1 Year Later

March 31st, 2016
I have a horse! He is a beautiful Quarab who is only about 11 or 12 hands tall. He has a beautiful personality and he is gorgeous. He is a bit spooky, which is probably the Arab in him, but he is very sensitive and playful. He is a four-year-old gelding named Gambler. He is very, very green so I'm gonna treat him as if he was never started at all. I'm really excited. It isn't all rainbows and sunshine, training a colt isn't easy, but I will work hard. 

This is my chance to follow my dreams and prove myself. This horse, my horse, has so much potential. God has given me the opportunity that I've always begged for. Now I have that opportunity. Finally, I am no longer held back by not having a horse. Finally, my dream has come true and I can do what I love to become the person I have always wanted to be! It isn't over, this is just the beginning. However, I am ready to do this. I am more than ready . . . I'm psyched!

I though that April 5th was "gotcha day" but apparently I was wrong. I stumbled onto this old journal entry just in time for our one year anniversary! This has been a long, eventful year. There were times I wasn't sure if I could do it, but together we've made it this far. God knows what He's doing. I can't believe it's been a year already! It seems like yesterday, but already I can't imagine life without my Gamby. I am so thankful for my opportunity on legs. ;)

Thirteenth Ride!!

Blurry, but I like this one.

Today was warm, temp somewhere around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It was windy and the air held the promise of a storm (it hasn't arrived yet, but I'm hoping it will tonight. I love thunderstorms). Usually, when I use the word "windy" in a post it is a sure indicator that Gambler was a spastic disaster. Today, however, that was not the case!

When we arrived at the barn, I turned off the electric fence and sectioned off the arena area while Gambler and Kezi were still in the pasture. Then I brought Gambler into the cross-ties to groom him. As herd-bound as he is, he has gotten better about it since Kezi's surgery. I can bring him into the barn without her and he isn't anxious at all. To bring him in I haltered him and opened the barn door. Gambler walked straight into his stall and I followed behind, shutting the door to keep Kezi out. 

He was dirty, although not as dirty as he was on Sunday. Sweetheart came to the barn again. She isn't sure what to think of Gambler, but he adores her. I'm beginning to wonder if she has a calming effect on him. 

I expected Gambler to be spooky when I took him out into the arena because of the wind, but he was calm and cuddly. He led perfectly from both sides. Even though he could see Sweetheart, he was calm and focused (his usual response to other animals is to ignore me and try to make friends with them). He circled walk, trot, and canter without a hitch.

Since he was behaving so well I decided to ride. He is getting more and more comfortable under saddle. Today he was much more balanced than before. I still have Mom holding the longe line but I'm relying less and less on her for backup. 

Gambler did buck for the first time under saddle today. It wasn't anything serious and I stayed on without a problem. In fact, I thought he just reared up a little in the front. I didn't know he actually bucked until Mom (who was watching from the ground) told me. I didn't reprimand him other than pushing him forward into a walk because I think I know why he bucked. If I am right, it was a good reason.  

I've been riding Gambler in a bareback pad because the western saddle doesn't seem to fit him anymore. There is a close contact saddle that does fit him, but the last time he wore it was the wind tunnel day. He bucked quite a bit (due to the wind/saddle combination I think) so I need to stick the saddle on him and then put him through his paces and work through any habitual bucking. I know that riding bareback is hard on a horse's back. I also know that it is best to post the trot on a green horse because it is easier on his back. Since I can't post without stirrups, I really need to get to business and start using the saddle. 

Today when we were trotting Gambler didn't know what to think of the feeling of a rider bouncing on his back. The sitting trot is my specialty, but I haven't been riding regularly and Gambler is green, so I don't blame him at all for being put off. He didn't act out in fear or anger, he politely told me "I'm not okay with this right now." I've seen Gambler buck when saddled or playing in the pasture. If he wanted to send me flying he could have. I'm not anxious or put off by the buck at all. He sent me a message and I received it. He won't like the solution . . . but it's about time he got over his fear of saddles. 

I finished on a good note (lateral flexion) and then played at liberty. We didn't do anything fancy, because it has been a long time and Gambler was really hungry, but I led him from both sides at liberty. 

Backing

Leading at liberty on his "bad" side.

Easter (Twelfth Ride)

Gambler on Easter 2015, all doped up so the vet could stitch his eyelid.

Last Easter - about a week after Gambler became mine - we arrived at the old barn to discover a mysterious cut above his right eye. To this day, I don't know how it happened. He was in a stall without any obvious sharp edges. The cut was deep enough that we called the vet out (yes, on Easter Sunday) to stitch it.

This Easter was a much more cheerful experience. We brought our black lab/golden retriever mix Sweetheart to the barn with us. Gambler LOVES dogs. And cats. And bunnies. And beavers. And eagles? But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It is shedding season and mud season.

Is that . . .

A dog!

Check out the curve in his neck. So Arabian!

He was so gentle with Sweetheart, lowering his head and being very still and quiet even though he was really excited.

For our session I revisited the problem of leading from the off side. Gambler warmed up to it much faster than he did on Saturday.

He is still extremely herd-bound, which we need to work on. During our session Kezi wandered out of sight - cue blind panic. Gambler cantered around in circles, bucking and ignoring my cues. As soon as Kezi came galloping back (so dramatic these horses) he was 100% obedient. Originally, I wasn't going to make him canter because the ground was wet, but since he had decided to canter through all my protests, I proceeded to ask for walk, trot, and canter transitions as well as many changes in direction. Not that it mattered since Kezi was back and peace restored to the universe. 

Other than that, Gambler was in a fantastic mood, so I decided to ride. I wasn't sure how he would react to being ridden after a week or so of groundwork only. I did a little mounting prep and then jumped up. I am happy to inform you that I'm getting better at mounting smoothly, a little more like girl jumping onto her horse's back and a little less like a monkey falling out of a tree. There was nothing to worry about. Gambler did very well. 

At one point in the ride two eagles started flying around in the field next door. Gambler was very looky and a little balky. I'm not sure if he was spooked or if he wanted to befriend them. At first I thought about getting off, because I had never dealt with a new situation while riding Gambler and I didn't know what to expect. I'm glad I stayed on. Gambler never spooked or bolted and he walked forward when I asked him to. Together we overcame our first obstacle under saddle.

Gambler in the cross-ties after our ride.

Rolling and Raining

I don't have any pictures of Gambler and I on Saturday, but we had a good session. It was raining lightly at the barn as it had been all day. I started by grooming Gambler extensively. His shedding is under control for now and I would like to keep it that way. I was glad to see that his shoulders seem to be completely healed. I'm still not sure what was going on, but it doesn't seem to be bothering him now. 

While I groomed Gambler, Mom picked up some of the poop piles in the arena area to move them to the manure pile. For a month or so, I have been unable to pick out Gambler's hooves without someone holding his head - mainly to keep him from rearing or backing in the cross-ties. He is fine as long as someone holds him, but because Mom was in the arena I didn't have someone to hold him. I started way back in square one, just asking Gambler to pick up his feet and set them down again. I was able to pick out both of the back feet with a moderate amount of kicking. I wasn't able to pick out the front feet, but I did convince Gambler to pick them up and set them down politely, which is a step (pun intended) in the right direction. 

As soon as I brought Gambler into the arena he saw the pile of poop Mom had gathered and was on high alert. I thought he was spooked, but Mom mentioned that a stallion would mark his territory in that way, perhaps Gambler thought there was a "rival." That may very well have been the case since Gambler was in a dominant mood for the rest of the session. I spent some time leading him on his off side and yielding his forequarters from that side. In response Gambler tossed his head, flicked back his ears, and tried to bite me. I spent the rest of the session leading him in serpentines around barrels from his bad side, using forequarter yields to turn him bend him around the barrels. By the end he was leading quite politely. 

At one point while I was asking for a forequarter yield, Gambler started pawing at a sandy spot in the arena. I knew it was an area that he and Kezi liked to roll so I said, "Uh no, you aren't allowed to roll," and walked away. Gambler didn't follow. Instead he sat down, laid down, and rolled - with the bareback pad on. Once I stopped laughing I made him get up. Thankfully the bareback pad didn't get terribly dirty. 

Beautiful, Relaxed Day

My favorite view.

I was going to ride on Thursday, because it was a beautiful day, but while grooming I discovered that Gambler's shoulders were sore. It wasn't from riding because I haven't ridden in a week or so. My guess is that Gamby and Kez were playing rough in the pasture. Or maybe Gambler was running around and fell down (it's happened before, such a clutz). This just goes to show the importance of grooming your horse before you ride or at least running your hands over them. If I had just jumped on Gambler (a green horse to boot) while his shoulders were sore, who knows what would have happened. It would have been an unpleasant experience for both of us. Instead, I got to spend time with my horse in a comfortable environment. 

Improvement

On Tuesday, Gambler showed noticeable improvement. I used the same exercise as I did on Sunday, but with more success, in a shorter amount of time. As a warm-up, I played the Parelli seven games. Sadly, I didn't have anyone to take pictures of it. There was a little improvement, just enough to show that it's making a difference.

Then we started the ignore-the-wind exercise.

Asking Gamby to back and then wait for the cue to circle

Asking Gambler to move out on and make the circle wider. I've been trying to send him out farther. He has picked it up faster traveling to the right than the left.

That's more like it.

Gambler showed good form for the most part.

Itchy face

I might have been asking for a canter here.

Awkward place to catch the canter stride.

Another awkward place.

Ahhh! Look at those feet! This is why I wish his bell boots fit. One of these days I'll have to break down and buy a pair in size small.

The main goals of our session have been to work despite the slightly windy conditions (an unavoidable part of spring) and to reinforce vocal cues. Gambler's transitions are fantastic right now, even the downward transitions. He takes the canter on cue and will sustain it for longer without as much encouragement from me. The voice cues will definitely help when I ask him for transitions from the saddle. 

Motivation

On Sunday we had beautiful, sunny weather. It was chilly and (of course) windy, but a lovely day nonetheless. The problem was, my sleep schedule is still a disaster. I am one of those teenagers who is not afraid to admit that my mood depends largely on my sleep schedule. I simply cannot sleep seven hours a night and still function like a human being. I can't sleep eight hours after midnight and still function like a human being. So after driving thirty minutes to the barn I was in a daze (this after four mugs of coffee). 

We brought Gambler and Kez into the barn to feed. I set up in the arena as they ate. Then I groomed Gambler in the cross-ties as usual. I led Gambler out into the arena and then just stood there and looked at him for a while. Actually, I talked to him, out loud. 

Me: Ugh. 

Gambler: You brought me out here to eat right?

Me: No, pick your head up, I'm trying to talk to you!

Gambler: You're so mean to me. *sulk*

Me: As I was saying -

Gambler: IsthatascarythingIthinkitmightbeisitwindycauseIthinkitmightbeshouldIspook?

Me: No, just no. I do not have enough energy. Just stop.

Gambler: ...

Me: Ugh. I just do not even want to deal with this today. Can't we just go for a nice, calm, enjoyable ride?

Gambler: I'm sowwy. But it's windy so . . .no can do.

So we began the exercise that I used last summer to encourage Gambler to work despite slightly windy conditions. 

Step 1: Ask Gambler to circle calmly at a walk without invading your space or bolting

Step 2: Reward good behavior by bringing him into the circle for scratches

Step 3: Switch direction and repeat steps 1-2

Step 4: Send Gambler out onto the circle and repeat step 1 before asking him to trot without invading your space or bolting

Step 5: Once Gambler trots nicely, bring him down to a walk and repeat step 1

Step 6: Reward good behavior

Step 7: Switch direction and repeat steps 4-6

Step 7: Repeat step 4 and then ask Gambler to canter without invading your space or bolting

Step 8: Once Gambler canters calmly, repeat steps 4-6

Step 9: Reward good behavior

Step 10: Switch direction and repeat steps 7-9

Can I say TEDIOUS. Regardless of that, the exercise works magic. The first few times it takes forever to calm Gambler down, but then he realizes the pattern. The beauty of this exercise is that it's repetitive (always a plus for green horses as long as it isn't too repetitive) and it requires emotional maturity. An immature horse becomes hot and stays hot. If he is spooked or completing a high-energy activity (cantering, jumping) he becomes excited and refuse to move slowly or think. This exercise brings Gambler's energy level way up and then asks him to lower it again. After a while, Gambler sees the pattern and doesn't stop thinking when asked to canter in a scary situation.

Gambler did well. I probably could have ridden him he was responding so well. But I just wasn't feeling it. I ended on a good note and let him out to eat his supper. Afterwards I was kicking myself for not using that opportunity better. I only have a few more months of unsolicited time with Gambler. In May, I'll graduate and find a job (or several). In the fall, it's off to college probably. My time with Gambler will be incredibly limited, so I need to take advantage of all the time I have. The moral of this story? Sleep!

Letting Kezi out to eat. 

That hay sure is exciting!

Spring Break

At long last I am on break. I hope that means I have more Gambler time. Of course, yesterday was Saturday, so I didn't have any more time than usual.  

I arrived at the barn feeling tired and empty of energy. I stayed up Friday night because I was out with friends, and Thursday night because I had homework, and Wednesday night . . . because I have my irresponsible moments. ;) The culmination of that and working out just before coming to the barn had me pooped. I almost fell asleep in the car (thankfully I wasn't driving). 

I took forever grooming Gambler (he has started shedding in earnest) and setting up the arena. Gambler was great, waiting patiently in the cross-ties while I wandered all over the place making noise. I think I'm going to start putting polo wraps on him. I learned how to put them on a year or so ago and I have some from Gamby's back exercises in July. I would have today, but he moves his feet around quite a bit and I was running out of daylight. The last thing I need is a tendon injury from putting polos on in a hurry. 

We started with the Parelli games. He aced the friendly game, looking a little peeved, but not reacting negatively. Then we got to work (play?) on the porcupine game. Instead of the feed bin I used three barrels. The barrels turned out to be more of a distraction, so I started with forequarter yields a few feet away from them.

More interested in eating than yielding

At first he resisted

But relaxed once he understood what I wanted.

Other side

Then I moved back to the barrels to practice yielding the hindquarters.

Gambler even side-passed in both directions with the barrels in front of him. I skipped the third game, because it doesn't make sense to ask with indirect pressure until Gambler understands direct pressure. 

Fourth game: asking Gambler to back by shaking my hands and the rope. Notice that the rope is laying on the ground, Gambler's side of the rope - and his halter - aren't moving at all.

I ask him to back to the end of the rope (still laying on the ground w/o tension)

Then I ask him to stand and wait for the cue to come back to me - a tilted head and running my hands over the rope toward me without pulling.

The next game is the circling game. I combined the circling game with the sixth game: the squeeze game. Horses are claustrophobic (that's how they survive). It takes a lot of trust for a horse to walk calmly through a tight space. It's also good practice for trailering.

Then I played the circling game by itself, paying specific attention to giving clear vocal cues for all three gaits. Gambler will move into a higher gait with just a point and move into a lower gait with a wiggle of the rope, but reminding him of the vocal cues will help him under saddle. 

Gambler has been walking in a more relaxed way, stretching, and moving into a larger circle.

Asking for a canter transition.

Asking for a canter transition in the other direction.

A little strung-out, but a gorgeous picture.

When Gambler comes into the middle he puts his head down and often sighs. The middle of his circle -me- is his safe, relaxed place.  

I didn't ride, because Gambler had already worked pretty hard. I wanted to end on a good note and I think riding would have been too much to ask. We let Kezi and Gambler into their separate pastures to eat supper.