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 :)

Rupert June 21-29

Every day gets better! Free in the round pen Rupert reliably goes left and right around the round pen and turns to the inside to change direction. Walk, trot and canter. One the line he is super. I even lunged him in the pasture a few times and he was really good. Who would have thought just 2 weeks ago he could do that. Backs up well. Worked more on turning the 4 hand and can almost do 360 degree turn. I can helicopter the whip next to his side and in front of him and he stands relaxed. He can disengage the HQ for a 360 degree turn. Started putting the lead line around his barrel and pulling it taught in increments with no problem. I introduced Hanging off his withers on both sides with no problem.
Added jumping up and down next to him to simulate getting on "OMG she is going to eat me" - he had heart failure. You know when you initiate the stimulus you can not remove it until he calms down and stands still and relaxes. His head is up, he is snorting and bolting left and right. I direct his head and 2 eyes to keep looking at me. There I was bouncing up and down for 10 minutes. My thoughts were "I'm too old for this, where is the neighborhood kid I can pay to bounce. I tell you my thigh muscles are both sore today.
Every day we work on the hose and water at the end of the lesson. Yesterday he was just dipping his nose in the fringing spray of the hose. He would jerk back his head and put his nose back down to touch the water. I could water the grass on each side of him and about one foot in front of his front feet. I refrained from squirting his hoofs. :)

June 14-21 Rupert is doing better

I have now watched Clinton Anderson Video's 1-10. Added to Rupert's routine is desensitizing with a rope, backing, disengaging the HQ, touching the nose to his barrel, yielding the 4 hand and leading turing 90 degrees L and 90 degrees right. I am still doing round pen work "off line"

Interestingly his mom whinnies initially but goes back to grazing quickly. What has helped as Clinton said is working a few days in a row. Each day he gets better. I have a video and some photo's to download tomorrow. Stay tuned.