This probably isn't a big deal for most of you...

[Trailpal]

I'm still waiting for my new saddle to arrive, so while riding in my LJ I'm doing lots of arena stuff and some on the trails around the barn. In the arena, Tanner and I are mostly working on basic dressage things that will help him be more flexible and have more power while gaiting, but we are also working on timing, obedience, communication, all those goodies.

Last night, I had him go over our "bridge" (basically a very reinforced pallet) when I thought! hey, what can we do up here? Once all four feet were on, I asked for whoa, and he did. We hung out and chilled for awhile and I tried to think of something else to do. Oh yeah, backing, one foot at a time! We have troubles with backing, probably more from me than from him because he will occasionally use backing as a resistance and he has no trouble backing up then. Anyhow, I asked to back, and he gave it to me one foot at a time, till we were off the bridge.

I realize, this is not that big a deal - except I had never asked for it before! But now I am inspired to make some "obstacles" to work on. It's a fun way to check communications.

[ride4fun]

Awesome. My timing and own body response/awareness aren't good enough to get that kind of precision. I did like a good trail class back in 4-H though. So fun to have something where you think you're way through and use sidepass, turn on the forehand combined with backing etc.

[DorothyB]

Cool! Can he pivot on the "bridge"?

[Idaho Linda]

Obstacle stuff is fun. Pool "noodles" are easy to suspend to make a barrier to ride through. Maybe you can get some help from the other boarders to set up lots of fun stuff to play with.

[Trailpal]

R4F - I never had the patience before to work on this kind of thing before, I always wanted to trot (except for the warm up and cool down). It helps a lot to have a "walking" horse, one whose default is always walk - walk fast, walk slow, but still walk. I think the LJ helps too, because I can really feel his back and balance, so we give each other good feedback.

Dorothy - I've never tried to pivot him - but that is a good idea. One of the things we are working on is to get him to shift weight to his hind, and get off of his forehand. (Unmounted, he still is mostly on his forehand, so it's either habit or conformation, but building the muscles will help either way.)

Linda - The "bridge" is from one of the other boarders - she wants to do the ACTHA stuff, and I'm sure she'd help with more obstacles. We do have jump standards, so I'm thinking of mounting some pool noodles horizontally first so we have to push through them. Tanner will push through brush, so I think that will be easy for him. Then it will be a matter of setting up something to let the noodles hang like a "cowboy curtain". I have some ideas already!

[Mary Ann]

This is also a good way to build trust both ways, and to know exactly where the bottom is, if necessary. I'm glad you're having fun with this! I bet Tanner is, too.

[Idaho Linda]

When you ask for a turn on the haunches, make sure he doesn't bend his neck. The neck needs to stay reasonably straight. This will be a good project for you--turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches. For the forehand, you can place his front feet inside a hula hoop. Later, up on a small, round platform. This kind of stuff beats the heck out of riding round and round a ring.

[Kit]

Yeah!
I had a horse that got bored very easily. He always wanted to do fun stuff. My dad built me a pretty heavy duty bridge, about the size of a full sheet of plywood. I put a landscape timber under the center of it (about 4x4") and we'd teeter. I could get him to balance right smack in the middle, so all I had to do was lean back & forth for it to tip.
I THINK I have a photo, I'll have to go look.

[Trailpal]

Thanks, Maryanne - I do think that as we do these sorts of things, we get to know each other better. My first horse was a just started 4yo; I leased him the first 6 months while the trainer/breeder continued working with him and taught me what she taught him. I always had absolute trust in him - partly because I was a beginner and didn't know any better, and partly because we were both coming along under the same teacher. I haven't had that sort of connection with any other horse, but feel that I am developing it with Tanner now.

Linda - thanks for the advice on the neck. I had a "re-do" of that lesson last winter with the guy who ran the boarding stable I was at. Currently I do smallish circles with the straight neck, both as circles and as figure 8's. I need to turn that into turns on the haunch. Long ago we learned turns on the forehand by using rimless tires, harder for the horse to step out of I guess. Although I guess it does look rather red-necky!

Kit - that sounds like a lot of fun! I'd love to see the photo if you can find it. I used to go to the steam engine shows with my dad, and that was something they'd do with the self-propelled engines - run them up a teeter totter and then try to balance it.

[Vicki]

How fun! I love ideas like this! Yet another use for my daughters' hoola hoops and pool noodles!

[Trailpal]

Yesterday my coach/trainer (J) came out with her horse Slick - a blue roan TWH He is gorgeous but is a project for now, his brain was fried as a youngster by poor riders. He is coming along great. He met goats for the first time yesterday and wasn't too sure about them, but took his cues from Tanner He did like the sheep though.

I warmed up in the arena, J worked on getting Slick's brain engaged a little better. I showed her my little "bridge" trick which she liked. Then we went out on my usual ride around the farm, Slick was able to follow (he usually liked to lead) and when he did lead, he could be rated to go as slow as Tanner.

Then we rode the "new" trails - they had just been mowed and the branches cleared. We finished by riding under the power lines - I had never been up there before; but the utility company had just gone through and mowed. I'd heard there were ground hog holes, so we stayed toward the middle and kept at a walk - we didn't see any ground hog holes but there were a few depressions to avoid. This was the only area where I started getting tense and tipping forward.

I mentioned to J that a month ago I would have probably had a meltdown up there, she grinned and said that a month ago I probably wouldn't have even suggested going up there! So I am coming along getting my confidence I think.