Champ - 18 yr old Palomino quarter horse
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A very happy day. I decided last night I had to do it, regardless of muscle strength and if the jodhpurs were too tight!
As I was prepping the arena and round pen, Champ came walking up, as he's a nosy bugger, so haltered him and got him into the round pen - he realized that he shouldn't have been so nosy. Not impressed with my plan! not snotty just trying to find the escape route
First I worked him from the ground, to release the kicking, bucking and complaining. Well, it has been 2 years since I did anything properly with any of them. After about 10 minutes of working him so he could release his annoyance, it was time to see if he had remembered his manners and my body language cues. My horses are horse whispered , so no whips, lunging . Just a carrot stick to point to certain parts of their body and use my body position to guide them where I want them to go
He remembered all the cues and still wanting to release energy. I know when they have come to me properly when the cue is I stop moving, they stop, turn and face me and start licking their lips. After a few circles of the round pen, working each brain (yes they have two sides, joined by a stem, so you have to work both sides)
The western saddle I have weighs about 30lbs. and i custom built it over a few years. The bosal is a rope harness, (close up on pic #6) the nose hoop is made of stiffened leather, two light leather straps down the face linking over behind the ears, a small soft rope goes over ears , under neck loosely and tied in knot on other side. There are no bits , metal or anything inside the mouth whatsoever. all guidance is done from under the head placing rope on side of neck for direction . no tugging . gentle one handed and relaxed I worked him on the ground for about 10 minutes, a little snotty with the saddle on so worked those out but still head too high. SO after his run around I tightened the latigo , as they instantly bloat as soon as the saddle goes on..after a while you have to tighten or you'll get off and slide around to the other side! cunning plan on their part! You'll see in one of the pictures I am laying on his head holding his head down (this is natural horse behavior of dominance, I needed him to accept . which you'll know when you release and stand back and the head stays down!) Horse whispering is basically using the horses natural behavior with him, to work together not boss and I will never say they are broken. Horrible term!
I wasn't planning on riding at all, I wanted to work with him to see where he was and what he's forgotten. But. I had to. He was in the right place for me to try. And yay I got up now assistance, box or hoist! :p . We didn't do much, walked and see if I could . A little tense and he sensed that through the saddle , so tried a few refusals and head shaking but after 5 mins it was good
Alan was with me down there, camera in hand , plus as it was my first time in the round pen for a long time, extra security if anything happened etc! I did bring Dakota in but after 30 seconds she wasn't walking right on one leg. Hooves need trimming. So called Joe, my farrier, and shall get them done before I do anything with her . He trims their hooves, no shoes ever!
Claire
🖤💜🖤💜🖤
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