A little off the main topic because its about on the track TB as opposed to off the track. On Thursday morning as the sun rose I was at The Vaal training centre to work with two youngsters. The one a tall gelding is very willful and wont load into the starting stalls, the other was a 2yr old filly who the jock who comes to ride work now refuses to ride because he has been planted for the last 5 out of 6 rides. The gelding needs some more work, but it was exciting watching him get on his back legs and box me horses can seem very tall when they do that and I made some progress. I am using a pressure halter and doing ground work. I decided to free lunge the filly to start off, took the halter off and chased her around to start off she didnt want to stop and turn but after a couple of minutes I had her doing that pretty well. After join up I put on the halter and started getting her going backwards and forwards got her disengaging her hind quarters and then sent her off lunging at the end of the halter rope, after bit of animated behaviour as she tried to break away a few times she settled and finished off that part with some desensitizing work. I do the desensitizing by gently tossing the rope over her back, neck, rump and legs until she no longer cares. In further lessons on polo ponies I do that with a lunging whip gently wrapping the lash around legs etc and finally with a stick until you can take pretty strong hits with the cane part without the horse caring. When that was done I put on a saddle and this was the revealing bit, she went back to square one jumping and bucking - this means she had never accepted the saddle just tolerated it and I had to get her to feel happy and comfortable. We quickly got that settled and she went back to her box. Yesterday evening (Friday) the trainer called to say that she was a changed horse, gentle as a lamb not the slightest trouble at work that morning not a hint of a buck, none of the problem behaviour. Im a little bit wary of these wonder cures I mean how can you create such a huge change in behaviour in such a short time, I would be happier to claim success after doing a number of these sessions and I did a lot in a very short time, but it seems to work. The use of the pressure halter is a new addition to my way and it really seems to work very quickly convinces the horse that being with me and doing what I ask is safe and rewarding. I never force them - I ask them. But they quickly discover the answer.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 03:40:48 +0000
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