Maybe just slowly back at it:)!

So I stated before i was back at it! Well I have found it a little bit diffucult to have Georgia out in the 95 degree weather(not that I love it)! We havent done much with the horses and Rooster has been gettting minimal but on the few days that i was able to get out there and work with him we have done a lot! Now granted we still have A LOT to do! Rooster is a dont miss one single piece of the puzzle or it will fall apart type horse! He is finally realizing I am his comfort zone and he is looking to me for support which is huge! He has worn his saddle pad, saddle, and bit now so we just have to build on that! He was certain that the saddle was a monster at first but held it together which showed me that his mind is getting there! Our biggest hurdle I know will be tying, so i have left it and will build on the skills he needs to not freak out for awhile before he is tied again. I hope that by the time we get back to it the issue will be gone because the other holes have been filled in! I have gone back and forth about selling him but am pretty sure he will be sticking around even if it takes me forever to get him finished!LOL! He is such a nice mover I cant wait to ride him collected up and working cows!Hope you enjoy! I HOPE that the cooler weather will mean more time with him and I will keep you updated! BTW I realize he is a little chubby, he is on tons of grass:)!

Back at It

So as some of you may know I found out I was pregnant not long after I purchased Rooster. Obviously my priorities changed and I took a break from training! I have now had my beautiful baby girl, Georgia Rose, and am trying to slowly get back to my horses:)! I have missed them and the happiness they bring me! I hope to one day pass this on to my daughter. I can only hope they bring her the joy and life lessons that they have brought me!

Rooster is now back to work. I am amazed at how he is progressing and how willing he is! I look back and remember when he would jump out of his skin at the thought of a human being near him not to mention touching him. I now have a horse that wants to be with me and loves getting a good scratch! Not to mention is becoming a superstar with his groundwork! I will try to get some pics and keep you updated! Hopefully he will be undersaddle in no time!

Tying 101!

Sorry I havent posted in a bit. I will try to do better:)!

This evening Rooster got to build on his tying skills:)! When he first came to me I was told they tied him to the trailer to try to get him to load and he pulled back and layed down on his side and flopped like a fish. Needless to say he retained that this behavior got him out of what he doesnt want!(Not that I blame him):)! Soooo after a lot of groundwork and ponying work to teach him that pressure from a halter doesnt mean flip out he is coming around. We spent a ton of time with him "tied" with sort of a pully so we could hold the rope(for a quick release if needed) so he didnt kill himself during these tantrums. All of our hard work and his hard learning is paying off. Now dont get me wrong he occasionally resorts to pulling back but comes off the pressure quickly and is realizing it is way to much like work to act like that. This can be a VERY dangerous habit for both the horse and people so it is one we will nip in the bud.

Anyway, tonight he practiced standing tied alone and while being desensitized with the rope and plastic bag. Not long ago he would freak if you approached him while tied. I was so proud of him tonight and he tried really hard. I see his brain working and transforming him into a different thinking horse. Unfortunately I dont have pictures of desensitising since hubby was off riding his horse. He learned to stand perfectly! There is something about this horse I am really drawn to. Afterward we did grooming and then went on a walk and picked blackberries. Rooster is now a fan of fresh picked blackberries. Hope you enjoy the pics!

Nice and Easy

So now that Rooster is doing better I am adding a new concept to his routine:)! I dont work him everyday since he is a youngster and before the only time I could touch him was after he had a nice workout to get him less reactive. Well I know he is ready so this morning I haltered him(which in itself is a huge accomplishment i try not to forget:) ) and groomed him in the barn. It went great he stood to be groomed(which involves his biggest fear of being touched), and i picked his front feet. Back feet we are still working on so it wasnt the time. Then I fly sprayed him which he handled with minimal movement. He is very defensive of his sensitive areas so i decided to do some ear work! In the past i could touch his ears but not apply pressure or grab them. So we did some face and neck softening then moved to ear softening. The key with Rooster is that he doesnt feel trapped. So I touch ear when he softens and lowers his head I let go. It took him no time for him to let me squeeze his ears relaxed with his head down. Then more brushing which he stands for but hasnt decided he enjoys yet:) then out to pasture. Another huge accomplishment is that he lowers his head to have halter removed and keeps his head low after it is removed. He also stands to make sure i am done and walk away before he leaves! This is such a great thing for him. I cant believe he did so well straight out of the stall! This shows me huge improvement and i know this routine added a few days a week is really going to get him enjoying me more! Sorry no pics I was flying solo this morn:)

Getting Caught Up!

Since Roosters arrival he has really improved and is growing up! I am so proud of him!

He has now had his feet trimmed, ponies, trailer loads, is learning to tie(he is a reactor and pulls back), and is pretty sure that being touched by an evil human isnt the worst thing that could happen to him! We are in no rush to start him undersaddle so until he really shows us he is ready we are just strengthing the building blocks! He is sooo smart and willing it is proving to be a great experience!Here are some recent pics that will get us caught up to where we are now!

Rooster Arrives

About a month ago I got a new addition that will hopefully become my additional horse! No offense to Jessie(my mare) but i really need a hormonally balanced partner to help me train horses and maybe be a rope horse or ranch competition horse:)! He is Playgun, Peppy San Badger bred and I fell in love when i met him. The catch was( there is always a catch and a challenge with me) he wasnt really halter broke and you couldnt touch him. Unless of course you thought it appropriate to chase him into a corner and physically restrain him to halter him. Not my method of course but to each there own:)!He was herded onto a cattle trailer as a weanling and then turned out in his current situation. He had been captured(i use this term because that is how i would describe how he has been handled)only to be dewormed and castrated. I purchased him a month ago so i have some catching up to do but it will be an amazing transformation that i have to keep record of. Each horse teaches me something new and i cant wait to learn from this guy. Pics above are from his first night home!