Mission accomplished (at least, one mission...)

Sam weed whacked the ravine for me and I tried the Clinton Anderson groundwork exercise again. This time Sparkler just walked over the narrow spots and just a small jump over the wider ones.

Next, I saddled her up. We started in the arena but she is definitely barn sour and won't cooperate to leave. I have to really get at her. Out in the front pasture, she really wanted to run. I realized that I've been giving her too much head, so I closed up on the reins and we did two complete loops at a walk. Yeah!

More ravine work

I tried the ravine exercises again today. While Sparkler was still a bit wild, she is catching on, doing less circles and slowing down. Part of this may be that I'm getting a bit better at sending her.

Working the ravine

I watched Clinton Anderson do trail training exercises on RFDTV last night, and couldn't wait to try it out myself in one of the small ravines in the middle pasture. In this groundwork exercise, you send the horse in one direction over the ravine, then switch their direction. The idea is to have your horse under control when you need to do this on horseback.

Zeke has trained Sparkler so that you can send her from side to side at will, but she went wild doing it over the ravine. She ran in circles around me and I could not get her to just walk over.

Riding the front pasture

I started Sparkler in the arena, but I could not coax her to leave. Bob mowed a path around the front pasture for me to try, so I led her around the side of the arena, through the gate and out front. She really wants to run, so I did a lot of one-rein stops. She is trotting rather than gaiting, though.

I used Zeke's idea and put apple slices on barrels in the front and back pastures. In the front, I let her have a few then urged her on and she ate the rest on the second lap. After several laps, I led her out the gate, past the arena to the back pasture and got back on. It wasn't easy getting her in the direction of the second barrel with the treats, but we did make it. Maybe next time she'll want to look for them.

Farewell, Red

Bob and I talked with the trainer's mother, Martha, tonight. Red is not doing well with Sid. He is getting more and more aggressive. He fell down a twice while Sid was riding him, whether trying to throw him off or what, they don't know. But he seems to be clumsy and is self-destructive in the stall. Can we get to the bottom of his troubles? At what cost? Given all his past problems, we have come to the conclusion that Red is not a good prospect for anyone. I can't in good conscience sell him to anyone. So we've decided to have him put down. This is a really, really tough decision.

As I start to tear up, I think about the time he bit me badly, nearly killed our dog, charged at our 8 year old neighbor, kicked me in the groin then charged at me for the kill, broke two of my toes -- how you can't walk in the pasture without fearing he'll attack, how he won't load.

We both love Red. He is beautiful. We've treated him lovingly, trying for more than two years to make him come around, but I cannot bear to bring him home. No one knows the fear I have when I am near him. We have no choice. Red won't hurt anyone else now.

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I talked to Zeke for a minute about how to deal with sparkler's not wanting to leave the arena. A few options to try--work her really hard in the arena and when we go out, let her walk. But I don't have the sides paneled off, so I don't really want to do more than a walk. Another suggestion: when she goes sideways with her shoulder opposite the direction I am asking, try lifting the rein on the opposite shoulder, then pop her on the leading shoulder with a crop. And: put some treats out and make a game of finding treats in different places in the pasture.

More riding

I took another vacation day and rode Sparkler again both in the arena and in the pasture. Today, I only needed the string once to get her to move. Now its there just in case.

This summer, I've ridden twice as much as the last two combined!

Over/Under wonder

Today was a vacation day. The over/under string works! I had to use it a couple times today, but by the end of the ride, the leg pressure was all I needed.

Riding Sparkler

Sparkler is back! Is she sick? She seems so quiet--not spooky at all. I thought it time to try the new arena out. I don't have the plywood panels up yet, so I have to be careful not to get out of control and hit my knees on the posts. The logs I used to separate the arena from the storage space seems to work to keep her away from the boat and tractor.

She's riding very smooth in the arena. But she hesitates to leave the arena. Outside, she won't move no matter how much leg pressure or weight shift I use. Zeke used an over/under string to get her moving, like what barrel racers use. I'll give that a try next time.

Tonight was the last day of the sale, so we had to hurry to Menards to pick up twenty, 18 foot 2X4 stringers for the arena. We’ll use them to nail the plywood sheets to. $145

Homecoming for Sparkler

Bob and I left the house at 6 am to pick Sparkler up from Zeke’s. We used our last two training hours with Zeke with me cantering her in the round pen. Thank you, Zeke for what you've done with her!

Zeke’s brother, Sid will start working with Red next week. If he doesn't make any progress, whatever will we do?

We have a dilemma

Today was my third session with Zeke. Wow. I rode Sparkler in the round pen and out in the yard, past the entrance gate and back. She is doing very well. I can't believe she is the same horse. She stands now to mount and dismount and is pretty responsive to direct reining.

Then we talked about options for Red. He is not doing well. The kicking continues and Zeke is beginning to change his mind about whether he's going to make a good riding horse. He charged at Zeke a few days ago and to protect himself, he had to throw up his stick and poked Red in the eye. The vet says it should be OK in a few weeks. Zeke is filled to capacity and can't keep Red any longer. I do not want to bring this horse home like this. I am now petrified of what he might do to me if an experienced trainer has trouble making him behave. To my relief, Zeke's mother called me on my way home to suggest Sid, Zeke's younger brother could work with Red. We'll give him a week and see what happens.

Arena cleanup underway

I've gotten most of the debris picked up in the pole shed which will become an arena/equipment storage. It will be 45 feet wide and around 100 feet long. I've marked the end of my space with logs found strewn about.

Making hay

Art gave Bob a hand and together they managed to put our new tractor to use. Bob purchased a Deutz tractor with a cab earlier this year and was in seventh heaven. Later he came across someone with a hay cutter and turner (probably not the right terms) for sale through a conversation at an auction . Today he did the first cutting. We used to have Art do the work (much appreciated) and split the crop, but we ran out last year and need all we can get. Art will still bail the hay for us.

Back to Rockin' Z Ranch

Vicki came with me on my second trip to Zeke’s, our horse trainer. We worked a bit with Sparkler, repeating some of the groundwork exercises from last week, then Zeke worked a bit with Red. Red kicked out at Zeke but he managed to smack him for it. Zeke has a theory that Red's problem is laziness--whenever he is asked to work, he acts up. I was hesitant to ride Red, but in the end thought I'd better and he seemed pretty good in the saddle.

First lesson in Spooner

With Zeke's training fee, you get one hour per horse per week of time with Zeke and your horse. I spent the entire two hours with Sparkler, choosing to forget about Red until next time. Zeke demonstrated Parelli groundwork exercises, otherwise known as "games". Then I gave it a try. I'm not very coordinated, but it was a blast.

I'm getting an arena

The pole shed is mine! We had a neighbor renting our pole shed since we bought the farm, which he filled with farm equipment. We wanted to have this space back for some time but hated to ask him to leave. Not just because of the rent money, but we didn't want to make things harder for him than they are.

New Tractor

But we need the space for Bob's new tractor and I need a space to train and ride. There's a lot of cleaning up to do--bits of lumber, rope, metal, straw and other junk. I'll need to put plywood on the sides. The posts are 9 feet apart. Plywood only comes in 8 foot widths, so we'll have to put up 2 X 4 stringers to attach the plywood to.