brasstackminis
Well-Known Member
OK so I drove Starbuck today...here's what I did:
First I lounged him. Probably for only 5 mins or so, not to work him to death or wear him out, but to reinstill the "walk, trot, woah" and get him into work mode. It also gives him the opportuntiy to kick up and then relax out of my range of fire.
Then I brushed on him and kept reiterating "reeeeeelaaaax" and him putting his head down and relaxing his neck/brain.
I decided that he needed some training on moving OFF of pressure, so I worked on that...reminding him to keep relaxed and his head down. It was amazing how much this helped him to think...having his head down. Since he was caught pushing into the pressure when he was scaring himself.
Then I pulled out the tack...goof ball tensed up.
So more head down and "reeeeelaaaax". I put the harness, minus the bridle on and repeated the moving away from pressure relaxed again. I was looking at the fit of the harness and was attempting to get my shaft loops to hang straight. (Something I had been wanting to do but kept putting it off) Well I started thinking about how they were hanging and that maybe the backstrap was pulling on the saddle too much. So I started to adjust the crupper/backstrap. I loosened it 5-6 holes when all of the sudden he tensed up and I realized how tight the crupper/backstrap was when he was tense! It may hang an inch below the dock of his tail when he is relaxed, but when he is scared it is markedly tighter! EUREKA!
So I drove him off and I can tell that he has lost a bit of his confidence, but he still knows what to do. I went down the road, mostly at a walk, making shallow-loop serpentines and pivots as well as lots of transitions. Oh and I rediscovered my half-halt...Not sure where I hid it!
He was really good...only slightly nervy, but his transitions were probably the best he has even done! (Probably something to do with my half-halts!) He was probably a little more on edge because I was a bit on edge too. I was singing to myself and him so that we were calmer. I had my helmet, gloves, and called a friend to tell her where I was going to be, in case someone needed to come and scrap me off the road!
It was a short but very good drive and I am happy to report that there were no more runaway runaways!
Not sure why it was such a big deal THAT time, as I had not adjusted anything since I started driving him, but whatever works! I am glad I watched all those harnessing videos again!
First I lounged him. Probably for only 5 mins or so, not to work him to death or wear him out, but to reinstill the "walk, trot, woah" and get him into work mode. It also gives him the opportuntiy to kick up and then relax out of my range of fire.
Then I brushed on him and kept reiterating "reeeeeelaaaax" and him putting his head down and relaxing his neck/brain.
I decided that he needed some training on moving OFF of pressure, so I worked on that...reminding him to keep relaxed and his head down. It was amazing how much this helped him to think...having his head down. Since he was caught pushing into the pressure when he was scaring himself.
Then I pulled out the tack...goof ball tensed up.
So I drove him off and I can tell that he has lost a bit of his confidence, but he still knows what to do. I went down the road, mostly at a walk, making shallow-loop serpentines and pivots as well as lots of transitions. Oh and I rediscovered my half-halt...Not sure where I hid it!
Not sure why it was such a big deal THAT time, as I had not adjusted anything since I started driving him, but whatever works! I am glad I watched all those harnessing videos again!
