Re: RC: Saddle Training Snafoo?

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Dear Susan
Of course you haven't ruined a horse with one lesson; you needn't worry.
Horses are forgiving; just stop beating yourself up about it and move
on. Who knows what triggered him originally. The important thing is what
you do next. First I would assume he is going to be good the next time
(no negative pics in your mind now). Then if there is a problem with
circling at the mount or dismount I would do the following. It's easier
for me to demonstrate than to try to describe it, but here goes--hope it
makes sense to you.
Just a suggestion, is there someone who can initially ride him (and I
wouldn't let it be a 10 year old) who does not need a mounting block? I
would get him rock solid before using the mounting block again. I always
turn the head of my green horse to the left, into his shoulder, so that
if he does circle, it is easy for me to control and I stay with him, me
on the ground, until he stops moving and his eyes relax. I ALWAYS watch
the eyes. If I start to mount and he moves, I remain on the ground and
he circles around me until he is tired of it and stops. If I am almost
up and he moves and it's easier at that point to complete my mount, I
then continue to circle him while on his back until he stops moving
(remember, VERY tight circle--head almost to shoulder). When he stops I
reward him by releasing his head and moving forward. Then I turn his
head to his shoulder and dismount. If he starts to move we circle until
he stops and his eyes relax and then I dismount--head still turned into
shoulder. If he is quiet I praise profusely. We take a break- brief--
and then I attempt to mount, nose into shoulder--- I only get up all the
way if he stops. If I am about up when he moves and I can complete
mount, I do as I said before and keep circling until he is quiet, then
release his head. I reward him for stopping circling IMMEDIATElY--you
have to be fast sometimes--to release head. Same with dismount again. If
he moves, we circle till we stop, nose in to shoulder. When he relaxes,
I dismount, his nose into shoulder until I trust him enough to let his
nose out a little. If He does a perfect mount and dismount, we may only
have a 10-15 minute lesson that day. If it takes 2 times to get it
right, we quit then. I never try to go past 15-20 minutes if we are on
shaky ground--and yes end on a positive note--even if it is just that he
is stopping the circling with his nose into his shoulder. This is a
safety tip I learned long ago--- saw someone dragged by stirrup once--
won't let it happen to me.
Funny thing; I trained a client's horse and owner was so excited with
her she rode and rode-- tuckered the young thing out. All of a sudden
Wiz stopped and turned her head into her shoulder. I about busted a gut
laughing as the owner was perplexed. I told her Wiz had had enough and
she was politely inviting her to dismount.
Now obviously you don't have to continue turning the head into the
shoulder once you trust them, although I always turn their heads in a
little. Makes me feel more secure.
Now I don't know what method this is and I sure don't claim to be an
expert. This just works for me and if it does for you, you're welcome to
it.
Bette
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of TLA Halynov
http://www.stormnet.com/~woa
I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer it
gets to the end, the faster it goes. Smell the roses!

Jerry & Susan Milam wrote:
> 
> All  right.. This isn't a purely "endurance" related question....but I
> NEED HELP:( Please.. I am trying for the first time to green break a
> youngster. I have no experience prior to this. I've studied videotapes
> of Parelli and Lyons, watched Buck Branaman greenbreak a youngster who
> hadn't been handled at all, and read lots.
> 
> I've got a 3.5yr old who I'm starting to get under saddle. He's been
> handled a lot and is exceptional at yields on the ground. I've been on
> him 3 times now in the past few weeks, but today we hit a slight
> roadblock and I don't know what to do next. He has a well fitted saddle
> on with halter and reins w/lead rope attached.
> 
> I start out by having my husband hold Dandy by a lead rope and we ask
> him to "stand" there. I have a mounting box I use cause I have terrible
> knees. Then I place the box next to him and step upon it slowly. I stay
> there stroking his topline and withers until I see his head relax and he
> gives me his ears. Then I pull the saddle toward me to give him a feel
> of what it will be like to see how he reacts to the feel. Then I lean
> across the saddle with my feet still on the mounting box and observe to
> see if the green lights are still on. With green lights still on, I put
> my foot in the stirrup and put my weight in it and stand there and step
> down. Green lights still. Then I do the whole mount. He spins a little
> but nothing uncontrollable.
> 
> He settles down and Jerry just holds the lead rope loosely after he
> stands then I give him a little squeeze and he moves off into a nice
> slow walk. We work on turning right and left and yielding off my leg,
> stopping and backing up. He did all these well except stopping quickly
> and backing up. He did all that consistently for 20 minutes. I know not
> to give youngsters too much in one session, so I have Jerry make him
> stand and I pull free of both stirrups and swing my right leg around and
> dismount. The othe times I've done this he stood well, this time he
> decides to start spinning as my leg comes across...I'm sure I didn't
> touch his rump on the way down.
> 
> Anyway, my 10 yo is waiting to get on and see what he's like. Dandy
> refuses to stand next to the mounting box. We go round and round with
> him for 30 miuntes or so with no avail. Sarah gets her foot in the
> stirrup and a soon as she pulls on the saddle a little to pull up he
> starts the ole spin rountine.
> 
> Well now our short lesson is approaching an hour. John Lyon's says you
> shouldn't end a lesson on a negative note.... You should always get the
> horse to end with a "yes" answer. Well, then I decide to try mounting
> again with no difference in the scenario...so after 5 more minutes, I
> decide to do the Lyon's technique of round pen reasoning..he wants to
> keep moving off while I'm trying to mount...I'll just help him and drive
> him around the pen. I make him change directions 3 or 4 times and stop
> him. We try the mounting box again....no deal. This went on for another
> 20 minutes with no appreciable change in allowing me back on his back. I
> had to quit because I had other obligations this evening.
> 
> I probably should have stopped when he wouldn't let Sarah on, but I felt
> he would have had his way if I had just stopped. He gave us all green
> lights until I dismounted, then all we could get was red lights. Maybe I
> did nick him w/my foot on the way down? I don't what else could have
> done it. Either that or he was just overloaded after my 20-30 minutes on
> him and couldn't deal with it any more.
> 
> Any and all reasonable critique and suggestions will be greatly
> appreciated.
> 
> I hope I haven't ruined this sweet horse. HELP! Please.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Susan and the Dandy horse
> 
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