Having fun with our horses, versus being frustrated and scared, completely depends on finding the right horse and developing our skills as horse handlers.
While having a horse that is very well trained can definitely help you develop your skills, even the best trained horse can easily digress to the level of an inexperienced handler. My criteria for choosing the right horse, is finding a horse that truly wants to be with you. This connection is difficult to convey to first time horse buyers. In a perfect world, every first time horse buyer would be matched with a horse they connect with; and has received adequate training and a temperament to fill in for any lack of expertise.
It could be said that purchasing a horse is similar to getting married. You will appreciate the one you marry far more if you date a few others first. On the other hand, if you rush into marrying the first person who comes along, you may not appreciate them if they are great, and if they turn out to be not so great - you will spend a lifetime trying to develop and/or improve the relationship.
Shopping for that first horse takes patience. Often the excitment of finally making your dream of horse ownership come true can blind folks to reality. Not much different than rushing into marriage while still infatuated, or because it is easier than letting go. Again, just like marriage, the more difficult the horse, the greater opportunity for learning and growing. The problem with this is that folks getting started with horses later in life are not bouncing as well when they hit the dirt.
When students seek my assistance to purchase their first horse, I encourage them to meet and try out several horses before they ask my opinion. As with everything about horses, this too has become a learning experience for me. More often than not, by the time I meet the horse, the decision has pretty much been made. This means I am really going out to see if there are any obvious concerns about the horse. However, it has become clear that even when everything seems to be going well, a bad match can still happen.
For example, one of my students bought a lovely, quiet mare who didn't show any cause for concern during the 3 visits prior to sealing the deal. However, it turned out this mare had lived most of her life alone, and had therefore not developed adequate social skills when exposed to other horses. While her aggression towards other horses is understandable, this is a problem that poses real danger to anyone riding near her.
Another example; a student who purchased a lovely morgan cross. This horse seemed to be a perfect fit for a beginner, age, exerpience and temperament. However, after being brought home, this horse started to act out under saddle. When a thorough check of saddle fit and extensive ground work didn't fix the problem, the horse was sent back to the original owner. Upon arrival, the disgruntled seller saddled him up and off he went without a hiccup. Clearly, it wasn't an issue of a dishonest horse dealer. This man had personally trained and ridden this horse for 10 years and had never seen him act up under saddle. Needless to say, he redeemed his reputation when he was able to demonstrate the horse was good - for him.
On the flip side, I do a lot of work at Dare 2 Dream Horse Rescue, teaching beginners who are considering purchasing their first horse. My initial reaction was; beginners should not be starting out with young horses. However, after 2 years of observation, it is remarkable to see that the majority of these partnerships are working out extremely well. Folks volunteer at D2D, grooming and handling the horses, often in a very minimal way. What Brenda and Henry are very good at, is noticing when a strong bond developes between the horse and a volunteer, and then helping them nurture that bond.
I firmly believe the trusting relationship we have with a horse has a huge impact on the success of that partnership; and to me success means safety.
Happy horse shopping (or should I say dating)!
Tovie and the "Boys"
Friday, December 7, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
A Little Irish Dust (aka Navar)
Have you ever got up in the morning with your day all planned out and have it completely change in the blink of an eye? Well that happened to me last Tuesday morning. My morning routine is pretty normal (boring), and always includes a quick check on Kijiji Livestock to see what's new in horse, and related product sales. This morning however, there was an ad that caught my attention - you guessed it - A Little Irish Dust (formerly Louie). He is a yearling gelding and my all time favourite colour, a beautiful grullo.
Buying another horse was defintely not on my list of things to do that day but after calling the number, the ball started rolling. As it turned out, I had met the breeder previously and truly admired her facility and philosophy. In fact one of my former students has boarded her fabulous horse Deuce Bigalow there for a couple of years, and takes riding lessons with Muffy Knox. After talking to the owner, Heather Tanner, about this yearling and learning more about his temperament, I simply had to go meet him. For sure I didn't need another horse because Dexter definitely has my heart and full attention these days, so I took Gord to be my voice of reason. We decided not to make it easy and decided to leave the horse trailer at home.
As you probably guessed, this youngster had me at hello. Heather has done an amazing job with his handling and even Gord couldn't find anything thing to fault, except his young age. My thinking is that young horses are started too early, before their joints are fully developed, and in many cases this causes their early demise, as happened to my beautiful Nugget. Gord's voice of reason was that I will be caring for this youngster for a couple of years before he'll ever be ridden. My response was - ya so what's wrong with that? We grow our own hay, trim our own feet, do our own de-worming - not much cost to own one more and the extra feet to trim are OK by me. In hindsight, we should have taken the horse trailer to save a second trip.
When we picked him up, he jumped right onto the trailer without hesitation. I am so used to fixing problems, that I was surprised he went without issue. Heather's comment was, "he's always been handled by competent handlers and so he has never learned differently". Heather was absolutely right. He loads, picks up his feet and leads like all our other well trained "boys".
Unfortunately, most folks just starting out with horses are going to make mistakes. Our horses will give us honest feedback how we're doing. When we handle them well, they respond well. When our horses aren't doing what we think they should, it is an opportunity to reflect on how we could do things better.
Needless to say, the name Louie didn't work for me so I changed his barn name to Navar. Captain Navarre was the hero of my all time favourite movie - Ladyhawk, also starring Michelle Pfieffer and Matthew Broderick. I've shortened it for simplicity but it still makes me smile every time I say it.
I've promised Gord that, barring anything horrible happening to any of our boys, I will never ask for another horse. I'm not sure he believes me.
Tovie, baby Navar, and the big "boys".
Buying another horse was defintely not on my list of things to do that day but after calling the number, the ball started rolling. As it turned out, I had met the breeder previously and truly admired her facility and philosophy. In fact one of my former students has boarded her fabulous horse Deuce Bigalow there for a couple of years, and takes riding lessons with Muffy Knox. After talking to the owner, Heather Tanner, about this yearling and learning more about his temperament, I simply had to go meet him. For sure I didn't need another horse because Dexter definitely has my heart and full attention these days, so I took Gord to be my voice of reason. We decided not to make it easy and decided to leave the horse trailer at home.
As you probably guessed, this youngster had me at hello. Heather has done an amazing job with his handling and even Gord couldn't find anything thing to fault, except his young age. My thinking is that young horses are started too early, before their joints are fully developed, and in many cases this causes their early demise, as happened to my beautiful Nugget. Gord's voice of reason was that I will be caring for this youngster for a couple of years before he'll ever be ridden. My response was - ya so what's wrong with that? We grow our own hay, trim our own feet, do our own de-worming - not much cost to own one more and the extra feet to trim are OK by me. In hindsight, we should have taken the horse trailer to save a second trip.
When we picked him up, he jumped right onto the trailer without hesitation. I am so used to fixing problems, that I was surprised he went without issue. Heather's comment was, "he's always been handled by competent handlers and so he has never learned differently". Heather was absolutely right. He loads, picks up his feet and leads like all our other well trained "boys".
Unfortunately, most folks just starting out with horses are going to make mistakes. Our horses will give us honest feedback how we're doing. When we handle them well, they respond well. When our horses aren't doing what we think they should, it is an opportunity to reflect on how we could do things better.
Needless to say, the name Louie didn't work for me so I changed his barn name to Navar. Captain Navarre was the hero of my all time favourite movie - Ladyhawk, also starring Michelle Pfieffer and Matthew Broderick. I've shortened it for simplicity but it still makes me smile every time I say it.
I've promised Gord that, barring anything horrible happening to any of our boys, I will never ask for another horse. I'm not sure he believes me.
Tovie, baby Navar, and the big "boys".
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Another Sad Horse Day
Nadine is a new student of mine who recently bought her first horse. Her father has had experience with horse buying and selling in the past and so he was her advisor. Since Nadine had only taken a couple of lessons with me, I agreed to board Bentley for the short term to allow Nadine to continue her lessons, using Bentley.
When Gord and I went to pick Bently up, we were a little surprised at her father's recommended horse. Firstly he was huge and Nadine is an itty bitty little thing. Secondly, he hadn't been handled much so was not terribly confident or trained. Thirdly, he had a terrible crack in one of his front feet that was filled with epoxy. Needless to say, he was not a horse I would have recommended as a first horse. Anyway, the deal was done and so we loaded Bently up and got him home.
As with any horse we bring to our property, they are intially kept in a wooden paddock to be introduced to our "Boys" over the fence. Bentley didn't cause as much of a ripple in the herd as our other young visitor Honey, a 2 year old filly.
Amongst horse people, there is a little joke often said a few days after buying a new horse, that goes something like this. "Whew, the drugs have worn off, so I guess I didn't get hoodwinked into a buying a crippled, green, or worse, psychotic, horse." Unfortunately, that was not the case with Bentley. He started showing signs of being sore within a couple of days of his arrival. Eventually, his lameness couldn't be explained away and so Nadine brought in a vet to x-ray his "epoxy" foot. The x-rays revealed the huge crack was caused by the fact that half Bentley's coffin bone was actually missing - something the vet had never seen. He guessed that poor Bentley had received a traumatic injury to that foot many years ago (perhaps a nail penetration), and the ensuing infection had eventually eroded half of his coffin bone completely away. He went on to explain that perhaps with the right shoeing, Bently could maybe be made comfortable, but would not likely ever be sound enough for riding. Nadine made the brave and necessary decision to put Bentley down that day - only two weeks after purchasing him.
Most of the students who come to me have never owned a horse previously so this sad turn of events provoked some thoughts that I would like to share with anyone looking to buy a horse.
Most folks buying their first horse are not discriminating enough to be able to weed out inappropriate horses. Unless they have a very specific competitive purpose for that horse, most folks absolutely fall in love with every horse they meet. I encourage my students to go meet several potential horses prior to making that crucial commitment. Sometimes, that first horse may work out, but not as often as we'd like to think.
Clearly Bentley had been drugged so he appeared sound at the time of the sale. In fact, Nadine mentioned that the bill of sale had clearly stated, "guaranteed sound at time of delivery". This statement alone should have been a huge red flag.
I also encourage folks to go meet the horse more than once. A warm, summer afternoon may make even the greenest horse behave like a calm, reliable trail horse.
The truth is, that buying a horse is similar to buying a used car - buyer beware. As we recently learned with Nugget, it costs approximately $450.00 to have a horse euthanized and disposed of. It is much more cost effective to give a horse bute for a few days prior to selling them so an unsuspecting buyer gets stuck with the vet costs, or worse, as was the case of Bentley. In fact, we gave Nugget bute for a couple of days prior to our appointment to have him put down, to make the trailer ride more comfortable. When we arrived at the vet the day were having him put down, Nugget didn't show any signs of lameness at all. He was so good in fact, that I even joked with the vet that I should quickly sell him before the drugs wore off.
Most often, it is a simple matter of compatability between horse and human. My experience with Dexter taught me that in spades. The best advice I could give someone shopping for a horse, is to go meet at least 10 horses that meet your basic requirements (i.e. training level, size, gender, health, and temperament), and then buy the one that chooses you. You will notice that breeding and colour are not among the list of requirements, there is no wrong breed or colour, of the right horse for you.
Tovie and my "Boys" (a hodge podge of colours and breeds)
When Gord and I went to pick Bently up, we were a little surprised at her father's recommended horse. Firstly he was huge and Nadine is an itty bitty little thing. Secondly, he hadn't been handled much so was not terribly confident or trained. Thirdly, he had a terrible crack in one of his front feet that was filled with epoxy. Needless to say, he was not a horse I would have recommended as a first horse. Anyway, the deal was done and so we loaded Bently up and got him home.
As with any horse we bring to our property, they are intially kept in a wooden paddock to be introduced to our "Boys" over the fence. Bentley didn't cause as much of a ripple in the herd as our other young visitor Honey, a 2 year old filly.
Amongst horse people, there is a little joke often said a few days after buying a new horse, that goes something like this. "Whew, the drugs have worn off, so I guess I didn't get hoodwinked into a buying a crippled, green, or worse, psychotic, horse." Unfortunately, that was not the case with Bentley. He started showing signs of being sore within a couple of days of his arrival. Eventually, his lameness couldn't be explained away and so Nadine brought in a vet to x-ray his "epoxy" foot. The x-rays revealed the huge crack was caused by the fact that half Bentley's coffin bone was actually missing - something the vet had never seen. He guessed that poor Bentley had received a traumatic injury to that foot many years ago (perhaps a nail penetration), and the ensuing infection had eventually eroded half of his coffin bone completely away. He went on to explain that perhaps with the right shoeing, Bently could maybe be made comfortable, but would not likely ever be sound enough for riding. Nadine made the brave and necessary decision to put Bentley down that day - only two weeks after purchasing him.
Most of the students who come to me have never owned a horse previously so this sad turn of events provoked some thoughts that I would like to share with anyone looking to buy a horse.
Most folks buying their first horse are not discriminating enough to be able to weed out inappropriate horses. Unless they have a very specific competitive purpose for that horse, most folks absolutely fall in love with every horse they meet. I encourage my students to go meet several potential horses prior to making that crucial commitment. Sometimes, that first horse may work out, but not as often as we'd like to think.
Clearly Bentley had been drugged so he appeared sound at the time of the sale. In fact, Nadine mentioned that the bill of sale had clearly stated, "guaranteed sound at time of delivery". This statement alone should have been a huge red flag.
I also encourage folks to go meet the horse more than once. A warm, summer afternoon may make even the greenest horse behave like a calm, reliable trail horse.
The truth is, that buying a horse is similar to buying a used car - buyer beware. As we recently learned with Nugget, it costs approximately $450.00 to have a horse euthanized and disposed of. It is much more cost effective to give a horse bute for a few days prior to selling them so an unsuspecting buyer gets stuck with the vet costs, or worse, as was the case of Bentley. In fact, we gave Nugget bute for a couple of days prior to our appointment to have him put down, to make the trailer ride more comfortable. When we arrived at the vet the day were having him put down, Nugget didn't show any signs of lameness at all. He was so good in fact, that I even joked with the vet that I should quickly sell him before the drugs wore off.
Most often, it is a simple matter of compatability between horse and human. My experience with Dexter taught me that in spades. The best advice I could give someone shopping for a horse, is to go meet at least 10 horses that meet your basic requirements (i.e. training level, size, gender, health, and temperament), and then buy the one that chooses you. You will notice that breeding and colour are not among the list of requirements, there is no wrong breed or colour, of the right horse for you.
Tovie and my "Boys" (a hodge podge of colours and breeds)
Monday, August 6, 2012
Dexter and I at Oxley Ranch
Dexter and I spent a wonderful weekend at the Oxley Ranch located in the Foothills west of Stavely. The Ranch is run by Jennifer White and her daughter Heather. As it turned out, Dexter and I were the only guests, so we had Jen and Heather all to ourselves and that suited me just fine.
Jen and Heather took Dexter and I on three amazing rides but my favourite was the long ride up to the "plateau". It was like being on top of the world with a breathtaking view in all directions. Aside from the view, there was a fully intact ancient medicine wheel and an eratic that had been used as a rubbing spot by the buffalo for thouands of years. It was a magical day spent at a magical place.
Dexter and I also had an opportunity to ride among the cattle on the ranch to see how he would respond. As with everything we throw at this little horse, it was uneventful and he really seemed to enjoy pushing the cows around.
What I discovered about my horsemanship over the weekend, is that I ride my horses cautiously. I've never had to use them for work; whereby you need them to respond instantly and willingly to get a job done. I admired Jen's riding ability and how well her horses responded to her. When I mentioned that nobody but me had ever been on Dexter's back, Jen offered to get on him to see how he is with someone else. Again - uneventful. What I did get to see is how much more capable Dexter can be when asked for more. It gave me a new perspective and more to work on to bring Dexter to a higher level.
Willow Creek winds its way through the ranch and at the end of a hot day of riding, it was great fun to float along with the current. Heather introduced me to the cowgirl version of a day at the spa - a wonderful mud wallow. That would have been a great picture - Heather and I covered in mud from head to toe. To exfoliate dead skin, you just lie in the creek and let the minnows do the job. While their nibbling didn't hurt, it definitely took a bit of getting used to.
Thanks to Jen & Heather for a terrific experience!
Tovie & Dexter
Jen and Heather took Dexter and I on three amazing rides but my favourite was the long ride up to the "plateau". It was like being on top of the world with a breathtaking view in all directions. Aside from the view, there was a fully intact ancient medicine wheel and an eratic that had been used as a rubbing spot by the buffalo for thouands of years. It was a magical day spent at a magical place.
Dexter and I also had an opportunity to ride among the cattle on the ranch to see how he would respond. As with everything we throw at this little horse, it was uneventful and he really seemed to enjoy pushing the cows around.
What I discovered about my horsemanship over the weekend, is that I ride my horses cautiously. I've never had to use them for work; whereby you need them to respond instantly and willingly to get a job done. I admired Jen's riding ability and how well her horses responded to her. When I mentioned that nobody but me had ever been on Dexter's back, Jen offered to get on him to see how he is with someone else. Again - uneventful. What I did get to see is how much more capable Dexter can be when asked for more. It gave me a new perspective and more to work on to bring Dexter to a higher level.
Willow Creek winds its way through the ranch and at the end of a hot day of riding, it was great fun to float along with the current. Heather introduced me to the cowgirl version of a day at the spa - a wonderful mud wallow. That would have been a great picture - Heather and I covered in mud from head to toe. To exfoliate dead skin, you just lie in the creek and let the minnows do the job. While their nibbling didn't hurt, it definitely took a bit of getting used to.
Thanks to Jen & Heather for a terrific experience!
Tovie & Dexter
Saturday, July 28, 2012
It's Another "Boy"
Last week, Gord learned about an auction being held in Claresholm today - the Western Working Horse Sale. Gord and I love auctions but don't typically attend unless the weather doesn't have anything good in store. The only reason we decided to attend this one was because Ron Anderson was the announcer and we trusted that Ron Anderson wouldn't associate his name with a disreputable sale.
We invited some friends to make a day of if and my BFF, Sherri decided to come with us because her hubby Mark, had to work. Gord didn't really want to haul the trailer but I suggested it would be worthwhile to have it "just in case".
The best thing about an auction of this calibre, is that each horse is demonstrated prior to the auction so you get a chance to evaluate them prior to sale time.
There were 44 horses - it was the last horse that caught all our attention - a beautiful blood bay. 18 years old and a seasoned, money earning, reining horse.
Sherri and I had a chance to talk to his owner, Colin Brown, to learn more about his background and personality. We were both drawn to his lovely disposition, but it was when we saw his demonstration that I was really sold. Just prior to him coming on the auction block, Sherri and I discussed the possibility of co-owning him and how that might look.
We decided he would be a wonderful teacher for me to get a better feel for more advanced reining manouvers; and a wonderful first horse for Sherri to become more confident in the saddle. Because of his advanced training and the fact that he had earned good money in the show ring, we thought his price would likely go to $5,000.00. We agreed to bid to $4,000.00, or $2,000.00 each. Gord took care of bidding and managed to get us a great deal that Sherri and I were both more than happy with.
Needless to say, Gord won the bid - Sherri and I were thrilled.
After the sale, Sherri and I were greeted by many folks who congratulated us on getting the best horse in the sale. It gave us a lot of confidence that we weren't buying a horse that was being dumped. The owner even gave us his number and offered his assistance if there were any issues or if we just needed help to learn Dude's buttons.
In fact, I had a full circle moment when Ron Anderson approached me to say he knew the horse personally and that we were very lucky to have him. My first potential horse experience was a horse named Dollar who was boarded at Ron Anderson's facility in Springbank. Dollar was a former barrel horse who had a nasty case of heaves; and was owned by one of my co-workers. At the time, I was considering purchasing Dollar at a significantly reduced price. Even though Dollar's owner was Ron's client, I appreciated when Ron quietly said to me, "it costs just as much to board a healthy horse as it does a sick one". Although I wanted this horse (any horse) with every ounce of my being, Ron's advice steered me clear of buying Dollar.
I realize Ron has no idea how his small snippet of advice shaped my horse experience in such a positive direction. It wasn't long after that I was given Apache for free -the greatest first horse I could have had. Just thinking about Apache fills me with wonderful memories.
Dude will undoubtedly be a wonderful first horse for Sherri and he will help me become a better rider. In my opinion, these type of horses are worth their weight in gold but because of their more advanced age, folks won't consider them. My thinking is that they may not be around for long but their experience is invaluable to keeping us safe building our confidence.
My greatest wish for all my students is that they find their Apache, or Dude.
Many thanks to Ron Anderson, Apache, and the "Boys" for a horse experience that has exceeded all my "little girl" expectations.
p.s. The name "Dude" simply didn't feel right for Sherri and I. Dude's auction number was 44 and Gord happened to mention "44 Magnum". We both loved Magnum and so it is. I happen to be a huge Tom Seleck fan so for me it will always be Magnum PI!
We invited some friends to make a day of if and my BFF, Sherri decided to come with us because her hubby Mark, had to work. Gord didn't really want to haul the trailer but I suggested it would be worthwhile to have it "just in case".
The best thing about an auction of this calibre, is that each horse is demonstrated prior to the auction so you get a chance to evaluate them prior to sale time.
There were 44 horses - it was the last horse that caught all our attention - a beautiful blood bay. 18 years old and a seasoned, money earning, reining horse.
Sherri and I had a chance to talk to his owner, Colin Brown, to learn more about his background and personality. We were both drawn to his lovely disposition, but it was when we saw his demonstration that I was really sold. Just prior to him coming on the auction block, Sherri and I discussed the possibility of co-owning him and how that might look.
We decided he would be a wonderful teacher for me to get a better feel for more advanced reining manouvers; and a wonderful first horse for Sherri to become more confident in the saddle. Because of his advanced training and the fact that he had earned good money in the show ring, we thought his price would likely go to $5,000.00. We agreed to bid to $4,000.00, or $2,000.00 each. Gord took care of bidding and managed to get us a great deal that Sherri and I were both more than happy with.
Needless to say, Gord won the bid - Sherri and I were thrilled.
After the sale, Sherri and I were greeted by many folks who congratulated us on getting the best horse in the sale. It gave us a lot of confidence that we weren't buying a horse that was being dumped. The owner even gave us his number and offered his assistance if there were any issues or if we just needed help to learn Dude's buttons.
In fact, I had a full circle moment when Ron Anderson approached me to say he knew the horse personally and that we were very lucky to have him. My first potential horse experience was a horse named Dollar who was boarded at Ron Anderson's facility in Springbank. Dollar was a former barrel horse who had a nasty case of heaves; and was owned by one of my co-workers. At the time, I was considering purchasing Dollar at a significantly reduced price. Even though Dollar's owner was Ron's client, I appreciated when Ron quietly said to me, "it costs just as much to board a healthy horse as it does a sick one". Although I wanted this horse (any horse) with every ounce of my being, Ron's advice steered me clear of buying Dollar.
I realize Ron has no idea how his small snippet of advice shaped my horse experience in such a positive direction. It wasn't long after that I was given Apache for free -the greatest first horse I could have had. Just thinking about Apache fills me with wonderful memories.
Dude will undoubtedly be a wonderful first horse for Sherri and he will help me become a better rider. In my opinion, these type of horses are worth their weight in gold but because of their more advanced age, folks won't consider them. My thinking is that they may not be around for long but their experience is invaluable to keeping us safe building our confidence.
My greatest wish for all my students is that they find their Apache, or Dude.
Many thanks to Ron Anderson, Apache, and the "Boys" for a horse experience that has exceeded all my "little girl" expectations.
p.s. The name "Dude" simply didn't feel right for Sherri and I. Dude's auction number was 44 and Gord happened to mention "44 Magnum". We both loved Magnum and so it is. I happen to be a huge Tom Seleck fan so for me it will always be Magnum PI!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Farewell to Nugget
Not every day is a wonderful horse day and today was definitely not. I had to say good-bye to my beautiful, sensitive, brave Nugget. Favourite Dream was Nugget's registered name and he really was my Favourite Dream. Part of saying farewell is remembering the joy he brought to my world.
Our friend Jerry first saw Nugget in 2005, on a 5 day Trail Ride, in southern Alberta, at CFB Suffield. Nugget was the quintesential black beauty so it was impossible not to notice him. Aside from a teenie weenie white star, the only other mark was a tiny white dot on his top lip that was not apparent unless you looked for it. At the time, Nugget was only 5 but already showing great promise as a reliable riding horse. Jerry offered to buy him and ended up bringing him home a week later. They had a terrific riding season with Nugget; and I also had the opportunity to take him for a ride. Despite his young age, I felt very safe and confident riding Nugget. The only problem Jerry had with him was trying to de-worm - Nugget was going to have no part of the icky tasting paste. Not knowing what to do, Jerry asked for my help. Using operant conditioning (clicker training), I first taught Nugget manners with regards to treats. The next phase was to use an empty de-wormer syringe, filled with honey, as a target. Very quickly, Nugget starting following and touching the syringe; and ultimately, started to mouth it. Naturally, the final phase was actually having Nugget willingly accept the real de-wormer. In intervals totalling less than 45 minutes, we were all very surprised by how effectively this process worked - and without any force on our part or resistance from Nugget.
The following spring of 2006, Jerry went out to ride Nugget and was surprised by Nugget's violent resistance to the bridle. Not knowing what else to do, Jerry disassembled the bridle and put it on Nugget one piece at a time - problem solved - NOT. When Jerry went to mount, Nugget promptly threw him off and Jerry was left bruised and sore; and confused as to why the sudden change in Nugget's demeanor. His farrier suggested a trainer who specialized in fixing problem horses; and Jerry decided to let her try. After having Nugget for two weeks, she advised that Nugget was "dangerous and unpredictable". She suggested he be sent to slaughter or euthanized. Heartbroken, Jerry called Gord to comiserate and Gord suggested Jerry bring Nugget to me; telling him that even if I couldn't fix Nugget's behaviour, I wouldn't cause him any harm.
I'll never forget the first time Nugget arrived at our place - he really was breathtakingly beautiful. We put him in a private paddock and I discovered he was a little difficult to catch. However, the second I clicked him for looking at me, Nugget was right there for me. We were all shocked how well he remembered the operant conditioning a full year later - even his manners around the treats were still impeccable. At the time I was working full time and so very early each morning, I would bring Nugget into the barn and go to work with ideas I had learned from Linda Tellington-Jones. Seeing absolutely no resistance to anything I tried, the third morning I decided to try the bridle and to my delight, he accepted the bridle perfectly. What I began to learn from Nugget, during these 3 mornings, is that if he wasn't quite ready, he would make a very slight jerk of his head and suck in his breath, in the horse world we call it "freezing". It was my signal to just give him a second to think about it, and then he would relax and accept the bridle. The hesitation was so brief that anyone watching may not even notice. This was a huge learning experience for me - one I will never forget. When Nugget became unsure, he would "freeze" and I would just wait a second, and when he relaxed I would carry on. I believe the previous trainers did not notice his very subtle "freeze" signal, and when they persisted, Nugget would feel pressured and trapped; and then try to fight back.
Now remember, Nugget had also thrown Jerry off this same spring. Once the bridling issue was fixed, Jerry considered taking Nugget back to the trainer who had originally trained Nugget. The trainer had been surprised to learn of Nugget's problems because he had not seen anything to worry about during Nugget's initial training. To save Nugget and Jerry from the long arduous haul north of Edmonton, I offered to also "fix" his riding problem - again uneventful. To repay me for my work with Nugget, Jerry allowed me ride Nugget for most of that summer. I can't begin to express how proud I was and how much I loved riding that horse! He was brave and willing; and so very beautiful!
Nugget went home and had a wonderful winter of riding and helping Jerry's son-in-law Parkie, learn to work with cows. Then BAM, the following spring of 2007 doesn't Nugget blow a gasket again. This time Jerry sent him to the trainer/coach who had been working with Parkie and Nugget over the winter. Again, Jerry was told that Nugget was "dangerous and unpredictable" and should be sent to slaughter or euthanized. Again, Jerry brought him over for me to "fix". This time, Nugget was definitely more nervous and mistrusting than the previous year, but again, one click and he was right back on track. Once he was fixed, off he went again, and this time Nugget went to live with Parkie's family so Parkie could continue riding and learning with him.
When, once again, Nugget had a violent reaction in the spring of 2008, Parkie and Jerry made the decision to either sell Nugget to me or euthanize him because they no longer trusted him - and that is how this beautiful horse came to me.
It wasn't until the following spring that I noticed Nugget's subtle "freeze" behaviour return and that is when I made the connection that Nugget was reacting to a sugar high from the new green grass - simple as that. It explained everything - and why he was perfect most of the year. Because I didn't consider myself a professional horse trainer, I always had a niggle of doubt that I was missing something about Nugget that the professionals saw. This newly discovered realization erased my niggles of doubt and gave me a new found faith in Nugget.
In May 2010 I took Nugget to a clinic with one of my favourite teachers, Jonathan Field. Nugget and I did amazing ground work in the morning and I was so proud of him. After lunch we were to come back saddled and ready for the riding portion of the clinic. I saddled Nugget without incident, but I clearly hadn't noticed his subtle freeze and as soon as I asked him to take a step, he blew a gasket and became an angry, fire breathing dragon at the end of my lead rope. Using clicker training, I was able to settle him down and get him into the arena. When I suggested Nugget was not safe to ride, Jonathan agreed and had me do ground work until he relaxed. I spent 3 hours that afternoon working through various groundwork exercises. It turned out to be one of the greatest learning experiences I've ever had because I recognized the instant Nugget's brain was back in the game. Jonathan agreed and spent time after the clinic to catch us up on the exercises we had missed throughout the afternoon. Learning the natural horsemanship groundwork has given me the confidence to feel safer in the saddle. The following month, I took Nugget to Jonathan's ranch in Merrit for a week long clinic - it was a wonderful experience - and without incident.
Looking back, there were signs of lameness starting to show up in 2010, but it wasn't until 2011 that the limp became obvious. An x-ray showed a bone spur that had developed into arthritis. Over the past year, I have tried expensive chinese herbs, various joint supplements, and and injection called Legend, to try and help Nugget - but all to no avail - he only got worse. I would have been satisifed if we could help Nugget be pasture sound - even if it meant I could never ride him again. It was very sad to see my beautiful horse limping around and trying to keep up with the "boys" and so I finally came to the decision - it was time to end his pain. This decision was even more difficult because of his young age; he was only 12 years old and should be in the prime of his life. I believe there were several contributing factors that led to Nugget's early demise; started training too young, shoeing at an early age, as well as a slight conformational defect - short, straight pasterns.
Although my time with Nugget was brief - only 5 years - he has taught me more than any other horse I have encountered. I often joke about the fact that the "scariest" horse I ever had in my life also helped me develop the most confidence.
I encourage my students to chose their first horse carefully because that first horse can make or break their enjoyment of horse ownership. Clearly, Nugget was not a good beginner's horse. Looking back on my experiences with Nugget, I can see that I had enough knowledge to work through Nugget's stuff - but clearly needed the confidence that being successful with Nugget gave me. For the many horses I now
encounter I want to thank Nugget for making me a much better horse person!
I will love this horse forever and the "Boys" will miss him forever. Sadder than losing Nugget, would be to have never had him in my life at all.
p.s. It has been interesting to observe how Skeeter isn't nearly as brave without Nugget behind him in the #2 position.
Love your horse(s) every day - they're never here long enough!
Our friend Jerry first saw Nugget in 2005, on a 5 day Trail Ride, in southern Alberta, at CFB Suffield. Nugget was the quintesential black beauty so it was impossible not to notice him. Aside from a teenie weenie white star, the only other mark was a tiny white dot on his top lip that was not apparent unless you looked for it. At the time, Nugget was only 5 but already showing great promise as a reliable riding horse. Jerry offered to buy him and ended up bringing him home a week later. They had a terrific riding season with Nugget; and I also had the opportunity to take him for a ride. Despite his young age, I felt very safe and confident riding Nugget. The only problem Jerry had with him was trying to de-worm - Nugget was going to have no part of the icky tasting paste. Not knowing what to do, Jerry asked for my help. Using operant conditioning (clicker training), I first taught Nugget manners with regards to treats. The next phase was to use an empty de-wormer syringe, filled with honey, as a target. Very quickly, Nugget starting following and touching the syringe; and ultimately, started to mouth it. Naturally, the final phase was actually having Nugget willingly accept the real de-wormer. In intervals totalling less than 45 minutes, we were all very surprised by how effectively this process worked - and without any force on our part or resistance from Nugget.
The following spring of 2006, Jerry went out to ride Nugget and was surprised by Nugget's violent resistance to the bridle. Not knowing what else to do, Jerry disassembled the bridle and put it on Nugget one piece at a time - problem solved - NOT. When Jerry went to mount, Nugget promptly threw him off and Jerry was left bruised and sore; and confused as to why the sudden change in Nugget's demeanor. His farrier suggested a trainer who specialized in fixing problem horses; and Jerry decided to let her try. After having Nugget for two weeks, she advised that Nugget was "dangerous and unpredictable". She suggested he be sent to slaughter or euthanized. Heartbroken, Jerry called Gord to comiserate and Gord suggested Jerry bring Nugget to me; telling him that even if I couldn't fix Nugget's behaviour, I wouldn't cause him any harm.
I'll never forget the first time Nugget arrived at our place - he really was breathtakingly beautiful. We put him in a private paddock and I discovered he was a little difficult to catch. However, the second I clicked him for looking at me, Nugget was right there for me. We were all shocked how well he remembered the operant conditioning a full year later - even his manners around the treats were still impeccable. At the time I was working full time and so very early each morning, I would bring Nugget into the barn and go to work with ideas I had learned from Linda Tellington-Jones. Seeing absolutely no resistance to anything I tried, the third morning I decided to try the bridle and to my delight, he accepted the bridle perfectly. What I began to learn from Nugget, during these 3 mornings, is that if he wasn't quite ready, he would make a very slight jerk of his head and suck in his breath, in the horse world we call it "freezing". It was my signal to just give him a second to think about it, and then he would relax and accept the bridle. The hesitation was so brief that anyone watching may not even notice. This was a huge learning experience for me - one I will never forget. When Nugget became unsure, he would "freeze" and I would just wait a second, and when he relaxed I would carry on. I believe the previous trainers did not notice his very subtle "freeze" signal, and when they persisted, Nugget would feel pressured and trapped; and then try to fight back.
Now remember, Nugget had also thrown Jerry off this same spring. Once the bridling issue was fixed, Jerry considered taking Nugget back to the trainer who had originally trained Nugget. The trainer had been surprised to learn of Nugget's problems because he had not seen anything to worry about during Nugget's initial training. To save Nugget and Jerry from the long arduous haul north of Edmonton, I offered to also "fix" his riding problem - again uneventful. To repay me for my work with Nugget, Jerry allowed me ride Nugget for most of that summer. I can't begin to express how proud I was and how much I loved riding that horse! He was brave and willing; and so very beautiful!
Nugget went home and had a wonderful winter of riding and helping Jerry's son-in-law Parkie, learn to work with cows. Then BAM, the following spring of 2007 doesn't Nugget blow a gasket again. This time Jerry sent him to the trainer/coach who had been working with Parkie and Nugget over the winter. Again, Jerry was told that Nugget was "dangerous and unpredictable" and should be sent to slaughter or euthanized. Again, Jerry brought him over for me to "fix". This time, Nugget was definitely more nervous and mistrusting than the previous year, but again, one click and he was right back on track. Once he was fixed, off he went again, and this time Nugget went to live with Parkie's family so Parkie could continue riding and learning with him.
When, once again, Nugget had a violent reaction in the spring of 2008, Parkie and Jerry made the decision to either sell Nugget to me or euthanize him because they no longer trusted him - and that is how this beautiful horse came to me.
It wasn't until the following spring that I noticed Nugget's subtle "freeze" behaviour return and that is when I made the connection that Nugget was reacting to a sugar high from the new green grass - simple as that. It explained everything - and why he was perfect most of the year. Because I didn't consider myself a professional horse trainer, I always had a niggle of doubt that I was missing something about Nugget that the professionals saw. This newly discovered realization erased my niggles of doubt and gave me a new found faith in Nugget.
In May 2010 I took Nugget to a clinic with one of my favourite teachers, Jonathan Field. Nugget and I did amazing ground work in the morning and I was so proud of him. After lunch we were to come back saddled and ready for the riding portion of the clinic. I saddled Nugget without incident, but I clearly hadn't noticed his subtle freeze and as soon as I asked him to take a step, he blew a gasket and became an angry, fire breathing dragon at the end of my lead rope. Using clicker training, I was able to settle him down and get him into the arena. When I suggested Nugget was not safe to ride, Jonathan agreed and had me do ground work until he relaxed. I spent 3 hours that afternoon working through various groundwork exercises. It turned out to be one of the greatest learning experiences I've ever had because I recognized the instant Nugget's brain was back in the game. Jonathan agreed and spent time after the clinic to catch us up on the exercises we had missed throughout the afternoon. Learning the natural horsemanship groundwork has given me the confidence to feel safer in the saddle. The following month, I took Nugget to Jonathan's ranch in Merrit for a week long clinic - it was a wonderful experience - and without incident.
Looking back, there were signs of lameness starting to show up in 2010, but it wasn't until 2011 that the limp became obvious. An x-ray showed a bone spur that had developed into arthritis. Over the past year, I have tried expensive chinese herbs, various joint supplements, and and injection called Legend, to try and help Nugget - but all to no avail - he only got worse. I would have been satisifed if we could help Nugget be pasture sound - even if it meant I could never ride him again. It was very sad to see my beautiful horse limping around and trying to keep up with the "boys" and so I finally came to the decision - it was time to end his pain. This decision was even more difficult because of his young age; he was only 12 years old and should be in the prime of his life. I believe there were several contributing factors that led to Nugget's early demise; started training too young, shoeing at an early age, as well as a slight conformational defect - short, straight pasterns.
Although my time with Nugget was brief - only 5 years - he has taught me more than any other horse I have encountered. I often joke about the fact that the "scariest" horse I ever had in my life also helped me develop the most confidence.
I encourage my students to chose their first horse carefully because that first horse can make or break their enjoyment of horse ownership. Clearly, Nugget was not a good beginner's horse. Looking back on my experiences with Nugget, I can see that I had enough knowledge to work through Nugget's stuff - but clearly needed the confidence that being successful with Nugget gave me. For the many horses I now
encounter I want to thank Nugget for making me a much better horse person!
I will love this horse forever and the "Boys" will miss him forever. Sadder than losing Nugget, would be to have never had him in my life at all.
p.s. It has been interesting to observe how Skeeter isn't nearly as brave without Nugget behind him in the #2 position.
Love your horse(s) every day - they're never here long enough!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
2012 Branding at Water Valley
You may recall that I didn't think the cattle drive was a good place to introduce Dexter to cows. Cows can be extremely noisy and big and the chaos and pressure of a cattle drive can be quite overwhelming for young, inexperienced horses. However, this weekend, we went back up to Water Valley to help with their annual branding and I decided it was as good a time as any to take Dexter. We arrived Friday afternoon and put Dexter and Magic in a corral in the same pasture the cows are in. Once we had a visit with Jack and Goldie Juke, we decided to saddle up and take a quiet ride through the pasture so Dexter could be around the cows without any pressure. Other than being very excited, I never felt he was overwhelmed. Eventually he settled in and we were able to walk quietly amongst the herd.
The next morning we mounted up, along with several other riders and quads, to move the cows into the pens for sorting. We were charged with roaming the trees to push any straggling cows towards the pens. It was a bit overwhelming for Dexter when the herd started to come our way so we ended up doing lots of circles to help him relax. When all the cows were penned and sorting began, I tied Dexter to a fence post right at the pens to give him maximum exposure, next to a very calm horse - his buddy Magic. He was very alert and interested but never seemed overwhelmed.
All in all the branding went very smoothly. With 6 ropers dragging calves, it was the most we've ever had but the wrestlers on the ground had no problem keeping up. I was in charge of vaccinating 150 calves and my legs were definitely starting to feel the burn from all those squats. Gord and Jeff made a great team wielding the branding irons and the brands came out very straight.
Personally, I think branding is barbaric and I can't believe technology hasn't given cattle ranchers a more humane and practical (cost effective) way to handle cattle. We are happy to help our friends and love getting together with them every year but it is very hard for me to see the calves, especially the really young ones, being put through this process.
It was nice to see all the cows reunited with their calves and settling in for the evening.
Today Sherry and Candace took Gord and I for a beautiful ride through the foothills west of Water Valley. Dexter was amazing on the trail as always. We also took Ryder, Pie, and their new pup, a 6 month old healer named Dottie. Dottie hadn't been through creeks before and it took a tremendous amount of encouragement to get her to follow us across the creeks. At the first creek crossing, she eventually took a running leap off the bank, into the water. After that, every creek crossing got easier for her and she really made us all smile.
There were some pretty tired horses, dogs, and riders at the end of another amazing horse day!
Tovie, Dexter, Gord, Magic, and Ryder!
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