20 days in, time's flying!

I must start today's blog entry with an apology for falling so far behind on updates. It's certainly not been for lack of things to share. Memphis and I have been busy, and he sure is coming along nicely. We're just plugging right along.

Some of the things we've been focusing on lately have been guiding and softness under saddle and lope offs and leads. He is riding soft in his face and ribcage, and getting better and better at giving his shoulders, belly and hips. He had a hard time with his left lead at first, first on the ground and in the round pen, and then in the arena. Even when I could set him up and pick it up, he was insecure on it. We've gotten over that hump, and he feels more even to me now than he ever has. He is much more consistent at his leads now and knows what I'm asking. We have also worked on loping off from the walk and from whoa, and that's really coming together. He's not made to be the most athletic horse in the world, so I was pleasantly surprised at how he took to rollbacks against the fence. At first, he was clumsy, but when he figured it out, he was quite handy! Not only that, he loves to work!

Memphis is becoming that "no agenda" kind of horse. I LOVE this! He's starting to develop a work ethic and he really likes his job. He has a lot of heart and a lot of try, and won't try to quit me. However, if I quit, he's quick to do the same and relax. He's not busy minded and looking for something else to do. On the trail, he is forward and attentive, and moves like he's got somewhere to go. However, he stays so sharp and responsive, he's a fun guy to ride out there. I think he's going to make a great working horse.

After riding out on the trails this morning, we went to the arena. I decided to start working the gates with him, and he took to it nicely. After our workout, I rode him back to the barn, and went to unsaddle him. I pulled his bridle off and reached for his halter, and realized I'd taken down to the arena earlier this morning. Doh. Instead of putting his bridle back on, I just let him follow me down there, saddled, with nothing on his face. He sticks to me like glue. The bond that is formed with these Mustangs is the most rewarding part of it all. They truly do make the most incredible partners.

Due to the heat in the mid part of the day, I've been riding really early (starting before sun up) and late in the evenings. Most of this time, I'm alone at the barn, and haven't had a photographer around to get new pics. Hopefully this weekend I will be able to get some updated photos. I did take a couple today with my cell though, one while I was riding him and then two of him ground tying in the barn while I unsaddled him.

The farrier comes this afternoon for Memphis' first set of shoes. I'm excited, because soon we will be hauling to the Bandera State Park to tackle some trails and possibly camp. If anybody wants to join us, let me know!

Yee Haw!

I gave Memphis the day off on Monday. This morning I was anxious to see if the break made him better or if it set us back. Of course, I was hoping not the latter, because it meant the things we've done so far weren't really sinking in all the way. He didn't disappoint, picked up right like we left off Sunday morning.

He still isn't a dream to bridle. It took a while before I was able to rub his muzzle anyway from the beginning. I don't think he's been a gelding long for a few reasons. 1) It certainly explains his cresty neck, and why it's already coming off of him. 2) When I first sacked him out with the saddle pad, I used the wool pad I typically use on my mare (who is quite a hussy), and he sniffed it, then obsessively smelled it, and got REALLY excited by it. 3) He isn't herd bound, and while he's socially well mannered, he has a lot of respect for a mare that ISN'T feeling him. 4) During the gentling process, he was most touchy (aside from his back feet, which I expect) near his muzzle and his front forearms. Typical stud behavior. Anyhow, he's getting better about bridling each time, and he doesn't fight me in any way, he's just a little evasive and picks his head up (even though he knows to lower it to pressure) and he's quite a bit taller than me. He's learning though, and getting much better.


I took him to the round pen first to make sure we were A-Ok, and just let him move around for a minute or two, then off we went to the arena to ride. I wanted some fresh to him, because I wanted to have a lot of horse to ride so we could really get some good forward. We were working on combining foward with direction, because I have each independently, but the two together aren't quite refined. We'd been riding a good while, and things were really coming together. We were loping a large circle at the back side of the pen when Wade threw grain in the cattle trough for the cows, right as we were loping by, and incidentally, right as I spanked him a little to keep him moving, as he wanted to get a little distracted by the activity over there. The combination of the grain swishing hard into the trough, and my little motivation technique, which again, independently aren't an issue for him, scared him, and he bolted blind. Big Boy can move. I went with him for a second then tried to take him to one side hoping to stop him or slow him, but he blew his nose up and kept hauling. I just gave him his head and rode him, knowing that he couldn't run forever (he's like the fat kid at recess), and sure enough, as we got to the other end of the pen, he slowed and lowered his head. I just kept him moving, but calmly, and he relaxed right away. We trotted a few figure eights, then walked, and I took him back down to the cow pens, and he looked, but settled right back into things like it had never happened. I've gotta say, I am REALLY proud of him. He ran, but he didn't buck. It was really a testemant to his progress because if he'd wanted to buck again, that would have been the time to do it. As my dear friend Laura Roberts likes to say (in a sing-song way): Learning is Happening!! Good boy. :)

I hadn't planned on doing much after our arena ride because I needed to get to the office, but I didn't want to quit quite yet after our little yeehaw moment. We rode for a bit more in the pen, then hit the trail. I took him down the steep hill to the creek and through the thicker trails. He wasn't so sure about the hill, and at first he wanted to go way too fast down it, then he was practically tip toeing, but he finally figured it out and felt like a good steady eddie trail horse. It was a great ride. He's really going to make a super, super boy. As we riding back to the barn, Wade was moving round bales with the tractor, so I made Memphis hang out and watch. He decided that was a great time for a nap. Yep, I think he's going to be allright.

Memphis, 1st Weekend and 1st Week Recap

Somebody's turning into a horse! Memphis is just trucking right along in the process. I feel like we make small amounts of progress each day, but the following day, we don't miss a beat, and he just picks up not just where he left off, but even better than that. What a fun horse to train! We hit road blocks too; he really did have a lot of buck in him in the beginning but that's to be expected. We spent last Thursday working mostly on that issue, and he's a different guy now. He's happy, mellow, inquisitive, confident and eager.

These are a few of the things we have done since Friday:

Friday I was still riding in the halter since he's learned to be so responsive and light to it on the ground. It was easier to focus on forward and moving those big ol' feet letting him work in it. In the round pen, this went really well. When we moved to the big arena Saturday though, he was a lot heavier in it when he decided he wanted to be somewhere (like near the cow pen...he likes those guys). Have you seen that head and neck?!? Ha! We went to the snaffle Saturday, and I'm so pleased with how well he's adjusting to it.

Saturday was a good time working in the arena. He's a big moving dude, so giving him some room to do it, he really gets to work. Since we've focused a lot on the gas pedal and the brakes, his steering wasn't really great yet. Lots of flexing and moving off the leg, and he started to get the hang of it. I don't have him in spurs yet, which is one of the things I've done differently with him than I would have with a domestic horse. Go and whoa are in place now, and he's guiding and flexing better, so they are in the near future. And OHMYGOODNESS please ignore my highwatwater jeans!! howembarassing

Wade was going to a roping early Sunday morning and had the stock trailer hooked up Saturday night. I decided to go ahead and work on loading after our ride. He's so careful and sensible. He was hesitant about backing out, but he got the hang of it.

This guy is really getting to be trusting and brave. It's amazing how when a horse doesn't know he's supposed to fear something, he is quick to accept it. It was a pretty windy night, but Memphis is over his fear of the tarp on the trailer, even when the wind gets under it and blows it right into his face and chest.

On Sunday we worked in the arena first. He was so much better than Saturday. He's guiding much better at all gaits. He was so good I decided we'd go for a little ride outside. He's great in the brush and thick mesquite, and doesn't mind going through ditches. He grabbed a mesquite limb as we went by and it came back and him in the butt. He goosed a little, but didn't overreact. There was some boggy ground in one of the ditches that worried him a little at first too. He quickly got his footing though, and when I went back and asked him to cross it again, he didn't even blink. The dogs came with us and acted as another despookifier :). They flushed some birds and rabbits and my Heeler went flying right by us from behind. It worried him at first, but by the time he got the hang of riding out, the dogs couldn't hardly surprise him. He did try to taste a cactus at one point. Glad I was able to talk him out of it, that couldn't have felt good. ;)

Memphis, Day 6

This guy gets better and better everyday. Yesterday we just reiterated the things we'd been learning, and focused on getting that buck out of him for good. It was probably our most effective and productive day yet.

Memphis, Day 5

In the morning, I started by putting Memphis in the crossties. The only way he's going to act like a broke horse is to be treated like one, and since his tying lessons so far had gone well, he adjusted to the crossties well also. I groomed him there, and he was still insecure about me being behind him and brushing his tail, or switching sides from back there. He got quieter every minute. He looks to me for reassurance now, and if he's uneasy about something, my hand on his neck instantly brings his head down, softens his eyes, and he licks his lips. I saddled him in the barn also, and went straight to the roundpen.

We worked in hand first for a bit, refining some of the same stuff we'd been doing then I turned him loose and he broke in two again, but for a much shorter time. He faces up when asked and switches directions with a lot more consistency. I put him back on the line and started teaching him to lunge in smaller circles around me at the walk and trot. I decided to work him from up high, and made the mistake of going straight to the fence for this. He wasn't ready for that much, and was a little too worried for that to be productive. Instead, I brought in a stool and worked from there, asking him to bring the saddle to me on each side, where I was able to lay over him and flap the stirrups around and sack him out more with the rope. Afterwards, we went for a trail "walk" and cruised through ditches, trees, etc. He was a star, and impressed me by not being too concerned when the horses in the lower pasture came running up. He grabbed his butt a little, but looked right to me, and calmed as soon as I touched him. He's going to make a good one.

That evening we started in the barn again, on the crossties. Continued the lessons from earlier in the day, and again, I worked on getting above him and teaching him to "pick me up." As anxious as I am to ride him, and as well as he's doing with the ground work, I just don't feel like he's ready. Since he still has a good deal of buck in him, and not the "I'm kinda fresh and this saddle is annoying" type, but the "I'm flat leavin and takin everything with me" kind, I took him inside to work on throwing a leg over. I was able to get on him there. I took him back outside and got on again, and he handled it all really well.

I'm pleased with his progress so far. :)

Memphis, Day 4

I still hadn't led Memphis anywhere besides in his pen, which is 36x24. I decided to work him in the round pen for the first time, and aside from not being completely convinced he had to follow direction, he got better as we went along. He still doesn't know he's stronger than me, and it's the plan to keep it that way. ;)

In the round pen, we worked on going forward (he didn't know how to lope, especially in the pen there), and then had a leading lesson in the round pen. Continued moving shoulders and hips, overall body control, and I saddled him in the round pen. I dropped the saddle in the middle of the pen, and he immediately came over to check out. Big improvement; he didn't show much interested the first couple of days. I liked to see him interracting more. He picked up the saddle pad and took it with him. Goof! So cute.

Found his bucks in the bigger pen. He's pretty vocal about it too. After a couple times around, he was done, and went on with it. I worked him on the ground the rest of the evening with the saddle on. We continued to work on facing up and following like we'd done in the smaller pen, and he was a true champ. We're becoming good buds! He also got his first bath outside, which he hated at first, until he realized he was hot and it felt good, and then we moved to the indoor wash rack. He got to spend some quiet time with a tree, and that was it. Another great day!

Memphis, Day 3

Again, day 3, day 2 of training. Memphis was still pretty shy when I'd come around, and was far from volunteering himself for attention or work. Another funny thing about him is that he isn't food motivated AT ALL. He won't touch grass hay. He will nibble his alfalfa off and on all day, and will eventually clean up his grain, but won't even go it right away when it's given to him. He won't take anything from my hand. This is fine by me; he finds his motivation in better things and I like that. Given his stature though, I was surprised he wasn't more of a chow hound. :)

We worked on leading and giving to pressure, as well as getting him to tolerate me touching him everywhere. He is a kicker, so I've spent a lot of time working with his back feet and desensitizing him there. I worked with him for a while that morning on these things, and decided to come back in the evening again as well. That evening, we worked on yielding the shoulders and hindquarters, giving to pressure and sacking out. He was being really good, and calming down so much, I decided to see how he'd handle being sacked out with the saddle pad. Again, that went well, so I moved on and went ahead and saddled him.