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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > Questions about Skeeter |
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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > Questions about Skeeter |
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| Questions about Skeeter | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Sun Jun 8th, 2008 10:54 pm |
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1st Post |
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loneelk G.O.G Community Member
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I really believe that there is value in "days off". So far, we try to accomplish one new thing, no matter how small it might seem, do a few of the tasks that he's good at, and always end on a good note (even if sometimes I have to back off on something that didn't go quite right and go back to something he really is good at). Some days our work is perhaps 5 or 10 minutes, other days could be a couple of hours doing a variety of tasks/exercies. I count a warm up and a walk in hand as part of our work. Probably this fall (when it cools off  ), we plan to add some more pieces to an obstacle course trail that we plan to incorporate around the perimeter of our place. Can hardly wait, cuz once we get it started, we can do all kinds of additions as we want to get more complicated.
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| Posted: Sun Jun 8th, 2008 09:04 pm |
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2nd Post |
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GypsySusan G.O.G Community Member 
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That's great news. My trainer (and several other clinicians I've seen) says it usually takes 3 sessions for a horse to "get it" (whatever "it" is). One day to teach it, one day to process it, and one day to learn it. The "process it" day is the day they have off to just think about it. I've seen it happen time and time again. So, sounds like Skeeter had a whole week to process it. Now, you know how to work with him in his time.
____________________ Susan www.gypsytrotters.com Phil 4:11-13, 19 Missouri Fox Trotters: To Ride One... Is to Own One. |
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| Posted: Sun Jun 8th, 2008 06:15 pm |
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3rd Post |
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loneelk G.O.G Community Member
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Update on working from the right w/ Skeeter. This morning, having missed any real work w/ Skeeter since last Sunday, due to high winds, very high temps, and hay hauling, I got him out and just for giggles decided to try him on the long line again (triangle w/ 15' lead rope on one leg, lunge whip on the other leg, and me @ central point across from Skeeter forming the third leg of the triangle). He was perfect! For the first time he was able to turn in to me and go back to the right and stay on the arc. YAY! And we've done nothing in particular leading up to it, just some regular round pen work. I love how sometimes working with horses just feels magical, and it's especially so w/ Skeeter. We continue to make slow but steady progress. Last weekend, we graduated from riding in the roundpen to riding in the pasture. Only a little hiccup when Smokey decided to come see what was going on. Skeeter was fine, I was the one hiccuping.
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| Posted: Wed May 21st, 2008 02:20 am |
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4th Post |
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loneelk G.O.G Community Member
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Hi, just a quick reply to thank everybody for your input. After I stepped back and thought about it, I realized that I can just take my time on this and not make it a big deal. The tension that it creates for Skeeter (& therefore me) is just too ridiculous to let it ruin all the other good stuff that he does. I've ridden him the round pen for increasing periods the past two weekends, with progressive level of confidence (my issue, from an old back injury and a relatively minor accident that became big in my mind). As I've become more confident, so has he, and we're well on our way to progressing to our first "outside" ride in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime we continue our ground work and getting to be good buds.
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| Posted: Sat May 10th, 2008 06:30 pm |
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5th Post |
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souzko G.O.G Community Member 
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Just a thought but, could you have someone else try it? My trainer showed me what to do but, it didn't work the first time. She took over and as Mo didn't feel the need to glue himself to her he did it and hasn't looked back. Susan O. http://www.miragecardigans.com
____________________ Susan O. www.miragecardigans.com |
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| Posted: Sat May 10th, 2008 02:41 am |
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6th Post |
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loneelk G.O.G Community Member
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Hi, Souzko-He's quite responsive to the technique you're describing from the left, but when I tried the same from the right, it became very counterproductive-he basically wanted to be glued to me if I'm on his right. I can step to his side on the left but not from the right. If I really push it (from the right) he gets more insistent the more I work the lead rope. It almost feels as if he's really been punished for being out of that position, and gets mildly "hysterical" for lack of a better word. This is really the only thing that gets this sort of response from him, and I'm inclined to think that when he's in that way of being his brain has shut down--I'm feeling a need to work at this particular task more slowly than I might w/ a different horse. GypsySusan, I like your idea of doing "everything" from the right. So far I've tried to be sure that I did most things more from the right than from the left, but perhaps I need to try to retrain my own self-I have to realize that even I am more in the habit of working w/ a horse from his left than from his right, so maybe it's reasonable that this transmits to him too. Thanks, everybody for your helpful suggestions and encouragement. I'll keep you posted how things are going.
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| Posted: Sat May 10th, 2008 12:47 am |
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7th Post |
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souzko G.O.G Community Member
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I had that problem with my 14 yr old, TWH Mo. Our trainer showed me how to spin the tail of the longe line sending energy towards the opposite side of the direction I wanted him to go, to step off to that side a bit and send him off. Example, to send him left, I'd spin the tail to the right of Mo at the same time take a step to the right. Hope that was clearer than mud!!! Anyway the first few times he continued to try to come in to me, the spinning kept him back and got him on his way. He got the idea in around 15 minutes, and I haven't had the problem since. He's thought about it but changes his mind with my simply taking a side step. Susan O. http://www.miragecardigans.com
____________________ Susan O. www.miragecardigans.com |
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| Posted: Fri May 9th, 2008 06:28 pm |
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8th Post |
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GypsySusan G.O.G Community Member
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Besides all of the above, do EVERYTHING for/with him from the right side, feed, groom, lead, etc. to help him get over his left-sidedness. Since we tend to do everything from the left, he has a problem with you being anywhere else. Stay safe.
____________________ Susan www.gypsytrotters.com Phil 4:11-13, 19 Missouri Fox Trotters: To Ride One... Is to Own One. |
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| Posted: Fri May 9th, 2008 06:09 pm |
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9th Post |
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HopeMissouri G.O.G Community Member 
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Just an aside to your question regarding long lining- You mentioned: From the right he seems to think that he needs to be right next to me, always. If one of my horses comes in to me when I'm on the ground asking them to stay on a circle or I'm driving them, I try not to be too critical. I want them to know that I'm a good place to be. They are expected to be polite, not run me down, or step into my personal space unless invited. If/when they come in without being asked, I smile and say "thank you!", then send them out with as much energy as they came in with. They seem to quickly understand that it takes less effort to keep doing what I've asked than to do something different. They get to rest when I ask them to return to me. I want them to believe that being with me is the very best choice they could make! When I take them away from home on trailrides, they call for ME when they can't see me, rather than for the other riders' horses. I'm always working on my herd-of-two relationship. Good luck with your youngster! Hope
____________________ [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hope-Missouri/ChipMissyandHope2008-2.jpg[/IMG] [i]My horses give me as much respect as THEY THINK I DESERVE. Their opinion matters.[/i] |
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| Posted: Fri May 9th, 2008 02:13 pm |
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10th Post |
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loneelk G.O.G Community Member
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I feel better hearing that it's not such an unusual problem. I hadn't had the problem to this extent with either of my other two horses, so I've been sure that I'm doing something wrong . After just a few practices, I can saddle and unsaddle from the right with minimal to no problem. Guess I'll just continue working patiently. I'll appreciate any suggestions I can get. I have noticed that when we go outside the roundpen for in hand work, he gets his mind on other things, and then will walk pretty far out on the 15' lead rope for a longer period than he's comfortable with inside, so perhaps we'll try that. He led a pretty sheltered life for his first 5 yrs., so has a lot of learning to do!
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| Posted: Fri May 9th, 2008 01:32 pm |
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11th Post |
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sheilazav G.O.G Community Member 
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Hi, Loneelk! Someone on another post was talking about this problem. I think it's pretty common. I posted on there so copied here. I hope this helps!! If not, you will find lots of helpful, interesting people on here. Keep us posted! Prowler was one-sided when I got him. Except for brushing, I could do NOTHING from his right side. If I tried to lead him from that side, he would stop and use his nose to nudge me to the other side like I was doing something wrong! And forget lunging him going clockwise! We started training with me on his left side leading him with my daughter walking on his right side keeping up with us. When he was comfortable with that, we switched sides and she lead from the left. Progressed to me holding the lead from the right and her still walking on the left. Then she was out of the picture. Took patience but now he walks perfectly either way. Once that was accomplished, lunging clockwise became easier. I would probably have someone lead him around while you stand in the middle and are holding the lunge line. People generally only train from the left so horses have to be completely trained on the other side. I always make sure to sometimes unsaddle from the "wrong" side. He was skiddish the first time but is fine now. Just takes practice for them to understand! Last edited on Fri May 9th, 2008 01:33 pm by sheilazav ____________________ The horse through all its trials has preserved the sweetness of paradise in its blood. ~Johannes Jensen |
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| Posted: Fri May 9th, 2008 04:07 am |
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12th Post |
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loneelk G.O.G Community Member
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Hi, for folks who don't know-Skeeter is a foxtrotter who came home w/ us from his breeder approx. 6 wks ago as a "greenbroke" 5 yr. old. From some of what I've read on this forum, I gather that a 5 yr. old (horse) can be sorta like a 2 yr. old (human)? does that sound accurate? He's certainly changeable. One day he seems perfectly attuned to what we're doing and another day he's a bit fractious and "difficult". Altho he's such a sweet guy that even on his difficult days he's still lots of fun. The young woman had started him under saddle, but her husband was riding him. She described him (horse, not husband) as "bossy" and "needs riding". We've done quite a lot of work on the ground w/ him so far. I'm too old to just hop in the saddle and hang on for dear life, but I anticipate that I'll be riding him pretty soon. Until now, the youngest horse I've successfully worked with was my Arabian, who was barely 7 and recently started under saddle when I got him (but then again, that was 15 years ago!) My biggest challenge is that I like to work w/ horses on a long line from both sides. He works quite nicely from the left, but as soon as I try to work him from the right, he turns into a different horse. From the right he seems to think that he needs to be right next to me, always. I've tried using the butt of the lunge whip to urge him to keep his distance-he sorta will, but never really relaxes enough to work same as when I work him from the left. I've tried looping the line over his head and then coming around behind him to the right (as soon as he realizes where I am he wants to move into me). If I really insist, he gets quite determined about it. If I have him out on the line moving to the left, and try to switch sides, he totally avoids moving to the right and comes in to me in the center. I can free longe him in the round pen in either direction, and he will give me both inside and outside turns when he's working at liberty (in about a 50' roundpen). However, I can't seem to get him willingly working to the right on the long line-I'd appreciate your thoughts?!?
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