My sister is here from KC. Her and a friend got in yesterday afternoon. Is so nice to see her and have her around for a few days. She loves the four wheeler so it wasn't long before she was our running all over the ranch. She is not much of a horse person so the four wheeler is more her style...
Off to Deming this morning to do a little riding with Norma and Diane. Diane is having a little trouble with one of her four horses and she would like a little help trying to figure out a few things so that should be fun. These two ladies have been working with me now for a while, when they can, and have both made really good progress with their horses, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they are getting along.
Had a good report from Sue and her buckskin last night. They are both taking their time and Sue is making sure that she give her horses time to rest a little while they are working.
I think that is one thing that we forget to do. Make the rest as long as the work. The rest is our horses reward for doing the task, whatever it might be. If we don't give them that reward it won't be long and the will get cranky and will quit working for us. Then the next time we go to get them for a ride or for schooling we will find it harder and harder to get them to do anything. So I try, I'm not always able to do it, but I try to make the rest, the time they get to just stand, as long as the work. So if I am working on, say circles, and we work at that for ten minutes, I let my horse stand for ten minutes. If we are doing ground work exercises, and we work at a task, say lungeing for five minutes, I will let my horse stand for five minutes while I do some trust exercies. That way he is resting but I'm still teaching him something. To trust me. It makes all the difference. I think it is why I am able to get things done with horses that their owners can't get at first. They know they are going to get to rest if they can figure out what I'm asking.. Really works..
Time to rest and get coffee.
Had a good report from Sue and her buckskin last night. They are both taking their time and Sue is making sure that she give her horses time to rest a little while they are working.
I think that is one thing that we forget to do. Make the rest as long as the work. The rest is our horses reward for doing the task, whatever it might be. If we don't give them that reward it won't be long and the will get cranky and will quit working for us. Then the next time we go to get them for a ride or for schooling we will find it harder and harder to get them to do anything. So I try, I'm not always able to do it, but I try to make the rest, the time they get to just stand, as long as the work. So if I am working on, say circles, and we work at that for ten minutes, I let my horse stand for ten minutes. If we are doing ground work exercises, and we work at a task, say lungeing for five minutes, I will let my horse stand for five minutes while I do some trust exercies. That way he is resting but I'm still teaching him something. To trust me. It makes all the difference. I think it is why I am able to get things done with horses that their owners can't get at first. They know they are going to get to rest if they can figure out what I'm asking.. Really works..
Time to rest and get coffee.
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