New Easycare Hi-Tie System

Graham and I installed the long-awaited Easy Care Hi-Tie System.  It was fairly easy to install, but I am glad that we bought the special metal drill bit and had a high-powered drill to use.  Then Poptart got to practice camping at home that very night.

Our conditioning log

Our conditioning log :)  May it be slowly filled with increased distances and speeds !

Poptart practices turning his rider into a Pop Tart!

Poptart has had some time off recently while I have been fighting various colds/flu frown emoticon He did get ridden this past weekend while friends came over for a small playday. He did fantastic in the arena with all the horses playing! He is starting to feel like a 'green' horse rather than a unbroke horse, LOL!
Unfortunately he lived up to his name once again on Monday (he likes to pretend his rider is a cooked PopTart popping out of the toaster -- or saddle) This time he spooked at the teeter totter bridge that he has been over at least one hundred times (including earlier that day!) and decided he needed jump, buck, and run away from it Arabian Style! Our one rein stop was great but alas my reins were too long to prevent the impromptu dismount. I wish I had a picture of him from my view on the ground - he was facing me very intensely and looked like a cow pony bracing against the calf, all the weight on the haunches and his front legs extended and braced. He had the most quizzical expression -- like why are you down on the ground?? On the upside it was much more like a normal green horse spook instead of a kick and run, end up in the ER sort of spook. Improvement, LOL!
And yes we remounted and went back over the teeter-totter bridge several times, perfected the spook and 1-rein stop and finally walked over it like a trained horse again. Oh and all this was after a wonderful riding session with sidepassing, trot figure 8's and a short trail ride up the road... go figure

It's getting dark too early!

Poptart is learning how to take syringed meds in prepration for learning to take electrolytes at rides.. especially now that it getting dark so early it is a good thing to work on in the barn. Thank you to Foxcatcher Endurance for the 25 LD completion award - the nice syringe smile emoticon Otherwise we are continuing to build confidence (and recently more obedience!)

Silver Eagle Stables De-Spooking Clinic

Poptart attended Silver Eagles Stables, Nokesville, Va, in-hand despooking clinic this weekend. He practiced trailering by himself, having an overnight sleepover in a new barn, then playing in an arena with obstacles and new horses all day. It was perfect! The weather was great, the atmosphere was relaxed, the trainer Drew did a great job teaching and creating the obstacles. Check out the pictures and video of Poptart's "completion round"!

and he met the neighbors of Silver Eagle Stables

Confidence on the trail

Poptart had the weekend off as Graham and I worked on fencing the future riding arena. However last weekend we had a great 3 hour, 7 mile trail ride at Sandy Ridge/Squirrel Gap in the George Washington National Forest with Chance and Missy. We encountered lots of potential horse-devouring rocks and boulders (none actually lept out and attacked the horses, imagine that!! LOL!); a nice hiker admiring the view -- this time Poptart recognized him as a normal human, yay!!; a flock of, thankfully calm, turkeys; another horse-eating boulder that had blowing leaves next to it -- OH MY, Chance had to be brave and take the lead :); a large buck deer that galloped across the trail in front of us-- apparently this was normal and not a cause to be worried; a stick that caught on Poptarts hind leg-- this was the scariest moment as this is what landed me in the ER this summer, but this time Poptart squatted, kicked at it and listened very well to my 1-rein stop instead of having a bucking panic attack, Yay Progress!!!; a lost hoof boot on a steep and rocky downhill-- this was impressive because at first I tied Poptart with Chance and Missy while I went to search for the boot, but he paced and wanted to come with me rather than stay with the other horse-- more progress and relationship building :); and the rest went great-- Missy and I practiced 'leap-frogging' and transitions on the nice gravel forest-service road, got loads of nice trotting and about 2 strides of canter.

And this coming weekend we have an overnight trip to an in-hand despooking clinic in Nokesville, VA. Fun, fun!!!

Overnight camping and 2nd trail ride

Poptart had his first overnight camping experience. We spontaneously decided to go camping last night and went to Bucktail, where we set the horses up on a high-line and we were comfy in the newly-insulated horse trailer. This morning we rode out on Bucktail trail for 2.5 miles to the bridge, crossed the bridge and went down to the creek for a drink, then re-crossed and rode back to camp. We encountered a monster hiker who had a large orange pack sticking out above his head and a large black dog who also had an orange safety vest. Obviously this hiker was not a human due to the orange appendage above his head :) I anticipated this and dismounted, but both Graham and I mistakenly thought Rogan would be okay so he stayed mounted. Rogan decided the hiker actually was a horse-eating monster alien and he thought spinning and fleeing the best course of action (and of course Poptart joined Rogan in this action). Thankfully Graham stayed on and immediately brought Rogan to a stop, and both horses lived while they bravely walked past the very accommodating hiker. The only other excitement (or annoyance, LOL) was a lost easyboot, Rogan got to re-ride the complete trail (at a much faster pace!) and thankfully we found Poptart's lost hoof boot stuck in the mud at a water crossing.

Our first trail ride together!!!!

Poptart and I had our first trail and conditioning (mental and physical) ride today. He started out right on the Old Dominion 100 trail already preparing for his future career :) Graham and I parked at Bucktail and rode Long Mountain Trail up to the peak, grazed for a few minutes and then descended back to the trailer. We encountered 2 scary monster obstacles 1. the trail barricade gate 2. a bridge. The trail barricade was near the parking area and was okay after going up and checking it out. The bridge was quite terrifying, but Poptart was brave and both willingly and safely followed Rogan over it. I was proud how he kept it together even though he thought he was about to die for the few seconds of the bridge crossing -- what a good boy! The goal was for a short, simple, and safe ride and we succeeded! He also practiced both eating and drinking on the trail -- Rogan is a great mentor! We rode about 1 hr 40 minutes, 4.4 miles and had about 1500' elevation gain and loss.

Highlights of today's groundwork session. What a beautiful day!

And more relaxation...

Poptart was very calm and confident yesterday. We split his training into 2 sessions, a morning groundwork session and an evening riding session. In the am we just repeated our last session and everything was more confident and improved. He 100% knows the pattern of backing onto the tire for a cookie, backing to the hay bale and squeezing between the hay bale and barn wall backwards. Where he suprised me and excelled was sidepassing over the hay bale, once again we took it slow but ended with him sidepassing over it to the right, pausing and sidepassing back to the left for a cookie. He is really learning the pattern and is very confident -- no worries if he bumps it with his legs, etc. We will keep repeating it for a few more sessions and at some point add in a 2nd hay bale for a longer side pass. Then we grazed and played with hobbles again. Hobbled the back legs and this time he got a bit worried when needed to spread his legs to poop and couldn't (bad timing on my part, LOL!), but he kept his head and as soon as he relaxed and went back to grazing I removed the hobbles.

Saddling went bettter for riding, he was more relaxed in general and when he worried about Rogan he got to practice backing, moving his HQ, sidepassing, etc until he became relaxed and focused on me again. Did not seem concerned about the saddle, but we had one tense moment when I first ran the latigo through the cinch ring and held pressure. I am not sure what he was thinking/worried about (the cinching, where Rogan was, etc?) but he kept still and we waited until he relaxed and proceeded with saddling. For our riding warm up we did more sideways around the barrels and then practiced sidepassing and backing up next to the big green ball, he is improving but not ready to actually back into it or touch it sidepassing (though he is more than happy to push it around with his front end!) I had him move out prior to mounting (to make sure he was okay with the saddle at all 3 gaits-- my standard pre-ride check before getting on any green horse). He has gotten into a little habit of breaking gait at the canter and starts trotting at about 1/2 -3/4 of a lap. We played with changing direction everytime he broke gait (the 1st time we've played this game together) and he figured it out pretty quick and we ended with 1 full lap of canter. Riding was great (Rogan was in the front field, not put away in the stall so that may have helped) but he was very relaxed after mounting and was happy to stand until asked to move. He was smoother on sidepassing from barrel to barrel and we added in more trotting and transitions. If he continues to be this relaxed and confident we will really start to make some progress 

Any even more confidence building (and a little riding!)

Just finished our confidence building-groundwork session and taking a break (for both Poptart and me!) before saddling and riding later this afternoon. Poptart knew the games from last night-- he backed right up to the tire and on the 3rd or so try he backed up straight (LOL!) and put both back feet on it. Same with the hay bale-- he was even trying to step backwards up on it rather than just touch it. We then squeezed backwards b/t the bale and wall again and he had that one down too! Backed into the wall due to poor steering a few times but no big deal :) Then we moved the bale outside to play more with sidepassing and after climbing on it and knocking it about a few times with both front and hind limbs (and of course eating it!) he became sick of baby steps and just side passed over the whole hay bale, like he knew what to do the whole time! Then a grazing break while I played 'extreme' friendly with the carrot stick/string and broke out the hobbles again. Hobble the front feet for a few minutes just so he doesn't forget what they are, then played with the back feet. He was so confident and his porcupine was so good with the hobble rope on the back feet I thought he was ready to try hobbling the back legs. He did great! I set the hobbles fairly long and he was grazing. He tried to take a big step, but felt the hobble and gave wonderfully to the pressure. He then tried the same with the other back leg and once again gave to the pressure. I then removed the hobbles and turned him back out with Rogan.

Okay and for riding... Saddling is still slow. I am saddling at the trailer to practice for real life smile emoticon I am not sure if he is concerned about the saddle/cinching or if he is just worried about where Rogan is, what is in the bushes, etc? No problems saddling at all, but I would like for him to be more relaxed and for it go quicker (which just requires more relaxation at each step) rather than on/off, rub with the stirrup, flop the cinch around, put pressure on the cinch and release, etc, etc before actually completing the process. After saddling Rogan was put in the stall so he wasn't a distraction and it is good for Poptart and I to work together without any other horses around. Poptart is becoming much easier to relax without Rogan, I have found a few exercises that help establish my leadership and thus his feeling of safety. -- mostly involving a pattern of squeeze or sideways next to barrels, disengage HQ, back up and repeat. This seems to work much better to focus him rather than moving his feet at a trot/canter in figure-8's or falling leaf, etc patterns. My husband was wonderful and came out in the cold drizzle and 'played' with the green ball off to the side while Poptart did his ground warm up. It was very scary close up, but not a problem a little further away, definitely something that needs more repetition. He, in general, is much more relaxed for mounting and his HQ yields are becoming quite good, almost no rein required. Rogan then squeeled and we used my 'focus' pattern from the groundwork which also worked excellently under saddle and he relaxed again. We played with sidepassing from 1 upright barrel to a 2nd upright barrel about 6' away. My husband obligingly put a treat on each barrel so Poptart sidepassed over to the barrel and got a cookie. We repeated about 3-4 times each direction. He was much better moving to the right than to the left. Much more 'attitude/resistance' to the left including backing up, head tossing, and surging forward. To the right he was a pro. More practice needed, but he liked the exercise! We ended after a few trot transitions and trot circles each direction. Very productive ride, but what cold, wet weather!!

And more rain and yet more confidence building

After a full day in town running errands I found a few minutes to play with Poptart in the cold, dark and rainy night... Thankfully he was nice and dry under his rain sheet :) We just played right next to the barn and in the barn aisle to have a little light and shelter. After just a few tries and a few minutes of thinking followed by much yawning he backed right up to the tire-pedestal and put both back feet on it! He really figured out the game, the answer and that the correct answer equaled much praise, cookies, and rest! Then we played in the barn with a hay bale for 2nd time working with wonderful suggestions from Claudia Lowe (thank you!) about building confidence by having the horse move to the obstacle rather than me touching him with the object. I placed the hay bale next to the barn/stall wall sticking out perpendicular to the wall and we side passed over to the wall, then practiced backing up and touching the hay bale with Poptart's hind legs :) He was a little uncomfortable still but really starting to figure out the game at the same time. Then I moved the hay bale out from the wall and squeezed him b/t it and the wall progressing to backing b/t the hay bale and the wall. The first time he did the backing up squeeze he bumped his rump on the wall --this would have sent him into orbit a few months ago, but today he just stopped alarmed for a few seconds then stepped away (yay!) and finished backing until his mouth was at the hay bale :) We then moved the bale to the middle of the aisle and I sent him over it-- he clambored over it like a goat sometimes and offered a little jump once, but was never worried! He rather enjoyed trying to climb on the hay. He was so confident I decided to start the idea of sidepassing to it and over it... We ended on him sidepassing one step , just over the edge of the bale, then studiously side passing back off, lots of cookies :) Till tomorrow... and more rain

First time in a blanket (or rain sheet)

It is raining and raining.. and now cold. We finally ordered and returned enough turnout sheets that I have on that fits, just in time for the 42 degrees and heavy rain coming tonight! I unfortunately did not have enough time to have him completely relax with the sheet prior to putting it on as he was already starting to shiver from being wet/cold. We safely put the sheet on without any incident (though he was worried and it took some time). Shortly thereafter both horses took off playing, galloping and bucking in the rain. The sheet is no longer returnable...and Poptart learned that it is not a good idea to gallop in slick mud on a steep hillside. He took 2 big slides on his hind end, covering the sheet with mud, but thankfully both he and the brand new, expensive turnout sheet are just fine!

And now it is time for Poptart and Rogan to go load and eat dinner in the horse trailer in the rain...

More Relaxation

Poptart was the most relaxed he has ever been today! He did great saddling and riding and is figuring out sidepassing (it is very hard to do without going forward) We are also adding in more trotting under saddle and he likes to get a bit of attitude, but responds immediately to hindquarter yields. He has successfully hobbled in my neighbor's backyard and today I let him graze hobbled in my backyard while I went inside for a break (and I kept an eye on him through the window). He also high-tied by himself for over 2 hours yesterday when I rode Rogan to my neighbor's hair salon for cut/color. And he was mostly calmly eating hay when I spied on him on my way home! It is getting harder and harder to phase him with the tarp or pool noodles in any configuration on his body, and even at walk/trot/canter. He is still uncomfortable with touching things in zone 3-5 (saddle area to tail), and while I can touch him with an object there (no problem) he cannot move into and touch things himself (yet!) So we are building confidence with that area and also playing with backing onto obstacles (ie the horse trailer ramp, a small pedestal, over a pool noodle, etc). When I can safely and successfully play with the obstacles while riding (with a relaxed and confident horse!) we will be ready to hit the trails!

More Confidence Building

Poptart is now up to 10 minutes grazing in hobbles (and handled a small spook while hobbled too!). He also thinks that 2 pool noodles (1 in each stirrup) is okay, even when he trots and they touch his legs

Confidence Building

and more camping practice

Relaxation

Recently Poptart is focusing on relaxation with tasks (more so than the task itself) as he struggles
with a lot of fear, especially with objects around his hind legs and underside. Today he had a great moment when he jumped the barrels, but was lazy and caught them with his hind legs. However he did not panic (so huge!!!!) he kept cantering then came back and relaxed next to the barrels. After playing with the barrels for a few minutes he jumped them again confidently. We are also getting more relaxation with saddling, it is taking a while but each step is completed with a lowered head/neck, loose lower lip and lots of licking/chewing. Eventually the goal is to saddle at a normal speed with relaxation (all in good time). We rode for a short session, again concentrating on relaxation--- seeing if he could stand after mounting until he relaxed with a lowered head, we were successful and we got a whole series of yawns (adrenaline releasing) prior to dismounting. Then since we were both tired we went to graze in the backyard and play with hobbling. Yesterday he was hobbled for 1 minute and took 1-2 steps while grazing. Today he was hobbled for several minutes and took a number of steps. He fell twice to his knees on the grass but never became panicked or fearful, just pushed himself back up and kept grazing. To be continued...

Hobbles

Poptart has new soft cotton, homemade, rope hobbles. Rogan tested them out, as I hobbled trained him several years ago, and they worked well. Practiced leading all 4 feet with the hobble (Poptart has been doing this for several weeks with the lead rope and tarp) and then letting the hobble dangle from each leg while he walked. He did great and would easily stop when pressure was applied and would back up too! We are also working towards having the bareback pad 'slip' under his belly (and eventually the saddle sans stirrups) and this evening he accepted the pad completely sideways while he ate dinner and then we unsaddled 3-4 times sliding it under the belly rather than over the back-- a little flinch/nervy the first time, then relaxed the other times! Progress smile emoticon Thank you Karen Chaton for your blog on endurance horse training!

Poptart lived up to his name once again

Ground driving prior to riding this week. Poptart is doing well, except for a 'moment' (after a great trail ride) when his hoof boot came off and proceeded to attack his hind legs. He was able to buck hard enough to free himself of all of his hoof boots (in pieces) and his rider (not in pieces, just a little bruised)... Now he gets to practice wearing his broken and flopping hoof boots, bell boots, and a creative assortment of anything else we can think of :)

Officially Adopted!!!

Poptart is now officially adopted!!!

He ground drove our neighborhood trails this week all by himself (no other horses were with him)
He did great and seemed to really enjoy it. We have increased our amount of trotting and transitions while riding and he seems to be acclimating to the fact that he has to go where I tell him (and at what speed). It is so hard to be a young horse, LOL! He has also figured out the 'jumping barrels' and 'side-passing over the bucket-lid' games on line. Up next we will see if he can sidepass over the bucket! (then someday the mounting block

More groundwork...

Quick workout after work today. Continued with going through the barrels and ended with a calm jump over them :) Then after saddling we squeezed through the barrels upright hitting the saddle stirrups lightly on the barrels (that is a fear trigger for Poptart), kept up for a few minutes until he could calmly walk through both directions. At the end we introduced ground driving which he took to quite quickly. We ground drove the property perimeter back to the arena. He gave me a little issue when we passed the barn (not wanting to keep going, LOL!) but we worked forward through it! As I suspected he shows the same fears/problems with ground driving as under saddle -- nervous with rein pressure and transitions. I am hopeful continued sessions will help him build confidence with this which will, hopefully continue under saddle. And we also had our 4th session of rolling 'on command' at the end -- soon (or eventually!) I will finally have a horse that will lay down for me :)

Farrier vist

Yesterday Poptart put his "big boy" pants on and trailered to John Crandell's and had his feet trimmed after Rogan got new shoes. John did a fantastic job dealing with Pop's wiggles and Poptart figured out it is much easier just to stand still and relax

Groundwork Update

Poptart's latest video of groundwork
He now accepts a saddle and we are starting to ride. He has also enjoyed several trips into the national forest being ponied with Rogan.

Poptart and the Tarp Session 3

Session 3 of "The Tarp". Significant improvement, he ended with being comfortable with the tarp swinging to his belly and hitting his hind limbs and even being tangled with his hind legs a bit. We even started with wearing the tarp like a blanket and he would walk calmly until it came off, but he wasn't truly relaxed about it-- for next time. Future plans include sliding it under his belly like a girth and using the tarp as a rope to pickup his legs and lead by the leg.

Ponied Poptart

On Monday we trailered out and went on an 8 mile group trail ride through the national forest. I rode Rogan and ponied Poptart. He wore his hoof boots (still looks at them a bit when they are put on), loaded well, and got great exposure to trails, creek crossing, brush, other horses, the whole shebang!! Now just for more repetition :)

Poptart and the Tarp

This is from session 2 of many ...
I really like the change in his expression in the 2nd half, he was still unsure of the tarp but was much more engaged (and thinking about cookies rather than escape) and not so internal-- big progress! I also like the adrenaline release (neck shaking with head down) at the end.

Unplanned dismount and ER visit

Today while riding in the woods Poptart spooked; I think he stepped on a large limb and it came up touched him on the hind leg.  It was very quick/sudden (no time think about a 1 rein stop!).  I came off very quickly (especially since I am still bareback) which was okay (he is small, LOL!) but then he side kicked me in the back on my way down, hoof print on my mid-lumbar vertebrae plus some large bruising on my right leg.  He ran home and I stumbled out to the neighborhood road and laid on it for about 15 min hoping someone would come rescue me.  No such luck, so I slowly and painfully stumbled home about 1/4 mile where my husband promptly put up Poptart (who was happily grazing in the backyard) and took me to the ER.  Thankfully, nothing was broken, just fully body whiplash, bruising, and some serious spraining of my back ligaments/muscle.

He was doing so well prior to the spook, walking relaxed with his head down on a loose rein. His quickness and level of fear surprised me.  I have a lot of confidence building to do, now for both of us!

Trailer practice

First ride together and first hi-tie practice

Poptart has been home about 5 days and is settling in so we had our first ride together. We do not have a saddle that comes close to fitting so it is bareback for now!

We are also starting off our practice as an endurance horse by 'camping' on the hi-tie.  Rogan apparently thinks it is a great time for a nap.

Poptart has arrived home!

Poptart has arrived home! Poptart is a 2010 Polish Arabian gelding adopted from Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Maryland.  Prior to being impounded by animal control with 146 other Arabians he was bred by Canterbury Farms in Maryland.

Here is his intake to DEFHR photo:

From research about Canterbury Farms, I believe his sire is Equifor.  Equifor was imported from Poland for breeding by Canterbury Farms for several years. At some point in the future I would like to submit DNA testing to the Arabian Horse Association for parentage verification and potential registration.

*EQUIFOR

#629207  grey stallion foaled 2/27/03

sire:   *GAZAL AL SHAQAB   (ANAZA EL FARID  x  KAJORA)

dam: *EQVIRIA (PERS  x  EQUINA)

Imported from Poland to the United States in 2006, and has since returned to his homeland.