The Lightning In Camelot and Looking to the Future!

The Lightning in Camelot!

It was our first camping trip of the year. The weather was beautiful! Even though Camelot Equestrian Park is a “work in progress” the site and the land were really inspirational! Our set up team of four arrived on site about 1:30pm Friday afternoon and began setting up our “medieval themed” camp site. We had a large communal tent (called The Gallery) which overlooked the horse pens, a kitchen set up boasting a barbecue grill and four burner camp stove plus a food prep area. The “Condo” tent, which had a dining room (we had dinner Friday night in there), a foyer and the sleeping quarters! Folks started to roll in about 4:30pm and the party got started! We took a walk around the site to get familiar with the layout and some of our brave and energetic Brumbies saddled up and hit the trail to see the sunset! Friday we had a mellow dinner together where much laughter occurred and the wine did flow!

Saturday morning came early. 14 hors/human teams plus guests came together to create an great experience! Some of the horses were a bit noisy as they settled in and the sound of the ranch hands running to a fro on the quad-runners let us know it was time to get up and get the day started.  After morning chores we had breakfast and made use of the hot showers! Feeling refreshed the Brumbies took pat in the first workshop of the weekend. Much was shared and learned! A lunch break happened and we then hit the arenas and once the pre-ride checks were done we took the adventure out to the trail. One group found the “swimming pond” and enjoyed getting cooled off as their horses played. Another group hit the obstacles and water course. Eventually everyone got together and we rode as a group, enjoying all the training opportunities and new experiences. Tired and smiling we headed back to camp to get ready for dinner. Horses were tucked into their enclosures and the humans laid out a great meal. As the camp fire cast a warm glow on the faces of the Brumbies we shared stories and laughter well into the evening.

Sunday morning we did it all again! The Brumbies arose and tended horses, enjoyed breakfast and got ready for the day. We had TWO more workshops and some one-on-one lesson time as folks took time to work on their skills and confidence. Lunch soon followed and before long folks were saddled up and off to hot the trails, the loping track and the water course (again-it was a favorite). We really pushed our riding dynamics together, offering support and instruction as we enjoyed the amazing vistas laid out before us. One of the horses got a small injury on Sunday and  the Brumbies stepped in and helped to patch the gelding up (who enjoyed being the center of attention). As we headed home there was a quite sadness that the weekend was just about over. Discussions of coming to visit Camelot again were bantered about and it seems we will be back. We began to tear down and pack up as we said our goodbyes to friends both old and new. The set up team headed off site about 7:30pm. It was a full weekend and a success on many levels. Experiences like this enrich our horsemanship and our hearts. We are all looking forward eagerly to the events this season and the opportunities they will provide. This is what the Brumbies is all about!

Pictures of our adventures can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.450771128334028.1073741828.123626137715197&type=1

What is next for the Lightning?

We survived the first camping trip together.

Brody was a rock star (heck, most of the 14 horses were rock stars thanks to the Method). After a LONG day on Saturday it was suggested that Brody would look good in English tack. Sigh. So a Brumbie tacked him up and rode around camp. As his human I was goaded into getting in the saddle (I already had a few adult beverages and expressed that an English saddle was a slick spot on a horse that humans fall off of). Brody took a total of FIVE (5) rides for a jaunt before he got put back. Poor guy was tired but what a champ! On Sunday he was jumping over a stone/wood wall at Camelot and got distracted by a very pretty mare. He misjudged the leap and caught his left front knee on the log top of the wall. He must have caught a sharp edge or something because he put a 3" gash on his knee. So we headed back to camp to clean him up. Today (Thursday) thanks to quick clean up, help from some Brumbie and using Vertricyn (sp?) every day he is healing really well and seems to have no issues with movement or swelling at all. Tomorrow we will attempt some ground work and (hopefully) some work under saddle. This Sunday we are going to attend a living history group's equestrian practice. There we will expose Brody and Argent to some medieval style gymkhana games and some new scary objects. Should be fun! The rest of the month will be training as usual and then in May we go to Trail Ready Ranch for a Brumbies gathering with a focus on round pen work, scary objects, arena work and a beautiful trail ride. Brody's old family may actually attend! Should be a great time!

Training with the Lightning: A Three Month Review

The Three Month Evaluation

It has been three months since we brought Brody home. We have found where is strengths and challenges are to be sure. We have pushed him hard and exposed him to a whole new existence. Reviewing this journey tells us a great deal about how much Brody has adapted and changed in just 90 days. We have had many good days and a few memorable bad days along the way. Having a program and an approach has been awesome. Yet, some days the frustration hits us and that messes with our training flow. As Clinton likes to say “Be black and white with no shades of gray. In other words don’t be a nagging mother.” When those rare days of frustration or confusion pop up they are jarring. Laurie and I keep saying that “it’s a journey, not a race” and step back, breath in, breath out and move on.  So, last night we sat down and looked at where we started and where we are now. We asked the hard questions about his fit with our family and his future. We thought long and hard if we were the best fit for him. We’ve done this with every horse we have worked with in the last four years. It is a process that allows us to remain objective while giving the best love, care and training we can.

STRENGTHS: Brody is a very willing horse. He really does try his best for you every time even when he is tired. Brody learns pretty quickly too. He picks up concepts after just few tries. Brody thrives on praise and looks for it from his human. He likes the cuddles as well as the activity. Brody is also very forgiving, especially if the human he is paired with praises him/gives him breaks when the human makes a mistake. He has packed around real novices and helped them understand the importance of the groundwork first, then we ride concept. Brody is social and mellow in his approach to human. He likes to look, smell, take a measure of the human and then ask for pets. Even though he had not been loaded in a trailer for years he was willing to try it out. He now loads with just a pointing of the finger and he does travel well.

CHALLENGES: Brody is not the most courageous of horses. He has to be introduced to new situations and scary objects slowly to build up his confidence. However once he is confident he is great. Brody does not like to be wrong. It upsets him if he makes a mistake. Hence, the need for a mental break and the need for a success to rub away the mistake in his mind. This also applies to his human. If the biped makes an error and does not rub it away before trying again (letting their frustration show) he keys into that and begins to get reactive. When he gets to that full on reactive state it takes focus to bring him back down to a thinking state. This has improved over the last 90 days but it is going to be a long term fix. Brody was pretty reactive to being girthed up too. He would over react and did not do well tied up when the saddle was cinched up. We were told thins upon purchasing him. Our solution seems to be working. We do some groundwork and do some desensitizing with the lead rope around the girth line (wrap, squeeze, release and rub) then we saddle him up. We have progressed quite a bit in this area but more work needs to be done to get him super comfortable with the process. The funny thing is once the saddle in on and the first couple of cinches are done he is fine. It is just in the intial girthing. Go figure.

THOUGHTS/PLANS: As long as our lives stay on course and as long as Brody continues to improve and his personality remains consistent we feel he is a good fit for us over the long term. The winter was a tough time for him and getting his weight up has taken some time. He is packing on muscle and is really showing some great tone. His stamina is getting better and he needs fewer breaks when under saddle. His feet are looking much better than they did at Day 1. He seems more comfortable at the faster gaits packing my 220 pound frame around. We have been working three to four days a week pretty regularly and will continue to do this. We have some great opportunities coming up this season to expose both Brody and Argent to new things and new situations. We’ll be hauling them all over the region too. Booster shots and dental maintenance will be happening soon too. At 13 he has had some history but it also feels like he missed out on some fundamental training. So we are having to fill the gaps in his program. We’re pushing his development to the next level and introducing exercises that are outside his experience which is good. Taking into account how he learns and what he needs from his humans we figure that the spring summer will be all about development and the fall will be all about review and refinement. The neat thing about having a horse like Brody is that is pushes Argent and Laurie to aim higher as well. This 90 period has seen some great growth in skills and confidence in both of them and it is amazing to watch. It should be a great learning experience for all of us. Our next goal is having an amazing camping trip at Camelot Equestrian Center in Butte Valley, California in mid April. Between now and then we’ll stick to our program, work the Method and stay focused.

Training With The Lightning: My Birthday Weekend

My Birthday Weekend…

            Yes, Michael turned 47 on Friday. Who would have thought I’d have made it this long! Of course I wanted to ride into my “new year” with Brody so after work we headed over to the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. We pretty much had the place to ourselves! It was going to be a review day because we had plans on Saturday that would really push the horses. We double checked that Brody and Argent were using the thinking side of their brains, did about 30-45 minutes of ground work, including playing with the Pop-Pom of Doom. Everything went well. Then we saddled up. For Brody the riding part of the evening was all about transitions up and down gaits. He did pretty well. We even worked on better elevation in his shoulders when moving in a circle. H is getting stronger and he really tries to give his all. The funny part is when his body sort quits before his mind does. Gaits that were nice get all wonky and sitting or posting become really difficult. A one rein stop and a break is the best solution. Then you can end the session by doing something he is good at along with some Leading Beside for a cool down. We make it a game of sorts with lots of praise and rubs…cookies too if they are close at hand. Argent and Laurie had a breakthrough. They started loping together! As most of those reading this know that is a big milestone in a rider's life! Laurie overcame some confidence issues and got her boy to do a lap or two tonight! There was much rejoicing!

            Saturday found us once again at Cedar Springs Livery & Stables wit Gale and her mare Janie. The weather was great and the horses were feeling a little sassy. So off we went to the round pen. Brody was not his usually happy self. We got a change in attitude in the round pen with lots of direction changes and yields of the forequarters and hindquarter. He quickly realized the error of his ways and the Brody we all know and love came back. From the round pen we did some groundwork, focusing on several exercises that we humans were having challenges with. With some coaching, support and the Arena Mates (small booklets that describe the exercises and help you to trouble shoot any issues you may have) we made progress and improvements. The horses seemed to be enjoying the scene as well. Then we went into the covered arena. This is where things on interesting. As Gale was getting ready to mount up, her mecate somehow got over Janie’s back and softly wrapped around her back leg. No biggie…until Janie looks up, sighs and then decides that yes this would be a great excuse to start bucking! Well THAT is unacceptable We helped Gale get Janie to use the thinking side of her brain my doing lots of direction changes and sending/ C-Pattern work around anything she remotely showed an over reaction too. We wrapped it up with some Leading Beside and Janie was Miss Mellow! Brody got to work with Gale under saddle while I worked with Janie. After switching horses and doing some more work in the arena we headed out to the trail course. The weather was really beautiful! We did LOTS of moving over and around the obstacles and the uneven terrain. Walks, trots and lopes…and lots of transitions occurred.

By the end of the day we all had wet saddle pads, had long rides and focused on concentrating our training! Laurie and Argent were loping all over the place and the gin on Laurie’s face really indicated that she had overcome a personal challenge! It was awesome to see.

            Sunday we were back at the Fairgrounds Arena. We had the whole place to ourselves! Since we have not spent as much time working with Brody and his girthing issues as we should have, today felt like a good day to tackle it. So we did our warm up an ground work routine then focused on desensitizing him to the pressure around his middle using the lead rope (at first). Once the concept of the rope around the girth area was understood it was easy to mix it in between other exercises. Brody showed real improvement at Side Passing down the Fence taking little to no touching on his shoulder and hips to move in a controlled and steady pace down the fence. Then we saddled up in the arena (we had not done that in the arena before). Brody reacted slightly but no where near his reactions prior too the work done today. It seems we’ll be changing our approach a bit to help him get over this issue! We introduced Yielding the Hindquarters at the Standstill on the ground and under saddle and Yielding to a Stop under Saddle today. This was not difficult to teach the horses because of the work already done on the ground.

With Brody we worked on keeping his shoulders elevated/level when making a turn at the lope. He tends to drop the inside shoulder so we wanted to help tweak that. At first when asked to raise the shoulder he broke into a bouncy trot. Not real fun to sit or post!

Eventually he figured out what was asked of him and he tried. It is harder for the horse to do that one might realize and we took breaks and easy walks between attempts. The session ended after we took some video of one another riding and doing exercises. It was illuminating to see what we looked like as compared to how we felt. It was a really nice way to end the workout with the horses and humans feeling a bit tired but more confident and improved. After dropping the horses off at home we hit a local road house for some amazing burgers and ice cold beer with friends. Does not get much better than that!

Training with the Lightning: Thoughts & Adventures!

An Interlude: Some Thoughts

When Brody had his first public debut on December 28^th of 2012 folks asked if he was a forever horse. Frankly at that time I really didn’t know. I felt like he was going to be a good, long term fit but I didn’t KNOW. Now, having just passed the two-month mark I can say with some level of certainty that he is a long term family member. We have faced some challenges as his health and conditioning have improved and are still working on his issues with the first girthing of the saddle (he overreacts a bit). Still, we have the tools and the support network to help us get through these “bad days” of which there have been very few…and the bad days are not really all that bad. My feel and timing have gotten better and being very black and white has helped to clarify the communication between Brody and I. He is learning that the right thing is ALWAYS easy and the wrong thing is ALWAYS difficult. I have learned to praise and reward longer than my corrections take. Say I have to tap the rope once to get a proper response. I’ll rub his blaze for at least three slow strokes with the stick and relax a few seconds when I do get the proper response. That ratio of connection to reward seems to make Brody feel he is respected and validated. Right now our biggest challenges are the same things: stamina, physical condition and equitation. Together we are working hard on improving these challenges and it really does feel like a team effort. Along the way we are learning to read one another and developing a pretty solid relationship. Sure, we have LOTS f work to do to achieve our goals but it feels like we are both on the same trail…and that in and of itself is a reward and a blessing.

DAY 73: It’s a Friday and we have a busy weekend ahead of us. We chose to change up the routine and take the horses on a trail walk. We have an irrigation canal and maintenance trail behind the house that goes on for MILES. The trail has LOTS of hills, rocks, trees and other fun things to work with for groundwork. We set off and did about two miles. Brody showed the two sides to his nature. He can be a little reactive to new situations (it’s the TB in him) but if you lead him and/or allow him to discover that the situation is not going to kill him using advance and retreat he gains confidence quickly.

He was convinced I was going to make him jump the canal and got worked up over it. We simply moved his feet and then rested him near the canal. Once he figured out the situation we want back to his mellow self. We took each new obstacle slow and mellow and he got more and more confident. One of the trickiest parts of the trail also allows access to the water itself. We had heard Brody likes water so after some advance and retreat near the entrance to the water he walked in…and preceded to really play! He splashed around in it, dunked his head and just had fun. We could not stop laughing.

He got in and out several times without issue. Then if a fit of jocularity Brody decides the BEST way to encourage Argent to join him was to jump out of the water and stand next to him. Well Brody is almost to his belly in water and soft dirt and Argent is about five feet above him near a culvert. Up goes Brody from a stand still an almost clears the culvert…almost. His right read leg hits a loose patch of dirt and it slides out from under him. He caught his balance however (amazing to see that as I thought he was going to flip over into the water) but scraped his leg up some in the process. We head home quickly, clean him up and treat the scrapes with Vetricine (love that stuff). He got a little horsey aspirin and extra rations before calling it a day. Whew!

DAY 74: It’s a Saturday and we had plans to go over to Cedar Springs Livery & Stable to ride with our friend Gale. Brody does not seem upset about his scraped leg and is walking just fine. Still I was going to take it real easy with him just to be safe. We started off doing some  round pen and ground (we all reviewed what we had been working on over the last week, did some coaching and general social time). As this was going on another friend (Marla) came by to meet up with us and to meet Brody for the first time. Marla had not been around a horse in well over a year and at that time was just starting to dabble in the art again. I let Marla do some simple ground work with Brody. Everything goes okay. Then we tried some sending. For me, Brody did great and was calmly looking for the head scratches a cookie when he did well. Marla then stepped in, feeling like she could do the exercise with him. Okay…it had been over a year and I was not as confident but figured Brody would baby-sit her. He tried, but the lack of good body language and lack of rewarding the slightest try combine with the human’s frustration got him worried. I stepped back in and he quickly calmed down. We tried it again and had some success.

He really does thrive on the reward. He needs to know that even if things did not go 100% right that his efforts still have value. Reward can be everything from taking the pressure away and relaxing (body language) to a face rub and a cookie. Once I figured this out about him training got MUCH easier. Gale/Janie and Laurie/Argent were already riding around the trail obstacle field by this point. I was unsure if I should ride Brody because of his leg but he kept bumping my arm and giving me a low nicker so…I put on his bridle and saddled up. We took a nice warm up lap around and through the obstacles and he seemed in fine spirits. I dismounted and let Marla get on and we had a lead line lesson before L let her take the reins. I was very adamant about loose reins and using her legs to ask first. After some human-to-human corrections they tooled around the field together and even took on some of the obstacles. It was a mellow ride as she kept him at a slow walk (it was where she felt comfortable). Now, by this time the others are trotting and loping all over the place and Brody wants in on the fun. He let me know through is body language that he was willing to do a little more…so we did. I got the NICEST (Laurie called it sexy) lope out of him several times before it was all said and done. We took on most of the obstacles and the terrain and when he finally let me know he was getting tired we quit after a nice cool down/Leading from Beside stroll. This horse has try and heart! It gets me every time.

DAY 75: We were hosting a medieval arts/crafts/sciences workshop at our houses early Sunday afternoon so Brody and I did some round-pen review and groundwork. The goal for me was to use as light and gentle a touch/energy as I could and still get that “yes sir” response. Brody did not disappoint. He was alert but mellow, even when I used the Pom-Pom O’ Doom (pom-poms taped to a 4’ stick). It was great to point and cluck to get his feet moving and then just stand in the middle of the pen as he circled me. He is better to the right that to the left in this exercise set (if he sees me not watching he stops and comes in) It is hard for me to believe how short a time we have had together. Our friends (who don’t see him everyday) say that is muscle tone and shape look better and that he is filling out nicely. Both horses are coming up due for shots and (possible) dental work so that may help him gain weight faster too. He is still getting three meals a day plus grazing but he is a slow and somewhat finicky eater (unlike Argent who east fast and likes everything). We’ve got a club camping trip set for mid April and then we are traveling to  several locations for club activist in the spring and summer. The goal is to have Brody ready to meet any new challenge, be working on the Intermediate ground/riding exercises and to really improve my riding skills and overall horsemanship. I believe we can achieve these goals!

 

Training with the Lightning: A Very Full Weekend!

A VERY FULL WEEKEND!

Friday was a crazy day of Laurie and I as we tried to get everything packed up and ready for the Play Day and Picnic we were running for the Nor-Cal Downuder Brumbies. So, we stayed close to home and test drove the newly made Cowboy Carwash and the Pom-Poms of Doom (pom-poms on a stick). Both held up well and took our desensitizing/confidence building to a new level. Ground work and a nice cruise around the pasture was how we ended the session.

Saturday was the Brumbies event. It went something like this:

WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY!
The weather was beautiful with temperatures in the 60?s, blue skies and a nice breeze. We had a great turnout of Nor-Cal Downunder Brumbies members and even met some nice “natural horsemanship enthusiasts” as well! We got on site about 8:45am and began setting up our picnic area and our challenge course. About 10:00am we had a listen-up to go over the schedule and the site features.

Then we opened the large arena for warm ups and open groundwork/saddle work. The FIRST workshop of the day soon followed and the folks who attended seemed to improve and enjoy the session. A short water break followed as we prepared for the SECOND workshop (thank you Denise) of the day and finishes setting up the challenges course. The beauty of a day like this was that no one felt rushed. You could enjoy a variety of activities at your own pace! As some of our members made fire in the BBQ pits others had a chance to get some coaching on ground work skills and skills under saddle, enjoy the large arena and play n some of the obstacles. All of this happened BEFORE lunch!

Speaking of lunch! Besides horses another thing the Nor-Cal Brumbies enjoy is good food! We had grilled marinated tri-tip, friend chicken, hot dogs, Italian soda, a variety of amazing salads, wonderful desserts and even some much loved adult beverages! A tradition of amazing pot-luck selections has just become a Brumbies tradition!

Once everyone had a chance to enjoy lunch we got back out there to enjoy the day.The obstacle course had a Cowboy Car-wash, the Polar Bear O? Doom (and later of Cuddles), the Cloverleaf, the Serpentine, the Raised Caveletti, PVC logs, the Torches (horse eating pom-poms on a stick), the Long Rope of Scariness, the Relay Batons and in preparation for our Brumbies in Camelot camping trip, Excalibur in a Bucket. As the afternoon went on the Brumbies became more and more creative with the obstacles and really pushed their horses!

The level of positive energy, support, coaching, encouragement and inspiration was quite wonderful. Everyone improved some aspect of their horsemanship, felt that they were part of a positive experience and encouraged one another to celebrate the small victories while the set their horsemanship goals higher than they thought possible. It was a great day and one that is now a traditional Brumbies event!

Pictures can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...7715197&type=1

Sunday: The day found us at the local fairgrounds arena. Not a good day for Brody. He was very reactive and a bit surly. We had a couple of discussions and stick/hand therapy a time or two but we ended the session on some great wins. We were both tired and sweaty...but we survived! He is feeling MUCH better and is testing the relationship. It was expected and thanks to the Method we have the tools to deal with it!

Tuesday: Twisted my bad ankle on Sunday and it was pretty darn sore (wore a brace and tried to stay off of it on Monday). It was still sore when I tried to do the faster groundwork exercises like Circle Driving and Side Passing on the Fence. Laurie had to step in and help. The arena was VERY busy! No less that six rigs and about eight horses were in the parking area. It appeared that the “crazy barrel ladies” were back on the wrong day again and there was a fellow giving lessons. This made for a fairly chaotic feeling around the place. We stuck with our program as we watch folks do no prep work with their horses…just jump on and race around, being very heavy handed and complaining about how their mounts won’t listen. Our two were a little keyed up but respectful. As we were getting ready to mount up the barrel ladies were winding don some. The lesson folks were a bit impervious to others in the arena so Brody and I did LOTS of work on leg cues and direction changes at the walk and trot. Once it seemd like the crazies were headed out and the lesson people were doing their thing Brody and I worked on transitions, mostly from the trot to the lope. It was interesting to note that if I gave him the cue to lope along the long side of the fence he lurched into the gait, was quite bouncy and finally leveled out. It made a sore ankle even more sore! Yet, when I asked for the lope with a fence just a few yards away or in the corner of the arens things went smoother. That became a note to self moment. It seems it helped him to slow down and check himself a little bit. We had some really nice lopes in ever shrinking circles. He is smoother when going to the right and more explosive when going to the left which in understandable given his history. We did a variety of different exercises and when we stopped we realized that over three hours had passed (about 2,5 of those was doing actual work). We both were tired but had some real successes. I am relearning to sit the faster gaits better. I know I need some coaching on this as I feel stiff in places that I know should not be. Once Brody gets back to his full weight I want to find a trainer who can help me with my equitation, especially on Brody. This was a long session but a good one for both of us. Tomorrow…we’ll both need the day off. I see a spa day for the horses happening.

Training with the Lightning: Day 64-67

DAY 64-67: Can’t believe it has only been two months! Reviewing this text sure illuminates things and allows us to track progress. Through it all our riding (seat, balance, feel, cues, correction and timing) have gotten better. As Brody improves so do we the humans. Nice how that works out.

            Day 64 found us at the arena at the Fairgrounds. The footing had been heavily watered by the time we got there (there was an Open Schooling Show set for the weekend) so it was like running on the beach. It took more effort!  Warm up exercises, groundwork (including Changing Sides and Plastic Bag) and work under saddle occurred.

The work with the plastic bag on a stick happened twice. The first time Brody seemed to calm down and relax fairly quickly. He is more sensitive on his right side (go figure) with this exercise. We had some wins and improvements so we moved on to other things. His Sending at various points around the arena went well. Leading Beside was less energetic than usual as I could tell the additional effort created by the wet footing was wearing him out. Work under saddle was kept to the basic Fundamental exercises along with some basic circles at he trot and lope. Plastic bag session #2 happened as we were getting ready to pack up and leave. Brody indicated he was afraid of the bag as it was being put back in the tack room. So…we went through the process again (advance, retreat, smell, tap the air, smell and rub). This time the Thoroughbred in him came out. He took longer to relax this time! Crazy, right? Still, I could hear Clinton and Shana in my head saying “stay with him” and I did until we got signs of relaxing then the Bag O’ Doom got put away.

            Day 65 found us at the always fun Cedar Springs Livery & Stables in Placerville having fun with our friend and Brumbie member Gale and her mare Janie. Gale got a new saddle hat she had custom fit to Janie and her. The round pen was also recently tuned up and we all did some work in it to get our day started. Everyone one did well! Gale and Janie have been able to get in consistent round pen time and it really shows in the mare’s respect, confidence and responsiveness. We worked in the outdoor arena afterwards doing our usual warm-up and groundwork but added the use of the low jumps ( 8 inches to 1.5 feet) into the mix. Brody indicated that while he seemed to like the mental challenge of the low jumps it was nit his passion (grin). Gale and Janie worked on refining their timing in the Sending exercise on the ground and over jumps as well. Argent and Laurie have played with these obstacles before and took to them like professionals! Under saddle we did the same (I avoided the 1.5 foot jump thank-you-very-much) and we all had some wins! Then we moved over into “trail obstacle pasture” which as all sorts of obstacles and challenges. We rode quite a bit in this area and really had a blast. I even took Gale’s new saddle for a test drive on Janie. This was the first time I rode this mare (I had done a bit of ground work with her already). Saddle was very comfortable. While it was too small for my big butt it fit Gale really well. Janie was also very comfortable even with my additional weight. We played around for a bit as she is a fun horse to ride. I tried to lope but the snugness of the saddle (and that is being PC) made it very hard for me to moves my hips with Janie’s rhythm. Still it was a blast. Lots of wins and improvements during the five hours we were there. Freaky horsey-time-warp effect happens every time we get together. Before you know it your two hours at the barn becomes five! It’s crazy…be we love it

.

Day 66 found us changing venues from the Fairgrounds to Pioneer Park last minute. Seems there was a schooling show happening that we missed the memo on so we turned around and headed over the hill to Somerset. Our friend and novice rider Alice joined us and even braved the rain (we got rained on several times). We did our warm-ups and ground work and Alice tried her hand at the exercises. She has a prosthetic on her right arm so we tweaked some the exercises to fit her needs. Brody gave it his very best shot and once Alice got secure in her body language and position things went very smoothly. We set up cones to work on cloverleaf and serpentine pattern just to add something new to the mix. Surprisingly there were many disk (Frisbee) golf players out and the neighboring ranch had some new cows who were watching us, the golfers and mooing loudly. Brody was fascinated and wanted to go check them out. Keeping him focused on what we were doing was tougher than it has been since we brought him home. Lots of direction changes and gait changes occurred during the under saddle part. After ensuring that his brain was in the game and using the reins in a new way (as Alice needed to) which was a combination of indirect and neck reining I let Alice get on. Brody really did well with the novice rider’s seat and rein challenges and tried his best for her. They did Follow the Fence, Follow the Leader as well as the patterns. We modified the One-Rein Stop and Brody eventually adapted. After Alice was done I got on and did some conditioning work with Brody. Note to self: a wet leather saddle is hard to lope and post in. One sticks more to wet leather that dry, conditioned leather. Lesson learned. Brody’s willingness to try really gets me every time. I am a blessed person.

DAY 67: We had one of THOSE training days, where the conversation went something like this….

BRODY: Hey Mike, you know I am half Thoroughbred (on my Mom's side), right?
MIKE: Yes, in fact I do Brody. Why do you bring it up?
BRODY: Because I feel like tonight is a good time to let that part of me out! Yow know, moody, hot, over-reactive...
MIKE: Oh boy. So "new stuff" is going to be a pain in the @SS, right?
BRODY: Yep, pretty much.
MIKE: Thank you for bring this to my attention!
MORAL OF THE STORY: The solution was three-fold - a longer than usual ride, concentrated training and a very wet saddle pad. We learned to side pass along the fence, perform a C-Pattern, began to care less about the Bag O' Doom (plastic bag on a stick) and realized that being near Argent means "trot in circles around him and rest on the far side of the arena." It was one of those kinds of nights. We worked longer that the humans had originally planned but we ended with some real wins. As Brody’s health and overall fitness improve we see his willingness to perform improve…and at times his sassiness too. We take this as a good sign in regards to how he is feeling and with the tools in the toolbox we can head off most issues before they become full blown problem. By the end of the night Brody was much happier hanging out at the far end of the arena than having to be too close to Argent and was relaxed and willing. Everybody has great days and off days. It all comes down to how we choose to deal with it.

Training WIth the Lightning: The Two Month Mark

DAY 55-57: We just about hit the two month mark! It has been a whirlwind journey for this great gelding and he has really learned a great deal. His health has continues to improve and he has consistently been a willing partner in all of our adventures!

Day 55 found us at the fairgrounds arena. We met a fellow Brumbie’s member (Kimberly) at the arena as she was in the area after visiting her three year old Kiger mustang gelding (Armando) and his trainer. She has done LOTS of the ground work with him but wanted to get some help getting him ready to be under saddle. We started with our usual warm up exercises and then got into some Leading Beside (with and without the lead rope), Circle Driving and Yielding the Forequarters. These went pretty well over all for the horse. The human was having a bad day…hitting himself with the string, tripping over the rope, dropping the rope and dropping the stick. I believe Brody was laughing on the inside. We finally got the human (me) together and moved on. Next we worked on Sending. Something near the rail was not agreeable to Brody and he over reacted to passing the section of fence. So, after inspection that nothing harmful was in the area we began Sending and worked on it until he calmed down and reflected the energy I asked for. Once we forgot four good passes each side we took a break. We tried our hand at the Intermediate level execise C- Patterns and we did okay (probably would get a C to C+ on the exercise). Then we let Kimbery work with Brody a bit and she did well with him. They did a quick review of the groundwork exercises we focused on. After a breather and a beverage we got to work under saddle. Brody seemed amore energized and focused. We ran through some basics and then Kimberly got a ride and they two had fun. Brody actually attempted several lead changes! It was neat to see him move like that. We wrapped up with some cool down work and headed home as we had folks from out of the area coming over to participate in a weekend long workshop on living history skills.

Day 56 found Brody being the center of attention! He was used for a Body Language/Footwork class with several western martial arts students. The round pen exercises teach the human about focus, energy, intent and position. It is amazing how working with a 1000 pound animal can alter one’s focus and…eventually…improve it.

Lots of rubs and treats were Brody’s reward for putting up with the silly humans. He took the different accents in stride and really gave it his best. Later in the day he was helping teach a Horse 201 class. He helped folks learn about how to move a horse’s feet on the ground and under saddle and humans should develop an independent seat. He really took care of the novices and gave those with some confidence a great ride both in the round pen and out in the pasture (he got to trot and lope around Argent and show off a little bit which was good for his ego). He got some great grooming and extra Stable Mix as a reward when the class was over.

            Day 57 found us back in the round pen to try Changing Sides, Run Up and Rub and The Plastic Bag as well as out usually conditioning work. Changing Sides took him about 10 minutes to understand and perform at a C+/B- level which seemed just fine for a first attempt. The Plastic Bag was very scary at first and he reacted as expected but not quite as scared as was assumed. Within 20 minutes or so he was comfortable (albeit not happy) about the bag being in his personal space and on himself. The Run Up and Rub…well…it was human error for most the exercise but he eventually stood calm and accepted the rubs. More work on this is slated. Three “new” exercises and his normal conditioning routine was a enough for the third-day-in-a-row and we ended our session with some wins.

            We have come pretty far in a very short time. We could not be happier that Brody came into our lives when he did. Spring is slowly coming to the Sierra Foothills. We have a Play Day set for March and a two day camping trip at a very unique site (trails, arenas, obstacles and more) for April. This is shaping up to be a FUN season! Stay tuned!