Easy way to get a horse to lift its feet

I have been working with horses for 35+ years. Yes I am obsessed. I love it because there is always so much to learn. A life time of learning. I just learned a easy way to get a horse to pick up his feet. Instead of struggling, digging a hoof pick behind his fetlock, leaning on him and trying to get Freederic's huge dinner plates off the ground, all you have to do is squeeze the chestnut on that leg. Wa La dinner is served! That foot snaps off the ground. It works like a charm. I love it - so simple and easy. Learned that on a Clinton Anderson video. You can twist it a bit if they are reluctant but I didn't need to do that. It worked great on Rupert too. He tends to be a little slower in lifting his feet up. Kalae of course lifts her feet up before you even ask.
For Rupert and applying protective leg boots, which is new to him. I learned to rub the upper legs between 2 hands, then rub the lower leg the same way. Go back to rubbing the upper leg. Then apply the bell boots and protective leg boots. Rupert did not stamp and jerk his leg away as he has been doing making application a frustrating event. If he does fuss and jerk the leg away, go back to rubbing. It worked great.

A funny little story. I had the farriers out last week. We were under the shade of the Holly berry tree. As I brought Freederic the Great out of the paddock. One of the young guys, sweat darkening his t-shirt stops in his tracks with a look of resignation. "I had nightmares about shoeing him last night" we all laugh. Henry who has been shoeing for over 50 year, smiles as he watches his young nephew Joey grab his shoeing stand and slide out the center post changing it for a padded U shaped device. "Good thing he is a gentle giant" Joey comments. He raises Freederics leg and places it in a bent position with the U shaped device holding the foreleg in a position ready for shoeing. He steps back smiling. Henry says "Oh boy, we never even had stands when I started, you just use your legs. He pats his thighs. And we had big Belgians bigger than him" As Joey finishes the left foreleg he slides his stand across to the right front leg. Before he can come around Freederic raises his right leg and places it in the U shaped holder by himself. Heads swivel as we all look at each other, eyebrows raised as in "did you see that"? The small moments in life which make it richer.

Summer solstice photo shoot - the last shot

I thought this shot was too dark and never really looked at it until now. It is kinda cool - click on the photo to enlarge it.

Full Body Bath for Rupert - July 23rd

After a 45 minute work out in the main arena I untacked Rupert. He has been ground tying so far. Standing calmly and still at the hitching rail as he enjoys being brushed. Over the past 2 weeks I have been able to hose down his chest and shoulder. I start out by turning on the hose and shooting it out in front of me while I lead him. I water the lawn a bit, spraying on each side of him and then spray his chest for 3 seconds and remove the spray to the ground to the side of him. This has been working well. Today I did similar but then sprayed his back and kept it on for 15 sec. He was antsy circling away but I kept the water on. He stood after some big disengaging type steps with the hind end. Got the HQ sprayed and went to the right side. He was surprisingly better. He tends to not like me on this right side.

I think of how his life has been changed these last few weeks. And what progress he has made. He will be ready to ride very soon.

Rupert wears a surcingle

Rupert(Routinier/Pointmaker) next to his mom Pueonui (Pointmaker/Tanzer/Einblick)

Today was the Day, July 21,2009. I took Rupert in the round pen and did some preliminary round pen exercises. I free lunged him first to get out any excess energy. Then put him on the line and did the "Lunging for respect", Disengaging the HQ, Moving the 4 hand. Backing. Then tightening the lead around his belly, sawing the lead back and forth down his barrel. Putting the surcingle on both sides. Then I put the surcingle on and tightened it enough so it would not come off. I managed to step back pretty far, with him still on the 24 foot lead when he took off bucking. The second buck and his hind leg kicked the gate wide open. In 4 more strides he was half way across the arena. It was all happening so fast. I am sending the message to my feet to run for the gate at the same time seeing images of Wondermann ( 6 years ago) on his first saddling busting right out the gate and getting stuck under a low tree branch and finally breaking the western cinches and getting free. I dropped the lead and bolted for the gate. I could hear him coming on behind me. The unmistakable 4 hoof landing followed by a moment of air time between it. Out the gate I ran, slamming it just in time and thrusting my Handy stick in his face to keep him back. He continued on for a few more bronc type bucks and then stopped.

I vaguely recall hearing my neighbor exclamation of surprise as I was dashing for the gate. He is a blurr standing by his gate with his "english bulldog named Hula". I yell across the road "Rupert's first saddling" I must be good source of entertainment for the neighborhood. No wonder he often says when he comes to pet them "I love them but there so big and scary"

I returned to the arena and proceeded to work on all his exercises without incident. Clinton Anderson recommended the first day of saddling that the colts wear their surcingle for the rest of the day. This is not something I ever have done before but Rupert did not mind and grazed and slept under the Koa tree for the remaining 5 hours with the surcingle on. It worked as the next 2 days he has done nothing when saddled, just like a pro he is. Yesterday he was in the main arena lunging for respect and doing fairly good even though he was a bit more excited in the bigger more open area. In the video below Mom and Dad had just missed the first saddling episode by less than 5 minutes. The video is taken at 5 minutes from the first surcingle application. Kinda like a milestone in your kids life. :)

Ride to the Cane Field Reservoir

On a overcast, spitting -drizzly- rainy type of afternoon,Jessica and her mare Cloe with hounds Q'ie and Leilah arrived for a trail ride. We rode down hill though the pineapple fields. I have not crossed the irrigation canal which divides the Pineapple fields from the lower elevation cane fields in a long time. This is because you must cross a bridge with a irrigation canal running under it. Kalae usually looks at it with her right eye and spooks left nearly falling off the barrier less bridge on the left. Today the water was flowing quite briskly. ( Maui county has issued a drought warning and it has rained every day for the last 6 weeks in the mountains, Haiku & Hana) . Today Kalae refused to go across the bridge as a large volume of green water sped past. Cloe came back across the bridge and escorted us across on her tail. We ended at the reservoir was 2/3 full with a big night heron fishing on the banks. As we turned uphill we had to follow the flume feeding water into the reservoir. This was quite scary because the water as dancing and splashing as it sped downhill. 2/3 the way up the hill Kalae finally relaxed and did not worry about the water. The dogs added to the desensitizing ride by popping out of the brush behind the horses causing the Kalae to startle. Fortunately when we go down hill at the start the dogs are running in front When we return uphill they are lagging behind but the horses are a bit more used to them by then. We got to practice our "One Rein Stops!"

Mid July- Colt Starting Progress- PLASTIC BAGS ARE ALIENS

I was just about to put the surcingle on Rupert when I happened to watch a Clinton Anderson TV show about spooky objects and introducing the plastic bag. Clinton said he never got on a colt unless they were desensitized to the plastic bag. I am sure glad I saw that video because Rupert is having a " COW", as in big black and white Jersey Cow, over the bags. I have spent all week working on it and only yesterday did he touch it with his nose. I still can not get it any where near his body. Geeze he is sensitive. If the water issue was scary. This is magnatude 10 X more scary.
I thought I better order Clinton Andersons Colt starting DVDs because I would not want to leave a important step out. His TV shows do not show the actually saddling and I have heard mention surcingle and boat bumpers. So The DVDs are on their way.
PLASTIC BAGS ARE GOING TO EAT ME!!!
Hooh man - the first day he was snorting and trying to dash left and right. All I did was hold the handy stick( with 2 bags on the end of it) in front of me and try to lead him behind me. The correct way to introduce a spooky object is to have it retreat from the horse per Clinton Anderson. It is not a threat when it is going away from the horse. I worked in the round pen for an hour. Low energy first desensitizing, doing some lunging for respect then backing and turning the HQ and 4 hand. Then following the bags. I got to the point I could wave the bags in front of me from Left to right. I was beginning to wonder if I was doing it right but I just thought I cant quite while he is uptight, he has got to relax. Granted it was quite breezy causing the bags to whip around.
The next day was equally as difficult with the bags. Tight frog lips or as CA says "Fish Butt". Lips so tight they are water proof like a fish's butt. Another hour of work. But I was able to lead from both the right side and left side. He is definitely not wanting me on his right side. It is more spooky when I am on his right side. He did take off a few times and get away from me in the round pen when I was on the right. Snort, snort, big boinking steps but he would disengage and stop facing me.
Day 3 Much better today. And the wind has died down so the bags are not whipping on their own so much. I could wave the bags L and R. Change directions and eyes much better. But he still has his "Frog lips" lips tight together, a little anxious about the bags. I did manage to finally walk backwards with the bag between me and him and wave it R and L. He was snorting and more unsure. Head down taking tentative steps and weaving right to left. Not able to hide behind me! Finally I was able to stop. Hold the stick up and while holding the bags he actually sniffed and lipped the bags.
Day 4 - The Plastic Bags are AWOL -Rupert had someone hide the bags. I can not find the stick and bags. They are gone. Did a big dirt devil whirl them away to OZ? OK Pony's return the bags! Rupert is happy! With a dark horizon, rainbow and immanent rain: we hurried up and just worked on putting his head down to pressure on the poll region. This is for ease of bridling. We worked on introducing moving his HQ away from constant pressure which he did very well. He doesn't mind a rope around his barrel pulled tight. He can have the saddle blanket over his head, neck and back with out any problem.
Approaching another week, making slow but steady progress when compared to where we were on June 1st. I just have to put it in perspective, compare it to the start and be patient.
One thing I have learned is to make sure he has front protective boots and bell boots on. I didn't when I first started working him because he was too spooky. I put them on at 2 weeks of work. As I led him off the tie rail he was taking big high steps with his front feet. He almost ran me over because he was looking at them with his right eye and spooking left into me on a circle. He had just enough round pen work to remain in control and not run me over but it was close. Sure glad I had them on for the plastic bag work though. His legs were hitting the round pen pipes as he frantically dashed around.
This week I also learned to never be with out my Handy stick. I had tied the plastic bags to my Handy stick, but when working on the other exercises I was just using the lead rope. He darted off and kicked out at me when the stick and bags outside the RP rattled and scared him. Thus I put the plastic bags on a old shortened lunge whip so I could have my Handy stick available.
* PS: I wear my helmet during all this ground work and always when riding.

First Week of July - Ruperts Log

Great strides this week! Every day 1-2 new things are introduced. Really scary this week was the whip whizzing thought the air over his head. Also me climbing on the RP top panel resulted in lots of snorting and spooking. But by day 2 of these new things he was calm.
He has been working on the sending exercise on line,backing, turn on the forehand, turn on haunches. Whip in figure eight while standing facing him and on each side. Leading, following the running water hose. Usually after 2 days off I put him off line in the Round pen initially and work on turning and some cantering.
On the 4th of July with fireworks popping in the back ground he worked well. Attentive and not afraid. I was able to Jump up and down holding onto his withers and back and really get some height with my torso bumping into him.
Yeah! And the big one - Rupert had his chest and neck hosed down with water while he was slurping the hose. Thanks Clinton Anderson.
We might not be putting the saddle on in a few days like Clinton but I am really happy with the month of work under our belt. I am thinking of laying on him this week but he is so tall I don't know if I can jump up. I need a leg up.
Sorry for the lack of photo's but it is a little challenging to work him with a camera in hand :)