Mouses's Journal - 2004
January 4, 2004
Mouse is doing great. Although she was quite upset after Taylor was taken (she truly loved him, as did I), she did eventually settle back down. We progressed with our ground training; when focused, she responds quickly and very well to "whoa" and "stand", as well as the previous commands of "walk on" and "trot on". She is also growing like a weed (still). Yesterday, at about 19 months of age, she measured 16hh at the wither, 16.2hh at the hip, and taped at 1150lbs. She's huge! And you should see how big her HEAD is; I hadn't put her purple nylon halter on her in about a week, which I usually did up to the last hole, but it could easily be tightened tot he third hole. Well, yesterday it was a struggle just to get to the last hole! Big head!
Mouse is going to be taking a clinic with Marion Weiskopff in March, to be taught to ground drive and improve on her manners (she's good with me, but tends to take advantage of others). Goals for 2004? Well, I would like her to enter the lead line classes at the hack shows this year, and MAYBE the walk-trot classes by the end of the year (it's so hard, she's so big... how many 16hh babies do you know of?). But it depends; I will talk to her vet first, probably get her knees checked, and work from there.
January 17, 2004
Another weekend, another Mouse update! Well, after last weekend's Island Horses Courtenay/Campbell River luncheon, I stopped in to a leather goods store and bought Mouse a beautiful leather halter for her big drafty head. It's a little big, but I have no doubt that she will grow into it in no time at all. And Wayne, the owner of Leatherworks, assured me that he can make it bigger should she happen to outgrow it. I'm hoping Mouse never outgrows the english bridle I bought for her last year, but if she does (and I know she probably will), I can get Wayne to replace some of the parts with longer pieces.
January 25, 2004
I can't believe it!!! We did it! Mouse was ground driving today!
You have no idea how difficult this has been to accomplish... see, in order to round drive, your horse has to be willing to walk away from you on command. Well, Mouse knows "walk on" and "trot on", but was never willing to walk away... until today! And she was soooo good!
We started out our training sessions yesterday, when I introduced her to the ring where I'm currently housesitting. I let her rip around the ring, and my goodness, was she ever a little bugger at times! At one point, she charged me, then turned around and kicked out... she thought it was all in fun, I guess, but not me! She got chased around good for that one! Then she settled down and parked herself at my shoulder... good girl.
Well, today, we started with a little light lunging... for once, she was nice and forward, and right on cue. Halted when I asked, and stood nicely. So then, I put the reins on her halter, and asked, "walk on"! And she did! We made several circuits of the ring, did a figure eight, backed up... she did everything that I asked. And the steering wasn't half bad either! Oh happy day!
March 15, 2004
Yes! Mouse learned some ground manners!
Mouse and I spent the last two days at Northstar Stables, in a Marion Weisskopff clinic. What can I say, Marion is phenominal. Mouse learned that she is NOT the boss, and Marion took her through various commands step by step, through gentle, yet firm means. When Mouse initially acted up, and tried to run Marion over, she got driven away with the end of the lead rope. From that point on, she learned to pay more attention to her handler.
Marion pointed out how important it is with a horse with Mouse's personality to give lots and LOTS of positive feedback and gentle cuddles, because that's the kind of thing Mouse thrives on. Marion feels that Mouse would quickly turn on her handler if she was treated too harshly, which is a little disconcerting, but it just goes to show how important it is to let Mouse know when she's being a good girl.
Among the things that Mouse learned during this clinic:
- moving away from her handler on command.
- backing up (mostly just had to tidy that one up).
- turn on the forehand.
- turn on the haunches.
- yielding to pressure with a bit in her mouth (Mouse now wears a 6" french link snaffle).
- when being led, to stop when her handler stops, WITHOUT any pressure on the leadrope.This was an AWESOME experience, and I look forward to repeating it in May. As a note, Marion told me that I really need to start her under saddle by the fall, as the larger (and stronger) that Mouse gets, the more difficult she will become to start under saddle.
March 28, 2004
Mouse has been just awesome since the clinic... I was really worried that she was going to forget what she learned, but so far she's been doing just awesome, and dare I say, perhaps even improving a little! In the weekends since the clinic, I've had the chance to work with her a couple times in the ring. I saddled her up, just to make things interesting, and even bitted her.
She has been really good about accepting the bit, and when I lunged her, she was almost PERFECT! She walked and trotted when asked, and when I said "Whoa", she gave me an almost instant responce. And then... she cantered! She was so good! When I asked her to "whoa", she still responded beautifully.
March 31,2004
Well, Mouse, being the goof that she is, decided to jump her 4' paddock fence last night and visit Shania. The result? A few scuffs here and there, and a huge honkin' hematoma on her chest. When will she learn? I hope that she at least realises that she's safest staying in her own paddock after dark!
April 17, 2004
Well, after much deliberation and discussion with vets, trainers, and other horse professionals, I have decided to start Mouse, now that she is two years old. This was not a decision that was rushed into, and I know there are a lot of people who would strongly disagree with starting a young draft, but I believe that given Mouse's personality, size and physical development, this is the correct decision for her.
I'd also like to differential between "starting" and "working". Mouse will not be worked until next year. For this year, my goal is to have walk and trot down by the fall. FOr now, I am spending brief periods on her back, only five to ten minutes. So far, Mouse has been excellent. She does not have any issues with mounting or dismounting, and does not seem bothered by the addition of my weight (145lbs). She neither drops her back, nor stiffens her neck. She remains relaxed and confident, as though she has experienced having a rider on her back her whole life.
For now, I'm backing her with a saddle and without, with a bridle and without. I'm asking her to walk on, which she does with a little coaxing. Steering is an issue, of course, but that is something that will come with time and practise.
The following photos were taken today, when I led Mouse to my parent's house and sat on her for about 5 minutes. She was great, and although my mom was nervous (my dad wasn't), both my parents were very impressed with how seasoned Mouse appeared.
April 25, 2004
I took Mouse up to the ring today, in full english attire, just to get a few pictures. She was so good, considering not only was it a windy day, but she's also in heat! Steering is really coming, she now walks on command (she is so smart!), extends her stride when asked, and immediately attempts a trot when asked (though she has trouble finding her balance, so we don't do more than a few steps). AND, Mouse halts on "whoa", backs up, and all in all, seems very happy to be under saddle!
May 2, 2004
Yesterday was Mouse's first show! She entered the "Hunter In Hand" class against a young Appendix Quarterhorse gelding, and placed 2nd. *LOL* Seriously, though, she was pretty well behaved, and even moved out into a trot immediately when asked. She did have a few issues with standing still, but other than that, she was GREAT!!
Then today, after the show was over, my friend Katrise helped me up onto Mouse's back, and I rode her around the smaller sand ring in just her halter. She was GREAT!!! I asked her to trot, and she did; the most she's trotted ever, and holy cow, was it ever nice! :) Due to the rapid progression of her training (even though she's only been ridden for 7 short sessions), I'm going to try to take her into the walk/trot classes at June's Dressage and Hacks show. Wish us luck! :)May 9, 2004
So, I've waited all week for Mouse's next training under saddle session (we do the ground work almost every day), and today was the day! I was kinda paranoid that it was going to rain, as it kept clouding over and such. But it got sunny out again!
At just before 5pm, I met up with Nikki at the barn. Mouse was out in the field eating grass, so I just went out there and brushed her while she was munching. She actually looked pretty clean for once! Then one of Nikki's friends, Alison rode up on her horse (whose name I can't remember), so I told Nikki to use my saddle on Jake because I wasn't planning on riding for very long (though sometimes I wish I could spend HOURS riding Mouse!)
So, I grabbed my helmet (as always) and Mouse's bridle (she followed me into the tack room, she thinks she's tiny!), bridled Mouse up, led her over to the bucket and got ready to mount up (I'm using an empty bucket as a mounting block right now). Mouse was excited about the new horse so she wasn't being that great about standing still. But after a few minutes, she settled, and I was able to mount up without her moving. Then the three of us were off!
We rode down the road about 5 minutes to where we met up with Leanne and her horse Taz. There was a dog there, and a couple more horses running loose in the field, so Mouse was a bit more excited. Mouse had been a bit goofy on the walk over, breaking into a jog at several points. But after waiting for Leanne to bring out Taz, she finally settled down pretty good. It wasn't that she was being bad, she was just a little antsy. This was her first time out with other horses, afterall.
The four of us then headed down to the trail, where some *lovely* individual had dumped a bunch of garbage. Stupid people! The three seasoned trail horses passed by it no problem, until Taz got tangled in some string, which caused him to stop because he thought it was electric fencing wire. Smart horse to stop like that! Mouse got a little spooky, and didn't want to go by the garbage. After about a minute or so, though, she tiptoed by the broken chairs and stepped over the discarded sheet of plastic. (Stupid people! Why do they have to dump their crap on our beautiful trail! ) Then we were off once again!
Mouse and I didn't go very far down the trail; the other three horses were in front of us, and she was being soooo good, aside from the constant attempts to grab a nibble of the greenery! She really has a lovely head carriage; she naturally almost puts herself on the bit. It's a shame that she's so thick through the throatlatch, but I guess you can't win them all! After maybe 10 minutes, Mouse and I bid the others farewell, and turned to head back. Mouse was great, not herd bound at all, even though Jack (Nikki's horse) is one of Mouse's pasture buddys. We walked and trotted back (did I mention that Mouse has MASTERED the trot?), which really only took a little over 5 minutes. We did tiptoe past the garbage a couple of times, because Mouse decided to be a little silly about it (I guess I can't blame her, she figured it was dinner time). Then, as we rode back down the rode to the barn, my friend Kelly pulled up beside us in her car, and remarked how awesome Mouse was looking. I told her about our plans to enter the walk/trot classes at the dressage show, and with her driving beside us, I put Mouse into her trot (she always responds IMMEDIATELY, and her trot is WONDERFUL). She was so impressed, and I was so proud of my Mouse. She told me that Mouse and I were "definitely ready". Amazing, since I think this was our 8th time under saddle.
So, our ride was amazing! This was the longest period I have ever ridden Mouse for, I think we were out for about half an hour. I will be sure to check Mouse over very carefully in the morning, to make sure she isn't stiff at all (I checked her down good when we got back to the barn, and everything looked great, but I haven't to double check these things!).
Did I mention that Mouse and I did this all without a saddle? If anything, I think I will be the one who is stiff tomorrow!May 17, 2004
Mouse and I complete our second Marion Weisskopff clinic today! Once again, it was a great learning experience for both of us. We addressed a couple issues: a) Mouse being resistant and generally passive-aggressive, and b) Me being too soft on her.
Marion worked with Mouse on the ground in regards to respecting personal space, something which I have difficulty in enforcing, because she pouts when she's disciplined! But this is why I take her to the trainer, because sometimes someone else is better at teaching her certain things. :) Mouse definitely progressed at the "circle game", and Marion informed me that when Mouse flips her head on the lead line, she's basically saying "F you!"
Then, we did a little under saddle work... Marion was very impressed with how level headed Mouse is, and I think Mouse did really well overall, given how little time she's spent under saddle so far. :) Marion thinks Mouse shows promise as a reiner... how about that!
May 29, 2004
Mouse is just AWESOME!
Her and I went for a trail ride today, and she was such an old pro. She didn't even spook at the garbage at the beginning of the trail, just marched right past it like it wasn't there. We did a good bit of trotting, only had one MAJOR spook on the trail, when a big black bird flew out of the bushes then something else (raccoon? bear?) crashed away in the opposite direction. Her steering and responsiveness was top notch, and she picked up her feet really nicely to avoid tripping on the tree roots.
On the way home, we came across a really big, noisy dump truck, and Mouse didn't even bat an eye. And when we untacked, there wasn't even a hint of sweat! Yay Mouse!
June 12, 2004
What a gross day!
I woke up at 6am, fed Mouse and the crew at 7am, then went back to bed for a little while (I'm reading a book by Tami Hoag called "Dark Horse" - AWESOME). At 10am, I headed back down to the barn, pulled Mouse out of the field, and started working on her front feet. The farrier came out a couple weeks ago and trimmed the other horse, but he didn't let me know he was coming, so Mouse didn't get done. Oh well, otherwise, he's awesome. Mouse has amazing feet, but they were getting a little long at the heel in the front, so I trimmed them down a little and cleaned them up. It took me a long time, though; Mouse has VERY HARD feet! They're just awesome... I hope i never have to shoe her.
Then I went home, read a bit more, just basically relaxed (I've been sick again, but not like I was earlier this year, just a cold this time). Then, it looked like it had stopped raining (it was miserable this morning), so I threw on my breeches and headed back down to the barn.
I brought Mouse in, groomed her all up, then saddled her. She is getting so good for being saddled; just stands there while I tighten the girth. Bridled her, led her outside, and mounted. She did not moved an inch; what a good girl!
So, we headed down the road.
It started to rain.
It started to blow.
But Mouse just kept pluggin' along.
Did a quick jaunt up the trail, did some trot work, half halts down to a jog, walk, halt, back, etc. The trail is a GREAT place to train; it's not boring so they kepp thinking, plus they have to navigate around puddles, under branches, and over roots. She had one spook; she tucked her hind end up under her like she was going to bolt... but she didn't. She just stopped. We came off the trail and into my friend's ring. Spent about 5 minutes trotting serpentines and circles... what a GOOD GIRL! Also practised trot to jog transitions, and trot to walk, walk to trot, etc. If anyone was watching, they probably wondered why I was in and out so fast! But it was not very nice outside... VERY gusty!
So, back down the road we head... past the field with the miniature horses. One sees Mouse, pricks its ears forward, and starts trotting towards us.
Mouse is like, "WHAT THE #@&% IS THAT!?!?!" And spins and bolts... in a trot (told ya, she doesn't know how to canter under saddle yet!) Trots off about 20feet down the road, then stops. So I turn her, and we go to the fence again.
The mini trots closer.
"WHAT THE #@&% IS THAT?!?!?!" Spin and trot.
Yes, Mouse is terrified on small horses.
The owner sees us, I dismount, bring Mouse back, and she brings one of the minis over. Mouse has a good sniff, and decides it's not that scary... well, at the moment (we'll see what she thinks next time we see it!). It's hilarious... little tiny 2yo mini (a runt, even) and big ole Mouse... scared out of her mind (I mean, really... she BOLTED! *LOL)
We get home without incident... wet, but both pleased with ourselves. Mouse was happy to be fed her dinner. All in all, I am so impressed with her! The rain didn't bother her, the wind didn't bother her... just the little mini!June 20, 2004B
We had day 1 of our 2 day dressage clinic today... wow, it was great! Everyone I spoke to really seemed to have enjoyed themselves, and learned a lot. In fact, one participant (who has ridden with many coaches) came up to me after her lesson and said, "Amy, that was the BEST lesson I've ever had."
WOW!
Mouse was great, she leg yields at the walk, and has a GREAT walk, really tracks up. Good trot, too!
Tomorrow should be great; I'm already looking forward to the next Dressage Clinic with Renate... probably before our next Dressage show.
June 28, 2004
Just got home from the CRTR Dressage Show; long day!!!
So here's the big news... Logan and I tied from Reserve Walk/Trot Champions!!!!
Mouse was GREAT!!!!
Her first class, Walk/Trot English Pleasue, she took 2nd out of 5.
Her second class, Walk/Trot Equitation, we took 1st out of 5!
And her last class... well, she stalled half way through, and we got 5th.
June 30, 2004
My poor baby girl... I guess she was putout on the grass all day, but then moved to another field (lawn) that hadn't been grazed much, and now she's all bloated, uncomfortable, gassy...
I've spent a couple hours with her now, and I think she's getting better. I lunged her at 9:30pm to get the gas moving, and she's passing, but when I took her back to her stall, she just kept lying down. She's not biting at herself, or kicking, but she doesn't seem very comfortable. I was settled in for the night when she decided to get up and go out into her paddock to find some hay remnants... I'm hoping this means she feels a little better.
If she gets worse, I am definitely calling the vet. I don't have any banamine on hand, and I don't think bute is a good idea. I'll check in again in a couple hours, but because she is passing gas and her stomach is making all sorts of wonderful loud noises, I think she'll be ok.
Mouse coliced again... what the heck is going on??? I really hope I don't have one of those horses that will colic for no reason and founder... that's one of my worst nightmares!!!! ARGHHH!!! Same situation as last time, she's up, passing gas, and has a grumbly tummy. She'll be ok, but I worry about her feet...
July 8, 2004
Mystery solved!!!!!!!!!! Mouse wasn't overeating; she was getting into a compost and eating fermented grass clippings!! Now that we know what was going on, the situation has been remedied. No more colic for Mouse! (I hope, knock on wood!)
Also... took Mouse for a trail ride today. Nope, didn't ride her, but the piglet still needs her exercise (I can't find her ribs again!). I borrowed Jake (Nikki's horse) and the three of us went for a 75 minute hike, with lots of walking and trotting. The trails out here are phenomenal... great footing. I was watching Mouse trot behind Jake and I, and the little brat, strrrrrretchhhhhes open her big mouth tries to bite a chunk out his butt! I gave her a sharp, "NO!" and she smartened up, though.
The ride was pretty uneventful, until Mouse and Jake decided to RACE down the logging road... Jake's doing his fasted trot, and Mouse is just FLOATING beside him (I love her trot), sometimes inching in front, sometimes not... Then we come across a nice yellow handled spade (shovel) laying on the road... well, couldn't leave that there! So, I finished my ride with Mouse's lead rope and this big shovel in one hand, and Jakes reins in the other... interesting way to ride!!!
Had fun, though.
July 20, 2004
I haven't been doing any under saddle work with Mouse at all lately, as she is in the middle of a HUGE growth spurt again. She's about 16.1 1/2 at the wither now. I've still been working with her on the ground, though! She has her moments where she's a little stronger in her in her halter than I'd like, but over all, she's sure a good girl! And so shiny! I've done a little work with her lunging in the ring, and took the opportunity to jump her in hand. She does pretty good, but for the most part we'll wait another year before we do any more. Mouse also go her feet trimmed, and darn they look good! She has such awesome feet... no shoes for this baby!!!
July 22, 2004
It's sooooo hot right now... about 32C. Mouse feels it, so she moves a little slower, rests a little longer, I don't think she eats any less, though!! She's finally come down to a nice weight, I can just see her ribs when the sunlight catches them just right. This is a good sign, as young horses shouldn't be allowed to get overweight, it can be hard on their growing bodies. I'm only feeding her a flake of hay with free choice scrub pasture (she eats the salmon berry bushes and various weeds), so I'll probably increase it just a little sometime soon.
It's really amazing how long her tail is getting. It's only a few inches off the ground now, so I have it knotted up to keep it from catching in branches and such. It's almost completely grey/white, except near the top, where it's still black (for now). Her mane is getting really grey, too. The rest of her body still looks black, but I can see more and more white hairs creeping into her coat. I can't wait to see how she looks at next coat change!
July 24, 2004
Apparently, Mouse went swimming yesterday! When I fed her this morning, she had grey streaks all over her back, sort of like mud. Then Wayne told me that when she came in last night, she was soaked from head to hoof, fly mask included. Looks like she went swimming in the pond while she was in the field yesterday afternoon! Well, at least I know she's willing to swim; I would love to take her up to the lake before the fall for a nice swim, especially if it's as hot out as it is now!! I just have to wait for her growth spurt to wrap up first.
July 29, 2004
Mouse has sure been living the easy life lately! She's at such a good weight right now, but then again, she's only getting 5lbs of hay a day (plus free choice scrounging). I got a wonderful letter from her breeder a few weeks back, telling me about their farm, their horses, Mouse's sire. Really nice people; they also offered to take me to the farm where the mares they sold now reside, so I can buy a sibling of Mouse's if I want. If I had the money, I would in an instant. No doubt there at all. But, although I can easily support another horse, I don't have the cash upfront to purchase one, especially since I would have to haul in from Alberta. Too bad, it would be my last chance EVER to own one of Mouse's siblings. Well, I'll still look into it, but I don't think it's much of a reality.
July 31, 2004
I spoke to Corinne today, it looks like Mouse is becoming quite the celebrity outside of the normal "horsy" world; she has had her photo taken with another bride! Mystic Woods has beautiful gardens, and has hosted a number of weddings now, and for the second time, Mouse has been photographed with the bride and groom. I'm not sure how the photos will turn out, though; with Mouse being so black, she tends to look like a dark blob when photographed against light objects (i.e.: a wedding gown). However, just wait until she's a lovely steel grey colour; then she'll be REALLY striking!
It was kind of sweet actually, on the FoalQuest message board, a nice gentleman said that Mouse was the reason he decided to adopt a foal... and that she's probably the most famous horse to ever come out of FoalQuest!
August 6, 2004
Mouse is doing great... I found her a great new treat... Medi-Treats for dogs! They're completely vegetarian, and Mouse just loves them. It was raining today, but I put Mouse out anyway; she is getting really good and just walking beside me nicely when I take her out. I don't even need a halter or anything.
I suspect that Mouse may have finished her growth spurt. Only one way to find out, though; and that's to measure her and see if there's any change from last week. Time will tell, I guess!
I finally got around to replying to that wonderful letter Mouse's breeder sent me. The reason I took so long was that I wanted to send some pictures, and knowing me, that's the part that always takes the longest. I hope she likes them, though! I also started updating Mouse's baby book... it looks great so far!
Well, if Mouse truly has finished her spurt, then I think I would like to take her into the show at the end of the month. We had so much fun last time, and it was such a brief day... I 'm not sure if we'll ride the dressage test, though. I'll have to put at least one ride on her first to make that decision, and see if she's still having any "forward" issues.
August 13, 2004
Well, it looks like Mouse has finally stopped growing... she now measures in at almost 16.2hh, but not quite. She's still bum high, but at least her front end grew more than her hind end this time!
Tonight, Nikki and Leanne and I went for a trail ride... unfortunately, it looks like Mouse is still having forward issues, but we'll have to work it out. She was really good on the trails, no spooking, and was nice and forward when the other horses were. Nikki had Jake trotting, and Mouse was trotting very nicely behind him, but kind of running up his butt, so Nikki moved him out more. Mouse is easily able to match his pace or exceed it, so Nikki asked Jake to canter... then Mouse broke into a canter behind him!!! I really was not expecting that to happen, so I screamed, but Mouse was perfectly fine! No bucking, no stumbling... she has a lovely canter. I let her go for a couple dozen strides as I collected myself, then asked her back down to a trot... wow wow wow wow...
Despite this terrific little "breakthrough", I still will not be asking Mouse to canter until next year. I am very happy with her, though!!!
August 21, 2004
Well, been busy as usual! Mouse is doing great; she is just loving her trail rides and we are working out the forward issues rather nicely. She has taken upon herself to prove on a couple of occasions now that she is more comfortable cantering on the trail, going as far as moving into a rather nice gallop the other evening! I'm not sure how we will do at the upcoming show as she seems to be rather herd-bound at times. But it is something we will work out as we go along.
I can't believe how long her tail is getting (I'm sure I ramble about this enough!), but when I let it down (it is up in figure 8 knots right now), a few hairs actually do brush the ground. When it gets a little longer, I think I will bang it off so it is thick and even at her heels. I guess I could grow it longer than the ground, but then she would just step on it whenever the knots came undone.
September 1, 2004
Well, Mouse's second under saddle show was August 29th... it was interesting, to say the least!
Here's the rundown:
Mouse stayed over night, under Bonnie's watchful eye and was just fine. In the morning, I fed her, groomed her and got her braided up. No problems. Then, we went into the big ring for warm-up, and she was pretty spooky, but ok. It was the first time she had even been surrounded by so many horses she didn't know.
Then, first class: Walk/Trot English pleasure. Ten horses in that class. I had my whip, so it was all good. Mouse was pretty forward, no major tripping (well, she is still a baby), but she didn't like the rail on on side of the ring. No worries. We placed 6th, but were also told that we weren't allowed to ride with a whip. Craaaaaaaaaapppp...
Second class: Walk/Trot Equitation. We considered doing it without the crop, but Mouse immediately planted before going into the ring. However, spurs we allowed, so I grabbed the ones that live in my tack caddy (I've never used them with Mouse) and quickly fastened them. We headed in for our class, and Mouse was pretty good, realizing that she had to listen to what I was asking (and let me be clear, it's not like she's confused; she's very well trained on voice, etc, but she is STUBBORN! And when she doesn't want to go, she doesn't!). We got 5th out of 10 in that class.
Final class: Walk/Trot Suitable to Become a Dressage Horse. Well... this is the class Mouse bombed last show, and here history repeats itself. After one lap of the ring, Mouse decides to stop. And she doesn't move for 5 minutes. The whole class she stands motionless, at the rail. ARGHHHHHHH!!! But it was funny, I heard a fair bit of chuckling. And there was cheering when the judge asked for the horses to halt (Mouse was doing that part quite well!) Needless to say, we didn't place. Oh well!
I took Mouse out for a brief spin after her class so she could remember what "forward" meant, then after a short canter across the field with Bonnie and Taylor, we called it a day. It's wasn't that bad, always a learning experience!
September 13, 2004
Bonnie and I worked with Mouse a few days ago, and man, was she ever total ATTI-TUDE! She was dancing in the cross-ties, stepped on me, being pushy... I had planned on riding her, but instead chose to take her into the ring and do a whack of groundwork. We did some circle work, worked on obedience to voice commands, being forward, etc. Then we did some work with moving away from pressure... by the end of it, she was responding MUCH better. So, Bonnie and I decided to jump her. (in hand, of course!) We set up the barrel jump with a crosspole, and took Mouse over it twice, and she was just lovely. So then we raised, and since it's not a proper standard, when it goes up, it goes up to 3'. I trotted Mouse up to it, and she LEAPED over, in lovely form, very scopey, and no hotness. I love this! With that, we called it a day.
The following day (yesterday) I took Mouse into the ring for some more groundwork, and she was excellent. Hopefully this will work its way into her forwardness under saddle issues.
October 11, 2004
Sorry, I've been lazy in keeping updates. Mouse did great at the last show, no high placings (she got a 5th and a 6th out of 12 riders), but she didn't plant once! Yay! Her low placings were due to the fact the she broke her gait several times. Oh well, the goal was for her not to plant. And she didn't even have a crop to motivate her! :)
Other than that, Mouse has been doing great. She's a solid 16.2hh now, and I have to measure her pretty soon, because I suspect she might be going into another growth spurt, even though she's not due for one. She's been looking very uphill lately!
We went for a trail ride last weekend; it was AWESOME! The trail were perfect, and Mouse was so well behaved. We went down hills at a walk, and did very little trotting. We rode all the way down to the river, and Mouse even got brave enough to step in (after she saw how much fun the boys were having with their pawing!).
Mouse hasn't been drinking much water lately, which is worrisome since Jo Lee coliced because she wasn't drinking enough water once. So, I started Mouse back on beetpulp... what can I say, she loves it! Look in the photo gallery for the most recent pictures. :)
October 16, 2004
I took Mouse for a ride today, on the trails by ourselves. I've been really working with our forward issues, both on the ground and in the saddle. Of course, it's not as though I ride much! ;)
I have to report that things are progressing VERY well. No whip, no spurs. And when I said walk, she walked. When I said trot, she trotted. Ears forward, she was totally loving it.
We took the Chantrelle trail up to the logging road. On the trail we did some long and low work, I rode her on the buckle and let her stretch her neck out. For the most part, she didn't misbehave; though she did think about stealing a few nibbles now and then. But she didn't! After a bit, I got her to move out at a trot, and aside from the odd moment where something didn't quite seem right to her (and let me tell you, she can stop on a dime!), she was awesome.
From there, we took the trail that heads behind the gravel pit. There, was one of Mouse's greatest challenges; we came across two dirtbikers. We saw them, but they didn't see us. I held onto both reins with my left hand and tried to wave them down, but they didn't see us until they were only about ten feet away. They ripped to a halt, and Mouse freaked, spinning and bolting. One of the reins got pulled out of my hand, so I really had no control. All I said was "Whoa, Mouse whoa!" and she stopped. She had only taken about 5 strides. What an amazing horse! It was like she was trying to get US away, but because she trusts me, she listened despite being so scared. :)
We actually ran into those bikers twice more, but they were pretty good. Mouse was a little upset, but she was so calm given the circumstances. Then, was out big "test".
I wanted to see how well Mouse had learned "RULE #1": that is, she has to WALK down hills. Of course, she can go up at any speed she wants, but she has to walk down. That's the rule.
So, we came to the BIG hill on the trail. This is the hill that terrified me in my younger days, due to it being so long, and so steep. Jo Lee used to run down it when I first got her, but eventually she learned "RULE #1".
Anyway, Mouse was a bit nervous, as she had never been on that part of the trail before. But, she walked down beautifully. Half way down, I gave her rein, and she continued down on a loose rein. We got to the bottom, no problem, and then we started back up again. She walked up, paused a couple of times (it's a steep hill!). Then, we took another trail back down to logging road to head back home. That hill was shorter, but steeper, and Mouse did the whole thing on a loose rein. That's my girl!
Anyway, that's my update. Mouse is... AWESOME! :)
December 11, 2004
Well, since it's a beautiful day, I decided to do a little training with Mouse this morning. It sure was cold, though!
One of my goals is to get Mouse going without a bridle or halter. For that, I know we need to get the leg aids down, which is an issue we're still working on. But we have lots of time. So, we started out with a quick brushing (she's still a little damp from yesterday's rain, but not to the skin), then took her out to the ring. Mouse was far more interested in the cookies I might have had in my pockets, so I made a note about that for next time. But after a few minutes she settled in, walking around me in both directions on a long lead and rope halter. Then we did a little long-leading at a walk, trot and canter. She gets a little excited at the canter (when she's willing to go that fast!) but will immediately stop with a voice command. She will also back away strictly on voice alone, which I really like.
Because she was so well behaved, I did get on her, with her rope halter and lead still on, but also a plain rope loop around her neck. With just the rope loop, she will back up on command, but I'm really not having any luck with turning. When I do my groundwork, I will move her away with pressue, but it's not translating to having me on her back. I also look to the direction I want her to go, but Mouse pretty much just goes where she wants, unless I tell her whoa, stand or back. So, I think we are having a slight respect issue, but more of a communication issue. And suggestions?
She goes pretty well in just a halter, but I know we have soooooooo far to go still. But, I guess half the fun is getting there.Then, this afternoon, Mouse had her teeth done for the first time. Her teeth were actually pretty good, only a few little points. Her molars are starting to come through, but her caps are on tight! :) Oh well, they will come off with time. Mouse also really felt the drugs... note to doc; next time, use only half dose! Mouse almost fell flat on her face!
December 26, 2004
Well, yesterday morning, Mouse was fine. Gobbled her breakfast, ate her hay.
When I stopped by at lunchtime, she seemed ok, but when I offered her a carrot, she chewed on it, then spit it out. I didn't really think much of it, because it was a bit rubbery, but generally, Mouse will eat anything. I gave her a bit of hay, and she ate it.
Last night, I fed her dinner; she ate most of her beetpulp, but wasn't really interested in her hay. She was laying down when I got to the barn. There was a bit of soft manure in her stall. That was at 4:30.
Mom and dad checked in on her at 6:00. Hadn't eaten her hay.
I checked in on her at 8:30. Still some beetpulp in her bucket, still hay in her manger. Was laying down again. Audible gut sounds, passed some gas.
This morning: hay still in manger, nice sloppy poo in her feed bucket. Took hay out into paddock, and put fresh hay in manger. Hay smells fine; not dusty or moldy. Stewie eats it no problem. Cleaned out food bucket and offered breakfast. Takes a bit of grain/beetpulp mixture, then leaves it. Lays down. I let her be for a few minutes, then get her up and take her into her paddock. She passes gas coupled with liquid diarrhea. This is at 8am.
I have to go to work, but I come back at just after 9. I give her 60mL Aloe Vera juice orally. She is still passing gas. Temperature is normal, but she is obviously depressed and not comfortable. Abdomen is not bloated at all. Audible gut sounds. I stay with her for about 45 minutes.
I am not sure what is going on. Maybe someone gave her a "Christamas Treat" that didn't agree with her? I lunged her this morning to get her moving, and she was find with that. I am happy she is passing gas and her gut is moving, but I am a little worried with the diarrhea and lack of appetite.December 28, 2004
Well, Mouse was back to her old self this morning, for the most part. She was waiting outside at the fence for me (she'd been in her stall the last 3 days), STARING at me.
She gobbled down her breakfast, and was very eager to head out to the back field for her hay. All stools were normal, no more loud tummy grumbles.Turns out, what it was of all things, was her MOLARS!!!! Apparently, sore teeth can cause colic-like symptoms, gas, diarrhea, etc. I am so glad that mystery is solved! It was a very scary three days!
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