I guess I can't just go around only blogging about the good things. Yes, I got bucked off last Saturday and I feel compelled to admit it here, in this public forum. It's only the second time I've come unglued from a horse. The first was before I could ride bareback and just kind of slip off Amigo real slow like. I wish I could say that the only thing hurt was my pride, but it looks like I got a little case of whip lash. I already feel much better, so no permanent harm.
I took a friend out on horseback to go hunting in Wyoming and fill his two elk tags. I put Roger on Sara and I took Smooch. Unfortunately Smoochie wasn't feeling quite up to par after having been sedated at the vet the day before. It was a muddy mess and we didn't see one elk. On the way back we had decided to ride a certain ridge we had heard shooting coming from behind. It was a steep climb up and we ended up getting trapped between a fence and a box canyon. So we headed back down. At this point I need to say that I didn't have a comfortable ride all day. And if it wasn't comfortable to me, it probably wasn't comfortable for Smooch. The new backpack I bought worked fine on Sara's saddle a few weeks ago, but the cantle on Smooch's saddle is a little too high and it had a tendency to push on the back pack and push me forward. So we got going down this hill. The further we got, the more the saddle was pushing me forward. The more forward I got pushed, the faster Smooch went until he was running. And then the inevitable happened. I should have seen it coming. He gave one good buck, and the cantle heaved the bottom of the pack launching me right over Smooch's head. Lucky for me that gymnastics, Tang So Do and Judo have stayed with me enough that I know how to control myself in the air and land the best I can. I did a half summersault and landed flat on my back. The soft, wet grass and the backpack (one of those ones with a water bladder) took most of the impact. Luckily nothing was broken inside the pack and I was able to get up and ride out.
Next time, the backpack gets tied on the saddle with the rest of the gear!
My elk tag opens up today, so I'll be out after one myself this weekend. Wish me luck. With this storm pushing in, the hunting should be good.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Hunting Season is Upon Us
Yup, it's that time of year where I get absolutely nothing else done and piss off the loved ones. It's hunting season.
I have decided to cut back on the duck hunting this year and concentrate on big game. And it's just as well, because the irrigation company has started draining Mud Lake earlier than usual and my spots are cut off from boat access. Last week when I took Tristan hunting, I could tell the lake was lower than this time last year, and this past weekend on regular season opening day, it was about another foot lower which effectively cut me off from my favorite spot. I hunted that spot last year well into late October. I did manage to get the boat back there due to sheer momentum. If you can get a running start at it, the Mud Buddy mud motor will go through an inch or less of water providing there's mud underneath (and not rock). If you stop, you are screwed and you might as well get out and spend some time pushing. Which is exactly what I had to do to get out of my spot. It was worth it. I was covered up in ducks all morning and had the luxury of passing up whatever I didn't feel like shooting at. I could pick my shots and shoot all big ducks. I ended up with a pin tail and six mallards. I might take the boat out once or twice more all season, probably down at the river once the migration kicks in. Right now they are all local ducks and might not be concentrated on the rivers yet. I'll also wait until the ducks are fattened up and feathered out because they taste so much better than early season ducks.
As for the deer hunting, I spent all Sunday morning in the rain scoping things out. Not a deer to be seen although I did get into some elk. There aren't a lot of signs yet, so they probably aren't migrating down from the mountains quite yet. That will change after this weekend when we are supposed to get down to 17 degrees and snow. I took Sara the mule and rode Smooch. I think this ends the colt journal. I will definitely be keeping you up with his progress, but as far as colt starting, I think I accomplished just about everything I set out to accomplish this spring. He is turning into a competent trail horse with surefootedness and lots of confidence. He's a little tank in the woods, he's seen probably more than most two year olds, and he should be ready for mounted patrol come spring.
I have decided to cut back on the duck hunting this year and concentrate on big game. And it's just as well, because the irrigation company has started draining Mud Lake earlier than usual and my spots are cut off from boat access. Last week when I took Tristan hunting, I could tell the lake was lower than this time last year, and this past weekend on regular season opening day, it was about another foot lower which effectively cut me off from my favorite spot. I hunted that spot last year well into late October. I did manage to get the boat back there due to sheer momentum. If you can get a running start at it, the Mud Buddy mud motor will go through an inch or less of water providing there's mud underneath (and not rock). If you stop, you are screwed and you might as well get out and spend some time pushing. Which is exactly what I had to do to get out of my spot. It was worth it. I was covered up in ducks all morning and had the luxury of passing up whatever I didn't feel like shooting at. I could pick my shots and shoot all big ducks. I ended up with a pin tail and six mallards. I might take the boat out once or twice more all season, probably down at the river once the migration kicks in. Right now they are all local ducks and might not be concentrated on the rivers yet. I'll also wait until the ducks are fattened up and feathered out because they taste so much better than early season ducks.
As for the deer hunting, I spent all Sunday morning in the rain scoping things out. Not a deer to be seen although I did get into some elk. There aren't a lot of signs yet, so they probably aren't migrating down from the mountains quite yet. That will change after this weekend when we are supposed to get down to 17 degrees and snow. I took Sara the mule and rode Smooch. I think this ends the colt journal. I will definitely be keeping you up with his progress, but as far as colt starting, I think I accomplished just about everything I set out to accomplish this spring. He is turning into a competent trail horse with surefootedness and lots of confidence. He's a little tank in the woods, he's seen probably more than most two year olds, and he should be ready for mounted patrol come spring.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Youth Waterfowl Day
This past weekend was youth waterfowl hunting day in Idaho, during which kids under 16 years of age get the rivers, sloughs and marshes to themselves in an attempt to harvest ducks without the pressure and competition of adult hunters. I took the opportunity to do a little pre-season scouting, and offered my friends' kid the chance to shoot a few ducks.
As a little side note, I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures. My camera is still at the Canon repair center, and I still haven't decided if I want to spend the $100 to get it fixed, or $150 on an upgrade for a refurbished camera.
Anyway, Tristan, Heidi and Danny's 12 year old son took me up on my offer. Danny and Heidi both work Sundays, so Tristan and I were on our own. He bought a new 20 gauge pump Remington this summer and was anxious to try it out on live birds. He even shot some clays last week, and I'm told he did pretty well.
He was the model kid and hunter with me all day yesterday. He did what he was told, was respectful of both myself and the wild life, never complained, and was always safe and aware of what was going on around him. He was also very willing to learn about the sport instead of just going along for the ride. I think also that he was surprised to learn that a trip to the duck blind is much more than just a hunt. He learned he had the opportunity to experience all kinds of non game wildlife (which he expressly appreciated) and the ecosystem. We saw many species of waterfowl, pelicans, hawks, snakes, muskrats, and birds of all sorts. He was quick to point out new things and was very curious about them.
I was concerned about the shooting part. I know that Tristan can be a very intense kid, and I hoped he wouldn't get upset if he wasn't "getting it" right away. He is very athletic and his parents have him in EVERYTHING: football, baseball, skiing, horse 4H (Tristan is an excellent rider and horseman in his own right), pig 4H, ranch horse 4H, and who knows what else. He is very competitive and can take failure hard. I was curious to see how he would handle wing shooting, as it can be very hard and frustrating. Especially with a 20 gauge.
By the time we got to the spot and set up the decoys and blind, it was light and we were covered up with birds. I did not want to start at first light with a new hunter, so it worked out well. Of course the first few shots he missed. The hardest part for him was making the transition from a single shot gun (which he passed onto his sister) to a pump. He had a hard time with the pump action, and sometimes had to be reminded to pump and to reload the gun. Heck, I still sometimes forget to reload and find that "click" when I go to squeeze off a shot at a nice green head. He didn't take any of it hard, and understood that a shotgun was a tool just like any other that takes time to learn how to use effectively and efficiently.
Before too long, that first duck was out of the way! And then another. And then another. Another thing I was pressing on him was how important duck identification is. With split limits and closed seasons on some birds, you'd better know what you are shooting at or you could be looking at a hefty fine. The first two ducks I ID'd for him. Then on the third I pulled out my Le Master Method Waterfowl ID book and told him to go at it and tell me what he had shot. He had a fun time learning how to not only ID ducks based on their physical characteristics (bill size and color, feathers, head shape, wing patterns, feet, etc.) but their flight characteristics and calls. Out on Mud Lake, a hunter can see many species of ducks. Duck ID skills are especially useful on such a place.
Tristan also learned about hawks and raptors, and that there are protected birds that are not to be shot. He learned how to sit still, keep his head down, when to shoot, and most important he really had a feel for the effective range of his gun and did not waste out of range shots. A few things he did naturally really surprised me, like knowing how to focus on a single bird instead of flock shooting, and how to shoot at the head.
In all, he shot a limit of 7 birds on his first ever bird hunt, and came away with 5. Out of the two lost, one was wounded and was a lost cause, and the other I simply just couldn't find in the rushes. Out of the 5 he brought home, he had shot a mallard, a pin tail, a gadwall, and two wigeon. It's really an excellent record for a first hunt, and he only spent two boxes of shells doing it. And yes, I was bird dog all day because I had the waders. It was good exercise for me.
I had fun reconnecting with the lake. I always enjoy a boat ride. And I had a good time with Tristan. I was glad he had a good time and was successful. Hopefully he'll want to go back out for more!
As a little side note, I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures. My camera is still at the Canon repair center, and I still haven't decided if I want to spend the $100 to get it fixed, or $150 on an upgrade for a refurbished camera.
Anyway, Tristan, Heidi and Danny's 12 year old son took me up on my offer. Danny and Heidi both work Sundays, so Tristan and I were on our own. He bought a new 20 gauge pump Remington this summer and was anxious to try it out on live birds. He even shot some clays last week, and I'm told he did pretty well.
He was the model kid and hunter with me all day yesterday. He did what he was told, was respectful of both myself and the wild life, never complained, and was always safe and aware of what was going on around him. He was also very willing to learn about the sport instead of just going along for the ride. I think also that he was surprised to learn that a trip to the duck blind is much more than just a hunt. He learned he had the opportunity to experience all kinds of non game wildlife (which he expressly appreciated) and the ecosystem. We saw many species of waterfowl, pelicans, hawks, snakes, muskrats, and birds of all sorts. He was quick to point out new things and was very curious about them.
I was concerned about the shooting part. I know that Tristan can be a very intense kid, and I hoped he wouldn't get upset if he wasn't "getting it" right away. He is very athletic and his parents have him in EVERYTHING: football, baseball, skiing, horse 4H (Tristan is an excellent rider and horseman in his own right), pig 4H, ranch horse 4H, and who knows what else. He is very competitive and can take failure hard. I was curious to see how he would handle wing shooting, as it can be very hard and frustrating. Especially with a 20 gauge.
By the time we got to the spot and set up the decoys and blind, it was light and we were covered up with birds. I did not want to start at first light with a new hunter, so it worked out well. Of course the first few shots he missed. The hardest part for him was making the transition from a single shot gun (which he passed onto his sister) to a pump. He had a hard time with the pump action, and sometimes had to be reminded to pump and to reload the gun. Heck, I still sometimes forget to reload and find that "click" when I go to squeeze off a shot at a nice green head. He didn't take any of it hard, and understood that a shotgun was a tool just like any other that takes time to learn how to use effectively and efficiently.
Before too long, that first duck was out of the way! And then another. And then another. Another thing I was pressing on him was how important duck identification is. With split limits and closed seasons on some birds, you'd better know what you are shooting at or you could be looking at a hefty fine. The first two ducks I ID'd for him. Then on the third I pulled out my Le Master Method Waterfowl ID book and told him to go at it and tell me what he had shot. He had a fun time learning how to not only ID ducks based on their physical characteristics (bill size and color, feathers, head shape, wing patterns, feet, etc.) but their flight characteristics and calls. Out on Mud Lake, a hunter can see many species of ducks. Duck ID skills are especially useful on such a place.
Tristan also learned about hawks and raptors, and that there are protected birds that are not to be shot. He learned how to sit still, keep his head down, when to shoot, and most important he really had a feel for the effective range of his gun and did not waste out of range shots. A few things he did naturally really surprised me, like knowing how to focus on a single bird instead of flock shooting, and how to shoot at the head.
In all, he shot a limit of 7 birds on his first ever bird hunt, and came away with 5. Out of the two lost, one was wounded and was a lost cause, and the other I simply just couldn't find in the rushes. Out of the 5 he brought home, he had shot a mallard, a pin tail, a gadwall, and two wigeon. It's really an excellent record for a first hunt, and he only spent two boxes of shells doing it. And yes, I was bird dog all day because I had the waders. It was good exercise for me.
I had fun reconnecting with the lake. I always enjoy a boat ride. And I had a good time with Tristan. I was glad he had a good time and was successful. Hopefully he'll want to go back out for more!
The Colt Journal: Rides 22 and 23, Parelli Level 1!
At the last minute, I decided to participate in the last day of Dan's three day Level 1 class at the Parelli clinic taught by Dan and Gretchen Thompson at the Rexburg fairgrounds. Originally I was supposed to have a one hour private lesson in the evening, but I decided to turn that into my Level 1 assessment.
The class went well. Because there were some difficult horses (and people) at the spring Level 1 clinic I was in, that clinic didn't quite advance as much as it should have. This clinic worked out well for me because day three was basically picking up where day three left off last time.
Robin had attended the entire three days with her Kentucky Mountain Horse, Sweetheart. Sweetheart made some incredible breakthroughs and advances during the clinic. I am sorry to Robin for suggesting that she sell the horse. I hope she keeps up her training so we can see what Sweetheart's potential is. It is more than likely that Sweetheart was abused and whipped at some point in her life (not by Robin!), so it is nice to see her start to turn into a normal, well adjusted horse.
After a full day of clinic, I had to load Smooch up and drive half an hour to where Gretchen was teaching her workshop (they were bumped out of the Rexburg facilities on Saturday by a roping competition) for the assessment. When I got there, Smooch was a little tired and wasn't his usual calm, unshakable self. He was a little bit tuned out, which made for a not so smooth assessment, not to mention that it was at a strange place at night. Overall the assessment went well. We needed help from Gretchen working through a few things (some of them basic things that I had forgotten from the first clinic), but for the most part I was really proud of Smooch. And of course it's always fun catching up with Gretchen. She is such a fun, outgoing person with an interesting outlook on life.
Now I get my red Savvy string (Savvy string colors are kind of like belt colors in Karate) and I get to play in Level 2! Lookout, Level 3, here I come!.
The class went well. Because there were some difficult horses (and people) at the spring Level 1 clinic I was in, that clinic didn't quite advance as much as it should have. This clinic worked out well for me because day three was basically picking up where day three left off last time.
Robin had attended the entire three days with her Kentucky Mountain Horse, Sweetheart. Sweetheart made some incredible breakthroughs and advances during the clinic. I am sorry to Robin for suggesting that she sell the horse. I hope she keeps up her training so we can see what Sweetheart's potential is. It is more than likely that Sweetheart was abused and whipped at some point in her life (not by Robin!), so it is nice to see her start to turn into a normal, well adjusted horse.
After a full day of clinic, I had to load Smooch up and drive half an hour to where Gretchen was teaching her workshop (they were bumped out of the Rexburg facilities on Saturday by a roping competition) for the assessment. When I got there, Smooch was a little tired and wasn't his usual calm, unshakable self. He was a little bit tuned out, which made for a not so smooth assessment, not to mention that it was at a strange place at night. Overall the assessment went well. We needed help from Gretchen working through a few things (some of them basic things that I had forgotten from the first clinic), but for the most part I was really proud of Smooch. And of course it's always fun catching up with Gretchen. She is such a fun, outgoing person with an interesting outlook on life.
Now I get my red Savvy string (Savvy string colors are kind of like belt colors in Karate) and I get to play in Level 2! Lookout, Level 3, here I come!.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Ride 21: in back of Robin's house, in search of a mule
I guess we'll call this ride 21. It wasn't a long ride, but it was a ride and it was somewhat eventful. Woke up Saturday morning and Robin's horses had chased Sarah the mule out of the pasture. She was nowhere in sight, but our guess was that she was with the neighbors horses back at their corral because the electric fence was down in a spot.
So I caught Smooch, saddled him up, and it started raining. Put on the slicker and headed out to look for a mule. To get to their corral, the neighbor horses have to take a trail through the woods for a few hundred yards or so. So I headed down the trail. It's kind of cool back there. There is a stream crossing, and we even saw some mule deer.
Sure enough, there was Sara hanging out with a bunch of warm bloods and appendix QH's (some really big guys). Bonnie the neighbor had seen me ride up and walked out to see me. She said she noticed Sara half an hour ago, and that the big buckskin was trying to play with her. The others didn't mind her at all. So it didn't confound me that she didn't want to go back to where she was being bullied. I tried to herd her back, but she's too quick. Failing that, I caught her, haltered her, and drug her back.
Then I had to fix the electric fence she knocked down. Dang mule!
So I caught Smooch, saddled him up, and it started raining. Put on the slicker and headed out to look for a mule. To get to their corral, the neighbor horses have to take a trail through the woods for a few hundred yards or so. So I headed down the trail. It's kind of cool back there. There is a stream crossing, and we even saw some mule deer.
Sure enough, there was Sara hanging out with a bunch of warm bloods and appendix QH's (some really big guys). Bonnie the neighbor had seen me ride up and walked out to see me. She said she noticed Sara half an hour ago, and that the big buckskin was trying to play with her. The others didn't mind her at all. So it didn't confound me that she didn't want to go back to where she was being bullied. I tried to herd her back, but she's too quick. Failing that, I caught her, haltered her, and drug her back.
Then I had to fix the electric fence she knocked down. Dang mule!
Ride 20: Wilson arena
It is Wednesday. It is Wilson arena day. And yes, it's back to ground school. People probably don't back up and work on ground school as much as they ought to. I attribute this to the fact that most people don't really know what ground school is. A lot of people think that ground work ends with "longing" the horse to wear it down so they aren't afraid to get on it. In fact, this has a negative effect. In reality, pretty much anything you do in the saddle is built directly from ground school. Ground work is the basis for the communication that forms a partnership between horse and rider. It is one of the things I am learning from all of the natural horsemanship people out there. Whenever these people encounter a "problem horse", they always begin on the ground. These techniques work, but they take time, schooling, mentorship, and patience. You can't tell someone, or explain to them how or why natural horsemanship works. Well, you can try, but for some reason no one listens until they experience or see the results for themselves. That's kind of how it was for me. When I first got Amigo, I would stand out there and longe him round and round before I got on. What I was accomplishing, I will never know, but that's what other people were doing. Then, I joined the mounted patrol and began learning a different way to train a horse. Then I went to Gretchen's clinic. Talk about a whole 'nother world. Between the two I am light years from where I was even half a year ago.
Dan and Gretchen's Parelli clinic is coming up soon. I don't have the money or time to take a full clinic course, so I am going for a one hour lesson with Grethcen on next Saturday. My goal is to send in a video for my Level 1 assessment this fall, but first I need to hone and polish some things. To find out where I'm at, I brought a copy of the Level 1 assessment sheet with me and went through it step by step.
I was surprised to find that we are still lacking on a basic communication level. Smooch still thinks he can be in control in some certain situations. Either that or he is confused and I haven't communicated what I am expecting of him well enough. Probably a little of both. We went through most of the "games" fine until we came to the driving game, backing up. Then things broke down for a while. What I like about Smooch is that even during a melt down, he is very thoughtful, as in he is thinking about what is going on instead of reacting. To a point. Most any horse will become an out of control crazed maniac when he is scared and not sure of what is being asked of him. Even when Smooch gets to this point, if you can figure out what is wrong and give him a way to succeed, he is right back down to his normal self within seconds. He doesn't dwell. I think maybe that most horses are actually like this to varying degrees. It's the stupid people factor that makes things volatile. Having such a good, solid minded horse makes it easier to get through things and continue on, even if I mess up. I didn't fully get through backing him up to the polished level I wanted, but I got him through enough to continue on. And guess what, he was fine afterwards. We will work on the polish with Gretchen, that's what she is there for.
I went through Liberty (horse is unhaltered) and Online (horse is haltered with rope halter and lead line). All of this work is on the ground. I decided to stop short of saddling him and just opted to do a little bareback work before quitting for the evening. One of the things Gretchen taught us was how to side pass a horse. INTO you. From the ground. So guess what, I can sit on a pipe fence and side pass my horse right into me so I can hop on. One of these days when I figure out how to download video from my video camera onto the computer, I'll have someone take a video and I'll post it. In fact, maybe I'll put my level one assessment on Youtube and post the link here. Would you like that?
So bareback is not as scary as people make out. If the horse is broke enough to ride in a saddle, it should be broke enough to ride bareback. With some caution, of course. Smooch is at that point and I really enjoy riding bare back. I didn't ride long. Just long enough to do some basic direct and indirect turns, and then I rode him up to the gate and stood him there. I know he has mental problems with gates, so I've decided to back up and master step by step until he is 100 percent bomb proof. So for now it's just making him sack out next to the gate. Once he can do that every time solid, I'll work on opening the gate and progress from there. The key is to avoid anticipation on his part.
The next thing I worked on was leading. For some reason, Smooch doesn't lead well. Never has since the day I got him. He has a tendency to sit back with pressure to the rope halter. He'll walk with you, slowly, but forget about trotting. This is one of the main things I'll be having Gretchen help me with. I am coming up with my own ideas on how to handle this (and I think they are working), but I'd like to hear the expert's advice.
The thing about my training sessions, is that I never consider them over until the horse is home and turned loose in the corral. So loading and unloading are definitely part of my training curriculum. Every time I load a horse, I am training it. I have Smooch where I can send him from about ten feet away, into the trailer. I also have him where I can get in the trailer and call him in, and I can pull him out backwards by his tail (not cruel like it sounds). BTW, I don't tie my horses in the trailer. The very afternoon I was loading Smooch for this work out, some people came by the house to pick up a piece of equipment that Robins ex-husband had sold them. I was hitching up the trailer as they pulled up, and the trailer was blocking the equipment they were after. So after opening the trailer gate and opening the partitions, I pulled the truck forward, put it in park, and ran out to get Smooch (I was in a hurry, it gets dark so early now). When I got to the trailer with him, I discovered that the partitions had locked shut when I had moved the truck. Not even thinking, I left Smooch at the back of the trailer, climbed in, opened both partitions back up, and looked out to see Smooch standing there looking at me. Well, I thought, why should I get out of the trailer to send him in, only to have to get back in to shut the partition? So I just called him in. And just as natural, he came in, parked himself in his spot, I shut the partition and got out of the trailer. Maybe I was just lucky. When I jumped out of the trailer, the woman gave me a start because I had forgotten about the people standing there getting their equipment. The woman was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe I had just left my horse untied and then called him right up into the trailer. Then I told her he was only two and didn't wait around for the response before I got in the truck and headed off. The point is, that I enjoy taking his training to that level. Not every one does, that's just part of things. Hopefully I'll be lucky if I can accomplish a fraction of the things I see some of the natural horsemanship people doing. I have been watching RFD a lot. It's the rural cable channel (I especially love the tractor auctions). Robin has it and I can't get enough. The other day I saw a preview for a training video or show or something, I don't remember. I was half paying attention when I saw a guy sitting in the driver seat of his truck with his horse on a long line, and he sent it right into the trailer. Right there from the driver seat. Yeah, that's next!
Dan and Gretchen's Parelli clinic is coming up soon. I don't have the money or time to take a full clinic course, so I am going for a one hour lesson with Grethcen on next Saturday. My goal is to send in a video for my Level 1 assessment this fall, but first I need to hone and polish some things. To find out where I'm at, I brought a copy of the Level 1 assessment sheet with me and went through it step by step.
I was surprised to find that we are still lacking on a basic communication level. Smooch still thinks he can be in control in some certain situations. Either that or he is confused and I haven't communicated what I am expecting of him well enough. Probably a little of both. We went through most of the "games" fine until we came to the driving game, backing up. Then things broke down for a while. What I like about Smooch is that even during a melt down, he is very thoughtful, as in he is thinking about what is going on instead of reacting. To a point. Most any horse will become an out of control crazed maniac when he is scared and not sure of what is being asked of him. Even when Smooch gets to this point, if you can figure out what is wrong and give him a way to succeed, he is right back down to his normal self within seconds. He doesn't dwell. I think maybe that most horses are actually like this to varying degrees. It's the stupid people factor that makes things volatile. Having such a good, solid minded horse makes it easier to get through things and continue on, even if I mess up. I didn't fully get through backing him up to the polished level I wanted, but I got him through enough to continue on. And guess what, he was fine afterwards. We will work on the polish with Gretchen, that's what she is there for.
I went through Liberty (horse is unhaltered) and Online (horse is haltered with rope halter and lead line). All of this work is on the ground. I decided to stop short of saddling him and just opted to do a little bareback work before quitting for the evening. One of the things Gretchen taught us was how to side pass a horse. INTO you. From the ground. So guess what, I can sit on a pipe fence and side pass my horse right into me so I can hop on. One of these days when I figure out how to download video from my video camera onto the computer, I'll have someone take a video and I'll post it. In fact, maybe I'll put my level one assessment on Youtube and post the link here. Would you like that?
So bareback is not as scary as people make out. If the horse is broke enough to ride in a saddle, it should be broke enough to ride bareback. With some caution, of course. Smooch is at that point and I really enjoy riding bare back. I didn't ride long. Just long enough to do some basic direct and indirect turns, and then I rode him up to the gate and stood him there. I know he has mental problems with gates, so I've decided to back up and master step by step until he is 100 percent bomb proof. So for now it's just making him sack out next to the gate. Once he can do that every time solid, I'll work on opening the gate and progress from there. The key is to avoid anticipation on his part.
The next thing I worked on was leading. For some reason, Smooch doesn't lead well. Never has since the day I got him. He has a tendency to sit back with pressure to the rope halter. He'll walk with you, slowly, but forget about trotting. This is one of the main things I'll be having Gretchen help me with. I am coming up with my own ideas on how to handle this (and I think they are working), but I'd like to hear the expert's advice.
The thing about my training sessions, is that I never consider them over until the horse is home and turned loose in the corral. So loading and unloading are definitely part of my training curriculum. Every time I load a horse, I am training it. I have Smooch where I can send him from about ten feet away, into the trailer. I also have him where I can get in the trailer and call him in, and I can pull him out backwards by his tail (not cruel like it sounds). BTW, I don't tie my horses in the trailer. The very afternoon I was loading Smooch for this work out, some people came by the house to pick up a piece of equipment that Robins ex-husband had sold them. I was hitching up the trailer as they pulled up, and the trailer was blocking the equipment they were after. So after opening the trailer gate and opening the partitions, I pulled the truck forward, put it in park, and ran out to get Smooch (I was in a hurry, it gets dark so early now). When I got to the trailer with him, I discovered that the partitions had locked shut when I had moved the truck. Not even thinking, I left Smooch at the back of the trailer, climbed in, opened both partitions back up, and looked out to see Smooch standing there looking at me. Well, I thought, why should I get out of the trailer to send him in, only to have to get back in to shut the partition? So I just called him in. And just as natural, he came in, parked himself in his spot, I shut the partition and got out of the trailer. Maybe I was just lucky. When I jumped out of the trailer, the woman gave me a start because I had forgotten about the people standing there getting their equipment. The woman was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe I had just left my horse untied and then called him right up into the trailer. Then I told her he was only two and didn't wait around for the response before I got in the truck and headed off. The point is, that I enjoy taking his training to that level. Not every one does, that's just part of things. Hopefully I'll be lucky if I can accomplish a fraction of the things I see some of the natural horsemanship people doing. I have been watching RFD a lot. It's the rural cable channel (I especially love the tractor auctions). Robin has it and I can't get enough. The other day I saw a preview for a training video or show or something, I don't remember. I was half paying attention when I saw a guy sitting in the driver seat of his truck with his horse on a long line, and he sent it right into the trailer. Right there from the driver seat. Yeah, that's next!
Ride 19: Gros Ventre Wildernes, Wyoming
Hunting day!
I like the way he carries his head.
Sara in tow.
I like the way he carries his head.
Sara in tow.
Since I am not a Wyoming resident, I bought Robin a cow elk tag so we could do some hunting. Not really knowing the terrain or what we were doing, we loaded up Rocky, Smooch and Sara the mule and headed out early Saturday morning. Although we didn't get an elk, let alone see one, we had a great time! As usual, Robin was a good sport, although I would have liked to stay out later in the evening than she wanted for a better chance at seeing game. As it were, we were all tired enough when we got back to the trailer in the afternoon. I didn't want to push Smooch anyway. I could tell on the ride back that he was ready to go home.
All things considered, Smooch did great. Although he's been ponied around, he has never lead before. I was a little concerned there might be a wreck, but he was more than comfortable with his buddy Sara following behind. The trouble you can get into is when the lead rope gets caught under the lead horse's tail or tangled in his legs. I've done a lot of rope training and sacking out with Smooch, so when that time came, he was calm and collected.
I don't know how many miles we rode, but we rode a good ways into the wilderness. We saw two mule deer and four dead cows. That's about it. The country up there is beautiful and we took a nap in a meadow while the horses grazed and built back some energy for the ride home.
Back at the trail head we ran into a guy that had shot a 5x5 bull with a bow. He told us the elk were holed up in the timber on the ridges. They come out into the meadows later in the evening. I guess I'll know better next time.
Things I worked on while on the trail:
leading (getting Smooch used to leading a pack animal)
stream and ditch crossings (he has a tendency to want to jump them if he can)
speed control
confidence
working off of my legs
sacking out (they were tied for about an hour or so while we hunted by foot at one point)
probably a lot of other stuff I can't think about right now
I also discovered some weaknesses....it's back to ground school.
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