Working On Herd Bound In Saddle

At our lesson yesterday, my trainer used Leah as a tool to distract Tumbleweed while I rode him in the arena. Our focus has been on reducing “herd bound” behavior and finding safe ways to redirect, and regain, his attention when it occurs.  

Tumbleweed does fine when the mares aren’t there, but when they are, he feels a need to protect them. The question for us is how to turn that protectiveness off when he is at work. 

Important to also remember that protectiveness is a good quality in the herd environment. Regina reminded me of that yesterday, and I looked at it quite differently through that lens. It is, in fact, noble of him.   

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This is the work we did. 

I warmed up with the previous exercise of moving him out on the line and when his attention shifted to Leah, asking him to slow to stop, move his hind end away from me, and face up. Back and forth. We also did the exercise where I have him stop and face up when his tail passed her in my line of sight. He remembered it well and gave his full attention quickly. 

Then a trainer showed up with a trailer full of horses and mules. He was a young guy and really nice. He immediately complimented me on Tumbleweed, which instantly endeared me to him and made me wish my daughter had been there. Matchmaker matchmaker. 

It was a new distraction and I could see Tweed getting more worried for Leah who was standing tied nearby. She also go more amped up with the new arrivals.

I told the young man what we were working on and he said he was there to do the same, so please forgive his mules for braying for each other (they weren’t bad). He went about riding each one away from the others while I worked on getting and keeping Tweed’s attention. 

By the time Regina arrived, I was in saddle.

She then took Leah to a spot right outside the arena and had me ride Tumbleweed along the fence line in front of her. If his attention went to her, I was to turn him away from the fence and then continue, at a fast pace, the opposite direction. This had to be done quickly, as soon as I lost his attention, and we had to take up a brisk walk immediately after. We did it at both walk and trot. 

Then Regina walked away with Leah behind the announcer’s booth, and eventually reappeared on the other side. 

Tweed got much more worked up and became braced in his body, making it difficult to turn him, but we worked through it doing the same thing. 

It was a little scary at that point. I felt like his mind had exited and my communication with his mind had momentarily disappeared. I had to have faith in the plan and what Regina was telling me to do.

Regina asked me to ride him away, around the barrels, and back, out and back. If I lost his attention, vertical flexion, otherwise, a loose rein. If he picked up his speed coming back towards Leah, I had to make him maintain that same speed (he chose) going away from Leah.

We did that work at a fast trot and I think it was harder on me than him. You forget how physical riding is until moments like that. But I stayed with it, and we eventually had him moving out all over that arena, Leah disappearing and reappearing, and Tweed completely not caring. Leah who?

That was probably 40 minutes of the lesson, and when we were satisfied with his ability to maintain attention, I rode him out to the obstacle course where we worked on the same principles of attention to attention over the ladder, bridge, and sand pit. 

Finally, I rode him away from Leah and over the obstacles, and he did so well with his attention that we ended it there. 

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This work is so awesome. Feeling that partnership with Tumbleweed emerge under an extreme stress test is quite satisfying. Also, working through his worst responses in a safe environment and seeing that yes, I can regain his attention with these basic principles. It builds my confidence in handling whatever may come our way.

Look Who’s Riding Out

Some horses are just made for the trails, and it appears Epona is one of them. 

Having struggled with arena work, she seems to have found her niche. Boss mares (and their baby bosses) have confidence in spades. The trainer said she only had to point her down the road and off she went. 

Just like her mama, she likes a job. 

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The barn at dusk. 

Good Cop, Bad Cop

I think it’s safe to say, our horses don’t like going off to training. 

But they sure do appreciate their owners after a little time at boot camp. 

Epona is going into her second month soon. Today is her 4th birthday! Can you believe it?

Happy birthday, sweet sad Epona!

The second month is their big month, where she will get exposure to trails. If you want them to be finished on trails, you’d probably need double the amount of time she will be there. Maybe more. But that is something we tend do ourselves because you have to figure it out yourself at some point. Sink or swim as they say.

My daughter went down and rode her and found out she is a lot like her mama, a bit slow and on the lazier side. That has its pluses and minuses for a trail horse. It can be a lot of work for the rider to keep them going. You can’t just sit back and drink a beer or the rest of your group will be done and gone before you even get started. On the plus side, they probably aren’t going to be running away with you. I appreciated that about her mama. (Who will be accompanying Tweed and I tomorrow on the trail.)

Epona had a rough adjustment for the first two weeks. As we figured, she was stressed in her new environment. She was given something to help her tummy, and then seeing my daughter and realizing she wasn’t abandoned after all, and she is doing much better now. 

If she was closer, my daughter would be helping with the training. It is the best way to do it because you’re growing with your horse AND it takes the stress off of them from separation anxiety. In fact, she did do that with Cowgirl. She was there by our trainer everyday, learning to start her and putting on the first rides. 

So, it was kind of like going home again, and the two of them, daughter and trainer, got to spend the weekend catching up. 

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It smelled like summer for the first time, yesterday. We found ourselves alone again, and so rode our bikes in the evening to a nearby lake with a bottle of wine. 

There are moments when you think, it just can’t get better than this. 

Magical Beans

Like Jack and his magical beans, I have been planting my magical garden at my magical barn. Every flower, herb, apple, or pepper is an investment in this summer and fall, and even beyond. 

First off, a Royal Raindrop Crabapple to shade our sitting area at the barn. Here it is, stuffed into our trusty little workhorse Landcruiser.

Here it is planted.

Next, a very magical rose that, supposedly, does not need deadheading. If that’s true, it will be truly magical. It’s beauty certainly makes one believe in magic.

That is our lab, St. Lucy. Because she is so good with our 3 year old grandson, we have sainted her.

A white Rio, planted into a cone basket from last year.

Pepper collection (no beans, only peppers, sorry Jack)

Jalapeño 

2 jalapeños

2 habaneros 

Poblanos

Spanish lavender 

Tomatoes and petunias 

Periwinkle, thyme, and basil

An azalea given to my daughter that survived in our garage the first winter she was here. I planted it last spring, and it is almost dead from the cold winter. We will see if it comes back.

Oregano pot with flowers

Rosemary pot with petunias

Apple tree pot with petunias and vinca 

More basil (can’t have too much) and Italian parsley

Let it grow! Let it grow!

A Bouquet of Memories & Memorial

My dad was a passionate gardener. Before his health rapidly declined, he was always disappearing to tinker there when we visited. My mom finally came up with the perfect solution and began hosting her tea parties in their garden. There, he could sit longer and even use his binoculars to watch the birds as the rest of us chatted. 

So when I thought about the perfect flowers to take to his gravesite for Memorial Day, I knew it had to be a tribute to him from my own garden. 

A peony, of course, because my dad was well known for his MOST beautiful peony tree. It stopped cars for photograph opportunities. 

And also lilacs, because I would sometimes accompany my parents on their weekly Sunday dates, drives through the country, no destination, only adventures. 

On one of those adventures, in Northern Maine, we came across an abandoned old house surrounded by lilac trees. We hiked through them oohing and awwing, and picked huge bouquets together. 

On the drive home, our car was filled with the heavy perfume of those lilacs, which gave us all, especially my mom, headaches. It became our inside joke for years after. 

There was a bleeding heart in the bouquet, and also chives, and snowdrops, which to me are symbolic of resurrection. 

My dad was a veteran of the Vietnam War, and is buried in a beautiful military cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington.

I miss him so much. He was our anchor, and it is sad to go through life unable to go to him for counsel. I am thankful he was here on this earth, and that I am his daughter.

As we stood in the cemetery yesterday, we were surrounded by other veterans who had passed before, and after, my dad did. 

Someday, we will buried there, as my husband is a veteran, and we have one son who will also be there (hopefully, many many years down the road) as well as my two brothers and a brother-in-law.  

(We joke that military cemeteries are actually our family cemeteries, which is kind of true.)

Happy Memorial Day, everyone. And thanks to all who have served and sacrificed.   

Sunday Silence