Another Idiot Update

[flaboy?]

OK, been working him in the pen for a couple days a week but only for an hour or so each time. Been working on one rein stuff, direct reining, leg and heel pressure, mounting/dismounting, and standing still.

Well yesterday I took him in the pen and trotted figure 8's and did the other basic's I have been working on. He did really well. I work on something I have not heard anybody else (pro's) mention but then again I don't pay to close attention to the 100's of video's and steps they take so maybe I missed it.

I have the horse moving at a walk or trot and start to dismount as they are moving. As I come off the side I say "whoa". After a couple times of doing this he will now stop as I start to get off or fall off. I taught both of my last two this and it saved my butt several times and has other uses such as when ya bulldog something.

So after my normal hour I rode him out of the round pen for his first ride outside. Rode a couple laps around a small area with a ton of tree's and he was a perfect gentleman. I rode him across a ditch twice and he never hesitated.

I may have to announce his real name shortly and quit with the Idiot. :lol:

 

[Alan]

I have the horse moving at a walk or trot and start to dismount as they are moving. As I come off the side I say "whoa". After a couple times of doing this he will now stop as I start to get off or fall off.

That sounds like a great idea, I know of plenty of times I wanted the horse to just stop while things are getting crazy. I like the idwa of have the horse know to whoa when I'm off balance.... not that I'm off balance much are anything like that , just trying to balance the extra 40lbs above my belt buckle.

I may have to announce his real name shortly and quit with the Idiot. :lol:

Don't count your chickens.... well you know.

Haven't seen a recent pic of him for a while, got any to post?

Alan

 

[circlet]

i was at a friend of mine's clinic (kevin wescott) and he was talking about Ray Hunt being asked once "how should i stop my horse" and Ray's reply was "my horse should stop moving when i stop riding". most of the concepts are a a little advanced for me, but i guess it makes perfect sense - the horse should sense and be tuned in to when the rider is ready to stop - now of course this doesn't account for blow ups i guess.

 

[flaboy?]

Alan, I will try to get some pictures posted.

I had a little King QH mare I rode for many a year. We used to have, well lets call it red neck games at the Cracker Days events down here. I used to mop the field in every event where you had to get off and have control of the horse. That mare would stop and spin and put her nose to me every time I came off and be no more than a couple feet from me.

It worked out real good one time for sure. I was running her bare back down the side of a paved road. She thought she knew where I wanted to turn and she did. The problem was I didn't :shock: I hit the road, broke my shoulder, and ground the skin down to the shoulder blade. She stopped, came back to me, put her nose in my face and pushed a little. I managed to get up, get back on her, and ride the 3-4 miles back to the house.

 

[skidboots]

Yep, that's a nice touch...havin them come back to you when your off their back. Beats crawling around in a hunderd acre field, on you hands and knees, blood streamin down your face, your cowboy hat all crushed and lost back in the Mesquite and Black Jacks, while that 2yr old outlaw is munching grass, then moving on the munch another patch, all the time, just out of reach!!
Don't ask me how I know this.

 

[flaboy?]

Yep, that's a nice touch...havin them come back to you when your off their back. Beats crawling around in a hunderd acre field, on you hands and knees, blood streamin down your face, your cowboy hat all crushed and lost back in the Mesquite and Black Jacks, while that 2yr old outlaw is munching grass, then moving on the munch another patch, all the time, just out of reach!!
Don't ask me how I know this.

Boy, don't you just hate it when you crush your hat?

Been there done that. Had a staring role in the movie. :lol:

 

[peg4x4]

Don't know WHY he put up with me~~ My Charlie saved me so many times,but this one is in this topic..I went to step up in the saddle-wearing penny loafers-(YES,I know) Foot went thro the stirrup,got wedged under his front leg..I fell and was on my back,lost the reins. Charlie sighed,I swear rolled his eyes,and stood like a rock until I got untangled--then he started grazeing..Pretty good for a 2 year old..

 

[flaboy?]

Kind a another funny story. I recently had my neighbors big ole TB fighting with one of my horses over a fence at my house. I had let mine to mow the yard.

The TB reared up and stuck his leg through the hog wire. I was sitting in front of the garage having a cool one at the time. I saw it, jumped up, ran to my truck, grabbed some wire cutters, ran to him (all this time he stood perfectly still). I was going to cut him out when I realized if I just lifted the leg and pushed back it would come right out. I talked to him, eased up and grabbed his front leg, lifted it, pushed it back and through the fence. He never got excited. I dropped his foot and he turned, ran all the way back to his house hollering like a colt who lost his momma. It was pretty funny after the fact.

That poor horse would have been there for weeks if he relied on his owners for help.

 

[flaboy?]

OK, "One Lucky Son of a Dun" formerly known as "Idiot" has now been ridden out of the round pen twice into an open pasture. He is doing really well. He has a nice brisk walk, not very jumpy but on alert, is responding to my heel pressure pretty well, eager to move, just give him a kiss and he is in the next gear. Be careful not to kiss and give him heels at the same time unless you are ready to go really fast.

Bottom line is it appears the ground work has paid off and I think he is doing really well. Have not tried to anything but a trot in the open field yet but he is ready to move. Did canter him in the round pen once or twice.

He walks through bushes or over them with no hesitation. I am taking him up to ride around the cows this coming week. Just want him to get used to being around them.

 

[sjr725]

Yep - the ground work always pays off!
I want to make sure mine know everything I'm going to ask them from the saddle BEFORE I set foot in the stirrup. I'm way to old to bust broncs - silly waste of time anyway.

I have a funny story about my hubby's mare - here a few years ago we got talked into going on a "poker ride" with some friends - you know the kind where you can pick up a six pack with every card?? Well anyway, on the trail to the last card, that poor mare was weaving like she'd been the one drinking just trying to stay under the old man - anyhow, he got off to go and get his last card (and beer) and when he got back on - holding the beer can in his teeth by the pop top - he just went right on over the other side, landed flat on his back right under that mare - well she just turned her head around to look at what just happened and if a horse can give you a look of outright disgust - that was is, she just blew a big sigh right in his face and sidepassed off of him, leaving him lay there in the middle of the trail - I laughed so hard I almost fell off - and I don't drink!

 

[I luv herfrds]

Love that ground work.
My big laugh happened to my son last year. He was riding his half Morgan half Quarter horse in our working pen and was not looking where he was going. He rode smack into the handle of the squeeze chute and since he was bare back it just swept him straight off the butt end of that horse. All that "Trouble Maker" did was turn around and come back and sniff him all over and wait for him to get back on and continue to ride.

As for squashed hats, I would rather have a smashed hat compared to having my shoulder put back into place in the middle of no where after a friends horse threw me. I renamed him Easy Off.