# Katie's Horse Journal (Ongoing Thread)



## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Hello, fellow horse lovers and enthusiasts! :wave: Since there was so much interest in me starting a horse journal, I was only too happy to oblige  There's so much I want to share with everyone here about my horse Tessa and our journey together. I think I'll start with an introductory post and then expand on things later (most of you are probably wondering what in the world Dressage is).

Okay, so I've been a horse lover all of my life. My parents hoped I would grow out of it and turn to a less expensive sport/hobby but it didn't happen. So they started getting me regular riding lessons when I was 12. I rode western for about a year and a half then switched to English when I leased a sweet little mare. I learned to jump on Maggie and would've bought her had she been physically able to keep working (she was very old). We found Tessa the summer I turned 15. It was truly a dream come true and an answered prayer. Anyone will tell you that there's no such thing as a perfect horse, but Tessa matched my depiction of a dream horse down to the star and snip on her face. Red Dun Tobianos are fairly rare so I didn't ever consider having the chance to own one...yet Tessa's listing popped up and there she was! She is an American Paint Horse (my favorite breed as well). However, when we expressed interest in her there were already 4 people in front of us ready to pay cash for her. But the owners liked the idea of giving her to me so we got to take home this amazing girl!

We didn't find this out until much later (in fact it took her bucking me off and breaking my wrist) but she was actually in a lot of pain. She had a lot of body issues that she was dealing with that she kind of just covered up. She was unbalanced, her muscles were tight, she had a gastric ulcer, and all around uncomfortable when asked to perform movements. And so I stepped into the world of horse bodywork. I got to know our horse masseuse very well. She showed me massages, stretches, and physical therapy exercises to do on Tess to keep her limber. My trainer focuses on the development of the horse and rider as a whole, from the core muscle all the way to the tilt of the shoulder. She gave me exercises for myself and groundwork for Tessa.

While my wrist was healing and I couldn't ride, I uncovered a new realm I had always wanted to try but hadn't stepped foot in: Liberty. Anyone who has seen the show series _Heartland_ will have an inkling of what liberty looks like. The idea behind it is that there is no pressure or ropes tied to the horse...she can choose to stay with you or not. This is also where I introduced the clicker. Many of you have probably clicker trained your budgies, but I carried it over to my horse:001_tongue: The concept is the same: click to mark the desired behavior and then reward. Tessa blossomed. She gets so pleased with herself when she figures out what I want and I LOVE seeing the gears turn in her head. I can now ride her tackless and she knows a handful of tricks like bowing and the spanish walk. She will canter free at my side and loves every moment of it.

I also brought the clicker into our riding. As I mentioned above, I do dressage with her. It wasn't always that way, though. I wanted to turn her into an Eventer. This is a 3-day event with one day dedicated to show jumping, one to cross country, and one to dressage. I always thought dressage was going to be easy...oh how wrong I was. Turns out neither Tessa nor I are geared toward jumping but the graceful dance of dressage appealed to both of us. We have started showing this past summer and are looking toward another one next month.

I tried to link my other threads of Tessa floating around (mostly consisting of a photoshoot of some sort) but my computer wasn't cooperating. I'll try again later...but you can find them all under my profile. 

I will talk about dressage in the next post probably. I'll try to expand more on liberty and tricks and whatever else too. Once that's all accomplished, I'll use this for periodic training updates.

For those of you wondering what a "Red Dun Tobiano" is and didn't just google it, you are in luck! I'm a genetics nerd but here's the quick rundown: a regular dun horse is tan with a black mane, tail, legs, and a dorsal stripe running down its back. Think Spirit from the best movie ever, _Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron_. A dun horse is then bred with a chesnut, the generic brown horse with brown...everything. This results in a peach colored body color and a dark red dorsal stripe, mane, tail, and legs. So there's the red dun. The tobiano part is specific to Paint markings. A Tobiano is a white horse that has patches of body color, as opposed to an overo which is a horse that has white patches on its body color. Put it all together (the pictures below should help) and you get a red dun tobiano!:clap: If Tessa were solid she'd have a dorsal stripe all down her back and all dark red legs. So she just has a small dorsal stripe and one dark leg where the white paint markings don't cover.

















Just a couple miscellaneous pictures since this post is already super long
































Also, you'll notice her bridle looks different than most. It's specifically designed to avoid pressure points on the horse's face which matters a lot to my sensitive, opinionated girl.









What's known as "in-hand work." Essentially I replicate everything I'd do on her back on the ground. Reminds me of my XC days, except I'm running laps and helping support a 1000 lb animal. She can now walk, trot, and canter in-hand with me at her shoulder. I'll post more on this later as well, since it's super fascinating.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

What a great story and history you have with Tessa, she is a beautiful horse. I am sure that the two of you have a very special bond. It's so rewarding to be able to have that bond with an animal.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm loving Tessa's story and will be looking forward to learning much more about her, your events and your very special bond! *


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Katie, that was very interesting to read! Thank you for explaining everything.  I’m really looking forward to keeping up with this thread . Beautiful pics as always!


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## Hunterkat (Mar 29, 2017)

Tessa is such a beautiful girl! Very interesting reading about your journey with her. I did eventing for a while with my red bay quarter horse, Hammer. He HATED dressage :laughing: 
In fact, I made him go too slowly (at least to him) in the cross country field one time and he bucked once to knock me off balance because he wanted to run! Horses have such great personalities


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Cody said:


> What a great story and history you have with Tessa, she is a beautiful horse. I am sure that the two of you have a very special bond. It's so rewarding to be able to have that bond with an animal.


Thank you! And all the struggles we have gone through has given us a wonderful understanding of each other. She's my willing teammate and I wouldn't ever trade that 



FaeryBee said:


> *I'm loving Tessa's story and will be looking forward to learning much more about her, your events and your very special bond! *





RavensGryf said:


> Katie, that was very interesting to read! Thank you for explaining everything.  I'm really looking forward to keeping up with this thread . Beautiful pics as always!


Thank you! I'll try to keep this as updated as possible 



Hunterkat said:


> Tessa is such a beautiful girl! Very interesting reading about your journey with her. I did eventing for a while with my red bay quarter horse, Hammer. He HATED dressage :laughing:
> In fact, I made him go too slowly (at least to him) in the cross country field one time and he bucked once to knock me off balance because he wanted to run! Horses have such great personalities


Haha yes the horses need to be as invested in the sport as the rider. They are full of personality and each horse has a unique thing to teach. It's why I love the opportunity to ride as many horses as possible; it makes you well-rounded rider.


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

*Dressage*

Okay, time to explain this wonderful term. "Dressage" comes from a French term that literally translates into "training." It is often considered the highest expression of horse training. As a horse moves up in the levels, it becomes more physically demanding. In fact, they have a minimum age (7 years old) for horses competing at the top level. I've mentioned some of this in the first post but going to restate before delving deeper. Dressage is all about initiating both the rider's and horse's core muscles so that every external muscle is relaxed. This gives the horse freedom to move and the rider should look like they're "just sitting there." The better you are at dressage, the more it should look like you're doing nothing when, in fact, you are doing everything.

Even though dressage is often referred to as Horse Ballet, it originated on the battlefield. As you can imagine, riders didn't have time to wait for a horse to understand and held weapons in their hands (making steering with the reins difficult). They learned to ride from their seat and get so connected with their mount that they would respond almost before they asked. If they didn't, it could mean the difference between life and death.

Okay, I'm going to post some complicated-looking diagrams to show some of what you want to see in a horse moving correctly and correct posture as a rider. These photos are from Google Images.

First, the rider. The idea is that as a rider you are able to maintain steady seat bones and allow the horse's motion up and down through your hips. Your front seat (abductor muscles-see picture below) should always have contact but never locked. It serves to make minute adjustments such as asking the horse to move their shoulders slightly or move to the rail. The seat bones are always engaging forward while staying in place...this gets more challenging the more motion the horse has. Tessa's trot is bone-jarring so it has taken me a very long time to be able to sit her trot effectively. There are many analogies that help a rider learn to use their core, but I will share what has helped me. I imagine a string attached to my belly button that is lifting me up (losing any arch in the back or contraction from the saddle) and forward up the horse's neck. I also think of the tailbone constantly being pulled up and to the outside shoulder in a turn or circle. There are so many things to share about riding figures but I'll save that for another day 









Externally, you should be able to draw a straight line through the rider's ear, shoulder, hip, and heel. The more muscle and balance you gain, you should be able to drop your stirrup length more and get a longer leg. You never use your lower leg if you can help it; instead, it should drape and all the steering should be from your seat and core. Another way to check a rider's position would be to take the horse out from under them and see if they'd land on their feet. If they wouldn't (say, leg is too far forward) there's something you need to correct.









Okay, time for the horse! Dressage is really about recapturing how a horse was designed to move. In the wild, they'd all be moving like this. However, when a person's weight is added to their center of gravity and so influential over them, a horse develops coping mechanisms. They hollow their back to avoid the bouncing of the rider, they tense their jaw to avoid the pinch of the bit, they throw themselves forward from the front end as the rider's imbalance forces them to do so.

What I love about dressage (well, one of the many things) is that moving correctly feels good for both the horse and rider. I used to have imbalances I wasn't even aware of. Because Tessa is so sensitive, she was a great teacher and uncovered all of them. For example, if I was leaning an inch to the left, she would counterbalance and lean 6 inches to the right. A horse is a mirror of the rider...you can't hide anything from them! But once the horse starts to understand that it doesn't hurt them, they will use their core to lift themselves up _into_ the rider's weight (called a round back). They will seek the comforting contact of the rein (called on the bit). Dressage is all about riding the horse's hind end. It's their motor and shock absorber. This is why it's so important for the seat bones of the rider to be steady- it encourages the horse's hind ends to connect and engage with the rider. 









A horse should be "carrying through." Meaning, the energy from the hind end should be allowed through the rider's hips and travel up to the poll (which should be the highest point), resulting in a relaxed, dropped head with a soft mouth engaging with the bit. This is often why dressage gets a bad reputation; people take shortcuts and throw harsh bits into their horse's mouth and force them into what's known as a headset. It may look pretty to the unobservant eye, but they are often behind the vertical and locked in place. For a horse to be on the vertical, they must be balanced enough to move from their core and hind end, allowing the front end free motion. The horse naturally uses their head and neck for balance, so when they are balanced enough from their core they are able to drop their head. They should be able to flex (bend in direction of turn) and counterflex (counterbend/ opposite direction of turn) independent of the rest of their body. In the picture I used to describe a rider's posture, follow the arrows to see how the energy travels.









Let's talk about some uses of tack.  I already mentioned the bit, but I would like to add something to it. You never, _ever_ want to be pulling on the horse's mouth or bracing your hands. This pulls on the bars of their mouth and is very unpleasant for them, leading them to avoid contact. Instead, contact with the bit should be like holding hands with someone...always there but not constricting. It enables the rider to make subtle corrections and aid in softening the horse's jaw. Steering is all done with the seat, but a little sponge with the outside rein can serve for the horse to think about going to the outside. Many people think, understandably so, that to turn a horse you pull the rein in that direction. Yeah...not quite. You can have a horse's head pulled all the way in one direction and they could still move another. As I've said, reins aren't used to steer the horse. When you do use them, it's all about the outside rein (so, if you were going to the left your right rein would be your outside rein). The reins can serve to flex a horse or counterflex, as well as soften the jaw, etc. In a flexion, the horse should bend from the poll (like a hinge) and do so without leading with their nose (a cop-out on the horse's part). Below is a horse correctly flexed to the inside.









I'm going to try to bring this post to a close with a few last tidbits. In a dressage test, a 60% or above is considered impressive. As a student that gets upset with anything less than an A, this has been a learning curve for me. 
Below are some of the things the judges are looking for, taken straight from the USDF (United States Dressage Federation) website.
















While 3 gaits are utilized in dressage (walk, trot, & canter) there are innumerable ranges in each one. You may be asking a horse for an extended or collected trot. Or perhaps you want a leisurely lap around the arena, or a medium walk, or a free walk...the possibilities are endless! A rider allows more or less motion through their hips and this tells the horse to the degree they are asked to move.

I'll end it there as if you made it this far I'll be impressed  Below is one of my dressage heroes, Charlotte Dujardin on Valegro. His extended trot has to be one of my favorite gaits.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

I made it to the end, it's fascinating and the physics of it make perfect sense. 
Thanks for posting it, looking forward to the next edition.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I made it to the end and then went back and read it all again.

All I can say is "WOW"!!

Very impressive and quite enlightening to someone who has/had no knowledge whatsoever when it comes to dressage. 
I love that the rider and horse become so much more "one" in this type riding.

Thank you so much for the explanations. :yes:*


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Wow!!  I loved reading all about Dressage, the history of it, and the biomechanics behind it. 

As with anything, there is so much more to the sport than meets the eye, and I can see it’s quite involved and takes time to learn. This is so fascinating for me to read .


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## Hunterkat (Mar 29, 2017)

This is why it kills me that people say dressage is easy! It isn't, at all.


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

*Clicker Training*

Thank you everyone who read that and replied! I love reading through the comments!

My goal was to update this on a weekly basis but the breeding thread/senior project has been sucking up that time. And applying to colleges, teaching lessons, school, etc. I am happy to say I still get to ride Tess 4-5x a week in the midst of this craziness. Looking forward to what will probably be the last show of the season at the end of this month.

Okay, this post isn't going to be as long as my last dressage post 








This one is going to be about something that is likely familiar to many of you on this forum: clicker training! Granted, clicker training every animal is different. Clicker training my puppy has been very different than clicker training my horse, for example. And if you clicker train your budgie this will look very different.

So I've been trying to figure out how I want to divide these subjects. Clicker training translates into dressage and liberty and tricks. I think I'll just summarize and explain the benefits of clicker training then post a video from one of my training sessions with a rescue mare.

Horse training is divided into two main categories: positive reinforcement (R+) and negative reinforcement (R-). For much of the horse world, riding and training are all R-...not even going to touch on punishment. You so often hear something like, "you need to show his horse who's boss...give them a swift kick in the side." I have discovered that horses aren't stubborn or aversive for fun; they always have a reason. If we take it down a level to general riding cues, you add pressure for aids and take it away when the horse has responded. That is probably the most common form of R-. Now, I will admit that while I try to do as much as possible with R+ I sometimes use light pressure that isn't uncomfortable for the horse to aid in communication. Dressage is all about connection after all. Connection of mind and body, and sometimes that means the horse feels the contact of the bit. As long as it's comfortable for them, I don't have any issues with it.

Before I go down too much of that rabbit trail, let's go back to the why behind clicker training. It is one of the most common applications of R+ because it marks a behavior. You click when the animal performs what you were requesting and reward...most commonly with food, though sometimes a scratch or verbal reward can be used just as effectively. It allows you to let the horse know which specific behavior you are rewarding for, especially if you can't give them a treat soon enough. Now, especially with horses, you will need to teach some manners regarding food. I'm not really going to get into that process but if it really interests you or you have an equine friend you'd like to try it on, check out TWE's blog: https://www.thewillingequine.com/single-post/2017/01/07/Clicker-Training-How-To-Get-Started

Depending on the behavior you're trying to teach and the animal itself, you may reward different variations of that behavior. Like when I wanted to engage Tessa's mind more in dressage, I would reward every thought or attempt of understanding a cue. As the horse understands, you can request more and reward less. Again, this is a process depending on individual situations. I've incorporated clicker training into every session with Tessa; it is my means of communicating with her (and riding horse is all about communication between horse and rider). She used to have an aversion to being saddled, so every time I made a move towards saddling and she remained calm/happy I rewarded. This works much better than punishing any behavior I don't want to see. She likely had had pain when saddling before I got her or some memory tied down. Punishing shuts a horse down or forces them to take drastic measures to communicate their stress or displeasure.

Teaching lightness of aids: most teach a horse to respond to the lightest cue by asking lightly, then increasing pressure until it the horse responds. Because of the discomfort caused, a horse will respond right away next time. I kind of feel like this is forcing a horse to do whatever we want...this isn't the way I want riding to look like. Tessa shuts down whenever there is too much pressure and will get downright cranky if you so much as press against her sides. To train lightness of aids, I request with my seat and if she responds by a very slight movement or the thought of the movement, I reward. I continue doing this until she is responding right away, and eagerly. Much better way to go about it in my opinion.

The same process goes for liberty and tricks, but I'll get into that when I post about those. Okay, below are some video clips when I was working with a rescue mare. When I started, she would run away as soon as she saw the halter. Now, purely by positive reinforcement/clicker training, she will nicker and run to greet you. R+ was especially beneficial for her since she had been abused and forced into situations that scared her. By removing the pressure and allowing her to do everything of her own accord, she blossomed. Now she eagerly comes to "play" instead of "work."

Video #1: This is one of the first introductions of positive reinforcement with her. I rewarded every time she made a move with her nose toward the halter until she ended up haltering herself! If she got a little nervous and took a step back, I would step back from her and she would come back to me of her own accord. As you can see she became much more confident. Actually edited these clips but it was the first time I got the halter all the way over her head! 




Video #2: unedited except for trimming clips. I don't realize how much I cooed to her and don't like the sound of my voice on video (does anyone?) but this way you can hear the clicker and whatnot. My goal on this session was to encourage her to express herself and show she's not going to get punished for it. Tessa needs no encouragement to do this and I'm normally working to show her how to express it safely  She'll buck, rear, and kick to play with you until the cows come home. When Sioux started trotting after me and responding to every change in my body position it was HUGE for her. Still trying to tap into this energy more and more. The video is pretty crummy since I had to prop my phone on a fence post and as you can see it chopped off the top part. The other is so bumpy because I'm jogging. But hopefully it helps give you a visual of an ordinary training session 






EDIT: Sorry about that! Got 2nd video working now


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Katie,
I loved your explanations about training with horses, thank you.
The first video was great but unfortunately I could not view the second one. I got an error message when I tried. I'll try again later to see if it was on my end.
This thread is awesome!*


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

This post was just as fascinating as the last one . Good to hear the horse world is adopting newer training methods. Who is Sioux? Love the markings.


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

RavensGryf said:


> This post was just as fascinating as the last one . Good to hear the horse world is adopting newer training methods. Who is Sioux? Love the markings.


She's owned by my trainer/barn manager (who is _amazing_). I work with Sioux in exchange for getting money taken off of my costs for Tessa. I've mostly been doing confidence building and fostering an eagerness to work with people again. My trainer has done work with her before, but this situation works well for all of us! Our hope is for me to able to ride her under saddle eventually but we're taking it at her pace.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Great post, I feel like I am actually getting to know Tessa. You are very fortunate to be able to interact with the horses as you do.


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

That sounds like a good arrangement with you working with Sioux . It sounds win-win for everyone! Plus a nice sense of accomplishment when you get her to the end goal! Positive reinforcement for Katie too!


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

_Okay_ I have my reasons for disappearing, I promise  Basically, I was at a kind of crossroad in Tessa's training. I've been spending these last 6-something weeks researching, experimenting, and talking to other trainers. I feel like I'm cemented enough in this new journey to write about it (finally). This post will also be quite video-heavy as I feel like that's one of the easiest ways to relate what it looks like during ordinary instances. Oh, and enjoy the Mamma Mia music 

This new training I've been exploring is taking what I'm already doing...one step further. It centers around two very important concepts: intrinsic motivation & horse autonomy.

*Intrinsic Motivation* says that moving properly should feel good and be reward enough in itself to encourage the horse to keep moving that way. I've talked about this before on my Dressage post, but now I've been testing it. If a horse is doing a movement because it feels good, they should always be seeking to do it...unless there's an underlying problem, however small. And that's what I've been discovering with Tessa! She shouldn't be doing a behavior to "just get the treat" nor should she be doing a behavior to escape the pressure of a cue (think the ask-tell-demand model we hear about so often). If you ask a horse to do something and know that if they don't you'll keep demanding it in a more insistent/uncomfortable way until they succumb, was the first time a genuine request? Or was there a threat of "do this or else?"

Turns out, you can still be controlling a horse _even if_ you're using positive reinforcement. A horse can be so food-motivated that the pressure to get the treat overrides the joy of performing the movement or causes them to push themselves too far physically. Once I opened this can of worms...I learned a whole lot about Tessa girl. She gets anxious around food, which turns into aggression. I'm not talking about biting/kicking aggression, but more about frustration seen in movements. I would start to worry she was going to run me over in the frantic guess at the desired movement to attain the treat. I put a safety barrier between us (the fence) to keep myself safe, but it's clear she is still frustrated.





You'd think that this would mean it was time I stop using food rewards. 
Actually, it's the opposite. In order to overcome this anxiety, I need to devalue food through two means: 1) provide free hay when working that is always available and 2) use a "less tasty" treat given in smaller amounts (I now give her a handful of healthy treat crumbs). I have to say, it feels good knowing that Tessa is now doing whatever I'm asking because she finds it rewarding to do what I ask. Whether to satisfy her curiosity, joy of interacting with me, or because it's intrinsically motivating, she's there and she's doing it. While I taught her basic food manners while introducing the clicker, I've taken it one step further and now have her back up out of my space in order to get the treat. It is also helpful in encouraging her to raise her poll and drop into her hind end. I love utilizing this in her hilly paddock; she learns balance as she backs up and down hills of her own accord. She is starting to back up now as soon as she hears the clicker without me asking her to.

Notice how much she's relaxed in this video compared to the first one now that she has easily attainable hay





Now, this next term overlaps with the first so I'll address it here: *Autonomy*. Basically, it means that you allow a horse to say "no" in their training and you won't keep needling at them to say yes, increase pressure, or reprimand them for doing so. I first had visions of horses not budging once during the entire ride or running rampant if they were allowed a say in their training. This is an idea I've been researching for over a year and have been grasping a fuller understanding of it during that time. It's a continuum and now I'm just taking the next step in this training.

I've learned that it is actually _safer_ to allow a horse autonomy. They won't be forced to do something extreme to express their discomfort (i.e. bucking). As the trainer, I can catch the smallest signs of pain or fear by allowing her to refuse a movement without punishment. This builds confidence and trust, as well as a decrease in injuries (she won't be forced to do something too physically or mentally demanding).

Also, Tessa has quickly become more eager now that she knows I respect her choice. I've mentioned this before, but she always has a reason behind choosing to do a behavior or not (no such thing as just being stubborn). So if she doesn't trot after my light squeeze, I don't give a harder cue. I ask again later with the same light cue and if she still doesn't respond, I drop it. Later I can uncover the reason behind her refusal and I'll often be surprised. Still taking the trot example, she now offers it before I even ask. It's her least favorite gait, so that is a definite improvement from having to chase her around with the whip. Just that shift of perception has changed so much in her training! I figure she knows her body better than anyone else, so why not let her tell me what she needs?









When I first started offering Tessa free hay during our sessions, she was so worried about the food disappearing that she'd ignore me the entire time and just eat. That was especially hard for me to stand by and allow to happen; who wants to have food chosen over them? I took to taking a book so I wouldn't be tempted to keep asking her to revise her clear "no." Just yesterday, I opened up my book expecting to spend the next hour or so reading (which is actually peaceful), but Tessa left her food to investigate the book and lay her head across my lap! It feels_so_ wonderful to see her so happy! She's starting to meet me at the gate (I've always had to go retrieve her from wherever she was at) and will leave hay along the walk from her paddock to the arena without a tug on the rope, but just from a whistle from me. 
What a change only 3 weeks makes!









I've introduced two "games" to inspire greater intrinsic motivation.

The first is Chase the Bag: I found this from a Natural Dressage website. Horses naturally collect while they're playing- no need for them to use the rider as a crutch to help them along! Even though horses are prey animals, they still enjoy tracking something down. And, hey, plastic bags have now gone from scary to fun in Tessa's mind. It will also encourage her to sit on her hind end to lighten her front end enough to strike with her front hooves at the bag. Additionally, it helps her stretch! All of these benefits plus the fun of the game and joy of seeing your horse enjoy moving again. Clips below are from the first 3 times I've worked with Tess on this. For now I'm just letting her get comfortable with the bag and understand the concept of following it. I don't want to rush this foundation, but I look forward to getting some fun movement from her (allowing her to be creative and make up her own movements is so rewarding! She does it on her own time too ).





The second thing I'm working on is core stabilizers. It's the equivalent of a crunch for a horse. I'm looking for her to lift her back, raise her poll, or contract her underbelly muscles. These are all things we've worked on while riding or during in-hand work, but I want to step back and let her figure it out on her own. This method forces her to deliberately think through and put her body through physical exercises. She's not mindlessly moving away from pressure presented through a cue. What we do in dressage should carry over into how she moves without me, but I believe having her understand these will accentuate that even more! I'll also know how her body is because she's completely honest: if it gets too hard or painful, she just walks away. This will be especially important coming into winter; don't want cold, stiff muscles resulting in injury! The clips below are from our second session working on this. It's not much yet, but I'm rewarding every thought toward engaging her core and these little things will result in big, amazing things


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm in total awe ... I just don't have the words to express it.*


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

This is really fascinating, well done.


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

FaeryBee said:


> *I'm in total awe ... I just don't have the words to express it.*





Cody said:


> This is really fascinating, well done.


I'm so glad I have an eager audience! Sharing this journey is so much more worthwhile with others taking part in it


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

:thumbup: Same as Deborah said... I _also_ don't have all the words to express how in awe I am at your (and Tessa's) accomplishments, and your application of your training knowledge! Wow!

I'm learning more and more about horses from this thread . Your photos and videos look professional Katie .


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Wow! Can't believe it's been 2 months since I've updated! We've been surviving the cold...barely. I still teach 2 lessons a week (most of which takes place outdoors), work Tessa 4-5x a week, and work Sioux 2x a week. So I definitely have some progress to share! I am also taking an online course in equine massage therapy. After the course, I can be certified in equine massage, which will save me money on Tessa (who we often have to call a masseuse out for) and hopefully allow me to book some appointments in the future. Since I hope to train client horses in college, it also is a very helpful tool: in my experience, a big chunk of behavioral issues stem from physical pain. I'll continue to take online equine classes separate from the college I attend, which will help me work toward my PATH certification (officially saying I can practice equine-assisted therapy). My school also assigned a _second_ senior project...wasn't overly thrilled, but I chose to research the myths behind traditional horse training and the science behind positive reinforcement.

It's easiest to just post some video clips to impart the training routine for the horses. It's pretty much impossible to explain otherwise 

I have had to do a lot of counter conditioning with Tessa to form positive associations with things that were a negative experience for her before. Like the mounting block (I mentioned she used to be ridden when she had sore muscles and poor saddle fit). Even though that pain is gone and I have done a lot of counter conditioning, _to this day_ I still have to work with her. It's a very slow process in order to do it correctly; you have to work with a horse below its threshold and build up from there. And some horses let go of past experiences easier than others...Tessa doesn't forget easily.

So that's the counterconditioning we've been working on and then some new things I've introduced are as follows: stationary target/mat, cue differentiation, target course, hindquarters target, long-range target, and re-introducing riding again.

So the cue differentiation and target course kind of go together. It's a way for her to move forward and turn without pressure to get her to understand what I'm asking. Sometimes I give her a vocal cue "mat" to stand on her stationary target. Other times I ask her to "touch" the cones, then to "walk on" or "trot." Below are some pictures of her course, complete with mounting block counter conditioning. I taught her to relax when I say "down" which is a good way to equip her to deal with her own anxiety if a sudden stressor occurs. It is also a way for me to tell her that the situation she's in is completely okay.
















Let's see...here's a video of her targeting her hindquarters and the captions of how I went about it. It was a very rainy day; I was completely soaked through by the end. Eventually, I'll use this to teach the movement haunches-in for dressage.





I'd say I've been successful in encouraging some energy...I just love her goofy ways so much. Her bucks at the end crack me up: that is some lateral work that ought to take the prize in any dressage test





And here is how I've begun riding again with just +R. Since pretty much all of riding nowadays is done through -R (pressure & release) and +P (punishment) it's taken a bit of thinking to figure out how to go about this- riding with positive reinforcement. Thankfully, most of my riding cues aren't pressure on her sides- it's all from my seat. So that's a blessing, at least. I can pair my cue from my seat with a vocal cue and if she doesn't listen, I don't increase pressure. I figure she didn't respond because she didn't understand or has some other valid reason...I can't assume that I'm a perfect rider. Getting back in the saddle again in winter means that I'm often tight and crooked. When she doesn't respond to a cue, it allows me to see where I need to improve, without moving to "grunt-force" to get her moving. If I force her to move forward, I get tenser and out of an ideal position and she gets upset. So you see, the other way is much better. 





Of course I haven't forgotten about dearest Sioux. I am getting so attached to this horse. Leaving 2 horses I love is going to be so much harder when I go for college. My trainer would totally give her to me, but I'm going to have a hard enough time supporting 1 horse in the coming years. We'll see what God has in store for us.

Okay, Sioux's progress: she canters after me, she's getting desensitized to pressure on her sides/back through me leaning over her, and maintaining confidence with the halter. However, one of her biggest troubles has been letting someone lead her from her shoulder. She is fine if she follows behind someone, but if you're at her shoulder she won't move forward. So, since she targets the noodle (my long-range target), I am able to encourage her to move forward without following me. I'm getting to the point where I'm rewarding her as soon as she walks forward with me by her shoulder, not when she touches the target. That way, she understands the behavior I'm looking for is leading from her shoulder. This will allow me to eventually take the target out. You can see that she still lags behind at the trot, but for now I'm just happy that she trotted to my vocal cue. You wouldn't believe how much work it's taken for her to trot after me whenever, or to show any energy for that matter. So proud of the happy, vibrant horse she's become.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Love the new updates - thank you!*


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

This is fascinating and a great window into the mind and emotions of a horse. Love the video of Tessa bucking.


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

FaeryBee said:


> *Love the new updates - thank you!*





Cody said:


> This is fascinating and a great window into the mind and emotions of a horse. Love the video of Tessa bucking.


Thank you for following this thread! Is there anything specific you'd like to see in the future, or are the updates fine?:2thumbs:


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I think the uptakes are great, Katie!
I'm enjoying following the thread and am learning a lot!*


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## GypsyVanner (Jan 21, 2019)

It's great that you are using positive reinforcement for Tessa and Sioux, instead of the 'traditional' negative reinforcement methods typically used in horse training. 

Tessa's colouring is quite unique, I don't think I have seen any red dun pintos. She's very pretty. 

Just curious, how old is Tessa? 
How long have you owned her?


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

GypsyVanner said:


> It's great that you are using positive reinforcement for Tessa and Sioux, instead of the 'traditional' negative reinforcement methods typically used in horse training.
> 
> Tessa's colouring is quite unique, I don't think I have seen any red dun pintos. She's very pretty.
> 
> ...


Thank you! I've loved researching the science behind horse training and have experienced the benefits of +R firsthand. Tessa is indeed a rare color, but one I had always wanted. Still can't believe I ended up with her!

Tessa is 12 (turns 13 April 24) and I've had her for 3 years...4 on May 29. She has changed the way I've done everything with her and horses! Such a blessing and wonderful teacher


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## GypsyVanner (Jan 21, 2019)

It sounds like you were meant to have her then, you work well together. 

She's still fairly young then. You're so lucky to know her actual birthday, I celebrate Bennys on 1st of August as no one seems to know his.


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

GypsyVanner said:


> It sounds like you were meant to have her then, you work well together.
> 
> She's still fairly young then. You're so lucky to know her actual birthday, I celebrate Bennys on 1st of August as no one seems to know his.


She's APHA registered, so I have careful papers from her history. I've been able to talk to the people who foaled her and even have a baby picture (below). Haha did you know that all Thoroughbreds are given January 1 birthdays, regardless of their actual birthdate?









Okay, I have a few short video clips and some pictures for today.

First, let's start with miss Sioux. 









I'm so proud of the confidence she exhibits now. I even put a saddle blanket on her, to which she didn't even blink. Remember when I could hardly get her to walk for fear she'd do something wrong and be punished? Well, now she's cantering after me. Can you believe it? The horse that once would run from people is now running after them! The best part is she has every right of refusal and chooses to participate in all of this.





















And now, my dear Tessa girl. It's been such an odd winter! We had late snowfall throughout February and now March. In between it warms up drastically and melts it all, turning to mud. So it's gross and I can't wait to clean Tessa up once it warms up enough. Her mane especially...you can hardly tell it was once white. I braid it often so it doesn't look so bad, but also because Tessa's getting so hot with all her fur. She's starting to shed her winter coat out, finally.
















Tessa was curious about my Equine Massage Therapy notes. I actually have fun horse homework for this 









A few snow pictures
















A few clips from some of the movements I'm training. One is a guide for her to track and the other is a target for her haunches. This is how I'm building awareness and strength for her hindquarters. She's always been a little weak back there so this is super helpful for her.

So here's her progress on haunches-in (adding forward movement and working on dropping her head instead of going ewe-necked)





Some fun with a pivot/ turn on forehand. But look how far she's tracking the target!





And then I suddenly switched it up by asking for a Spanish Walk. You can see her little rock as she rearranges her body to lift her forelegs instead. We're all about building body awareness here!


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Katie, I think it’s so amazing, all the progress you’ve made with Tessa, and from scratch with Sioux!  That’s wonderful you have so much knowledge about animal behavior and psychology as it applies to horse training. You have the necessary patience, calm demeanor, and skill too . Are you thinking about doing this as a job, or at least a side job?


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

RavensGryf said:


> Katie, I think it's so amazing, all the progress you've made with Tessa, and from scratch with Sioux!  That's wonderful you have so much knowledge about animal behavior and psychology as it applies to horse training. You have the necessary patience, calm demeanor, and skill too . Are you thinking about doing this as a job, or at least a side job?


Thank you, it's been incredibly rewarding. It also taught me a _lot_ about character development lol 

I would certainly like to keep horses (specifically training) a part of my life! When I leave for college this fall, I hope to take on client horses. Whether this will be in massage therapy or training remains to be seen. I'll hopefully be certified in my college course by summer. In my experience, the two go hand-in-hand. Horses act out because their bodies aren't being used correctly and massage will restore the biomechanics. I also plan to use equine-assisted therapy in a career in Occupational Therapy. Clicker training allows students with disabilities to interact with the horses from a safe distance. That is something completely unique!

Also, I had a riding lesson yesterday and _oh man I am so sore today_. Remember the whole post I did on the breakdown of dressage? Well those tiny little abductor muscles in my legs were the focus of the lesson. I was asked to carry my body over Tessa's neck using only those muscles (even my stirrups were taken away) while posting (rising up and down) and then maintain that after sitting back in the saddle and dealing with motion. And then, you know, steering with the four quadrants (front seat is made up of 2 abductor muscles and then the two seat bones make up the back; front seat connects with front legs and is the base, seatbones connect with hind legs and are the connection). My muscles were shaking the rest of the night and, as I said, are quite tender now. BUT I wanted to show the extreme difference correct posture makes in a horse! It's so crucial for the rider to have proper biomechanics so the horse can too.

Okay, Tessa has her hind leg cocked in this picture, so the dip in her back is more exaggerated than it is in reality, but it offers a nice comparison. So, look at her back starting behind the withers and especially before her hips









Now, look how lifted and engaged her back is! Through my college course, I can now say that this is so important because the back muscles are extensors, meaning they ought to be stretching to allow the pelvis to drop downward. You want the back to be an upward arc. The best place to look is directly behind the saddle. Ladies and gentleman, this difference was made only through standing and occasionally walking by fixing my position. I didn't ask for anything of Tessa and she was in fact allowed to wander the arena and munch on hay  It's hard work for her, so in this way she had some control over what she could handle and enjoy.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I have to admit that this journal is one of my favorite things to read on the forum. 
Everything you do and explain is all new to me. Its fascinating to have the opportunity to learn as you share the pictures, videos and descriptions. Thank you!*


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

As with anything, there is so much more to it than meets the eye! Interesting how involved the biomechanics of the human are, in coordination with the horse’s biomechanics, but it makes good sense. You are a well oiled machine with all parts working together in perfect timing. The fine tuning takes a lot of skill with rider and horse knowing and feeling each other. I love this thread too!


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Love this, great pictures, great stories, great videos. I always like stories about an animal that has been able to overcome their fear through the love and kindness of someone, Sioux is a perfect example of this.


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

FaeryBee said:


> *I have to admit that this journal is one of my favorite things to read on the forum.
> Everything you do and explain is all new to me. Its fascinating to have the opportunity to learn as you share the pictures, videos and descriptions. Thank you!*


Thank you! I'm so _so_ glad you're enjoying it. I used to post a journal on a horse forum, but the community there gets quite defensive. TB's members are pretty hard to beat  My (second) senior project was focused on educating more people about the myths and merits behind different types of horse training, so I'm glad I'm doing my job.



RavensGryf said:


> As with anything, there is so much more to it than meets the eye! Interesting how involved the biomechanics of the human are, in coordination with the horse's biomechanics, but it makes good sense. You are a well oiled machine with all parts working together in perfect timing. The fine tuning takes a lot of skill with rider and horse knowing and feeling each other. I love this thread too!


There's truly nothing like feeling like you're in total sync with your horse. You're barely thinking a movement and the horse is already carrying it out. The horse also reveals the tiniest amount of tension you're carrying or the slightest imbalance. They'll get you sorted out right away:001_tongue:



Cody said:


> Love this, great pictures, great stories, great videos. I always like stories about an animal that has been able to overcome their fear through the love and kindness of someone, Sioux is a perfect example of this.


It's truly astounding how forgiving abused animals are, and how willing they are to do what we ask. Sioux actually had an amazing breakthrough the other day! She's been scared of men especially since she was abused by one, but through some classical/counter conditioning, she willingly approached them. I have a trained "down" cue which I use to calm horses (they lower their head which is a natural calming signal while releasing endorphins). Sioux was able to relax while they approached and even pet her.


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Katie, are paint horses typically a little smaller than some other breeds?


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

RavensGryf said:


> Katie, are paint horses typically a little smaller than some other breeds?


Kind of...They're considered stock horses, so aren't as leggy or narrow as other breeds. But because the American Paint Horse Association accepts both Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred heritage, there's a broad range in the American Paint breed. Tessa is about 15hh, so she's on the smaller side. But I also know Paints that are taller and look more Thoroughbred.


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

I'm so proud of Tessa! She's getting right back into shape again and carrying it over into her everyday life. When she's frolicking about in her pasture, she's using the same muscles I've been working with her to use in our riding. So this means that she's understanding the training and her body to the extent that she makes it her own. All about that intrinsic motivation! She's been offering more energetic movement as well, so I'm getting myself back into shape to sit all of this trot again. And if I haven't mentioned it before, Tessa has _the most_ bone-jarring trot I've ever ridden. Enough to knock your teeth fillings out. But I do have a clip lower down from our lesson that should illustrate correct riding in dressage- I'm excited for you guys to see it!

In other developments...Shedding season is in full force and the mares are in heat. I'm taking pieces of all the horses everywhere I go. My car and clothes are covered in horse hair and I have to stop kissing their sweet faces because, before you know it, you're swallowing more hair. Riding bareback is especially treacherous: you walk around with a new fur seat!

















Tessa met Mr. Tall Dark & Handsome (she's the smallest horse and he the tallest at our stable-my head doesn't even reach his withers). Though she did leave her new boyfriend to greet me, so that was something I did not expect!




























Here are some clips over the weeks. I try to ride Tessa outdoors on our trails as much as possible since she appreciates the change of scene and the hills drop her into her hind end. It's great conditioning! You can see I'm mostly posting the trot becuase I didn't feel at this point that Tessa's back was strong enough to support me sitting it. Set to "In Summer" because I miss it and am ready to say goodbye to all these spring storms.





Okay, so I've talked some about riding with your seat in dressage. To recap: you have 4 quadrants: front left & right (this forms your base) and back left & right (your seatbones and connection). So, when you're asking a horse to move certain parts of their bodies, you emphasize a certain quadrant. For example: if I wanted to ask Tessa to turn to the right off of her forehand, I would emphasize my right inside seat. If I wanted her to do shoulders-in, I would use my right seatbone to keep her haunches to the rail but emphasize my left inside seat to ask her forehand to the inside. In this lesson, I was regaining control of my quadrants (feels like they've been hibernating over the winter lol) and eliminating my body's attempt to compensate through arching my back. Our bodies aren't used to having our feet taken out from under us nor having the width of the horse. So it comes up with unique ways to compensate for that awkwardness but it doesn't make it correct. Why is arching your back so bad? You're disconnecting your seatbones from the horse's back, which means 1) can't steer 2) lose connection, so can't expect horse to lift their back to engage and 3) it's dangerous because it takes you out of balance. 





This is from later in the lesson when we did some trotwork. Even though I got myself all figured out at the walk, I struggled to keep my back un-arched at the trot. It's a lot of movement to deal with so I hope we get back to looking pretty, but I wanted to bring focus to Tessa's hind legs. If you look at her hocks (joint at middle of back leg) you can see the elasticity. Again, how you ride directly influences the horse. I'm so glad to see her using her little body correctly. The video shows a drastic change halfway through (just after we make our turn)





She broke into the canter after this because she took my cue to engage forward (when you ask a horse on their hind end sometimes they take it as a stop cue or putter out since it's difficult for them so you have to use your core to encourage them forward) as an up transition. _But_ look how her back is lifted up into me and how upward the transition is. You want to see horses "jumping" into the canter and that's Tessa's specialty 

Hope you aren't tired of videos yet, because I've got one more of Sioux. The video is pretty self-explanatory but I wanted to point out how she's offering most of these behaviors before I explicitly ask them (especially lifting up her hooves). She was scared of all of these things! We had a pretty extreme test of trust last week when the vet (her worst fear) came out. She completely panicked, so I'll have to work with her under her fear threshold in the future. But she was willing to come back to us after she broke away and approached the vet when I asked. We were all completely amazed! She's such a cool little mare and I hope to work with her under saddle this summer.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm in total awe of both you and Tessa, Katie!
So many things to learn, remember and practice.

I loved seeing the pictures of Tessa with Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome and completely enjoyed the videos.*


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## Hunterkat (Mar 29, 2017)

I'm honestly fascinated by the fact that you're developing a way to ride with +R! I rode for years but after realizing how much better that method of training is and how -R/+P riding is that it made me a bit sad to think about. Maybe you'll be the next great dressage rider who changes everyone's mind on it!


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Sorry it's been so long, it has been one of the craziest times of my life! Finals, AP tests, I graduate in a few days and have lots of party planning and family things for the occasion!



FaeryBee said:


> *I'm in total awe of both you and Tessa, Katie!
> So many things to learn, remember and practice.
> 
> I loved seeing the pictures of Tessa with Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome and completely enjoyed the videos.*


Thank you! We're always learning, there's no definitive end, that's for sure!



Hunterkat said:


> I'm honestly fascinated by the fact that you're developing a way to ride with +R! I rode for years but after realizing how much better that method of training is and how -R/+P riding is that it made me a bit sad to think about. Maybe you'll be the next great dressage rider who changes everyone's mind on it!


Everyone I've talked to that's switched to +R came from a traditional training background (-R/+P) for similar reasons. I think there are so many wonderful equestrians out there who truly love their horses and want to do what's best for them, but are simply unaware of how certain methods affect horses. There's a big movement toward understanding the science behind it all, and I think many people are switching to +R and enjoying it (and the horses especially are too!)

SO because I haven't updated in forever, this one will be a bit lengthy.

It was miss Tessa's birthday on April 24- she turned 13!  Crazy that I have a teenager on my hands now  I made her a little cake of oats, molasses, honey, carrots, & apples, and let her graze and enjoy getting pampered. 




















She's also made a lot of progress with her haunches-in. On the circle it's more of a "haunches-out" since it's easier for her to do. Regardless, she understands the concept of moving forward, yielding her hindquarters, and tracking the two targets (one is for her nose, the other is for her haunches).





























Tessa is doing absolutely wonderful and is still so eager to ride. It warms my heart that she meets me at the gate as soon as she sees me (it used to be she'd run away or just wait until I "retrieved" her). The goal is to make it fun and not "work" for her...I mean, moving correctly feels good for the horse, so dressage ought to be intrinsically rewarding. I still use the clicker and treats while I ride to affirm that she's understanding my cue correctly. If I completely took it out of riding, she would never know what the right answer was, because there would be nothing to mark it!

I've always wanted to do musical freestyle with Tessa and, since this is my last summer before heading to college, I figure it's now or never. For those of you who don't know...I'm a complete Broadway and music nerd. Dressage is supposed to be like a dance, even coined the nickname "Horse Ballet" so combining my two favorite things is a win-win. I'm looking at a show in late June and one in early August to prepare. Musical Freestyle is very difficult because you have to ride in exact time with the music. If you have no clue what it is, I'll link a video of Charlotte Dujardin's world record with Valegro (obviously Tess and I will look quite different ) 





So, here's a bit of "dressage"y stuff we've been working on. I just got a GoPro so I'll be able to get some better video of our rides. I'm super excited! For now, here are a few short clips.

I like riding bridleless because it shows any errors in riding. Sometimes you can be using too many rein cues and not using enough of your seat without realizing it. Take away the bridle and you're left with nothing but your seat! I also like doing it to periodically check Tessa's balance. If she's relying on the bridle for balance and to help her flex, I want to get rid of that. You can see she gave me a nice downward stretch and she actually flexed on a circle for me. Her transitions were perfect as well; sometimes she lifts her head and hollows her neck during an upward transition, so I'm elated that she's keeping herself in frame. Very very proud! 






















She's like a big dog. She knows the routine:001_tongue:





A couple of other quick clips...
"At centerline, halt, salute"...and give a treat. For those unfamiliar with dressage, every test begins with a halt and salute at centerline. In the ring I couldn't give a treat, but at home I do!





Look at those transitions! Walk>canter>trot>halt (and another treat)





And here's some progress with Sioux! I'm so pleased with how happy and eager she is to play. I love seeing her energy.






















This is something I've been experimenting with to gain her confidence. They're called start signals. Essentially, I won't move forward in training until Sioux tells me she's ready for it. In this video, the "start" signal is her touching the saddle, pad, girth, etc. _Only_ after she gives me the start signal do I make a move to tack her up, and _then_ I click and reward. She's not rewarded for touching the saddle (the start signal), it only means that she's initiating the opportunity to do something (hold still for saddling) to earn a reward. This has done wonders to improve her confidence! As a rescue, people bullied her into things and she easily gets frightened of it happening again. This way, she has a say and-amazingly-chooses to have a saddle put on her back. I'm also working with her on start signals with mounting, but I haven't gotten video yet.





I've been starting some other horses on clicker training too. This is Zoe, another one of the boarders at my stable. She's very mouthy, so I'm using clicker training to teach her some manners. Whenever she holds her head away from me, she gets a treat. Simple as that and she caught on very quickly. I always love seeing the different personalities and mind processes emerge.


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## Hunterkat (Mar 29, 2017)

This is seriously incredible. I think you need to write a paper or book on your experiences using +R with horses.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I love your videos and pictures.
A happy belated birthday wish from me to beautiful Tessa.

Also, thank you for including the video of the Dressage World Record -- OMG I was in SUCH awe of that rider and horse, I've never seen anything like that before in my life!*


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Hunterkat said:


> This is seriously incredible. I think you need to write a paper or book on your experiences using +R with horses.


Aw, thank you! And my senior project was actually on this, so I did a presentation in front of a Panel and wrote an essay. I also submitted that essay for a scholarship. I'll be writing for my college's newspaper, so I'm sure I'll be able to sneak in a few articles about this topic 



FaeryBee said:


> *I love your videos and pictures.
> A happy belated birthday wish from me to beautiful Tessa.
> 
> Also, thank you for including the video of the Dressage World Record -- OMG I was in SUCH awe of that rider and horse, I've never seen anything like that before in my life!*


Thanks! I'll pass the birthday wishes along  Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro are my dressage idols. Isn't it crazy how well he moves?! Fully captures the idea that it's a dance--glad you liked it as much as I did.


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Katie, I always learn so much from your posts on this thread! It’s amazing. You’ve accomplished so much with Tessa. Sioux too!

Happy belated birthday to Tessa as well!


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

I am _loving_ summer! My time is pretty much spent at the stable all day every day. I'm a working student under my trainer, a "stablehand" in that I do some chores for pay, and I'm continuing work with my autistic student (soon to be two). Additionally, I'm almost done with the classwork for my massage therapy certification and am discovering new muscles as I'm massaging horses. 
I have never been in better shape!

Since none of the shows I found had musical freestyle (I live in a primarily western state so english and especially dressage is hard to find) so we decided to hold our own performance at my stable at the end of the summer! I'm going to do a freestyle with Tess and (hopefully) team liberty with Tessa and Sioux. I can ride Tess tackless and she knows a few tricks. I've been working with the two of them to get them in sync in doing movements as well as two separate tasks (i.e. Tess stands still while Sioux circles around her). It's been tricky since for awhile they were resource-guarding treats and are finally at the point where they know they'll both get one so they can stop chasing each other away. They _are_ friends since they're kept in the same pasture and their personalities balance out nicely.









I brought them both into the indoor arena (which is especially huge for Sioux) and I got them both trotting with me and even over a small jump! Then they all ran around for awhile and were in perfect sync with each other. They'd both rear, stop, run, buck, etc at the same time. Wish I got all of that on video but I didnt' have my phone on me. I did catch the last seconds with all 3 mares playing, though.





I also brought my little dog out with me to the stable a day...yeah that'll be a one-time occurrence. She has ZERO horse sense and nearly got trampled by Tess in the first few minutes. Tess, for her part, was an absolute angel to her and was incredibly gentle and didn't spook at Bella's barking. Bella did, however, cause a stampede by her barking when I went to feed the horses lunch. It was so stressful having to halter a horse, close the gates, and lead them around with Bella in one arm (since she apparently can't be trusted on the ground). She had a blast running around the arena though- funkiest dressage pon I ever did see!

























As a working student, I get to work with lots of different horses! In the clip is Fernando, the stable's only pony! He is part Andalusian.












And quick Tessa update: She has finally embraced self-carriage! This frees up her front end and means she has finally settled into her core to balance without help from me. Doesn't she look elegant?! She is also able to do spanish walk and school halt with me on her back; she lacked the strength to do this last summer so I'm incredibly pleased! It's just going to get harder and harder to leave her in two short months though:upset:


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Great pictures and videos of all. How in the world are you going to deal with leaving :sad3:, will you be close enough that you can come home once in awhile?


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Cody said:


> Great pictures and videos of all. How in the world are you going to deal with leaving :sad3:, will you be close enough that you can come home once in awhile?


It's going to be rough, that's for sure! The college I'm going to is halfway across the country...but I'll be home for all the breaks, which ends up being roughly 4-5 months out of the year. I've looked into starting a club or riding team in the college area, and I've made several horse contacts there as well. I'm also looking into a program to train mustangs, so that could be my saving grace. It'll be interesting, that's for sure! I'm hoping to keep writing and updating this thread, though it may be more of a horse training journal than one for _just_ Tessa.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Love the new pictures and videos!

I hope you'll have someone record your show at the end of the summer... I'd love to see it!

Leaving Tess and Sioux when you go to college is bound to be rough but it sounds as though you are already planning everything out well in advance. :thumbsup:
Who will be taking care of Tess during the months when you are away?*


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

FaeryBee said:


> *
> Who will be taking care of Tess during the months when you are away?*


She will be staying at the stable under the watchful eye of my trainer/barn manager, so I know she'll keep getting the same trustworthy care. I will be splitting a lease between two people who already take lessons at the stable under my trainer, so Tessa's riding and training will stay the same. That way I can save as much money as I can the first year I'm away to hopefully take her with me my second year. I'll be scouting out places to keep her during my freshman year.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*That's great and I really hope it will work out so you can take her with you during your second year. :fingerx:*


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Thought it was time for an update! It's actually not going to be super picture/video heavy today:001_tongue:

Okay, so our show is on Friday. Yikes! I spent hours timing and planning the movements (after the weeks it took to find the right song!). I can't remember if I ever explained the process so I will here just in case. For a musical freestyle, you want a song that matches:
1) The horse's beats per minutes/ strides
2) The horse's personality, if you will
3) The performance (i.e. lighthearted or serious)
4) Tempo changes enough for walk, trot, & canter
5) The song changes for enough movements

I actually used all the math I was taught (imagine that- math useful in my everyday life!  ) to find the distances of the diagonals, the circumference of circles, etc. Then I had to find how many feet per second Tessa moves so I could time it so she'd end up in the right part of the arena at the correct part of the song.

In Dressage you ride to the letters, so I'm attaching a picture below to show where those letters are. We have a short arena at my stable, so the test is according to those demographics. Also, the spectators will be at A, not C, so the test is kind of "backward" from what you'd normally see. For example, instead of entering the arena at A, I'm entering at C. 









Without further ado, here is my test. I will post video from the show as soon as I'm able. The song is Aladdin Medley by Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. Since this is our own show, we've taken a few liberties that otherwise wouldn't be allowed in the show ring. It's going to be a fun performance!
















Update for miss Sioux as well! It was just too much to try to get her ready for a show as well, so we won't be doing a liberty performance. I thought my limited time with her would be better spent doing more confidence building to help her get over some of her biggest fears.

She's scared of the farrier and vet...and she's scared of men, which both our farrier and vet are. She's gotten a lot better with me handling her feet and propping them up! I can also examine her as a vet would. It's hard to work on her fear of men since there are very limited opportunities. But one of my friends is in a Pre-Vet program and he agreed to come out. He spent _2 hours_ with us and by the end of it (with much patience) he was able to put his hands on Sioux. Doesn't sound like much, but it is HUGE for Sioux girl. Additionally, she approached him of her own accord without me standing by him. I've never seen her do that before! I was also able to handle her feet and examine her body as I would on my own. She was more nervous since there was a man standing by her, but it was good classical conditioning for her.

I also got the saddle with the girth on and tightened. Whoever originally introduced her to the saddle caused a lot of pain. She came with blisters and sores, so not only was she cinched up roughly, but the saddle fit incorrectly. 
It's a lot for her to overcome, but she's doing great! I'm not sure where the original video is, so I'm posting a link to where I posted it on my instagram

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http://instagr.am/p/B0SBcs8nS2k/

I'm almost done with my massage certification and have been completing full-body massages on multiple horses. My arms have never been sorer 

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http://instagr.am/p/B0z6fa8nLNR/


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Wow Katie, never realized it was so involved, too much for my old brain, good luck at the show. Looks like great progress with Sioux, every little step is great progress. How long does it take to do a full body massage on a horse?


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Cody said:


> Wow Katie, never realized it was so involved, too much for my old brain, good luck at the show. Looks like great progress with Sioux, every little step is great progress. How long does it take to do a full body massage on a horse?


It kind of depends on the situation...if the horse has a specific problem I'd need to spend time at the beginning lunging it to examine its movement patterns. There also needs to be some discussion with the owner to get a full picture of the problem and horse's history. The massage itself normally lasts 1-1.5 hours (with the first session taking the longest) but combined with the rest can take up to two hours. On average, it takes about 3 massage sessions for a problem to be resolved. The later sessions take closer to an hour.

This was the mare I massaged yesterday. She's a Draft mix so has heavy, dense muscles to begin with. She's extremely tight in her haunches, so it takes all of my strength and body weight to get a response from the muscles. I also need a stool/mounting block to exert better downward pressure on her. I nearly pulled one of my own muscles in my quest to get those muscles to loosen:embarrassed:


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm so impressed with the whole concept of horse massage. I think it's wonderful that you take such a holistic approach to your animals.

The work that you put into your show is phenomenal. I'm so looking forward to seeing the video when the time comes! :jumping:*


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

BooksBudgies said:


> It kind of depends on the situation...if the horse has a specific problem I'd need to spend time at the beginning lunging it to examine its movement patterns. There also needs to be some discussion with the owner to get a full picture of the problem and horse's history. The massage itself normally lasts 1-1.5 hours (with the first session taking the longest) but combined with the rest can take up to two hours. On average, it takes about 3 massage sessions for a problem to be resolved. The later sessions take closer to an hour.
> 
> This was the mare I massaged yesterday. She's a Draft mix so has heavy, dense muscles to begin with. She's extremely tight in her haunches, so it takes all of my strength and body weight to get a response from the muscles. I also need a stool/mounting block to exert better downward pressure on her. I nearly pulled one of my own muscles in my quest to get those muscles to loosen:embarrassed:


It must be quite a workout for your arms and upper body, you will need a massage after you are done with the horse.:yes:


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Alright it's been a crazy weekend and crazier still getting everything set up before I leave for college in a few days!!

Pre-show cleanup: Tessie getting a pedicure (aka hoof filing) and a bath. I tied her up while she dried so she wouldn't roll and cleaned all my tack and riding boots.























And the day of the show! Tessa did amazing and I couldn't be happier with the turnout. Pictures are below, plus a link to the GoPro video I took.

I still don't understand why someone thought white pants and a white saddle pad were a good mix with horses. I even have a white horse that loves to get dirty! I had a wet rag and was spot cleaning up to the moment of the show 









Look at the action in that trot! I'm not sure if this picture was during a leg-yield or lengthening but I'm happy either way.









Canter!









The bow at the end of our performance.









Kisses for pony. 









Here's the video.


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Okay, wow it's been a while! I got a job working with the equine vet here. She only lives a few minutes away from campus, so that's a nice, short commute!  She doesn't have too many horses right now, but come spring she'll be busy with foals!! Here are a few of the friendly faces I got to meet (I mostly care for the horses staying at the clinic but sometimes make a few farm calls)

This little yearling was in with a torn tendon, but he was so sweet! It took forever to clean his stall since he wanted to be in the middle of everything. He even pawed the shavings around
















This mare's name was Prada and was in for a hoof abscess. She reminded me so much of Tessa!!! She was so sweet and snuggly. She was also super playful and grabbed the pitchfork from me to "help" just like my Tessa girl









Now, what I'm really excited for (since the vet doesn't have much work for me at the moment) is the chance to volunteer at a nonprofit not too far away. They are a Christian equine-assisted therapy ranch, so I can keep volunteering with special-needs children like I did at home. _But_ since they take in a lot of rescues, they need help training and riding their horses too. They even have a few foals they bred that they're planning on raising and training. This seems like a perfect opportunity to utilize all my interests. I'm also making contacts for places to board Tessa if I'm able to take her next year!!

This gorgeous dappled buckskin was my ride yesterday. The ranch mostly has gaited horses, so it's definitely a change after being bounced around by Tessa all the time. This mare (Roxy is her name) has never been ridden in dressage, but it's so fun experimenting. She was so sensitive I was pretty much able to ride her from my seat even though she had never been ridden that way before. It's just natural for them to respond that way.

















Some of the foals (they have 4 right now). I'm really excited to work with the babies! It's not often I get to work with a horse that has a blank slate. Normally I have to spend a lot of time undoing all their negative experiences and bad habits. The foals are so innocent and curious!!


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Sounds like a perfect match for you and the others involved. :thumbup: Hope to see more as your work continues.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Awesome updates! *


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

I've got some updates for you!!

First off, meet Rubina. She's a 16-year-old Paso Fino mare. Her past is pretty vague but her owner told me that she is very sensitive and can be wary of people. She told me that she would probably be hard to catch, but I took my time and didn't have any issues with her. She's an absolute goof like Tessa. Her owner found it hilarious that Rubina wriggles her lips when I start scratching her; apparently that's not something she'd ever done before! She took to clicker training right away. She's very anxious and defensive, so, for now, I'm focusing on building trust and positive associations with people. By the end of our first session, she was following me around like a dog. When I worked with her yesterday (our 3rd session) she didn't even move when I approached her with the halter. After doing some massage on her, I think she has some issues requiring a chiropractor. She's very jumpy about her poll being touched and sensitive in the croup bone and hip joint. She is in very poor body condition, so if she's out of alignment that would explain a lot. If she can't bend at the poll and drop into her hindquarters, she can't properly use her core to lift her back. So she has zero topline and is very heavy in the forehand, much like Tessa was. I'm very excited to see the transformation!!
























Rubina's kind of been "running wild" so her mane and tail are in dreads. Took me an hour to tame her mane and still haven't gotten her tail in better condition since she's very scared to have me touching that area. Anyway, I was ridiculously proud of this transformation 









This is Chiquita, the foal I'm going to start working with. She was my favorite out of all of them (shhh, don't tell anyone). She's very shy, but she's already approached me several times. She's a dun paint like my Tessa girl. I just love Chiquita's markings: her dorsal stripe, blue eyes, and cute blaze. She's the youngest of the foals and was just weaned from her mom. I can't wait to work with her since she's a blank slate. I won't have to spend most of my training time undoing all of the bad things that happened in the past.























Investigating the camera (she even left her mom to come say hi). So sweet! :001_wub:









Closeup of those markings I love
















And here are some pictures of some of the other horses, since I would hate to see them go to waste. The owner has mentioned several other horses she'd like me to work with in the future, so you may be seeing more of these faces again. These are all raw, no editing done here!























And I had another lovely ride on miss Jazzy here. She has lots of energy and is a super smooth Missouri Fox Trotter. I had lots of fun running her on the open field, a foreign concept for me since when I go for trail rides at home it's never flat enough to go faster than a trot.









Only a few short weeks until I see Tessa!!!!! I get lots of pictures and videos of her from my trainer and the gal who's leasing her.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Nice pictures, you certainly have a gift in relating to the horses if you were able to get so far with Rubina in such a short time. It will be interesting to see how it goes with Chiquita since she is a blank slate.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I second everything Cody just said! :001_tongue:*


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

It feels very Christmassy over here as the campus is decorated and we've already encountered a blizzard. We've got some lovely snowdrifts and everything is covered with a white blanket. Before I get into all the updates, I thought I'd post some of the beautiful views from the ranch.























This horse was taking a nap in the sun. That's Rubina behind her









And do all of you remember Jazzy? She's been my go-to ride while I'm waiting for the chiropractor to get out for Rubina. The winter storm we had last week delayed things since the roads made it hard to get anywhere. I also did the last bit of my massage therapy homework on her! It's so fun experimenting with dressage movements on these horses. It's natural for them to follow cues from the seat and collect themselves. I love it!!

















And now, for what I'm most excited to share: I've had my first two sessions with Chiquita! Since she's still skittish around humans and doesn't take treats I've had to get creative with reinforcing her behaviors. Right now I'm using small handfuls of grain to pair with the clicker, but I'm working up to using scratches as a reinforcer. That will classically condition her to enjoy human contact too. I also have to keep our sessions short since she's just a baby so I train for a few minutes, do something else, come back for a few more minutes, etc.

In our first session, I had the other 3 foals stay with us since they're bolder. I'm using the noodle as a target and want Chiquita to see it as something fun to chase. She caught on to the idea after her siblings approached it a few times. She's actually very curious about it and was already following it around. I even got to scratch her shoulder and rump a few times (two itchy spots on a foal that she should start to appreciate).









Our second session we made a lot of progress! She seems to understand the idea of the target and clicker now. It's so weird working with a baby. She has no manners whatsoever since she hasn't been around people long enough to learn any. She's trying to understand if humans are for nipping and kicking like her siblings. I'm trying to guide her toward the correct behaviors while keeping myself safe. You can see how she's approaching me much more readily now. By the end of this session she was already walking toward me when I opened the gate. I'm so excited to keep working with her. She's so smart and it's amazing to get the opportunity to start shaping a horse so young. Since I'm planning on being here for the next 4 years, I should be able to lay a good foundation during the most crucial years of a horse's life.


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## Hunterkat (Mar 29, 2017)

Chiquita is just so darn cute! I love foals. Have fun training her!!


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Love the video, what a blessing to be able to start with a foal and see her through for 4 years, I am sure she will turn out to be one special horse.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The pictures and video are wonderful! Chiquita is precious and I'm sure all the work you do with her is going to help her develop into a very special, well-mannered and exquisite horse.*


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## BooksBudgies (Jul 14, 2015)

Exciting things happening! First and foremost, *I'm back in town and got to see my baby girl today!!!!!* It felt like nothing had changed but it also took me a few moments to get used to Tess again. After all the tiny Paso Fino's I've been working with, Tessa actually seems huge. And she's not that big of a horse:001_tongue: That's not the only thing! After riding gaited horses, her trot and canter were a bit of a rude awakening and required a lot more from me to keep my balance (I hopped on her for the first time in 4 months bareback...that's how I had my last ride with her too). I was, thankfully, able to stay on for her walk, trot, and canter. Though her canter was tricky since she spooked and kinda teetered into a gallop. Jumped into the deep-end after months off lol. It was _so_ nice riding a horse trained in dressage and used to being ridden off the seat. The other horses I'm working with at college are awesome because they require more of me in that they've never been ridden from the seat and have imbalances and underdeveloped muscles. But Tessa's so sensitive and used to being ridden in a precise way, it demands correct riding from me in different ways. So both are good!

I'm going to try something new and post the links to my photos/videos of these events on my horse training instagram to save some time.

From today: Riding, Tessa's sweet nicker and classic goofy faces, and Sioux! Sioux girl remembered our fun liberty and came to a whistle. So sweet being with my two girls again.

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http://instagr.am/p/B6Ojg5TnAYn/

Now I'll update on my two other projects. I've been making such good progress with Rubina and Chiquita so it was kind of hard leaving in the middle of it, but of course I'm over the moon to be back.

Chiquita:
I've worked with her for 4 sessions now and her transformation is astounding! The first day I worked with her she was skittish of humans, couldn't be touched, and she got aggressive. Now, I can get her to follow the target for most leading cues (forward, stop, turn) and I can *finally* pet her with her relaxed. I started by touching her with the target so 1) she'd get further desensitized to a scary object and 2) she could get used to being touched and if she did bite/kick like she had in the past, I would be safe. In the next session I switched over to using my hand and it went really well! She even runs up to greet me as soon as I step in her pen, leaving her food and buddies behind. It's so sweet when you earn a horse's trust.

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http://instagr.am/p/B5_VlLgHjUf/


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http://instagr.am/p/B6J9xFMHALp/

Next, Rubina! I was right that she needed a chiropractor! She was out at her poll, withers, back, and hips. No wonder she was getting so defensive about being touched. I was able to do a full-body massage on her, which should continue to help her get back in shape. She was also able to enjoy the massage; she even started wriggling her lips when I got to her hamstrings and adductors, previously a very sensitive area. What's happening right now is her back is upside down: Instead of her back curving up and her abdomen contracting, her back is contracted and her abdomen is over-extended. I was able to release some of her back, but she wouldn't let me near her sides or belly. I think she has ulcers, so she'll be treated for that while I'm gone. Then, hopefully I can massage out the other problem muscles and start working on in-hand and remedial exercises.


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http://instagr.am/p/B6MAbZHHh4i/


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