A "Bita Lightning": Playing in the Deep End...

DAY 4: A training day in two parts. First part was a visit to the round pen. Footing was a tiny bit better than yesterday. We reviewed the lessons from yesterday from Establishing a Direction (he nailed it), Establishing a Change Of Direction (better going to the left than to the right), Locking On (he got that part really well) and basic Desensitizing. He was smoother and more willing now that he understands the concepts. More round pen sessions will be in his future which will help him get less sticky about stopping and giving me two eyes when going to the right. Reviewed the Round pen DVD and I had hoped to be able to speed him up before I asked for the direction change but the footing was too slippery for anything more than a trot. Hopefully tomorrow’s adventure to Lockford, California (and a covered round pen and arena) will allow us to work on this. Flexing was better on the left side and improved on the right side above yesterday’s performance. We introduced Backing Method 1 (Tap the Air) yesterday. We reviewed it today. It was better but he felt confused by the stick moving in the air. For a goof we tried Steady Pressure (seem he knows that one) which leads us to believe he was exposed to certain exercises found in the Method but he was not shown them in the order we follow. No worries. We can fix that. We ended the round pen session with some successes followed by a brushing, a snack and 30 minutes on the Tree of Knowledge.

            Later in the afternoon we loaded up the horses and headed over to Pioneer Park in Somerset, California. The footing was soggy in the large arena so we worked in the smaller one just to be safe. We worked on Lunging for Respect Stage 1 and 2, Backing, Yielding the Hindquarters Stage 1 and Stage 2 and basic Desensitizing. While working on Tap the Air I dropped the stick. For a goof I just waved the popper at the end of the rope…and he responded with some energy! So we did that a few times, moved on to Desensitizing with the Stick/String and then went back to Tap the Air (with the stick). Concept learned! We were walking around the pen and it became apparent that some where in his history “Brodie” learned to Lead Beside. We tried it. It was rusty but it was not bad. It is going to be a unique process as we progress through the Method as some exercises are brand new and some are known and need to be refined. Then we saddled up. The Frisbee golf gang was doing their thing (which fascinated Brodie) and the neighboring horses in the adjacent property were quite chatty. Laurie took the first ride and it went well. Nice Cruising lesson at the walk and trot plus some one rein stops. Then I got on and did more of the same along with Backing and some various rein cues. It is all about establishing those starting points. Agent and Laurie also had some fun while getting things refined. All in all, even though it was damp and cold outside the session was productive and fun. Had some “flashbacks: and had to cowboy up/get over some confidence issues but Brodie took care of me and let me know through his willingness to do as I asked that all was well. Seems we’re working on the trust as well as the respect aspect of the partnership. Tomorrow morning we’re taking a field trip and meeting up with other Nor Cal Downunder Brumbie members for a “spur of the moment” gathering. The site has a covered arena and round pen and there will be a few horses around so…we’ll see how it goes!

DAY 5: This entry is a recap and a “thank you note” for making the December “Spur of the Moment” gathering such a great training experience!

            As the morning fog began to lift and blue skies began to appear through the clouds eleven (11) horse and humans gathered together in Lockford, California for a Brumbies “spur of the moment” session. Experiences ranged from “just getting back into horses” to “professional trainer! This mix was energizing! The facility was surrounded by lush vineyards and green cattle pastures. We had Brumbies haul in from as far away and Benicia (thank you Valerie)! We got to met some new folks and strengthen old friendships. It was a very good day. After everyone introduced themselves and their horses we got started in the (covered) round pen doing a “strengths and challenges drill” in which the basics of round penning “Clinton style” were demonstrated by each team and then reviewed for areas of strength and areas that needed work (challenges). For some of us it was only our second time in the pen with our horses and for other it was a REALLY long time since these skills were reviewed. By the end of this portion of the session we had seen some awesome wins and real improvements. The support and positive feedback got everyone motivated to improve and refine their communication with their horses. That motivation showed itself later in the session. After a quick snack break we were back at it, working our way through many of the Fundamental ground work exercises from backing to circle driving. For some of our horses these exercises were new and for others it was a chance to refine their understanding of them. The changes noted as the horses got into the work and the refinements/improvements that happened were really something to witness. We then kicked it up a notch and introduced tarps, plastic bags, large shaving bags (a different type of horse eating monster) and even water crossings! The horses did great! We then took a short break to grab drinks and tack up the horses. We used the entire area –covered round pen, covered arena, the pasture outside the arena and even the vineyard across the street to work our horses under saddle. We focused on getting the responses and cooperation we all wanted and worked on “socializing”: the horses at the same time. Everyone got along great (horses and humans-grin). We celebrated the MANY wins throughout the day. Seeing connections established and growth/improvement occurring in real time set the bar high for us and everyone was up for the challenge.

            As the sun began to set (yes, it was a long day that passed too quickly) the horses were loaded without issue and folks began to head home. It was to experience days like today that the Brumbies was formed and why it has persevered through the growth and challenges it has faced. A BIG “thank you” to Nancy, Shelly and Tom for hosting our little horse-party and for providing such a lovely setting. We want to thank everyone who came out and shared the day with us! The weather was great, the fellowship was fantastic, the stored share were priceless and as always the horses were inspirational! We look forward to visiting this loving site again in February! As for "Brody" it is safe to say that is sedentary lifestyle on a small plot of lad is SO over! He seems to like it so far!

A Bita Lightning: New Adventures In Horsemanship

INTRODUCTION: With Roscoe, the Rescued Quarter Horse trained up and safely delivered to his new forever family in Wilton, California it was now our quest to find another noble equine to work with. Having such success in the past we started with the local rescue organizations first. We wanted to work with a gelding between 4 and 15 years of age who was already “broke to ride” and who had a decent mind and a willing attitude. Because Michael was going to be the “primary” handler/rider we wanted a horse that could handle his 220 pound frame. Good legs, a solid frame and good feet were a must. Sadly the local rescue organization lacked what we were looking for. So we thn moved onto CraigsList. We wanted to work with a seller who cared about their horse but for whatever reason could no longer afford the required upkeep or who was downsizing their stable. We met several horses during our search. Some were exactly as described by the sellers and some were WAY off! Being followers of the Downunder Horsemanship Method we always wanted to do ground work first before getting on the back of an “unknown” horse. We would always dialogue with the sellers first and let them know what we were looking for and how we approached new horses. We really wanted to see the horse “fresh” and not saddled. Some of the folks got that and some folks had their horses saddled up and ridden before we got there (always a negative sign in our minds).

It finally came down to the top two candidates.

One was a 4 year old Quarter Horse gelding who had about 90 days of “training” on him. Nicely put together colt with a charming personality. He was green but willing under saddle and really needed concentrated training, long rides and wet saddle pads to refine the handle on him. He was a bit pushy with space and it took some effort to get him to focus. He would be a long term project that had amazing potential His sellers were downsizing their project horse herd.

The other was a 13 year old Appendix Quarter Horse who had a varied and unique history. His family had followed some of the natural horsemanship principles we followed and the horse, although almost 200 pounds underweight, was still being worked with and loved by his family. Financial matters really cramped their feed budget and the gelding, while being fed, was on a low cost/low calorie feed. Combined with the small space he was exercised in it was easy to see how he could be thin. He was easy to work with on the ground and under saddle. He really tried to please and to “take care” of the person in the saddle. He really seemed to “click” with Michael and was soon following him around the small pasture. In the end it was his willingness to bond that put him in the lead.

Three days later AQHA Appendix Quarter Horse gelding A Bita Lightning came home to live with us.

Michael, Laurie and “Ole”: First Meeting/Ride

DAY 0: Christmas Eve Day 2012 saw us traveling to drop Roscoe off to his amazing new home and loving family. It was sad to see him go but the family was amazing! They were so impressed with what the Method had done for Roscoe they became No Worries Club Members! After a brief stop for lunch we headed up to El Dorado Hills, California to get “Ole” (Oh-Lee). The gelding saw Michael and nickered to him. Seems that he remembers the man who brought him carrots! The seller said she had not seen this horse warm to someone so quickly. It didn’t seem like a sales pitch as we were already buying the horse.

Some basic groundwork was done to get the gelding ready to listen, papers signed and then we headed to the trailer. This is always one of the scariest things to do with a horse…you are asking them to step into a tin box with only one exit. Well, Ole didn’t disappoint us at all. He followed Michael into the trailer and then moved his hind quarters out of the way so the divider in the slant load could be secured. He traveled pretty well all things considered and settled down nicely. Once we got him home we gave him a quick brushing, did some ground work to get him settled, put his blanket on (it was starting to cloud up and rain was coming) and then introduced him to Argent. There was some sniffing and a squeal or two but soon they were hanging out calmly and even ate of of the same pile of feed. The rains came and we headed inside while Ole explored his new digs and Argent showed him around. Christmas Day was more rain so working outside was out of the question…plus we had a house full of folks! When the rain backed off some of our guests went out to see the horses with apple slices in hand. Both Argent and Ole were social and enjoyed the treat. Michael walked out a little after our guests did and Ole walked up, nickered a little and accepted rubs and treats from him. Not a bad first day.

DAY 3: Round Pen time! Ole came up to the gate and was rewarded with a vigorous brushing of coat, mane and tale (and some baby carrots) along with the usual maintenance. The goal today was to simply introduce the concepts of how to communicate using the round pen. Ole had not seen a round pen for at least six years so who knew how he would react. Michael led him in and then allowed for some exploration time to occur. When things felt right they began to establish a direction using the “point, cluck, spank” method. It became very clear that a simple point with authority and a cluck was all that Ole needed to get the hint and move his feet. Then they moved smoothly into maintaining the direction and gait. We hit some snags on turning in (two eyes not two heels) to change directions and after one human slip-n-fall in the mud (the horse laughed…really) the body language was made a bit more expansive and slower and the cue was understood better. So with the concept of direction changes put forth, it was time to mellow out and introduce the rope and the stick-n-string as tools to be respected but not feared. Much soft rope tossing and flogging with kindness occurred until Ole took a big breath, licked his lips and cocked a hip. Flexing was introduced as was backing. It was a good session with lots of wins and starting points established. Then it was time to contemplate the lesson on the Tree of Knowledge. During this down time we fit Ole’s new bridle to him and adjust the breast collar on the saddle to fit him better. He then got to stand tied for 30 minutes or so followed by a mid day snack, a brushing and then released back out to the pasture. Lots of wins happened. No spooking or over reacting at all. Nice way to end the day!

 Not sure he liked the muddy footing.

Roscoe's New Journey and a New DUH Convert!

DAY 110: The weather has made training very difficult. Lots of groundwork when its isn’t raining or snowing. We have gotten is some saddle time too. Still it doesn’t feel like enough. Roscoe has gotten circle driving learned now and is really reading the subtle body cues so much better. His personality is one of calm acceptance and genuine willingness to show what he knows and to try new things. He really understands that he has a place in the relationship and that we will always ask as gently as possible first. As his confidence has grown so has ours. We ride all over the place on a loose rein. We can use seat cues and balanced equitation. His gait transitions are really nice and getting better and better. We still have some work to do in the Fundamentals, especially under saddle but the foundation of trust and respect is really solid and each new exercise and experience just builds on that. With the winter forcing long periods of “no work” we have to make the most of every session and do our best to remember that every time we touch our horses we are training them. Being creative and setting the expectation at achievable levels is the hardest part. It has been one heck of a ride and Roscoe has proven to be one great little horse.

DAY 115-120: We had a goal to get Roscoe ready for his forever home. We wanted to challenge our horsemanship skills a bit, pay it forward and be part of something that gave back. We placed a simple ad on our local Craiglist page featuring Roscoe. We had some folks contact us, make noises about wanting to see him and then flake or simply not be a good fit. We were VERY clear about who he was, what his current skill set was, what we knew of his history and what we have done together. Some folks read the copy and some folks just looked at the pictures. It is a frustrating process and we have no idea how the professionals do it. Still, the pay it forward attitude pays off. We had an appointment with a person who wanted to meet Roscoe. The lady seemed to have read our post and the discussion made us think her family would be a good fit. We were going to travel and meet closer to her location. As we were loading up we got a call (which was nice) and we were told that for several reasons she had to back out at the last minute and wanted to reschedule. Well since we were just about to load up we figured that we should take advantage of the sort-of dry day (but it was chilly and windy out)and go to the local arena. As we were shifting gears we got a call from a gentleman who wanted to meet Roscoe and he was hoping to do it today. Hmmmn. Okay. So we made plans to met a little later in the day at our local arena. We arrived about fifteen minutes before our scheduled time and so did he. Good sign! We got busy grooming the horses and he jumped in to help. Then we went through our groundwork exercises. The fellow was impressed and asked lots of questions about what we were doing and why we were doing it. Again, this is a good sign. Then we saddled up Roscoe and I took him through is skill set. He was a rock star. Smooth transitions, nice stop and easy steering. As we were working under saddle and just having a good time together Laurie answered questions and talked about our approach, our history and so on. Then the rain started…just some tiny drops at first. So I did a little more with Roscoe and then asked if he wanted to take hi for a test drive. He answered that he hurt is back recently and need a few more days to heal up…but that he was really impressed with what he saw. So, figuring he was just looking/shopping I turned and took Roscoe for some cool down laps. I see the fellow smiling and Laurie is smiling too. We finish our cool down and I suggest that the fellow walk Roscoe a bit and just handle him some more. He does so and Laurie says to me “Roscoe is sold. You need to take the ad down.” Boom, just like that! We make arrangement to deliver Roscoe on December 24^th, 2012 and to give a lesson on our use of the Method to he and his granddaughters. A couple of days later we get a call that he has purchased the Rope Halter, Lead Rope, Stick/String and the Fundamentals kit! He even joined the No Worries Club! We were blown away! Roscoe is going to a great home with people who will continue his journey in the Method. He will have a pony for a pasture mate who is also going to get a new attitude as he learns the Method from exercise one!

It just goes to show you that a pay it forward attitude and the Method can do amazing things! Creating those relationships that are based on safety, respect and trust is one the effects of training as we all do. It creates a horse that stands out in the marketplace and speaks volumes without saying a word. Roscoe’s future is so bright he gotta wear shades!

While he will be greatly missed we know that his journey is far from over and that this forever home will be awesome for him!

Roscoe's Fall/Winter (Day 75-100)

DAY 75: This entry is basically a recap of the last 2012 practice for the Nor-Cal Downunder Brumbies. Roscoe participated in the day up until he tripped several times (after being used as the class model for the mini class on hoof trims). Not wanting to push him until he got more comfortable, he got to sit out oart of the day and reap all the petting a treats for folks observing the day. Sunday morning, it was rainy and chilly…frankly we were expecting a small turnout… but by 9:30am we had quite a sizeable group of folks gearing up for what would be a great practice! We started with 11 horses and riders and before we were finished with introductions all around for the benefit of the new people (3 horse/rider teams!) we had 15 horse/rider teams!  And that isn't counting the observers - 6 total, if memory serves.  This may have been the best attended practice so far!  It was a little challenging at first since we couldn't spread out like we normally do because we were sharing the arena with a pony club (in the early part of the day) and a pole bending/barrel race group near the end of the day, but they were finished before we had gone through our groundwork so it worked out ok.

After some warm up exercises from the Fundamental series, Randy M. led us in some groundwork exercises such as Lunging for Respect 1 & 2, the Backing methods, Yielding the Forequarters (just to name a few)and gave us some tips to "turn up the heat" to get the "yes sir" responses from our horses that CA likes to see.  He also shared some tips to try at home in the round pen: adding a 4th level of speed and getting the "shot-out-of-a-cannon" response. The refinements and focuses on what makes an A grade were instructional and inspirational! Then most folks saddled up for some riding.  Randy led the group in some quick cruising lesson then shared some suppling exercises with the group - yield hind quarters under saddle and the transition to yield forequarters, side tracking, beginning collection (getting the nose to drop).  Lots of trotting and cantering for most of the group.  As mentioned, during the riding portion of the day, we shared the arena with some ladies working on pole bending and barrels which was a good de-sensitizing exercise for the horses not used to a busy arena.  A rain shower part way through the day added some more interesting noises for the horses to get used to under the cover of the arena .  Most of the group headed from the arena outside to ride “Clinton-style”  some of the trails around the park.  Everyone came back with big smiles and sweaty horses! We grabbed some much needed lunch and enjoyed some fine fellowship! We even got a mini class on hoof trims and nutrition and a trailer loading demonstration, before we all hit the road for home (thank you Sally and Tara)!

It was great to meet the new folks - Lisa, Kathy, Janice - and we look forward to seeing them again soon.  And we welcome our youngest member, Kaia (did I spell that right?) who is Tara's daughter from way up in Quincy.

What an awesome way to spend a rainy day! What an AWESOME way to wrap up our 2012 practice season! Thanks for everyone who came to play and especially to those who drove several hours to share in the experience! This is really what the Nor-Cal Downunder Brumbies is all about!

DAYS 80-100: Between work, the “Holiday Season” demands, school and the weather it has been a juggling act. Every dry day we get out and work with the horses. We try are hardest to get groundwork and saddle time in each session. The arena in Somerset has been our go-to spot but we have had opportunities to travel to other places as well. For Roscoe the big focus was to refine the skills he knows and to introduce new exercises into the mix. His gas pedal is really coming along nice. A simple squeeze with the legs and seat and he walks on with a nice energy. Another squeeze with a little cluck and we’re trotting on. His stamina and awareness are greatly improved from the first ride that it really blows the mind!. His lope is smoothing out too! We’ve been working on developing his balance through elevation of the shoulders and basic collection. Lots of riding of circles and serpentine patterns in our regiment to be sure. We visited our friend and Brumbie member Gale at Cedar Springs Livery and Stable recently and spent a wonderful morning working on ground skills and skills under saddle. Gale’s horse Janie was being quite the sassy girl so we switched horses. She worked Roscoe and was able to focus on her body language, position, intent and energy. Roscoe was a willing and forgiving partner for Gale. Together they got the human more aware of the non-verbal communication needed to get the message across to the horse. Janie and Michael spent about 30-45 minutes fixing the attitude and getting Janie to respect space, give two eyes and move with control. There was a great deal of Lunging for Respect 1 and 2, Backing, Hindquarter Yields and Flexing. Gale said the next day Janie was a “new horse.” which was very encouraging. We were working outside in a small dressage arena with the borders marked in log and hot tape on three sides. While warming up under saddle the “open” side of the arena got Roscoe curious and he felt the need to inspect the tractor and mounting logs before we resumed course. The slight incline of the arena encourage faster movement downhill and some basic collection up hill. We did the Cruising Lesson, Follow the Fence, Diagonal and other fun exercises. In short he was feeling soft and willing with an increase in stamina and energy that was good to experience.

            We have done some “leadership walks” along the irrigation trail behind the house and really put the ground skills to the test. Log, rocks, hills, and other obstacles present themselves and we get as creative as we can with them. Roscoe and Argent like the mental stimulation. These walks really build that trust and respect. We also set up a mini challenge course at the arena which helped to change up our routine a bit. Cones, logs and other visual elements wee laid out and the horses had to move through the course at various gaits. Roscoe seems to adapt well to the demands placed on him. As we have progressed in his training we notice that the importance of the rider’s equitation becomes more important to Roscoe’s performance and willingness to work. We do lots of riding on a loose rein which he appreciates. When the rein is used (mostly direct and indirect) in conjunction with the leg and seat cues he responds smoothly. We’ve worked on introducing neck reining and he is starting to get the concept. His backing is greatly improved too! Under saddle the human just needs to sit deep, lean back and bump the reins and Roscoe backs up. To increase his speed on the backing we simply cluck or tap his shoulders with our toes. The improvements made during this season have been solid and at times emotional. Roscoe really tries to give 100% even when he is tired. You can’t ask for more than that really. We’ve got some activities planned later in December and will be traveling to some new places. It should be an adventure for all of us!