Rupert - The training begins Week 1-3

Rupert will be 4 yo on June 16th. This is a log of his training adventures.

3 weeks ago Rupert entered Kindergarten. He has not been weaned and all prior work over his life has been done in the proximity of his mom. When he was young he learned how to wear a halter, lead fairly well, back up on command, move his haunches L or R, Stand for trimming, go in and out of a trailer, and wear a blanket.
He does not know how to tie. Does not like water at all!, has never had a surcingle or girth on, Has not been away from his mom.
Previous attempts to have him separate from his mom result in all out pandemonium on both their parts. Rupert can not focus on anything else, trys to get out of the round pen or arena and becomes unleadable.
I was encouraged by Linda who said Bambino, her 17+ hand part Clyde was never weaned either. He is 5 and still with his mom but goes out on his own now. "I just put him to work and in 2 weeks he got over it."
I started leading Rupert in the evenings. It was obvious I needed to establish his trust and become the leader. I always make sure he has at least 30 min to 1 hour to gallop and play before I start work. Week 3 he does basic leading, stopping, backing, labyrinth work before going out of his pasture.
Week 1: We stop, back, turn haunches L or R and lead going in any direction.
Week 2: A ground labyrinth is added. A series of poles he has to walk through, stop, back and
turn in. This went quite well and he was very relaxed.
Week 3:- Now to expand his boundary and remove him from the pasture with his mom into
the adjoining area. This went well the first day as he was just 10-15 feet away going
up and down the fence line. The next day I ventured further, up to 30 feet away.
As soon as I went around a tree he became anxious. Suddenly 18 h tall and dancing
on the end of the line trying to run over me. I was trying to halt and back him w/o
success. Yikes he is big. Closer to the fence he settles down and is good the remainder
of the time.
- This evening I intend to repeat the further away scenario but want him to be more
comfortable so I turn out a calm mare into the pasture he will be in. This works very
well. He is calm, does all his ground work and it was a success even w/ his mom
calling and pacing the fence line.
- Today Rupert enters the round pen to lunge. I have a halter on and a 25 foot soft
nylon line. I walk, back and halt around the pen. Then I ask him to walk forward to
the left. He stops to eat grass. I tap him on the quarters and he bolts forward.
He stops 50 feet later and eats grass, repeat scenario and by the 3rd time he doesn't
try it again. Very calmly he trots and walks. He is licking his lips. Great I will stop
here. I am very happy and scratch his belly and lead him calmly back to his mom
who had been whinnying and running up and down the fence. The round pen is
approximately 20 feet from the fence line. Using the line in the pen helped prevent
him from sticking his head through the open rails and from frequently changing
directions and running willie nilly.
- Today I will try to lunge both directions if he goes well initially. Yes he lunges well to
the left. It is way more difficult to the R. He immediately turns around to go L. After
3 attempts I realise I have not lead him from the R side. I try to lead him but he
keeps trying to put me on his Left. I shorten the line up and manage to get him to
walk around the track of the RPen with me just out of the kicking range. This seems
to work. He walks and trots well to the Left. I am introducing words walk and Trot,
and burrrp for stop. A kiss for forward. He is very sensitive and I make sure I lightly
touch him with the whip. I put a saddle blanket all over his back and neck, face with
no problem, he is calm. Belly scratches for a reward.
-Today I work him at noon, just before feeding, All the horses are out of their
paddocks into the pastures. I did not hand walk him thought the labyrinth. I halter
him and walk, open and go through a gate, halt, walk 10 feet, halt and back and right
into the RP. He lunges well to the L but has much more energy. Calling occasionally
to his mom who is calling and running down the fence. To the right he keeps turning
around quickly. I try to get the line low so it goes back half way between his hock
and tail dock. He knows the exercise where you but the lead behind his butt and pull
on it and he has to turn toward the pressure and turn facing you. This works on the
lunge line. However sometimes he is quicker than I am and gets the line high and it
wraps to the middle of his neck. The first couple of times he shakes and lowers his
head and slaps his front feet down in a little tantrum like activity. He is pulling me
around the R.pen. I don't want to let go of the rope and have him get scared of it
dragging behind him. I do drop the whip and hang on with both hands. Lucky I have
long legs. Then I get smart. Instead of trying to stop him I just cut him off at the
pass and get big ( hands up) and have him turn to the outside to go Right and thus
unwrapping the rope from his neck. Of course because he is excited and animated
everything is happening quickly. This goes on for 10 minutes. Finally he walks and
licks his lips. So we accomplished a lunge to the right. Walk, trot and halt on
command to the left.

John Lassetter clinic report

It is always exhausting to put on a big clinic. You have the preparation which starts 2 weeks out. Trimming hedges, getting the footing right. General cleaning and arena maintenance. This time I hired a young man to do the heavy trimming. Then there is the more domestic shopping, planning meals and house prep for John. Scheduling the clinic, flyers and emails. Marilee from the Big Island and my parents are the ones who help the most. I could not do it without them. Carole loaned her house right across the street which was a big help.

This time Marilee and John arrived within hours of each other. Perfect timing and no lost luggage for John. The next day John will be teaching. He has been gone from England for weeks teaching in Canada and the US. He has to have clothing for the cold and the heat. He has had no days off.

We have dinner at Mom and Dad's catching up on the past 6 months and laughing. John fades quickly due to the time zone change. In the evening the final arena grooming is done by tractor headlights. The watering of the arena is started. 2 hours this evening.

I am up at 5 am. More arena watering for the next 3 hours right up to the start of the clinic. Set up the chairs, sound system and the arena cones and poles. Marilee is tasked with cooking John's breackfast. She laughs saying "I will give it a shot" as she treks down my hill with a large picnic basket in hand.

I am usually the first to ride but today I trailer Ann from the Horse Center for the first ride. She and Reinbeau have really improved over the last 6 months. They look great. Ann is smiling. The biggest thing I took away from the lesson is the technique John uses on this particular big horse to get the horse forward and reacting to the leg. He does not use it for other horses. You have to be a good balanced rider who is able to ride the big forward gaits you will generate and who will not be afraid and pull back on the reins. He asked no one else to do this ( he did tell me to think about the symbols but I think he knew I was not brave enough yet to do this with Freederic). He wants you to eventually get to the spot where when you just slightly take your leg away the horse will power forward. It eventually becomes a very subtle aid. He attaches the word "Symbols" to this exercise. When you use the symbols in music you take your hands apart and then clap the symbols together when you use them. This is what your legs will be like. If you clap him the first time and nothing happens the next time you use leg and whip. If he reacts great, go forward. Then at next long side try again. If he doesn't react you can use a double clap. It doesn't take long and he is jumping forward when she takes away the leg slightly. "Check the symbols" John says at times through out their work.

Reinbeau is 5 yo, 17h+ This clinic he was doing his counter canter. 10m canter circles where you could really see him sit down. He got more balanced in the canter and had some great extended canters.

Kalae the awesome girl

Kalae did double duty and carried 2 riders each day for the 3 day clinic. She went first in the morning and then last of the day.

Her morning lessons were pushing the envelope or comfort zone and learning new things. She still worked in the afternoon but not quite as hard. Overall she needs more submission as when she tends to become more compressed she wants to come above the bit for moments (transitions) and also she becomes more crooked. She is not totally through. I need to work on thoroughness and straightness. When I get her more compressed and she is powered up I need to learn to be more subtle in my aids as it will require less from me. There is a fine line and it just takes feel and tact.

Homework is to begin to introduce the double bridle. Start with easy work so she gets used to double bridle. Do not work on my flying changes for a while. Work on my canter pirouettes and making the counter canter absolutely balanced. Think a wider working pirouette. Initially I was trying to make the Canter Pirouette too small and loosing the canter.

The canter needs to be absolutely straight. When I canter down the center line in right lead canter, she wants to put her HQ to the right. This makes the flying change to the L impossible. I have learned from the Kyra Kirklund symposium that I am subtly collapsing my waist to the R. This puts more weight on the L seat. The horse is harder to bend L. If I am conscious of this and collapse subtly to the L to counter the R collapse I feel more pressure in the R seat. Then suddenly my horse goes straighter. Need equal weight on both sides of the horses spine. Ride the horses back, not the saddle.

Her lateral work is OK, she is doing it but she could be more expressive in the lateral work. With time it will come.

* Video #1 is Trish and Kalae

* Video #2 is Marilee and Kalae - John advised to invest in more ground poles so that I have at least 12 in a fan position so the horse can really bend the joints and strengthen their muscles. He states Conrad Schumaker uses up to 16 poles in the fan when he comes to Goodwood every other month to teach.

Lassetter clinic

Ride, ride , ride!!! Whooo pass the oxygen please. "Freederic the Great" dish's out the aerobic workout. Gasping and sweating but having fun flying around the arena. Come on down and get on the "big boy". Mr Lassetter puts you though the gymnastic routine. Go at it for 45 minutes. "Determination! Come on Tishie - Grit teeth and spit ivory"
* Freederic is wearing a single support rein from the middle of his girth. through the bottom of his flash nose band to the left hand of the rider. Held outside the little finger w/ the snaffle rein held between the 4th and 5th finger. Not attached to the bit or threaded through it.

Horses in Tombstone Arizona

"The West was won on Horseback" . Our Nation was dependent on Horses. I can not imagine riding across the US. You would be looking for water, shelter and food. Suddenly you come across something like the Grand Canyon. How do you get across? Why do you keep going? How do you find out where to go? How do you find the towns? There were rudimentary maps at best and no GPS.

Riding between rainy days

May be this post should titled be "Mud, Mud, Mud". It seems like we have been getting a day of sunshine and a day of rain and another day of sunshine. I am not one to ride in the rain but after 11 days of not riding a light drizzle was OK to ride in. Brandi and I'Claire rode in the drizzle. Brandi was not feeling to good prior to starting but after a little while in the saddle, all smiles she reported her headache was gone and she felt good! See our horses really are excellent therapy of us! Margrit who is visiting from Germany rode the Big Boy "Freederic the Great" She had him going forward nicely! We had Margrit's husband Axel on the John Deere tractor grooming the arena prior to our rides.

Snuck in a ride in the drizzle

Bill and Freederic the Great

I called my friends who live out in the rain belt and said "Come ride, my footing is perfect"!

It was dark grey on the horizon but it was a high cloud cover with Haleakala and Kauhakuloa clearly visible. As we started to knock the mud off it started to drizzle very lightly.

Linda and Bambino arrived just as I finished riding. While Linda lunges Bambino. I get Kalae ready. Soon Julie shows up and amid a very fine intermittent drizzle we get our rides in. Kalae is back on track after 3 weeks of being sore from shoeing and off from being kicked in the hind pastern. Next Jessica with Roo and Julie 2 with Elroy arrive for a group lesson. Late in the day Bill arrives to ride Freederic. It was a great day with horses and Friends.