailer.  He was tense, but was obedient and followed me right in, had a few bites of breakfast, and then I led him out the front.  We went in and out this way at least half a dozen times, with all the windows open so it seemed very bright and inviting to him.  Then I let him in the back, turned him around, and led him out the back.  The trailer is very large inside so we had plenty of room to do this.  I generally don't recommend allowing a horse to turn around inside a trailer unless there's substantial room.  Rawhide absolutely refused to back out down the step, and I didn't want to start an altercation with him since we had our big ride planned for the day, so I allowed him to exit this way.

When I was confident that he would behave and I was sure that he was relaxed, I put him away to finish the rest of his breakfast with his roommate, Garmin, in their paddock.  An hour or so later I reloaded him, put the other horses in as well, and we departed for Livermore.

At Alice's place we tied the horses to the sides of the trailer and proceeded to get tacked up for our ride.  I dressed Rawhide in all the usual accoutrements for trail riding, including rope halter under his bridle, saddle bags, spare leadrope, water bottles, the works.  I lunged him in the field in which we were parked so that we could keep with his routine from home.

He behaved on the lungeline so I didn't need to do it for very long.  Of all the riders I mounted first, and I tried to walk him around the area while everyone else got on.  Rawhide was anxious, and felt very "bunchy" beneath me.  Usually when I feel a horse get this tense it's a precursor to some kind of explosion, so I diffused his nervous energy by having him turn and walk in different directions.  It worked reasonably well, he didn't explode, but he was sure ready to fight with me when I wouldn't allow him to get immediately behind the other horses.

He was trying to do this because all his previous trail experience was as a pack horse on hunting trips, where he was tied to the horse in front of him and they would walk nose-to-tail carrying the heavy stuff.  Rawhide is smart, wanted to do what he was familiar with, and got mad at me when I wouldn't allow him to do it.  Thankfully he and I have enough of a relationship that when I quietly insisted that this is a different job with different rules, he was willing to give my way a try.

We did have an episode later on the ride when I wouldn't allow him to get nose-to-tail with Khreed (this is a safety issue to ride immediately in the kick zone, and besides it's rude for a riding horse to put his nose in a stranger's behind).  When I didn't allow Rawhide to get right behind Khreed, Rawhide began to hop up and down a little, and then run sideways back towards the barn.  I mostly ignored this behavior and continued steering us in the direction I wanted.  I also asked everyone else on the ride to ignore him and continue in the direction they were already headed.  When Rawhide realized that he was a lone horse headed into an open field by himself, and he realized he was getting no reaction from me, the other humans, or the other horses, he gave it up and decided to just go where I asked him to.

We covered lots of different terrain, including hills, valleys, rocky areas, and even a wooded spot along the road.  Rawhide on the whole did well, but there were some significant spooks sideways when something would startle him like a well-concealed rock in the tall grass.  I was able to settle him down again after each spook, but he sure is quick when he darts sideways.  He also got pretty tense when I pulled out my water bottle for a drink at one of our stops.  There were ice cubes in it making scary noises as they rattled around while I drank, and he raised his head straight up to watch me out of the corner of his eye.  He tensed all his muscles, ready to bolt.  I was able to talk him down, and even got the water bottle put away and a cookie dispensed to him from my saddlebags.  I was grateful it didn't end up being more exciting, but he is definitely a sensitive animal. 

After we had been riding for a few hours we headed back to Alice's house.  We rode on her property nearly the whole time - such a huge property and a fun place!  We untacked and tied the horses at the trailer with water and hay bags.  Alice then treated us to amazing potato salad and chicken salad, and she even had cupcakes for us!  

It was such a fun day, and a great experience for Rawhide to go out with quiet seasoned animals to learn how to do trails as a riding horse.   The little guy has a long way to go before I can deem him quiet and safe, but you have to start somewhere!

The Mountains Are Calling

The mountains are calling and I must go... 

Yesterday we took a group of horses up to the foothills in Livermore, CO.  Joan took June, I took Raven, Joyce took Khreed, and Alice rode Sloane around Alice's ranch.  We were returning Sloane home to live with her old buddy Appy, as well as doing a little saddle fitting troubleshooting for him.

Appy's saddle issues ended up being skin irritation from bug bites.  For some reason the flies were attracted to the white on his blanket appaloosa coat pattern, and he had slightly raised skin where there was white hair on his back.  Combine that with a neoprene saddle pad and once he had started to work, a little the heat underneath the equipment would make the skin incredibly itchy, regardless of saddle fit.  That's likely why he began acting up in his last ride with Alice after he had been out for a little while in a saddle that really did fit him well.  Fortunately Alice doesn't need to begin a saddle search since her western one looked good, but now Appy has to wear party clothes to avoid bug bites.

Since we were making the drive out there anyway, we decided to go for a little ride.  Alice's ranch is for sale and is just beautiful, so we wanted to go exploring on it before it sells!  It's a super cute house on 195 acres with an incredible horse setup including an indoor arena and plenty of loafing sheds and stables. 
http://www.mlsfinder.com/kwls/kw/index.cfm?action=listing_detail&property_id=0246815032&searchkey=5e2ee93e-e4ed-69a3-73f9-1a718b3739e3

Raven hasn't been on very many trail rides yet, but she's learning quickly.  This one was a little disturbing for her since we were riding through fields where herds of 70 deer bed down for the night.  I'm sure the flattened out grassy areas smelled funny, and she did do a little hopping around and making googly-eyes at the weird tall grass.  (We don't have any grass that tall at my place here in Wellington!)

We perused the front fields and walked the fence line around the front of Alice's place with our four horses.  We are eager to return to explore the hill/mountain area on the other side of the ranch, too!  

I also took June, the mare I have for sale who came back to me from CA a few weeks ago.  I've been using her in riding lessons and Joan rode her yesterday.  June has extensive experience trail riding with her old owner (and me before she bought her), as well as lots of training in the arena.  She was a totally solid mount yesterday, and really enjoyed being out in the mountains again.  She's bred to the hilt and has lots of energy and go if you ask for it, but she enjoys a good hack out on the trails just as much.  I still have her for sale, but she's rapidly becoming very popular around my place!

2017 Centered Riding Instructor Update Clinic, Steamboat Springs, CO

We have been in Steamboat Springs, CO, for a Centered Riding Clinic so that I could update my instructor certification.  Now that I'm recertified and home again, it's time to indulge in some amazing images captured by Kimberly Hale Photography.

Each morning began with tasty breakfasts provided by our friend Regina.  We would all gather in the back porch area of the barn and do some unmounted work as well as have discussions of teaching techniques.  The level IV clinician overseeing this clinic was Susan Harris, a great woman who initially recruited me to the Centered Riding Instructor program after watching me teach back in 2012.  The level IIIs assisting her were Regina Liberatore, our friend from Steamboat Springs, as well as Carol Wilson, a level IV apprentice.  I did my first instructor clinic at Carol's place near Topeka, KS, and it was a very happy reunion to see her again!

I was fortunate to be able to bring not just a couple, but five students to this clinic to provide student riders.  The instructors who were recertifiying this week had to demonstrate their teaching, as well as demonstrate their riding, so I brought a bunch of students to be the guinea pigs.

Sara brought Dewey, Joyce rode Khreed, Alice took Sloane, Carol rode Shambhu, and Kim H. rode Rain.  Jasi also came with us to groom, and has decided she's going to college on a tack cleaning scholarship from all the equipment my friends and fellow instructors from Steamboat had her attend to.

We instructors were able to have a riding lesson each day as well.  I really enjoyed my lessons!  I had brought Highboy to the clinic, since he was finally physically and mentally ready for this kind of focused work.  My lessons were immensely helpful in giving me some new ideas regarding how to get Highboy to cooperate without arguing with him.  Carol helped us with leg yields and encouraging Highboy to round up in his frame, and Susan taught some fun jumping lessons for my friend Donna and me.

Highboy INSISTED that Carol greet him personally before the riding lesson started, and then he was careful to advise her in the process of grounding my feet.

This was a really useful exercise for me.  Carol is holding my hand, and we are each taking turns being the horse.  When I'm the "horse", Carol held my hand and progressively softened and strengthened her arm, shoulders, across her back, down her back, and deepened her center.  As the horse, it felt very much to me like a more inviting way to create connection with her hand.  We switched so I could try it.  Then I rode Highboy and recreated this sensation in my own body.  It really illustrated to me that Highboy is ready for this type of connection work, and he is looking for that contact with my hands through the reins.  I have to make sure that I'm there when he goes looking for my hand.

We had two dressage lessons, and two lessons over fences.  Highboy was pretty happy on the jumping days, and put on a good show for those watching.  He did a little bucking and squirreling around, just enough for everyone to appreciate his athleticism and decide they were glad they weren't riding him.  Susan had exemplary things to say about him though.  As we worked through the various gymnastics she set for us, she was quick to notice when he got bored, or when he was feeling contempt for small fences. 

All the instructors received riding lessons, and we got some fun photos.  It was hard to make sure we had everyone because of our photographer also riding!

The student riders did a great job, too.  It is always good to get instruction from other people, even if they are teaching you the same things you work on at home.  Just hearing concepts taught in different ways often will make a person consider an idea differently.

Rox was our clinic organizer, and she really did an amazing job putting together a fun clinic for all of us in the Centered Riding Southwest Region.  Vivian the corgi was the mascot.

A big thank you to the many people who worked together to pull of this clinic.  Thank you to my wonderful husband for taking care of the horses and ranch while I was gone. Susan and Carol for coming such a long way to teach us, Kim H. for her photography, Roxanna for organizing this and putting in so much work to contact and collect information from each of the instructors in our vast area.  Lore and Chad for hosting us at their gorgeous facility, my in-laws for loaning us their timeshare in Steamboat.  Many thanks to the Bit of Honey Crew for all your help and for making me and Highboy look good!  Another great clinic in the books.