Learning from Vaquero Boone Campbell

One of the reasons I'm even able to compete in the Vaquero Heritage Trainers Challenge is my history with the Whoa Podcast about Horses and Horsemanship.  Through the show I've met and interviewed many excellent horsemen and woman.  I interviewed Boone Campbell earlier this year for a show we did at the Ojai Cowboy School.  I was able to get a great video of Boone describing the workings and effects of the hackamore and spade bits.

Working with Scratch and trying to stay true to my limited knowledge of the Vaquero way has been tough.  I called Boone and asked if he would give me some pointers.  He invited me over to the ranch for a few hours of just hanging out and talking horses.

It meant another 2 1/2 hour trailer ride for Scratch.  He is getting great at riding in the trailer.  We arrived around two in the afternoon and did a little ground work.  Boone was riding a horse at another ranch and showed up just as we were finishing.  We talked about the hackamore in general, then he looked at mine and showed me how to tie the reins to give Scratch a little more room.  It's not that Scratch has a big snout or anything, I'm using some thick horse hair reins.

Scratch was energized by the new location.  The arena had water troughs on the outside he could see.  There were trees and cones and halters along the fence.  He was really sensitive and when he's like this he just wants to move.  I let him.  We trotted around the arena.  The sand footing slowed him a bit, but he finally broke into a lope and kicked up a bit.  As we went along, Boone would call out instructions or give me his take on what and how I was doing.

All the years of using the snaffle have created a set of muscle memory that doesn't really work with the hackamore.  I need to keep my reins shorter while loping.  When Scratch is in a circle and doing well it's important to not micromanage him.  Wait for the mistake, then correct it, instead of correcting the mistake he is about to make.  One other tendency I have is to keep my reins at a fixed length.  I need to be constantly adjusting them for the situation I'm in, especially during the learning process.

Boone also talked about keeping the horse's front end up and light.  "In order for him to change directions quickly he will have to move off his back end.  That's where his weight needs to be to pivot,"  Boone told me.

We did get a few compliments.  Boone likes the build of Scratch.  He is stout and has a wide base.  We showed him our sidepass and stop.  The stop is definitely the more impressive of the two.  Scratch really gets his back end under him.  The back up is coming along.

The philosophy of the hackamore is to keep the horse in balance.  To get him to work with you because it is easy for him to do so.  I was able to learn a lot in the couple of hours we rode together.  Now, I just have to put it to practice.  Scratch has been working hard the last three weeks.  After a long day in the trailer and working in the arena, I'm giving him a couple of days off to recuperate.  It will be interesting to see how he handles things when we get back to work on Sunday.

The Good Days are Starting to Pile Up

Making Progress

A little more than a week ago we visited trainer and friend Matt Sheridan in Tehachapi.  Matt is an all around good hand and very knowledgeable in the hackamore.  I was getting frustrated with the hackamore and considering just using my snaffle.  It seemed I just could not get control of Scratch with the hackamore.

Matt walked me through some of the techniques. Bumping instead of pulling and using my legs more were great suggestions.  He told me I needed to release quicker too.

One other excellent suggestion was to ride Scratch in the halter.  "Tie the reins like you would the hackamore, don't worry if they are straight, and just see what happens.", he said.

On the first ride I put him through some basic exercises.  I was much more comfortable using the halter.  He seemed more comfortable in it too.  Then asked him to lope.  He needed a bit of encouragement, but off we went.  What a grand feeling!  We loped around the medium arena and when I asked for the whoa he set his back feet under him and stopped on a dime.

And, there was another plus since my last post.  We have access to two arenas.  Both places were very nice to let me bring Scratch in, but there were things in each one.  One was an old roping arena and had the chute and boxes.  The other had a bunch of obstacles.  Now we'll get to obstacles soon enough, but when Scratch gets going, I did not want to worry about him running into something.  I talked to Helen McKee at our local Rancho Rio Stables and she loved that I was participating in the VHTC.  She's letting me use the round pens and arenas.  The are very nice.  A variety of sizes and we get to practice with a lot of other horses around.  I shot some video today too.  I am getting ready to edit it and hope to have something posted soon.

We are Moving Along

It has been a hectic couple of weeks.  Not only with Scratch, but just around our place.  July is usually when we get our hay in for the year.  This was made more complicated by the presence of Scratch in two ways.  First, we had to secure more hay for a third hungry, hard-working horse.  Secondly, we store the hay at the back of our property and we now had a round-pen and Scratch's pen right in the middle.  But, we got the job done.


We did shoot video of Scratch's 6th ride and I finally got it edited:

 It hasn't all been peaches and creme.  I took Scratch out to an nearby arena and while he was tied there were several scary goings on.  He pulled back, jumped forward and scraped his head pretty darn good.  He'll have another Scratch to add to his collection.

Loping continues to evade us.  He trots easily enough, but no desire to lope.  We'll continue to push ahead.  The hackamore remains a challenge for me.  I am getting some instruction on its use from a local, knowledgeable trainer, Matt Sheridan, but the techniques are challenging.  Once again, we just keep pushing on.  It will come.

Scratch Goes to the Vet

Okay, first things first.  I really thought I would have more time to document our progress.  As it turns out, training a horse and maintaining your normal household duties is a real chore!

Our first ride was the 20th of July.  We've been riding every day since then.  I started in a snaffle and quickly moved to the hackamore.  I wasn't sure what kind of shape Scratch's teeth were in and I didn't want to hurt his mouth.  It turns out that was a good decision.

One of our sponsors for the VHTC is Bakersfield Large Animal Vet Hospital.  Dr. Tolley has been very supportive and agreed to do a medical exam and insure Scratch is up-to-date on his vaccinations.  I knew Scratch would have to go into a stock for the dental.  I really wanted to make sure he was safe.  I've had Scratch going through very tight openings for the last three weeks.

Listen, before I give you the story, Here are the "takeaways' from today's visit followed by a short video of the procedure.

• Scratch is estimated to be 9 years old.  That means he was born around 2006 and was a stallion until 2013.
• He got his teeth mechanically floated.
• He received his EWE/WNV/TET and Flu/Rhino vaccines.
• He Fecal Egg count was negative 
• He has a body condition score of 5

Now here's the video.

Our appointment was for 1 pm and the vet is about 15 minutes away.  I haven't trailered Scratch anywhere since I brought him home.  I've gotten him in the trailer and drove him around and let him back out at the house, but we've never been someplace else and got out and back in the trailer.  The vet is near the freeway and car lots.  Much noise and balloons.

Scratch hopped in the trailer no problem.  We were about 10 minutes early so we just waited in the trailer.  It was about 96 in Bakersfield today, but overcast.  When everyone go back from lunch I put Scratch in a pen.  Dr. Tolley was on an emergency call and would be a few minutes late.

There was a stock outside similar to the one Scratch would be asked to walk into.  When it came time to take him in, I asked the handler to walk him through the one outside first.  There was a touch of resistance, but he complied.  And, when it came time to go into the inside stock, Scratch walked right in.

The exam went smoothly.  Dr. Tolley performed about $400 worth of vet work and was very helpful in determining age and body condition.

When it was over, Scratch hopped back in the trailer and we headed home.  Now it's time to go to work!

It's a Whole New World Out There

Scratch got his first taste of the saddle.  It's been a couple of good weeks with Scratch. It was quite an adventure.  I was having problems getting the front cinch done up.  Scratch had blown up so much I could not get to the first hole.  Who knew a horse could suck in that much air?  It must be a natural protective measure.  Anyway, Scratch is very good at it.

I've repeated the exercise a couple of times since and he has accepted it well.  He does move around a lot.  The back cinch is always last to go up.  He was moving around and getting worried about the way it was banging him on the legs.  I gave him the option of standing still and not getting bumped.  When he declined I worked him around the pen quickly and it banged on him a lot.  My goal is he will stand perfectly still while I get him tacked up.

He has been wearing the snaffle too.  It is getting much easier to get in his mouth.  Scratch is the poster boy for "fish butt lips"  -  you know his lips are closed so tight they are water proof like a fish's butt.

We are going to have to pick up the pace on some stuff.  His feet are getting long.  He tolerates me picking them up.  Next step is to get a rasp on them.  And, I should clarify, I've been working on the front feet.  Sooner or later, I need to get to the back.

We left the yard today.  Leading Scratch has improved and we walk around the yard.  He's great at walking between fences, under the trees and around the trailer.  I wondered what his reaction would be to the world outside the fence.  I opened the gate and he stopped dead in his tracks.

There were several surfaces he would need to cross.  First, there was rocky dirt.  Next, a railroad tie and a cement footing.  Finally, Scratch needed to walk down the concrete driveway and onto the asphalt street.  I doubt he has ever walked on concrete or asphalt.

Scratch really fought me on the very first step.  He reared and pulled back.  He was more reactive than I had ever seen him.  I wasn't sure what was causing him so much angst.  Finally, I committed to doing the sending exercise in front of the gate.  This was a big deal at first.  About the 10th time he started to calm.  I moved a small step closer, then a few more inches.

Scratch After his Bath

Opps!  He accidentally stepped on the railroad tie.  He stopped.  Nothing happened.  He continued.  That was a turning point.  Once he knew nothing would happen when he stepped on the railroad tie it was easy going to the asphalt.

We walked up and down the street.  Scratch saw cars go by, the neighbor's dogs, the other neighbor's goats and cows.  He showed some nervous energy at times, but each time he calmed down quickly.  We walked around for about 30 minutes.  We practiced yielding hindquarters and flexing.

Afterward it was bath time.  Scratch like the coolness of the water, but not the wetness.  He fidgeted as I got as much of the salt and sweat off as I could.  He looks so handsome when he is shiny and wet.  It did not last long, however.  As soon as I put him back in his pen he was down and rolling around in the dirt.  He was on his own time, I suppose he gets to do whatever he likes.

On another positive note:  Bakersfield Large Animal Veterinary Hospital has signed on to help sponsor Scratch in the competition.  They will be providing vaccinations and a dental exam.

I'm really excited for two reasons.  First, I love that Dr. Tolley supports the equine community.  He knows the organizers are trying to help these horses.  I'm sure he gets many requests, I am glad he honored ours.

Secondly, it is going to be very cool to find out how old Scratch is.  And, we'll get to see how his teeth fared in the wild.  Will he have a lot of hooks?  Are his teeth in better or worse shape than the average stable horse?  Will he have a reaction to the vaccinations?

Before I get him to BVH I'll need to insure that he is safe to work around.  I'll also have to get him back in the trailer.  I wonder what effect his first trailer ride has on his second?

I am preparing him to ride. He is ready.  This weekend would be great.  Ranae and I are going to work on a plan for Scratch's first ride, then we will rehearse it with my horse Jessie.  Preparation is the key to success and once I get to riding Scratch an entire new world will open up to both of us.

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!

What's in a Name

 Meet "Scratch"

Scratch

Little Billy Shakespeare was right when he said "A rose by any other name is still a rose."  After many wonderful suggestions and much ruminating, (always good to toss a cow joke in a horse blog), we're calling my new horse "Scratch".

I stumbled on Scratch quite by accident.  The more I tossed the name aside, the more reasons came back telling me this horse was Scratch.  After all, many of the horses living in this herd are covered with scratches.  They are tough horses.  The world is a rough place for them.  Living with bumps, bruises, and scratches is just a part of getting up in the morning.

When we were getting to know each other in the first few hours of getting home, I let it be known the next four months would be filled with rub downs, pats, and scratches.  At the time, he (known as Whats-his-name then) didn't think much of any of those options. He had not yet discovered the magic of my fingers.  I know, given a chance, I can win him over.

The compelling reason to name him Scratch came from our starting place.  We are starting from Scratch.  I've not done this before, started a horse that is.  I've come a long way with Jessie.  We continue to have a good time together.  But last year as I watched the entire VHTC I thought, "This is a really cool event.  The people putting it on are great.  The horse are especially wonderful.  Wouldn't it be great to try."  The event is designed to showcase the horses and, I think more importantly, good horsemanship.  

It's one thing to study horsemanship - read books, magazine articles, watch videos - it's another to apply it to an un-started horse.  My podcast, The Whoa Podcast about Horses and Horsemanship (yes, shameless plug), has given me the opportunity to talk to and watch a good many excellent horsemen and women.  I've seen what others have done.  Now, it's time to put my knowledge to the test. 

Scratch reminds me of a lottery ticket.  What are the odds?  Two weeks ago, I'm certain he didn't think his life was going to change substantially.  I hit the jackpot being a part of this event.  I cant wait to see where it goes.  Scratch is also slang for money, i.e. "chicken scratch".  Maybe I should spell it with a dollar sign like this - $cratch.  What do you think?

And, scratches can be just minor irritations....unless you neglect them.  Then scratches can be a real pain in the ass.  Or, we could be just scratching the surface of learning about this horsemanship deal.  There are a lot of reasons to pick the name Scratch.  Scratch fits us perfectly.

Scratch and I are ready.  We'll do our best to learn about each others' world and our respective places in that world.  I'll take care of him and expect him to do the same for me.  

The next four months is a partnership.  As emotional as it is, I've already made the decision to auction Scratch at the end of the event.  These horses need homes.  The drought in California and the overpopulation of the herd make it a tougher place to live than it has to be.  If I can get him ready for a new life, a place with a kid to ride him and a dog to tag along, I've done my job.  The name Scratch keeps us humble and in touch with both our roots.  It reminds us today is a gift.  Pop it open and enjoy it.