2 steps forward, 3 steps back

[Marsha Cassada]

I thought we were progressing really well, but we took 2 steps back last week. Of course, cows were the cause. I had never come across cattle on this particular road, but there they were next to the fence. We have had stormy weather, and there was lots of traffic with "fire chasers" out looking at damage. I just couldn't work through the cow-thing with the traffic. I am a strong woman, and luckily was wearing my driving gloves, or it could have been a disaster. Had to get out and ground drive. When he reared up, I pushed him forward with the cart and I believe that kept him from going over backward. It was a looonnnggg 1 mile home. I could not lead him by the bridle as he kept trying to bolt. Couldn't get my halter out of my little tool box as I couldn't take my hands off the reins, but I don't think I could have led him anyway. Ground driving was the only way. As we got close to home, I did get in the cart and we returned in a calm, collected way so we ended on a positive note. He stood quietly to be unharnessed, then I left him tied a little while longer until he was totally calm.

He was truly afraid of the cows. They just stood there, big silly PREY and he was scared out of his wits.

I think we will go back to ground driving a time or two and see how things go. I cannot predict when we will see cows, but at this point I think I will turn around and go the other direction if we see them again.

I will try to get someone to drive my other horse with us next time he is hitched, and if he sees Dapper Dan going fearlessly past the cows perhaps he will see they are not a threat.

Another weird thing: it seemed obvious that I was having trouble controlling him and these gawking drivers kept wanting me to stop and chat!

I'm sure others have felt they were going backward instead of forward while training. Just have to keep persevering.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We ground drove today and lo and behold he started the old tongue over the bit thing again. When I got home, I put the overcheck on the bridle and we drove a little more. I think the overcheck keeps the bit lifted just enough so he can't do the tongue thing so easily. So we will use the overcheck and go back to ground driving for awhile. An overcheck bit may even be a positive teaching aid for him. I'll have to think about that.

He began his career as a show horse, and I think show horses are chosen because they are a little more reactive, which gives them a nicer ring presence. This is something beginning drivers, or drivers like me who are getting older and not looking for an especial challenge, should consider. Ranger and I are in it now, though, and we will persevere.

Another aspect of our training experience is my own temperament. I have a tendency to be too lenient and sentimental. I need to keep focused and be a good, consistent leader for him.

 

[MiniNHF]

Horses for some reason do not like cows. My trainer had a really nice eventing horse and they were out hacking on the show property a day before an event and they came across cows. The horse never seen them before and out of no where he reared up and flipped over backwards on my trainer and broke his back on the saddle and he had to be put down. This was a well behaved very calm horse and the cows just set him off.

I dont know if its their smell, or size or what but my boy at a show was eyeing them in his cart, so he wasnt to thrilled about them. Both of my boys are halter horses going driving and one is more quiet then the other. My stallion just has a freaky personality and is scared of everything but once he gets something and understands he acts like he has known for years.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I am hoping he will get used to them. He's already figured out that culverts won't eat him. The problem is, one cannot always tell what scary thing will be on a route. A plastic bag on a bush set him off one time. Sure keeps me on my toes!

The nice thing about him, is he has never gone berserk; no bucking or anything mean. Even though he is reacting to something, he still listens.

I've seen big horses scared of little horses!

 

[Champ]

I know how you feel, I was driving with a friend and her mini ( her mini didn't even notice them) when we came across a field with cows......you would have thought my mini saw fire breathing dragons......let's just say I was VERY glad they didn't moo or start walking around otherwise it wouldn't have been good....like you I got out of the cart and ground drove him. Fortunetly for me I very rarely see cows where I drive.... Have you thought about finding someone who has cows that might let you bring your mini over and visit with them so he could get use to them?

Also one day I was driving my mini by a trash can full of goat manure.....I didn't know it at the time.....but my mini sure did, he got one smell of it, did a 180 and bolted for the barn, luckily I was able to stop him and make it back to the barn where I unharnessed him and hand walked him by the trashcan until he was okay with it. I'm sure it would have been a lot worse had he seen the actual goat!!

 

[MiniNHF]

My stallion freaks at everything when he is in the cart with the blinders on, either everything will eat him or the devil is after him; even other horses in carts coming up behind him. He is a very visual horse and having blinders on makes his nerves go through the roof. He is actually extremely calm when he doesnt have the blinders on, to bad I have to have them on in the classes.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I started Ranger without blinders. I switched to blinders as I felt it kept him more focused. Perhaps I will go back to no blinders next time and see if that changes anything now.

 

[MiniNHF]

We started with blinders and he kept bolting out of the cart when we were trying to break him to it, as soon as he put a regular bridle on and he could see what we were doing he harnessed right up. I alternate the bliders and the bridle with him and it seems to help especially at home.

 

[chandab]

Guess I haven't really thought of cows as being a problem, but we raise cattle, so my horses see them every day of their life. Perhaps they would react differently to cows if they saw them out and about on a drive away from home.

Heck, my smallest stallion escaped and we watched him herd my brother in laws cows across the field; until two old cows realized he wasn't a dog and chased him back across the field.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Guess I haven't really thought of cows as being a problem, but we raise cattle, so my horses see them every day of their life. Perhaps they would react differently to cows if they saw them out and about on a drive away from home.

Heck, my smallest stallion escaped and we watched him herd my brother in laws cows across the field; until two old cows realized he wasn't a dog and chased him back across the field.

That's a funny scene!

I wish I had a convenient way to accustom mine to cattle. He's been around goats and didn't seemed concerned. And crazy dogs he can handle. I may try to ask one of my cattle-raising neighbors if I can bring him over sometime. They might not want to bother, as raising cattle is serious business and training little horses is just play. The only use they have for horses is if they can herd cattle on them. Maybe they need to meet your herding horse!

 

[lucky seven]

Thanks for the education. I know that Seven is afraid of cows and deer, he is also afraid of tarps. Everything seems to spook him and have always wondered if he would make a good cart buddy for me.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Mine was afraid of tarps, too. We played tarp for a few days and now he is fine with them. I got underneath of the tarp with him and walked around. That seemed to be most helpful. Then he wore it like a tent, I dragged it over him, then he dragged it behind him. Then we walked all over it. At first he thought it was going to eat him, but now he is fine with them. We review our lesson periodically.

I was told these kinds of horses are called "reactive"--don't you just love euphemisms? They make interesting show horses, as they are always alert for mares/stallions or the bogie man--whichever--so they have picturesque show presence.

Some horsefolk love this challenging type of horse. I am not one of them, but do plan to persevere with mine. I consider it an investment, as I hope to have him as a driving horse for many years.

I'm still not sure what to do about cows. There is no way we can avoid them where we drive. I'm hoping that familiarity will breed contempt--if we survive the encounters.

 

[MiniNHF]

Mine was afraid of tarps, too. We played tarp for a few days and now he is fine with them. I got underneath of the tarp with him and walked around. That seemed to be most helpful. Then he wore it like a tent, I dragged it over him, then he dragged it behind him. Then we walked all over it. At first he thought it was going to eat him, but now he is fine with them. We review our lesson periodically.

I was told these kinds of horses are called "reactive"--don't you just love euphemisms? They make interesting show horses, as they are always alert for mares/stallions or the bogie man--whichever--so they have picturesque show presence.

Some horsefolk love this challenging type of horse. I am not one of them, but do plan to persevere with mine. I consider it an investment, as I hope to have him as a driving horse for many years.

I'm still not sure what to do about cows. There is no way we can avoid them where we drive. I'm hoping that familiarity will breed contempt--if we survive the encounters.

my stallion is definitely the "reactive" type; always alert but I think he is just more visual then most horses, he has to see and know whats going on all the time. He is a stall climber as I like to call him, he is constanly up on the wall trying to look over to see what every one is doing, he will even do it in the trailer if the back top doors are open; he is a trip and apparently has inherited that from his father lol

 

[paintponylvr]

"Thanks for the education. I know that Seven is afraid of cows and deer, he is also afraid of tarps. Everything seems to spook him and have always wondered if he would make a good cart buddy for me."

I have lots of pics of us doing this with a couple of our guys and girls (tarp work) - if you'd like to see.

For cows - can either of you borrow a few to pen up near/next to/1 field over/ from your horse(s) to get them used to them - moving, mooing, lowing, coming and going? Sometimes that helps, sometimes it makes little to no difference...

Marsha - thanks for sharing what you are doing with your "new" guy. I think you said his name is "Ranger"? Can't remember for sure... Right now, it sounds like you are doing every thing right and that you just need to keep plugging along with him. Love that you are considering him your "long term investment"!!

If it helps - since our move - even our "steady eddy" type ponies have been jumpy and flighty - just about regular handling. I don't have harness unpacked/hung up where it's easy to get to yet and haven't started working them yet - maybe that's part of the reason why??

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I was thinking an evil genii gave me a changling horse in place of Ranger. We are still back at ground driving, using the overcheck for the tongue over the bit problem, and working on responding to cues. Today I felt we went forward a step, though, as he was better. Our route took us by a cow pasture and luckily the girls were there in plain sight. He did his usual freak, poop, twirl. We got past them at last and on our way. I planned to go a different way home, but decided to go past the cows again. He was alert, but went past them pretty smoothly and was a good boy on the way home.

I tried something different today while harnessing, as he has been restive during that procedure since our "episode". I laid the harness on his back and when he began sidling, I put pressure on his poll with my hand, pressing his head down. He bobbed and resisted a little, then lowered his head under the pressure, sighed and licked. Stood perfectly quiet after that for harnessing. I did it again before putting on the bridle, and he took the bit more docilely. (No cart; we are ground driving)

 

[lucky seven]

No cows this year, but those pony eating deer are. He is really funny to watch when he sees them. Can't think of a way to get him used to them so this is something we will have to deal with.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Have not been out for several days, but I've been thinking about my strategy. I will shorten the headstall. And I believe I will go back to an open bridle. I need to rig up the overcheck on it, though, in case shortening the headstall doesn't fix the tongue over the bit thing.

I think I am looking at ground driving again for several months before we try the cart again.

We have a chiro appt next week; I'll be curious if there is something out of whack after our little episode.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Rain and rain! Our property and roads have been quagmires or swamps. We've waded around ground driving on our property and I have finally been able to take him out on one road that is deeply rutted from erosion, but okay for walking. It is the Cow Road. Sure was hoping to see the cows on our last outing, but nary a scary beast was seen. Ranger had his eye out for them, but we had no excitement.

I tried unhooking the overcheck on the way home, as he was going along nicely, so I was hoping the tongue-thing was cured, but within a few seconds it was a problem again, so I put the overcheck back.

I think I will try him in the cart again, but will plan it where I have someone driving with me.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My sister was here, meeting the hoof trimmer, so I took the opportunity to hitch Ranger; I was not comfortable reintroducing him to the cart by myself. We did ground driving first, then she kept a lead rope on him and I drove. She suggested working him in one of my small pastures, where he knows the parameters. Recently shredded, but it was work for him to move in the thick grass. He did well, so we removed the lead rope and I asked Ranger to walk, do figure eights, transition from whoa to walk. At first he did not want to stand, but kept sidling sideways. So I asked him to keep turning in that direction until he got tired of doing that, and he stood nicely. Just a couple of times of that in the thick grass and he stopped sidling at the stand. I will continue working him in that pasture in the thick grass until I feel we are back where we were. I forgot to attach the overcheck at first and he had his tongue over the bit after a few steps. The overcheck really works for that. It is on the loosest setting, but I think the straps over the face lift the bit just enough. Not sure a sidecheck would answer the purpose as well.

I asked the hoof guy to look at my bit/headstall and see what he thought of the fit.

My sister had been to a clinic recently with a trainer and tried some of the techniques on Ranger with ground work. We talked about how we have learned so many different training ideas; every trainer seems to have a different idea. We agreed one just has to try different things on each horse and find what works. We had one sister/training confrontation but worked through that!

Ranger looks so good in harness. He has four white feet, which just sparkle. He has a lovely, natural headset. We need to get to the point where he can show himself off in public! If he were going to a breed show to drive, a professional trainer could have him ready pretty quickly, but I need him to work with me, so the two of us can be safe out in the wide, unpredictable world.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

He is back in the cart as of yesterday. We can move forward again. We both have things to work on, but especially my leadership skills. My "homework" is ground tying excercises, which has as its goal harnessing in the open and reinforcing my place as his herd leader.