Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall...

Well, hello! My, what a handsome gent you are...
Steve Holt! loves to look at himself in the arena mirrors.

The temp has begun to climb and the roads were once again passable. Steve Holt! found himself in a new situation once again. He was led to the trailer as usual, but once he arrived at the door he found Sandy already standing inside. This was new, and of course deserved a bit of pondering. The divider was swung closed between the two, and Steve Holt! was not sure his long body would fit. However, he gamely gave it a try and to his surprise, all four feet fit neatly inside.

Being the second horse in the trailer wasn't his only first, for no sooner was he loaded than I had him tied. This, too, was a new experience. Not the tying itself, but being tied while in the trailer. Despite having a riding companion and finding his head held somewhat stationary, Steve Holt! traveled down the road without complaint and soon found himself unloading at the riding club.

The purpose for bringing Sandy along was two fold. Naturally, I want Steve Holt! to become accustomed to riding with other horses. Secondly, I wanted to spend some time ponying him over obstacles and around the large arena. I wasn't sure City Boy was going to find time to make it up there; climbing on and riding may not be happening with Steve Holt!, so I wanted to be sure he was able to learn a few other new tricks.

Among the things he was asked to do was stand tied while I rode Sandy. Steve Holt! is not fond of standing and relaxing, so this proved to be one of his biggest challenges yet. I decided it would also help with the whoa button, as the reason he struggles in that area is due to his not wanting to stand still. You may recall a couple of weeks ago when I talked about running my hands down his legs and him moving in circles around me. This is how he deals with his nerves. Not kicking, biting or striking...just moving. So standing at the rail for 20 minutes at a time was good for him.

City Boy stopped in on his way home from town and brought me lunch. He said he'd also bring Darling up after school if I just wanted to hang out up there for the afternoon. Cool beans! Yes, I'd love to just spend a few hours doing nothing but switching back and forth between horses. And when Darling came back, City Boy stepped into the center of the round pen as my anchor, holding onto the long rope and reinforcing from the ground my request for a whoa as I rode Steve Holt!. I would say the word, relax my legs and open my knees, then use my reins. If the whoa didn't happen, City Boy would give a pop with the rope, letting Steve Holt! know that this meant stop now. It was sloppy going the first few times, but he began to understand and respond, so off came the rope and off went City Boy for home while I finished riding.

Darling had climbed on Sandy and she, too, has been working on the whoa. Sandy knows how, but Darling is learning how to use her voice and seat before her hands. That's a struggle for most of us when we begin riding. This weekend she used her hands first and once her body got the sequence figured out, she could feel an amazing difference. Yesterday she commented on how she now hasn't got to do anything but say the word and shift her weight. Good job, Darling!

Someone Make It STOP...

No sooner am I thinking maybe, just maybe we're heading out of the storm, than it blows back in. Darling had a friend come over and spend the night this weekend. When I left the house to bring her home, it had just begun to snow. 15 minutes later when I returned, the ground was white...again...

The roads were, in my estimation, a bit too icy to travel this weekend so Steve Holt! and I stayed home. On Saturday I led him to the round pen and it was, as I'd suspected, hard packed and slick. As such, I didn't spend anytime warming him up. Being brilliant like that, I then decided to go ahead and climb on his back. Now tell me, does this make sense to you? Too slick to lunge, but not to slick to climb on? Some days my thought process amazes even me. However, up and down I went, three times, and on the third time I asked him to walk once around. Because he has no whoa, we made an extra lap before coming to a stop. That was good enough, I decided, as neither one of us appeared to be real comfortable on slick footing. Not to mention, I need to get that whoa button working.

Sunday's training was nothing more than going for a walk. We went behind the barn and crossed the creek for the first time...running water a foot deep is not an issue, happily. We walked through the neighbor's field and out to the road where he was mildly on edge, but whether it was the new place, sights, sounds or just the howling wind, I did not know. I led him 20 feet down the road, then back into the snow packed field which hadn't had any horses, people or even dogs in it since the snow began. It was just white, crisp and deep. Steve Holt! decided it was perfect for a snow bath and dropped down to roll. First one side, getting up to shake, then a moment later the other side. This time shaking took all four feet into the air and he lept sideways, finding himself at the end of his rope. He threw me a dirty look and tried again to jump and play, but again found himself with a mother not allowing any fun. He's a good boy, and minded his manners as we finished walking home.

Darling and I walked down to the neighbor's arena both days so that she could ride Sandy. Snow melt has made a mess in there, so only half is usable. Half is enough, though, to learn to lope. The lighting is poor, as always in this particular arena, but you can see a happy girl on 'her' mustang. The wind was blowing and the arena door was slapping around; you can see Sandy spook at one point but Darling just sat and rode through it. I was very pleased with them both; she kept him relaxed and he decided there really wasn't much to get upset over.

Steve Holt!, week 4

What do you think, Steve Holt!?
Shall we attempt bareback and bridleless?

Maybe I should label this "Steve Holt!'s Incredible Week"!

Let's just get right down to it, shall we?

1) Trailer loading. The first attempt was beautifully executed. He went in and out several times without a hitch. The following day wasn't so pretty. We battled and put several divots in the grass as he jumped away and I sent him in a flurry of circles. His hooves broke through the icy snow, he slipped, I swore (oops) and he worked up a sweat. I finally got smart, pulled off the blanket and tossed my rope around his sorry hiney and drug him in. Next attempt at loading? Stepped right up behind me without a moment's hesitation. Since then? Toss the rope over his back and he walks in on his own.

2) First trailer ride since coming home. This is the reason he didn't want to get back in. He was nervous. But the second day's ride was smoother and we couldn't feel him jostling around nearly so much. When I open the door now, I find him with a mouthful of hay. Can't be too nervous if you're munching.

3) He doesn't bolt out of the trailer, but waits for me to give him the okay, waiting patiently inside the door.

4) I mounted. I rode. Three rides were taken this week. The first two at the riding club, the third here at home. The home ride wasn't the best. Footing is slick and I didn't warm him up like I have the other two rides. There was a bit of tension there, whether it was from him or me I dont' know. Likely me, although neither of us was sure about the footing. Once around and I climbed off. Just wanted to be able to give him another building block.

5) He's learning to trot in hand. His leading has always been relaxed at a walk, but encouraging those trotting steps, as you know, can be a challenge. But he's figuring it out quickly enough. Too bad my legs can't keep up with his big trot!

6) Walking around cones. Cones, as I mentioned while training Sandy, can be tricky for a horse who's never seen them. Steve Holt! doesn't mind, however, and walked perfect little figure 8s around them with me, followed by backing near perfect figure 8's afterwards. This was a bit surprising to me given the limited amount of back up we've done. Like, say...none.

7) Back between poles. I set a couple of poles out in the arena the other day and led him in between, then asked him to back out. Nice, straight, light...no bumps.

8) Sidepass over poles. Never been asked before. Once he realized what I wanted, as in both front and back, not just shoulders or hips, he sailed down to the end without so much as a tap from my finger. I led him around, backed him through, asked for a pivot and sailed down the opposite direction. Can we say smart boy?

9) Standing tied. He's done it at home, and he's done it a the hitching rail at the riding club.

10) Letting me walk behind him. He's been nervous, as they all are, about me being behind him. Standing at the rail at the riding club last week, he'd swing his hind end quickly as I walked from one side to the other. Then he realized what I was doing, and I can now put my hand up on the dock of his tail and walk around without him becoming worried.

11) I was able to put the bridle on without having a halter on him yesterday. This is one of those really big deals because he's still sensitive about his face, and pulling that headstall over the ears while he has the ability to just bolt away was a sign of great progress.

It's been a big week for Steve Holt!, that's for sure. Two things that still need work: Feet. I can run my hands down his legs and ask for the foot, and he'll pick it up, then move off. I try to let go before the move off happens so that it's as painless and stress free as possible, and it seems to be helping. The other thing that needs work is a huge hole...the whoa. I'm considering doing some ground driving so he can get used to me asking for that while not at his head. If I had someone who could be there each day like I did with Sandy, the whoa transition might come easier. Perhaps the roads will clear enough to make it down to see Curt, and perhaps even Jay, this next week.

Speaking of Jay...I spoke with him the other day and he told me he's buying JoJo. You recall JoJo, don't you? I rode her last year when I began taking lessons from Curt. Big brown mare with oodles of talent and athletic ability. I loved that mare, but she's always been Jay's girl. I was really happy to hear he's buying her.