A Little More Progress.....

Harley seems calmer in a ring now.  I have to ride him on a very light contact, and when I ask for trot I can't use my legs, only my voice, but he has been trotting calmly in rings that before he didn't want to walk in.  We're also working in the round pen again, only now it's an open round pen, not the enclosed bull pen we used before.  He has thrown a couple tantrums in the beginning, hoping I'll feel bad and take him out.  But it's not working, and he eventually gives up and behaves himself.  He's a tester, an envelope pusher, and he has a strong spirit so he's not one to give up easily, but he's also extremely smart so I have to be smarter.  Baby steps.

Harley has also begun tormenting mares in the grooming stall next to his stall.  He mashes his face against the wire mesh and sticks his tongue through it, knowing they can't get to him and enjoying the ear pinning, teeth gnashing, hind leg kicking and squealing that he creates.  He thinks it's funny.  And considering that these are mares who try to bite his face off whenever he gets too close, it is funny :)  Never had a horse with a sense of humor before.  But then, Harley is special.....

Another Piece of the Puzzle

Harley is complicated.  Always will be.  He's like a jigsaw puzzle in a box, with pieces missing.  Some might be on the floor, under the table.  With Harley, I think some pieces are just gone.  That's okay.  I'll work with the pieces I have.  He's so worth it. 

It seems Harley has been having some tummy upset from his supplements.  He was on a hoof and coat supplement and started getting moody.  Took him off it and much happier.  So now nothing but joint meds and probiotics to keep his tummy happy. 

Still not convinced he wants to be ridden in a ring, may be too much damage done in the past.  Had a wonderful trot on him yesterday around the ranch.  Still wish there were more trails off site.  Doing some hard thinking about that.  In the meantime, my goal is to have Harley feeling good, physically and mentally.  Like this.....

Three Months of Discovery

In the past 3 months, Harley has improved somewhat being ridden in a ring.  I finally found a saddle/maker fitter who reflocked my saddle to fit Harley perfectly, and he is much happier.  I suspect that some of the saddle issues were connected to the abuse he endured from the dressage trainer who had him a few months before I bought him.  I think Harley equates saddle discomfort with the abuse, so his saddle needs to fit exactly.  Now it does. 

So, after 3 months of watching him closely, I don't know if Harley will ever be happy working in a ring.  Out on the roads and trails, he's completely happy.  When I ride him in a ring, I can tell he'd rather be anywhere else.  He's been that way for most of the 3 years I've had him.  I haven't cantered him in almost 2 years.  I want to canter my horse.  I could do that on a trail, but there aren't any near where I board him.  Big problem.

I'll give it a couple more months and see if he is any happier doing ring work.  Maybe if I can start jumping him a little, he'll relax.  Perhaps he just hates flat work.  It is rather boring, after all ;)

Decisions, Decisions...

One of the biggest issues Harley has had in the past is impulse control.  He would get upset and just explode, thinking something horrible and out of his control was going to happen.  I think what has made the most positive impact on this issue was in working him at liberty in the big ring.  He was able to make choices on his own, good or bad, without any negative consequences.  Given the choice, most horses will choose to do the right thing, although not without trying a few wrong things first ;) 

Harley began making good choices when he realized he could just walk away from me rather than circling around me.  Instead of chasing him down, or driving him into a gallop to punish him, I simply waited for him to come back.  Once he realized I was not going to run after him, or worse, punish him for walking away, he would come back to me, sometimes the entire length of the ring from about 100 feet away.  I would act like nothing had happened and just continue working him in a circle around me.  After a few quiet circles at the walk, I would call him in to me, tell him he was a superstar, and we were done.

Being allowed to make his own decisions gave Harley confidence, and removed his fears of failure and punishment.  It also made him feel safe, knowing that no matter what, nothing bad would happen.  It also taught him to respect me as the leader, because I did not react to his incorrect decisions, but highly praised the good ones.  I feel like I'm seeing the real, original, "the way he was meant to be" Harley for the first time, and it's wonderful!

More progress

It's now January 2012 and Harley is doing great!  We are working at liberty in the round pen with little or no bucking, and he is walking, trotting and cantering both directions.  Also, Jane is now lungeing Harley in the ring in small circles at the walk and trot both ways, with no explosions or tantrums.  When I let him move around in the round pen before I ride him, he is 100% better under saddle. 

Harley also got his best report ever from his chiropractor on January 18.  No adjustments in his neck and poll, his pelvis was good, just a couple tweaks in his scapula and hoof and one on his back.  The combination of chiropractic and free work in the round pen have enabled him to be loose, get the kinks out and have helped him mentally to blow off steam, canter without a rider, and just feel better all over.  I've never seen him happier or more relaxed!

When Everything Comes Together

The month of September has been full of discovery, solutions, and progress!  Harley is now working happily in the ring, and we are cantering on the trails.  He is completely relaxed under saddle, accepting leg and rein contact, and we have been practicing a dressage test that we plan to do in a couple weeks.  Harley, I'm sure, will do fine.  Me remembering the test?  Not so much...

Next week, we will start cantering in the ring, and working over ground poles.  Once that is mastered, we will begin jumping. We also plan to trailer to a local cross country facility just for fun.  I think Harley will love cantering around the field and maybe even try a couple little jumps.

It's been a challenging 2 1/2 years, but so worth it.  I've learned more in that time, than in the 40 years before that I've ridden, trained, bred and shown horses.  I've learned more from my trainer just by watching and video-taping lessons and clinics, than I ever imagined.  That makes it so much easier to apply the principles when riding, when I've actually seen it done. 

Here is my beautiful boy, after a nice haircut and shave ;)

The Benefits of Liberty Work

During the month of August, I began working with Harley at liberty, without even a halter on.  Since I don't really like round pens, we worked in a very large riding ring.  Although Harley could have gone anywhere he wanted in the ring, he chose to stay near me, walking and trotting a circle around me as though he were on a lunge line.  He has never charged me, or tried to run me over (a sure sign of a lack of trust and respect).  Sometimes he canters on his own, but calmly, and I let him as it is good for his back and works those muscles.  He responds to voice commands to walk, trot and halt.  When I ask him if he is "all done" he walks to me, follows me to the gate, and waits quietly while I put his halter on, and then walks calmly and happily back to his stall.

The liberty work has cemented the bond and relationship we have to the point where he is now doing extremely well under saddle, and we recently went over a jump.  Although unplanned and a result of Harley being distracted by people walking by carrying a jump rail, he handled it beautifully, and the canter after the jump was awesome.  We are going to start working over ground poles, which he very much enjoys.  We still do a lot of road work, and he is always completely relaxed and happy trotting around the ranch, visiting his friends, taking in the sights and stopping at everyone he sees to beg for treats. 

I've learned that you have to meet a horse wherever they happen to be, and work with them at that point until they are ready to move forward.  It has paid off tremendously with Harley, and I am looking forward to the time when he is ready to jump and even trailer to a local cross country course to have some fun!