Going to Teneriffe! Thought about training horses and new pictures.

Well I am actually going for the vacation. My and my girl friends from Moscow are taking off before Ira will finally commit to the married life. Girls week off.

Everyone on the farm is doing pretty good. Dolomit started to move in training and now is already troutting under the saddle.

Kate and Mike Bonda were helping me with the vacines this summer and we are finishing up tomorrow.

Traing system

I decided to follow up Kate`s advise and I am training everyone on the ground to what I hope to see under the saddle. I start training with simple gaits such walk, trout and canter. I teach all my horses to stand quite on the shoulder of the circle. That`s where it`s important to not let them in and I come to them when I think they deserve the pet on the shoulder.

Horses are very sensitive creatures and do respond good to touch. Punishment such as striking the chain on the lounge line is used rather to correct the gait. My whip almost never touches the horses since all of them such a greta students.

Walk - After horse stands quitely on the circle I start asking to move forward. If the horse starts out cantering or trouting I let them trout and watch until they naturally slow down and then I ask for a walk again. Woooo - Walk - Woooo is my first exercise. When horse stops on the sound release the pressure and pet on the shoulder. I come to the horse his job is to stand on the circle. Here is the picture of Riky who could not stand happily and wanted to move forward. He is such a fun little guy even though he is not an Akhal Teke.

Trout - After the horse steps happily on the circle and stops on command. I start asking for trout. In case if you have lazy horse I crack the whip in the ground and push horse forward. If it breaks to canter I wait and slowly ask for trout. Horse should go off to trout on the voice command. If it does not the correction is needed. If it does let to trout and say what a good girl/boy. Horses pick on the intonation and really can separate the greeting from swear.

Canter - I would like to my horse to go into canter from a slower trout. I don`t want my horse to either fast trout and then canter. I teach my horses from the beginning to break into the canter with the crack of the whip within a few strides if not immediately and I do not allow my horses fast trotting. They are only learning what I am teaching them. And I want them to do the same things under the saddle.

Ground manners are important and I will jerk the chain on the nose if the horse forgot how to stand quite. If horse figures out that he/she is stronger I may loose the battle.

What are we working on:

risks - Natural forward mover and loves to "crazy horse" canter on the lounge line. He could not stand quite and had shaky out of balance inconsistent trout. He would not go into the canter and will fast trout.

He picked up right off how to stand and move into nice medium walk and slow light trout. We worked today - sloe trout - whip crack - slow canter. It worked really well under the saddle. He responded to the voice command and went into the canter right off. We still have to polish the right side bit left is good.

We tried some lateral movement - backing and to the side. He is a such a quick learner.

Under the saddle we practice. Sit trout without the stirrups and small circles. Then we practice slow trout medium trout, slow canter both directions. We didn`t practice extended trout under the saddle but I pushed him on the lounge time with the command extend. Risks knows by now walk - faster - easy - extend on walk and trout. He picked up the difference with the words right off. Once he knows what I am communicating to him we will tak verbal part out and use more small signals.

Tikki

Natural lasy horse needs to pushed. Working on the lounge line with the transition walk to trout on the first signal. Canter nice and slow on both directions. Had the summer off so slowly bringing her back. Tiki has lovely temper and is working good for 4 - year old.

Now we concentrate on the consistent trout and canter. I can not ask for different speeds yet because she gets easily bored and fisty. So far so good. Some collection work was done last year and she will go collected on the trout.

Walk is horrible and we practise more forward walk and depper step. Turning is still somethines the issue but getting better.

Moira

Works with the trainer on the walk and trout. Straight lines. Forward mover likes to work but will give some trouble sometimes. Hard head... but I love her.

With me on the lounge line walk, trout canter with no resistance. Has problem going on the trout and canter to the right and I have to push her forward.

Still working on the ties, bath, picking the feet and being in general a good horse. Leads fine and has developed a lot of trust. I have to work more on the consistency of her trout and building up the back musles.

Dolomit

Will test you and your skills for sure! If I ask him he will do anything for me. First he was taking off with the lounge line but we developed love and admiration for each other. Me trhough the grain and he did trough his wonderfully character.

Dolomit is a pet which could be a Big Baby but we work on that part. Dolomit job is walk and trout on the loune line. Now he mixes up everything but is willing to please. On the saddle trainer brought up to the trout.

You have to stay on him not pushing but watching so he does not slack. He wants to be pet and babysitted all the time. Forward mover just need to knwo how to ask. Don`t have much fears left and is cold with everyone.

Nikki

Baby Nikki just getting her grounds manner. Cross ties and was stall broke. Pickes up legs and bathes. She grows fast!