Plastic Bag Success!!

Yes, The plastic Bags touched Rupert's shoulder on each side and he stood!

How long has it been? 8 weeks? Oh it was only since July 18th 4 weeks - even better than I thought, it seemed like forever. I thought we would never get to this point.
He was still spooky and trotting in a big tight circle around me with his body having a nice arch as he was trying to get away from the bags. I just thought OK - "Bag on, Bag off, Bag on, Bag off"
I would touch him briefly and remove it. Before long he was standing , licking his lips and saying "Sheesh is this all you wanted?" Silly goose.

Also able to lay on him from the top of the round pen rail. Wave my hands all around too. Stand up on the top rail and do the sending exercises.

Trail access changed

Today was absolutely stunning. Vivid greens and blues as we headed out for a trail ride. Freederic's first in quite a while. Oh No! A big berm sprang up overnight between the vacant lot and the pineapple fields. Quite a few people walk though the lot with their dogs or just for a afternoon stroll in the Pineapple fields. Motorcyclist also use this access. Freederic stood on top of the berm a few times but always backed off. he wasn't to sure of the step down. From horseback it looked Giant! :)

Jessica said she could get him over. "But how am I going to get back on him?" He finally hopped on over. I put my leg up to chest level and climbed up into the saddle. "You would be a good mountain climber".

Pete Ramey and Natural Barefoot Trimming

I just got "Making Natural Hoof Care Work for You" by Pete Ramey from amazon.com. A must read for all horse owners. I am going to transition to barefoot. Last shoeing I removed Darlene and Fressia's shoes. So I have 3 barefoot horses, 2 in full shoes and 4 in front shoes. I had been really worried about Freesia's front hoof which was contracted with a tiny shrunken frog. In a few weeks it is amazing her hoof has widened behind and the frog has doubled in width. So I was doing some research about barefoot trimming, heard about the "Mustang roll" and came across Pete Ramey. http://www.hoofrehab.com/ I ordered his book. Then on Clinton Anderson's site I learned he transitioned to barefoot 2 years ago and his horses have been sound, their hoofs are great and he will not go back to shoes. He only shoes the rear of his reining horses so they slide. Clinton has 2 video's of Pete Ramey discussing and showing his trimming 2 of Clinton's horses.
I am ordering Pete Ramey's 10 disc DVD series "Under the Horse - Hoof Rehab".
In 85' I went to horseshoeing school in Oklahoma for 2 weeks. Time to brush off the tools and start doing this myself. I will just keep the feet touched up regularly. I am going to order some Easy boot epic's for the transition. Then I am going to loan my DVD series to all the horseshoer's on island that are interested and hope they watch it. Maybe I should have video nights for all interested horse owners too.

IMPORTANT POINTS: Steady maintenance is the heart and sole of Natural Hoof Care. Trim every 4 weeks. Touch up in between.

1) The sole is the primary guide to hoof trimming. The outer 1" band of the sole
is an area which should be almost never touched. After the 1st trim you almost
never trim the sole except for a 3/4" band around the frog forward of the bars.
2) Solar concavity is built, never cut. Leave the sole at the toe alone.
3) If you leave the calloused sole at the heel alone and lower any hoof wall
standing above the sole the heels will lower on their own. Never cut the heels
lower than the widest point of the frog. usually 1/4-1/2 inch heel above.
4) Never leave the quarters higher than than the heel or toe. In the Natural hoof
there will be a hollowing at the quarters so it doesn't touch the ground when on
a flat surface.
5) The entire hoof capsule is a blood pump, The frog is not!
6) Mustang roll is a bevel at approx 45 degrees along the wall outer wall. This
keeps the wall off the bearing surface. It helps prevent cracks and flares. It
starts the process of callusing.
7) Use boots to transition successfully from shod to barefoot,


Thrush treatment: New:http://www.hoofrehab.com/Thrush_treatment.htm
or
80% cider vinegar w/ 20% water. You can soak the foot for an hour in a soaker boot. Can spray this on hoof after cleaning if you see signs of thrush.

Rupert in Main Arena - Almost ready for a rider

Look at this face, so relaxed, standing ground tied. Thank you Clinton Anderson for all the wonderful exercises and guidance via DVD and your http://www.noworriesclub.com/. I could not have gotten to this point this quickly. I think back to him dragging me across the property 2 months ago. Out of control, whinnying for his mom. Un-weaned,BIG and Dangerous! OMG what do I do.
Today he had not been in the main arena in weeks. He went in, I saddled him without incident. He was lunged and changed directions with a hint of body movement, disengaged to stop. He then backed and stood waiting for me. I stood on the mounting block on both sides and laid on him. Whirled the whip over his head and around his sides. He backed to light pressure on his nose. Put his head down to the ground w/ light pressure. Moved his hips away w/ light pressure. Moved his forehand 360 around his HQ. Moved his HQ 360 around his forehand. I ran up to him from all different directions with out spooking. Touched his nose to his side. Flicked fingers in his face. Hung off his side. desensitized w/ whip. What a good boy. I think he is almost ready for a rider.

PS He still is spooky w/ the plastic bags. I can get it within a foot of his body now though. But now that I have them flapping on the ground in the round pen he is getting more used to them.

Detail that Trailer and check the floor

I called Dad and asked if he had a brush on a long handle, I wanted to clean my horse trailer.

"No, don't you think about doing that, you are just getting over the flu. I will bring my jet washer down". An hour later Dad arrives. He has his jet washer, bucket with soap, cleaning mitts, ladder, hose, tools. He cranks up the engine and starts blasting the exterior. "I'll just clean inside and be out of the wind." We argue a bit but I get to scrub some. "You have to quit or I wont spray the trailer" He is smart. :) The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Hard head but hard working.

We pull out the mats and use a knife blade to check each wooden plank. The hard wood is sturdy and the knife doesn't penetrate the wood at all. The angle iron supporting the floor is top shape. You know you can check the floor too by bringing the horse in here before you put the mats back and see if the boards bow. There is some rust on the roof, sides and at the internal seam on the wall where it meets the floor at the rear. "This is just surface rust, we will use a wire brush, treat it with "Amazing" and then when it is dry we can shoot it with some paint. This trailer has lots of life left in it. I have seen some of those new aluminum trailers flex like crazy when they go out into the pasture. They are fine for long distance, highway driving. Your steel trailer is what 16 yo. You only go 10 minutes down the Hwy." (I secretly wish for new trailer with a tack room. In fact I could live in a living quarters trailer just fine. I only need a house to sleep in - I am outside all day. Wait, scratch that - my recliner and large TV were nice this last week while I vegged with the flu - OK I love my house)

That afternoon I loaded the biggest horse I had before putting the mats back. Come on down Freederic the Great 17H 1400lb. The boards rang out as he stepped in but they didnt move.

FYI Dad is 84 yo. This week he repaired Danny's dryer. Bought and installed a new dishwasher, then 2 days later a new water heater. Repaired his jet washer which was clogged. Mowed Caroles 2 acre. Picked and shipped flowers another day. The washed and cleaned my trailer.

The week prior he was down at the beach house repairing the washing machine and dryer, sanding the porch. Removed the light fixtures for ease of painting.....

Rupert wears a saddle

JULY 31 "RUPERT"- Well after a week of no work due to my porcine flu, Rupert's training resumed. The first day he was wild. I had to turn him loose in the round pen and get his feet moving and get some of that energy dissipated so he could concentrate. He didn't mind the surcingle at all. I thought after a week of no work and just having had it on 3 times that he might get bucky. I had noticed in the Road to the Horse DVD of Clinton starting a youngster that he put all kinds of things in the round pen for the horse to get used to. So I put the plastic bags on a stick in the arena. That has worked well. He was trotting and cantering close by it. I will add more stuff like plastic tarp, poles and half barrels.

KALAE- I thought since I had not ridden for 8 days it might be smart to first round pen her. YA! She was a bucking -rearing fool!! I have never seen her buck like that before. Then jump vertically through the air striking a foreleg at the same time. Glad I got that grasshopper out of there. had a fabulous ride! Practiced being able to counter flex and change the position of her head/neck while cantering and trotting. Move the forehand and hindquarters .

August 1 "Rupert" - FIRST SADDLE and he bucked quite a bit, but it was more like hump your back and boing off 4 feet. Not going anywhere. I was trying get him to disengage w/o success. After 2 X around he settled down and the rest of his work was good. The one new thing was not staying out on the end of the line when I asked him to stand. He kept trying to move his feet. I kept backing him up and each time he walked forward I sent him back and asked him to stand. Then I practiced running up to him. This was scary at first but he soon got used to it. He is doing better with the plastic bag. I could stand 45 degree to his shoulder and hold the bag thumping my chest with it and then show it to him. he would touch his nose to it but I could not quite get it onto his body. But being just 2 feet away is an accomplishment.

Swine flu strikes

Yes, I got the swine flu and was down for a week. No riding :( Just lay around and watch Horse video's. I watched the entire Clinton Anderson Colt starting, Road to the Horse, Flying changes and Mindy. and in the mail I got the noworriesclub.com foal DVD. I think this is nearly 30 hours of video's. Watch out Rupert!
Linda and Jessica came over to practice prior to the show Aug 1&2. I waved at them from the house and snapped a few pictures. It was blowing a gale all week and on Friday it was threatening rain. Everyone had fun at the show. Linda's first Training level tests 1&2 with Bambino (cantering yeah) 62% Brandi and I'Claire First Level 1 &2 2nd place 64% able to maintain the lead in the canter serpentine ( she wants to do a flying change)

Jessica and Elroy Training 3-4 62% Peter and Zoe Tr 1 62% Jackie and Makani First Level.

* Look at Kimo- Looking good "stud muffin" - at 33 years old. The QH just keeps going.