June 8 2011
Wow! I am simply amazed by how well Twosox did today! A friend of ours called to say that she was able to trailer the horses out to her place for a play day so I decided to see if I could take Twosox. I haven't trailered him anywhere in the three years that I have owned him but we have done lots of simulations and once two falls ago we had the chance to play with a trailer for a couple days. So in three years Twosox and I have only played with a trailer once.
I got out extra early to play with Twosox before our friend arrived. My plan was to get him confident being in the garage with the big door closed. First we started with playing squeeze games between the fence and the gate. It is one of those normal green gates with a chain on it so it banged around and made lots of noise like the divider in the trailer would do. Twosox stood still and relaxed as I moved it around and made lots of noise. He was a little unsure what to do when I brought the gate up to touch his side but once he knew that it was a friendly game and not a porcupine game he stood still.
Twosox walked right in to the garage through the man door no problem. He was a little unsure but not right brain. There was hay on the floor from where some bales of hay had been so he started eating and was fine. I did lots of simulations with tarps, bags, doors opening and closing, different "scary" noises, you name it we probably did it.
Twosox was so confident it was really amazing! Then I asked my mom to open and close the big door and get Twosox used to having something big (and noisy) moving behind him. This was the big test and Twosox passed it with flying colours! He was alert but not bothered by it at all!!
We also played with me standing outside the garage door and sending Twosox in and getting him to stand straight and not turn around. Twosox did very well with that and was able to confidently, at phase one, go into the garage by himself with the big door closed.
So then he just followed me around as I carried stuff out and then the trailer arrived! Twosox wasn't bothered by the trailer backing down the road and so we just stood by it for a little while as Mom was playing with Knightly and Twosox was calm. I scratched some itchy spots and made him feel really comfortable being around it.
When it was our turn I decided to climb in the trailer and ask Twosox in that way. Not that I was going to end there but just to get him used to it. Twosox put zone one, two and part of three in and checked out the trailer then I backed him out and we started again. In no time at all Twosox was all the way in the trailer and standing confidently. Once we were sure it was okay I stood up front and our friend did some approach and retreat with the bar at the back. Twosox did so well and didn't have any issues with it being back there.
Just to make sure he wasn't going to push on it we waited to see how he would respond once he felt it. He shifted his weight back, felt the bar and came off the pressure confidently and relaxed. It was great!! So then the next step was to see what he was like with the ramp coming up. Just like with the garage door he was alert but not scared. Everything progressed so smoothly that thirty minutes after the trailer pulled in the driveway both horses were loaded and Twosox was actually asleep in the trailer :)
I walked beside the trailer for the first hundred feet or so just to make sure that Twosox was okay, he was just fine. The whole trip when smoothly and without any problems.
Twosox slipped a little on the ramp while we were unloading the horses but other than that it was a breeze. He looked around a little and then started grazing completely calm and relaxed! I couldn't believe it! Here is my RBI in a totally new environment for the first time in three years and he is calm, cool and collected. It was really amazing! I was shocked!
After grazing a little we went into the arena and explored it. Nothing bothered Twosox. He offered to jump the big log, check out the barrels, walk to between the standing up tires and check out the pedestal. We did falling leaf and traveling circles to the other end and back again and Twosox trotted nicely around. He was calm and curios.
We played on the 22ft line a bit and got a beautiful three quarters of a lap at a canter!! Our changes of directions and transitions were smooth, sideways was soft and responsive, yo-yo's were light, everything was great and we were both having lot of fun!
Next I decided to saddle up. I was prepared not to ride as I wasn't sure how Twosox would handle the new environment but he was so relaxed that I decided to take it one step at a time and just see what happened.
Since Twosox hasn't been saddled in a while I was pretty sure he would buck so we started off at the walk and trot, which were both fine until he went over the small log and he started bucking I wasn't quite prepared for it so I ended up letting go of the rope. Twosox came back to me afterward so we carried on and he didn't buck again. He just has to get used to the back cinch again and then he is fine.
We did some circles and changes of directions, jumping the small and big log and then headed into the round corral so play with cantering. I felt that the big arena was to big for us to successfully get the canter on the circle so the round corral was a great option. Twosox didn't canter a lot but enough for me to know that he wasn't going to buck.
Then we played with the green ball. I made sure to make it a game and Twosox caught on quickly and we even got up into the trot! He was asking loads of questions!
Then I took the halter off and we played at Liberty. We haven't play in a round corral at Liberty in..... well... a long time! So we had a lot of fun and Twosox was amazing! He was so connected! We started off doing Stick to me a long the fence. Twosox did really well, going when I went, stopping when I stopped etc. The trot was a little harder. I wanted to let him figure out what I was asking and not put to much pressure on him because he was trying. So we played with walk - trot transitions until Twosox knew what I wanted and was confident.
After that we played with pushing the ball a little. Twosox didn't put a whole lot of effort into pushing it so I would allow him to go past the ball but then either ask him to trot a circle around the round corral and come back to it or I would disengage his hindquarters quickly and resend him with a playful tag and then relax when he was at the ball. Both strategies worked well and Twosox figured out what to do and pushed the ball around the round corral with effort!
We got some really nice draw on the yo-yo at the trot, sideways, bouncing the ball in all five zones and on Twosox, and then we did some circles. Twosox was really connected, I was surprised! It truly is amazing how having a strong Online can really effect Liberty! Really this was our first Liberty session in a round corral. We have played at Liberty in our riding ring at home but it is to big and Twosox gets lost.
After that we took a rest and allowed Twosox to graze a little then I mounted up. We started in the round corral and checked our lateral flexions, direct and indirect rein and then followed the rail at the walk and trot. Then we opened the gate and went into the big arena, opening and closing that gate as well. We did some follow the rail at the walk and trot and then I decided to ride the Cloverleaf pattern. At first it wasn't very good at all. Twosox could trot a fairly straight line so that was encouraging but we had to play a lot with it until he was starting to get the pattern. Then we rested in the middle, at X.
After a rest we went in the other direction. This time Twosox understood the pattern better so it didn't take as long. Our turns got better and we went deeper into the corners, and our lines got straighter. I dismounted after we finished riding this pattern, unsaddled and went and got the horses some water. We (Twosox and I) had to walk up to the house to find out where to get it. Twosox saw the cows and stopped in his tracks. He stared at them for the longest time, and that was when they were on the other side of the field! On out way back one was getting a drink of water at the trough and we walked right past it... maybe Twosox has some cow in him? ;)
Then after I ate lunch (as Twosox grazed) we played with the trailer. Twosox was confident going in but after a couple minutes he would back out. So we played with that and with in a couple minutes I could stand outside the trailer and send him in and he would go in all the way and stand there for a long time. The bugs were not as bad in there so that helped also. He had a nice nap while I watched Mom ride Knightly. Twosox stayed in the trailer for at least 20 minutes completely loose, he wasn't tied or shut in and he was comfortable :)
Loading up to go home went smoothly. Twosox loaded up no problem he was giving green lights right, left and center. So it only took us about 10 minutes to max to load both horses, load the tack and be driving out.
I am so proud of Twosox and it is really nice knowing that he can be trailered and is confident about it all.
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
Since Twosox hasn't been saddled in a while I was pretty sure he would buck so we started off at the walk and trot, which were both fine until he went over the small log and he started bucking I wasn't quite prepared for it so I ended up letting go of the rope. Twosox came back to me afterward so we carried on and he didn't buck again. He just has to get used to the back cinch again and then he is fine.
We did some circles and changes of directions, jumping the small and big log and then headed into the round corral so play with cantering. I felt that the big arena was to big for us to successfully get the canter on the circle so the round corral was a great option. Twosox didn't canter a lot but enough for me to know that he wasn't going to buck.
Then we played with the green ball. I made sure to make it a game and Twosox caught on quickly and we even got up into the trot! He was asking loads of questions!
Then I took the halter off and we played at Liberty. We haven't play in a round corral at Liberty in..... well... a long time! So we had a lot of fun and Twosox was amazing! He was so connected! We started off doing Stick to me a long the fence. Twosox did really well, going when I went, stopping when I stopped etc. The trot was a little harder. I wanted to let him figure out what I was asking and not put to much pressure on him because he was trying. So we played with walk - trot transitions until Twosox knew what I wanted and was confident.
After that we played with pushing the ball a little. Twosox didn't put a whole lot of effort into pushing it so I would allow him to go past the ball but then either ask him to trot a circle around the round corral and come back to it or I would disengage his hindquarters quickly and resend him with a playful tag and then relax when he was at the ball. Both strategies worked well and Twosox figured out what to do and pushed the ball around the round corral with effort!
We got some really nice draw on the yo-yo at the trot, sideways, bouncing the ball in all five zones and on Twosox, and then we did some circles. Twosox was really connected, I was surprised! It truly is amazing how having a strong Online can really effect Liberty! Really this was our first Liberty session in a round corral. We have played at Liberty in our riding ring at home but it is to big and Twosox gets lost.
After that we took a rest and allowed Twosox to graze a little then I mounted up. We started in the round corral and checked our lateral flexions, direct and indirect rein and then followed the rail at the walk and trot. Then we opened the gate and went into the big arena, opening and closing that gate as well. We did some follow the rail at the walk and trot and then I decided to ride the Cloverleaf pattern. At first it wasn't very good at all. Twosox could trot a fairly straight line so that was encouraging but we had to play a lot with it until he was starting to get the pattern. Then we rested in the middle, at X.
After a rest we went in the other direction. This time Twosox understood the pattern better so it didn't take as long. Our turns got better and we went deeper into the corners, and our lines got straighter. I dismounted after we finished riding this pattern, unsaddled and went and got the horses some water. We (Twosox and I) had to walk up to the house to find out where to get it. Twosox saw the cows and stopped in his tracks. He stared at them for the longest time, and that was when they were on the other side of the field! On out way back one was getting a drink of water at the trough and we walked right past it... maybe Twosox has some cow in him? ;)
Then after I ate lunch (as Twosox grazed) we played with the trailer. Twosox was confident going in but after a couple minutes he would back out. So we played with that and with in a couple minutes I could stand outside the trailer and send him in and he would go in all the way and stand there for a long time. The bugs were not as bad in there so that helped also. He had a nice nap while I watched Mom ride Knightly. Twosox stayed in the trailer for at least 20 minutes completely loose, he wasn't tied or shut in and he was comfortable :)
Loading up to go home went smoothly. Twosox loaded up no problem he was giving green lights right, left and center. So it only took us about 10 minutes to max to load both horses, load the tack and be driving out.
I am so proud of Twosox and it is really nice knowing that he can be trailered and is confident about it all.
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
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