Post by Zoe RA on Nov 6, 2009 23:14:53 GMT 1
I met Stormy for the first time today. He is a 7 year old ride and drive Hafflinger who has been on permanent loan to Sarah for 1 month.
He has apparently always had a worry about being caught, but unfortunately this was exacerbated by a driving accident the week before Sarah was due to have him on loan. This, combined with being in a new home, has made him all but uncatchable.
He is sometimes happy to come up to snatch a polo, and have a head run, but if a rope is produce, let alone a head collar, he is off. On the occasions he has been caught, he has always run off full pelt trailing the rope.
Today I had absolutely no intention of either Sarah or myself catching Stormy - it was purely a trust building exercise.
First of all Sarah went into the field without a rope. Stormy was happy for Sarah to give him a rub between his eyes, but didn't want her to get any closer. When he walked away, I had Sarah quietly following him until he stopped and looked at her, and then she would stop. I then sent Sarah off walking in gentle arcs around Stormy and stopped her walking every time Stormy looked at her. Soon Sarah had got her timing spot on and no longer needed my guidance in this department
Soon, Stormy was happy to let Sarah touch him further back than his head. Every time he allowed Sarah in to another zone, I asked her to walk away from him so that he didn't feel trapped.
Horses are pray animals and humans are predators. If a predator gets close enough to touch a pray animal it is usually curtains for that animal, so in walking away, Sarah was demonstrating to Stormy that she wasn't interest in hurting him. It also allowed him to relax a little bit in between each touch too.
After a few minutes, Sarah was able to stroke him all down his shoulders and up under his mane. He was even giving her big snoggs and snuffling her hair - something they have never really been brave enough to do before
Sarah then came out of the field for a few minutes to give Stormy some chill time and for Sarah to have a gibber! She said she was feeling soooooooo excited, and she was amazed how exhausted concentrating on Stormy's slightest reactions and moves was, and how much adrenalin she had flowing. I pointed out that we need the adrenalin when we are working so that we can react fast, and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling it ............... but that it is imperative to keep it tucked well inside and not let the horse know that it is there. This is why I give both horse and handler brakes. It allows everybody time to calm down!
After our cooling off period, I send Sarah in with a rope coiled round her hand. It was amazing what a difference the rope made. It took us another 20 minutes or so to get back to the point we had left it before the rope came into the equation, with Stormy cantering off a couple of times before settling again.
We repeated all that we had done before with the rope in the hand Sarah wasn't stroking with, then with the rope in the stroking hand.
Soon Sarah was able to drape the rope over Stormy's neck. Once she had done this, I directed her to just walk away so the rope softly flopped off his neck as she walked. He was happy with this strait away
Eventually Sarah was able to put the rope round Stormy's neck and lead him a few paces. By this time he was following her around anyway, so this was a natural progression.
Unfortunately, one of the
other liveries banged a gate at one point which sent Stormy belting off, and we later heard that this lively always gives Stormy a polo when she turns her horse out, so in effect he has been trained o run to the gate whenever he hears it banging shut
As he flew off, I told Sarah to let go of the line (which was only loped round his neck and open at each end) so that he didn't feel trapped by it. It was not a very concerted belting off, and had he been on a head collar I think Sarah would have been able to stop him with ease.
We finished the session when Sarah had reestablished with Stormy that the rope round his neck was actually safe, and I have suggested that Sarah continues with these exercises until I go next time.
More photos to follow when my camera phone stops messing about ;D
He has apparently always had a worry about being caught, but unfortunately this was exacerbated by a driving accident the week before Sarah was due to have him on loan. This, combined with being in a new home, has made him all but uncatchable.
He is sometimes happy to come up to snatch a polo, and have a head run, but if a rope is produce, let alone a head collar, he is off. On the occasions he has been caught, he has always run off full pelt trailing the rope.
Today I had absolutely no intention of either Sarah or myself catching Stormy - it was purely a trust building exercise.
First of all Sarah went into the field without a rope. Stormy was happy for Sarah to give him a rub between his eyes, but didn't want her to get any closer. When he walked away, I had Sarah quietly following him until he stopped and looked at her, and then she would stop. I then sent Sarah off walking in gentle arcs around Stormy and stopped her walking every time Stormy looked at her. Soon Sarah had got her timing spot on and no longer needed my guidance in this department
Soon, Stormy was happy to let Sarah touch him further back than his head. Every time he allowed Sarah in to another zone, I asked her to walk away from him so that he didn't feel trapped.
Horses are pray animals and humans are predators. If a predator gets close enough to touch a pray animal it is usually curtains for that animal, so in walking away, Sarah was demonstrating to Stormy that she wasn't interest in hurting him. It also allowed him to relax a little bit in between each touch too.
After a few minutes, Sarah was able to stroke him all down his shoulders and up under his mane. He was even giving her big snoggs and snuffling her hair - something they have never really been brave enough to do before
Sarah then came out of the field for a few minutes to give Stormy some chill time and for Sarah to have a gibber! She said she was feeling soooooooo excited, and she was amazed how exhausted concentrating on Stormy's slightest reactions and moves was, and how much adrenalin she had flowing. I pointed out that we need the adrenalin when we are working so that we can react fast, and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling it ............... but that it is imperative to keep it tucked well inside and not let the horse know that it is there. This is why I give both horse and handler brakes. It allows everybody time to calm down!
After our cooling off period, I send Sarah in with a rope coiled round her hand. It was amazing what a difference the rope made. It took us another 20 minutes or so to get back to the point we had left it before the rope came into the equation, with Stormy cantering off a couple of times before settling again.
We repeated all that we had done before with the rope in the hand Sarah wasn't stroking with, then with the rope in the stroking hand.
Soon Sarah was able to drape the rope over Stormy's neck. Once she had done this, I directed her to just walk away so the rope softly flopped off his neck as she walked. He was happy with this strait away
Eventually Sarah was able to put the rope round Stormy's neck and lead him a few paces. By this time he was following her around anyway, so this was a natural progression.
Unfortunately, one of the
other liveries banged a gate at one point which sent Stormy belting off, and we later heard that this lively always gives Stormy a polo when she turns her horse out, so in effect he has been trained o run to the gate whenever he hears it banging shut
As he flew off, I told Sarah to let go of the line (which was only loped round his neck and open at each end) so that he didn't feel trapped by it. It was not a very concerted belting off, and had he been on a head collar I think Sarah would have been able to stop him with ease.
We finished the session when Sarah had reestablished with Stormy that the rope round his neck was actually safe, and I have suggested that Sarah continues with these exercises until I go next time.
More photos to follow when my camera phone stops messing about ;D