The First Week

Starting in Spurts and Stops

The first week is in the books.  Did everything go exactly as planned?  Does it ever?  Not with horses, rarely with anything else.  

We made good progress.  Scratch spent the week in his square pen.  I did think he would hook up to me a little quicker.  He remains a bit stand off-ish.

The Halter

I thought I had desensitized him plenty to the halter around his head and neck.  Scratch seemed fairly calm, as the horses do.  He was quiet as I lunged him.  When I went to put the halter on it bumped his nose and that's when I noticed I had neglected that body part.  He pulled his head back and I tried to go with him, but didn't.  This meant it was back to the starting point and doing it all over again.  The progression was slow.  When it came time for the second try he was ready.

Leading

Once the halter was on it was obviously I take leading my horse Jessie for granted.  Scratch doesn't know how to give to pressure.  He doesn't know to follow me.  Leading was a foreign experience.  We worked on this for hours.  The big problem was leaving the square pen.  He did not want to go through the gate.  Thinking back on Scratch's interaction with humans, bad things happen around gates.  When he was caught and gelded, he was likely sent through a gate.  When Scratch was loaded in our trailer, yep, through a gate.  Now, we don't make excuses for the behavior, but situations like this, I think it is good to know.  The knowledge helps me decide how much time I'm going to spend on this issue.  We worked on it slowly and in a way that kept him comfortable.

Feet

Just like the haltering, I rushed to handle his feet.  He got really nervous and it was necessary to back up and take it slow.  Just today I was able to pick up each front foot for two seconds and hold it.  They will need a rasp soon.  We'll keep working on this.

Jeffries Method 

The Jeffries Method is a desensitizing technique.  It is so much fun.  I jump up and down next to the horse.  Then I put my weight on his withers.  Then I jump up on his back and just lay over him while rubbing him all over.  He loves this.  He gets a good rub down.  As Clinton said, "There's just something about having you heart next to the horse that really quiets them down."

Below is a short video of our adventures for the first week:

Thanks for following along!

The Night Before

Tomorrow is the big day.  I must say it is a bit of an ominous feeling.  Getting another horse is one thing.  Getting a wild horse of Oak Creek is another.  Getting a horse I know I'm going to train to be auctioned off in 4 months is bizarre.

I'm not one to let go of animals I make a relationship with.  It's not in my nature.  If I choose you for our family, it is usually for life.

I'm going to state my goals here before I start.  That's not to say they won't change.  They probably will.  Stating them here is just to see HOW the change.  This is after all, an adventure.

Goals

#1.  Don't get killed or hurt.  The only way I'm any good to this horse is if I'm healthy.  Three weeks ago, I re-instated my workout routine.  My goal is too stay fit and to ask the same of my horse.

#2.  This is called the Vaquero Heritage Trainers Challenge.  Listen, I'm no Vaquero.  I'd love to be, but I'm not kidding myself.  What I know about horsemanship compared to those guys would not fill a thimble.  But I have studied horsemanship.  I know a bit more than some.  I am qualified to do this.  But, I will not pretend to be something I'm not (even if it's something I've strive for) - a vaquero.  I have to use the tools I have now, not the ones I hope to have.

#3.  The people putting this event on are doing so to place these horses in qualified homes.  They are also trying to reduce herd size.   The only way this horse is going to find a qualified home is a) I make sure it is healthy and b) I make sure it is safe.  I think I can deliver on both those accounts.  I want to deliver a horse that is dead broke.  One a kid can ride on the trail, maybe work a few cows, but more importantly, be a willing and trusting partner.

I think I know the Downunder Horsemanship Method pretty well.  That's going to be my test.  How well do I really know it?  My horse will provide that answer.  Yes, I am apprehensive about the new horse.  I take that as a good sign.  If there weren't apprehension, if I weren't worried about the outcome, what kind of trainer would I be?

Tomorrow is the big day.  I'm not sure how busy I'll be with the new horse, but I hope you will follow along.  If you ever thought about starting a horse, if you ever wanted a challenge, come along with me.  Read and learn about my journey.  I promise to tell you not just the highs, but the lows as well.  Together, let's learn a little more about what we call horsemanship.