Riding and other things

            I bought Talana a present. It's a new sidepull and matching reins. They are dark green, and they look really good on her. I thought that purchasing one that was made by somebody who makes a lot of them would result in a better-made piece of tack than the experimental one that I made. I was right! It was a good choice. It looks lovely on her, and fits well. She also responds nicely to it, just like the one I made.
            My hoof trimming adventures have been going so well lately. Talana seems more comfortable than I've ever seen her. I will have a post about that more in depth at some point. The other day, just before this awful first snowstorm that came through, we went down in the meadow right near the river and rode around. It was Talana's first time being ridden right next to the Big Scary Water, and I was also riding bareback. She did very well. She kept wanting to turn and canter for the house, but when I reminded her that we weren't going to do that, she did a good job listening and trotting in the direction I was actually steering her.
            I must be less stressed lately, because my muscles were loose enough to be comfortable trotting around a lot. I seem to be able to do a sitting trot very well bareback when my body cooperates. Talana was happy and forward, and I was happy and looking to the horizon. We went up the hill and down, and I was able to use my hands and seat for steering as well as staying attached. We even had an exciting moment when both of us realized at the same time that there was a big rock hiding in the grass right in front of us. I settled myself and prepared for Talana to dodge to one side or the other, but instead I found that we were flying through the air! It wasn't a huge rock (compared to some others out there), but it was my first jump bareback, and my first jump on Talana. She did a great job taking care not to hit the rock, and I guess my seat must be ok, because the landing didn't bother me at all, and nor did the three little bucks she threw after the jump! These were also my first bareback bucks. I'm pretty sure Talana was just surprised about the rock, and expressing her displeasure at its sudden appearance. She straightened right up and kept trotting onward as though nothing happened after showing that mean old rock her heels.
           I wish my friend who was watching could have gotten it on video so that I could see what we looked like jumping over the rock. Talana isn't "supposed" to jump. She's "supposed" to have arthritis in her back legs, and at the very least in the past she has seemed stiff back there. But I've been noticing after the last couple of hoof trims she's been a lot less sore. The fact that she offered to jump with me on her back (which I'd never have asked her to do on purpose) seems to indicate that she's feeling very well indeed!
            I must also admit that I'm very curious what I looked like going over a jump and some bucking bareback. I want to know what I did right, and what I can improve. Because, yeah, I hung on and felt mostly balanced. But all I have to go on is my memory of how I felt at the time. I am pretty sure that when Talana was bucking I started looking down at her neck instead of up at the horizon. What I'm not sure about is how much I did that. I felt that it unbalanced me a little bit. I will keep working on getting my head up. My shoulders have a habit of curling in when I'm tense, so I often have to remind myself to bring my head up and my shoulders back. Talana always tells me when it's happening by switching from her typical comfortable trot/jog to a choppy, short-strided trot that is very bouncy and uncomfortable to sit. I am not sure whether her nice trot is actually her using a different gait, or simply the result of an extended, more comfortable stride. I am hoping to get someone to video us so that I can have a look at the difference. I have been reading that some Arabians have a sort of "jogging" gait that they use in place of trotting, and I'm wondering if that's what she's been doing. She definitely trots when I watch her on the ground, though, so maybe not.
            Her stall in the barn is partially constructed now. She has a floor, but no walls. So when the big blizzard came this past weekend, I stacked up her hay into stall walls and let her in. I figured she wouldn't be too interested in the rest of the barn while surrounded by hay, and I was right. She pulled down a bale or two, but I was able to put them back up. What a good girl! She ended up using more hay than usual, since she had access to more and made a nest out of it to sleep in during the night. But she needed to be inside for that terrible weather, so it was worth it. The walls will be up very soon, and then we'll have a proper stall for her to use. I'm planning to let her go in and out at will.

Hooves, trimming

            Well, I don't know what it is, but we seem to have a hard time getting people to call us back in this household. I've had trouble getting hay for this year, even though we started calling around in July. I've also had trouble getting ahold of a farrier/trimmer to take care of Talana's feet. I thought I had someone lined up before her arrival, but apparently not.
            But, I was already inclined to learn more about how to trim hooves. As usual, I have been reading and reading about subjects that interest me, and horse feet are fascinating. Talana has been kept barefoot most of her life, and doesn't seem to have any issues with it. In fact, I just assumed that horses always go barefoot unless you have a very specific reason to shoe them. It turns out that there are many very different opinions on the matter, and that means that there is plenty to read.
            I am inclined to think that the horse's hoof is a naturally sturdy thing which has evolved to hold up the horse and absorb/distribute impact appropriately. Now, the question in my mind is, how can we manage the horse's environment and use our trimming to help the horse's hoof do what it naturally wants to do - i.e., comfortably support the horse? Do we want to artificially force the hoof into a shape that we think makes it sturdy, or do we want to facilitate growth of the hoof so that it makes itself into whatever shape is most helpful for this particular horse, on this particular terrain? I suppose the answer is, some of both.
            Most folks aren't able to provide their horses with terrain that allows the hooves to manage themselves. There is a certain amount of wearing away that needs to happen, balanced by a certain amount of growth. We want our horses to be comfortable all the time, not just in a soft pasture. But since the soft pasture is what we keep them on, we have to help the hoof maintain an appropriate shape. Thus, trimming.
            Talana had long toes when she first arrived. She was 2 weeks out from her last trim. I noticed a few other things that concerned me about her feet, which didn't necessarily have to do with her previous farrier.

            See these growth rings? When I started reading about them, I began to find them a little alarming. I thought this was normal when I was growing up, but it's not. Well, it's "normal" in that you may find a lot of horses who have these, but it's not ideal. Hooves are supposed to be pretty smooth and even. Unlike tree rings, they are supposed to grow evenly all year long. Growth rings like this are a sign of missing vitamins/minerals, and thus, of poor or inconsistent nutrition. Often you'll see a ring that becomes apparent several months after spring, in response to the rich, sugary grass that suddenly pops up in everyone's fields. Rings like this can also be a sign of a laminitic episode. Eek! It made me wonder if some of Talana's "arthritis" may actually be sore feet.
            However, she walks and trots with proper heel-first landings in all four feet, and doesn't appear lame, only stiff. Nor is she reluctant to move around. So I held my panic at bay, and continued reading to see what I could do about it.
            The supplements I have been giving her are step number one. I was able to determine that she's likely had too much iron, and not enough copper and zinc in her diet. So I sought out a supplement with no iron, but appropriate levels of these and other needed things. Hooves take months to grow out, so I am just now starting to see the effects of the supplement. I think her hooves are growing in more smoothly. I will be more certain by spring, when the current hoof wall has made its way further down, and I can compare pictures. Her glossier-than-normal coat is another indicator that I have done a good thing by adding this supplement to her diet.
            Another thing I noticed after looking at lots of example pictures is that her frogs are contracted, particularly in the front hooves. I looked further, and noted that her front hooves aren't just long in the toes, but all the way around. Her heels were starting to run forward, which is a bad thing that comes from the hoof wall being allowed to get too long. This, and the wet grass that she often stands in, likely accounts for the contracted heels. However, I'm seeing no thrush, just a less than ideal cushion for the back of her foot.
            The last thing I noticed was that she had a deep groove between her hoof wall and sole. Lots of dirt and little stones got packed in there, and it seemed like maybe it's not supposed to be that deep? Well, I was right. The hoof wall pulling away from the sole like that is worrisome. Not only can stuff get packed in there that shouldn't, that's supposed to be a tight connection that holds her feet together. This groove that is now growing out is a sign that about six months ago when this part of her foot was first growing in, she may have had some laminitis-type stuff going on, resulting in a weaker connection between the wall and the sole.
           Golly! And I thought all along growing up that these were strong, happy feet! I guess not, so much. However, Talana herself has never complained about trotting over gravel, sand, pavement, or grass. So, perhaps things aren't ideal, but I decided that getting too alarmed was not a good plan. Instead, I read more about how to mend these problems, to see if there are things I can do myself. Meanwhile, given that it had been a couple of weeks and I had not heard from the trimmer, I began to seek out resources that could help me learn to trim. I know that there are many people who trim their own horses' feet. Perhaps I can learn, too.
            I read a lot on Pete Ramey's website about how hooves are put together. He also has what seems like sound advice on which bits of the hoof are best to leave alone, and which bits can be safely trimmed. I decided that I'm not going to mess with nippers, which take a lot of hoof at once. It seems to me that I could easily make a mistake with those in a hurry. So I started with just a rasp, and a plan to bring back just Talana's toes. Then I thought I'd observe her for a few days, and see if it helped, hurt, or had no obvious effect.
            It turns out that holding up a horse's foot while rasping it is hard. My back gets tired. Talana gets tired, too, so we take a lot of breaks. I do either the fronts or the backs, but usually not all four on a given day. Sometimes I have someone hold her for me, because she doesn't like to stand on three legs very much and I don't have the energy to chase her around with the rasp in addition to using it on her. She stands very nicely when she knows she's been captured.
            Well, I worked on her feet and shortened those toes. Immediately, within five minutes, she was walking more smoothly without tripping. I hadn't noticed the tripping so much before, but I noticed when she stopped doing it. Clearly I was doing some good. This emboldened me a little, and I became a little braver about the idea of trimming her feet myself. I knew that I hadn't taken very much the first time, and more needed done.
           I have settled into a routine of working on her feet about once a week. They still aren't perfect, for sure. Perhaps a professional could fix them up more quickly. But whenever I trim, she looks better and moves better. I have decided, as per Pete Ramey's recommendations on his website, not to mess with her sole, bars, or frog. It sounds like it may be ok to adjust these areas if you are a professional with lots of experience, but I am not. I look very carefully at her feet before I work on them, and then I rasp the hoof wall where it is too long. I use her sole as a guide for the shape of her foot, and I don't take a whole lot at a time. Then I watch how she is moving for the next few days. I once felt a little heat in her rear hooves, and after I trimmed them the heat went away within a day. I must be doing the right thing.
            That groove is slowly going away. It is already much less deep. I think soon it will be gone altogether. Her frogs are still contracted, but that takes time to overcome. I have noticed that her soles are getting more concave, particularly near the frogs. I am slowly getting rid of the flared part of her right front hoof wall.
            I like being able to work on her feet myself. I wouldn't mind having someone check my work, but I can also see that I am doing good things. I look forward to Talana's feet in six months, when they have grown in all new and I am maintaining them in a more ideal way. I'm betting she'll feel better.

Paddock Paradise for my horse

            I haven't been riding much lately. Talana and I have been doing other things instead. She has been working on growing in her winter coat, and is moderately fluffy now. What I find remarkable is that she is staying shiny. She's not quite as glossy as she was during the summer, but her coat has not turned dull like I am accustomed to. Sometimes when the angle of the sun is just right, I can still see some dapples in her saddle area.
            I can see that she's been laying down to sleep during the night. It leaves muddy spots in certain places on her tummy and her legs. I am glad that she is comfortable enough here to sleep so soundly. She seems to generally feel comfortable and peaceful. Most often when I look out the window to check on her, I see a relaxed horse who is either grazing or snoozing in the sunshine. On some windy days, she is more alert and will trot around. But I haven't seen her be upset here. If she smells other horses - I know there are some nearby, she must smell them sometimes - I have seen no sign of it. She doesn't call for them. She does, however, call to me when I have her breakfast.

             I love this view, where I can see her out the window when I sit at the computer. Keeping her down in the meadow, which is past the trees in this photo, was good in that she got access to more grass. However, I really missed seeing her from the house. I didn't expect that to affect me so much, but I found it really irritating! I like to be able to just look out and see what she's doing.
            I thought at first that this was something I couldn't do anything about. But, as always, I have been reading. One of the things I have been reading about is how to keep a horse on small acreage. The amount of land I have available for my use is adequate, if I manage it carefully. But it's not expansive. It would be different if I had access to the whole meadow, of course - but I feel that it would be rude to push for more access at the moment when the land owners have already been so kind. So I am interested in keeping the land I have in good shape, not just for Talana's benefit, but for everyone who enjoys it.
            There is a system of land management called the "Paddock Paradise." You may have heard of it. There's a book about it, by Jamie Jackson. The basic idea is that horses are supposed to move around, not just stand and eat in one spot all day. To create a Paddock Paradise, you reconfigure your fence so that the horse has a "track" to walk around, rather than a rectangle or circle that encompasses the entire area available to them. Maybe they have access to the whole area, but they have to walk on the track to get to everything they need. Water is over here, salt is over there, grazing is spread out in different areas (or hay is spread in little clumps all over, not big piles). Other obstacles are included, too: rocky areas, graveled areas, a log that has to be stepped/jumped over or maneuvered around.
            One of the things that makes me re-think what I can do for Talana is the inclusion of these obstacles. Someone who has land that has been used for horses for many decades - say someplace in the rolling hills of Kentucky or Virginia - would have to build in rocks and rough areas. Those huge pastures of bluegrass have been carefully manicured for a very long time to not have any hazards: No boulders, no rocky areas. Steep areas have been landscaped to be nice and flat, comparatively. But here in Maine, I have the opposite situation. About fifty percent of the land that belongs to the house I live in is rocky and hilly. Those scrubby bushes you see are actually part of the backyard. I had assumed that this area was not worth anything to Talana, because it is "too steep" and "too rocky." But look at where these horses live: http://thesoulofahorse.com/blog/our-paddocks-paradise-2/
            That's nothing but rocks! My rocky backyard is no worse than that. It's just covered in bushes and weedy things. So I went for an adventure into the bushes to see what I really have back there. It turns out that there is even grass growing between the rocks, wherever the bushes don't block all the light. If I were to take down the chest-high undergrowth, Talana would be able to navigate around the rockiest areas just fine. And, furthermore, I could connect the yard up here to the meadow down there. She would then be able to make her way down to the meadow to graze. I could keep her water and salt up here, so she'd have to come up and down the hill. I could still move the fence around down in the meadow to manage which parts she has access to at one time.
            In the winter, I don't think this would work well. I don't like the idea of encouraging Talana to attempt a rocky hill in the snow and ice. It's just too dangerous, even for a sensible horse like her. The best scenario would be that she chooses not to go down there. So I think she will have to be satisfied with the area around the house, as I originally planned.
            I don't know if I'll have time before the snow comes to get this area opened up for her. It may depend on how early winter arrives this year. But I've already started work. Anything I can do now will help when things begin to thaw in the spring.

            This pile of rocks marks the edge of the yard before the hill slopes down. This particular spot may not be the place Talana wants to use as a path. Off to the right of this picture, there is a more gradual slope that is less rocky. These rocks were likely taken out of the yard to make it flatter and easier to mow many years ago. They are stacked quite loosely, and I will probably re-stack them so that they don't turn underfoot when stepped on. I may move them somewhere else altogether. It wouldn't be difficult to roll them down the hill to some muddy spot where they are needed, for instance. All I'd have to do is jiggle them loose and give them a push. The way they are right now, I wouldn't ask Talana to attempt to traverse them. It just seems like a sprained ankle (or worse) waiting to happen.
            I didn't realize just how much space there is here until I began taking down the tansy and wild roses that have grown up. It's actually taken over a third, maybe half, of what used to be grassy yard! And having my own pile of rocks to use for landscaping feels like a windfall. I am glad I have such rich resources to use right in my backyard. Who knew I'd be so happy about having lots of rocks?
            I have been doing battle with the tansy ever since I moved here. The tansy is the stuff that leaves all those woody brown canes behind. It's a truly nasty weed. It's poisonous, so nothing eats it. It smells bad, so no one likes to touch it. It grows five feet high, so you can't walk through it or see over it. It spreads incredibly rapidly with thick roots and millions of seeds yearly. Blech. A monoculture is not beautiful, or wildlife-friendly, and that is just what the tansy creates. I really dislike the stuff. Also, once it's grown up, it's hard to cut it down. It tends to kill weed-whackers because it's too woody. It takes a lot of muscle power to knock it down with a sickle. And it grows in places you can't take a lawnmower. But it turns out that a hedge trimmer works quite well to knock it down! So that is what I have been using. I'm still left with the stubbly canes sticking up, and I'll have to do something about that. But at least I can see the ground now. Honestly, I'm a lot less concerned about leaving the roses and raspberries alone. Talana doesn't mind them at all, and they spread slowly enough that they can be managed with a once-a-year trimming.
            It feels good to work on things that will help Talana. I find that I enjoy the chores I do to keep her comfortable, and her areas clean. Reclaiming the yard is a big project, but I feel very motivated to do it. I know Talana will like it when I am done. That makes it worth the sore muscles and punctures from thorns. It's also worth missing out on a few weeks' worth of riding. Riding is fun, but we can do that most any time. This nice weather will only last so long, and I want to use it to work on things that will have a lasting impact on Talana's comfort.
            Here she is from my window again, enjoying the afternoon sun.

Arthritis, musings about supplements

            I'm not sure if I've mentioned it here before, but Talana has some arthritis in her rear joints. It's been there for years; as long as I've known her, in fact. Talana is a sturdy girl, but there are some things I won't ask her to do. We won't be jumping, or racing around barrels, or doing the levade. Which is all fine and dandy with me; I'm actually not too interested in doing any of that right now! But what I am interested in is Talana's comfort. So although she's been hanging out in the pasture with her arthritis for years and moving well enough to canter about when the other horses chased her (and to occasionally jump over things of her own choice), I thought I'd look into ways to help her out.
            The first things I think of when I know an animal is having joint problems are glucosamine and chondroitin. This is what helped Dandy, my elderly dog, for the last year and a half of her life. They are also helping Alice, my current elderly dog.
           Dandy:

            Alice:

            One of the problems with glucosamine is that it's pretty expensive. And, if you think it's expensive for the amount you need to feed a dog, think about how much you need to give an 800 pound horse! So I started searching around to see if I could get it for less than an arm and a leg, or if there is something else that helps horses.
            From what I've been able to gather, glucosamine and chondroitin are basically the building blocks of cartilage and connective tissues. Part of the reason you need to feed so much of it to have an effect is that these are huge molecules that are difficult for the horse's gut to absorb and use, so a lot of what you feed just passes right through. There is another component to joint health, which is MSM (methylsulfonylmethane - don't ask me how to pronounce it). This stuff is supposed to help the body put the building blocks together. Some horses seem to respond just as well to supplementation with MSM as to glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM together. Particularly those who already have issues, like Talana. Another key benefit is that it's less expensive.
           Now, I'm not knocking glucosamine and chondroitin. But if I can help Talana feel her best with less cost, you betcha I will. So we are trying MSM for her, and if we aren't seeing convincing improvements after a couple months, I'll look into glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, too.
            The good news is that it's been three days with this supplement, and Talana seems to be moving more smoothly in the mornings. She usually seems a tad slow to get started at the beginning of the day, but this morning she seemed to be moving more like she does later in the day, like she's already had her morning stretches or something. Of course, it's been a grand total of three days. I may just be imagining things. But I'm hoping that in a few weeks I'll continue to see improvement.
            Supplements aren't the only options for a horse with arthritis. It also helps to get them moving around - not too much, like I said, no jumping - but walking and trotting for a bit every day is supposed to help get things loosened up and moving more comfortably. And I would say that this is true for Talana. She moves better on the days I ride than the days I'm at work until dinner. I can tell because when she is sore, she won't do a proper turn on the forehand. She'll yield, yes, but she won't cross her legs. Instead she does an odd hop-step, moving one first and then the other without crossing them. But after we've walked around for a bit, if I ask for that movement she does it correctly. She can also sidepass better after exercise, like when she doesn't want the dog to get any closer to her and steps sideways.
            Generally, Talana seems to be doing well. She's growing in her winter coat already, in response to the chillier weather. She looks good, and her mane and tail seem to be continuing the trend of growing in shiny. She's feeling pretty spunky lately; when I had her grazing on a lead line she decided that Alice was sitting on a tasty patch of grass and chomped her on the ear.  Boy did Alice get a surprise! No harm done, Alice's ear was just a tad slobbery. It must have been a very soft nip. But Alice barked and Talana jumped back, too. Now they keep a skeptical eye on each other. Also, I'm policing them a bit more carefully, because that's pretty rude and I won't let Talana go around grabbing dogs. I am a little glad that she feels good enough to stake out a claim to her grass, though.
            And I'll leave you with a picture of her, even though it's not the most recent. Here she is from late August, finally giving in and trying the mint in the backyard.

Rewards

            I've been thinking about how to give Talana rewards when she does things I like, and, conversely, to provide consequences for behavior I don't like. This way, it becomes easy for her to do the right thing, and hard to do the wrong thing.
            There's always the example of verbal praise for good behavior, and verbal scolding for undesirable behavior. We humans are pretty good at that. We are such verbal creatures. How many of our animals learn the word, "No!"? And, "Good boy!"? But that's not really enough. The momentary pleasant sound of a happy human is often paltry when compared to the joy of racing away across the grass, or when compared to the deep fear of That Thing Over There That I'm Pretty Sure is Going to Eat Me. So as I get to know my animals, I like to learn what it is that they like, and dislike. What is my dog's favorite treat? What is his least favorite thing to do/what is hard for him to do? What is a neutral thing that he doesn't care about? What toys does he prefer?
            I have been learning these things about Talana. Some are obvious: She loves apples and carrots. Grain is pretty great, too. She doesn't like it when I make her think too hard, but a bit of a puzzle can be fun, especially when she gets the right answer. But more specifically, what things make this horse tick?
            Talana doesn't like groundwork very much. She'll do various things if you ask, but she's always worried about The Evil Circle Game. Letting her know that she can stop is a reward when I am on the ground. "Ok, good job, stand still a moment," is a good way to let things sink in when she's just done the correct thing. Or even, "Ok, good job, slow down some," will let her settle a bit and think things over. When I push her, she's worried. When I let the pressure evaporate, she feels safer. Sometimes I want her to think a bit harder, so that is when I move her feet. Sometimes I want her to relax, so I might move her feet just enough to make her worry about how much work she's going to have to do, and then release the pressure and let her halt. "Whew!" She says, "That was a close one, I almost had to do real work there! I'm so glad I get to stand now."
            She's very different under saddle. Talana likes to move. She wants to go see what's over there; she wants to trot up this hill; she wants to canter around just for fun. She likes moving her body, and she seems to like taking me along. Talana has gone on a number of endurance rides, and I think she must like being a trail horse. What is the point of just standing around now that I'm sitting up there? We're all ready to go - let's go. This means that asking her to halt too much makes her frustrated. "Why aren't we going already? What now, silly human?" So when I want to remind her that I am the one calling the shots, I sometimes ask her to halt. But I don't make her stand around for a long time; if she halted nicely I ask her to Walk On, because that is her reward for stopping so well. Doing this a number of times as we're just riding around helps her remember that it's not such a pain to stop, because she gets to go again pretty soon. It helps her keep from being fidgety while we're halted for me to do my stretches.
            The other thing she really likes is when I dismount. That is a huge reward for her. Sometimes when she does something really well, I praise her lavishly while asking for a halt, and then hop off while still praising her. I rub her shoulder and face and let her stand for a bit without me sitting on her. It seemed kind of funny to me when I first thought of trying it. "Isn't it wrong to get off the horse when you're supposed to be riding around?" But I tell you what, when I hop right back on after doing that, she does such a good job with whatever that thing was, again and again. It's such a big statement to her when I get down. Even if both of us want to keep working, giving her such a big break like that seems to really get her attention. "Hey, I did something good! Whatever that was, it worked!" And then when I get back on, I can ask for that same thing and she is delighted to do it just right, many times. This is part of why I insist that she stand perfectly still, no fidgeting, with her ears on me, when I dismount. I want to reward her for being extremely stable at that critical moment. And lifting my weight off of her back is a big reward.
            I'm not saying I hop up and hop down all the time while we're working. It's kind of inconvenient. But for important things, I'm happy to do it. For instance, Talana is kind of afraid of the river. It runs down past the bottom of the meadow, and whenever she comes around the trees and gets a good look at it, her eyes bug out. All that water! Yikes! She doesn't like to walk toward it when we are riding. So, I walk her toward it at the end of our ride. We go down about as far as I think she can handle, and then when she's doing a good job walking forward without resisting, it's time for us to halt. I go ahead and take the saddle off right there, so that she's thinking about how nice it is to have the girth loosened (while looking at the water), how nice it is to get the saddle taken off (while looking at the water), how nice it is to get petted and stand there in the pleasant breeze (while looking at the water). Before long, looking at the water will seem like a nice thing to do, too, because of these associations.
            I think of these things as tools in my training tool box. The more I work with Talana, the more I can develop finesse in my communication with her using these tools and others I find. I know that I can tell her when she's doing something I like, and make it feel good to her to do that thing. That makes both of us happy.

Riding, standing nicely

            My stirrups arrived. Talana was a little less pleased about the saddle when she felt how much heavier it is with stirrups! She's a good girl, so all she did was make faces and try to walk away from it when I went to put it on the second time. But for her, that means "I don't think I want to stick around for this! See ya!"
            Handily, this provided another opportunity for us to work on ground tying, which is one of our ongoing projects. Talana is pretty good about standing, until she sees me coming with something she doesn't want. Which really means she needs some work on that. I can't have her trying to walk off while I'm doing stuff with her.
            I've been going at this a couple of different ways. One is to have a halter and lead shank on her, and drop the lead to the ground while I'm grooming and tacking her up. If she's moving around, I pick up the lead and back her a bit, then walk her forward to The Spot and have her stand again. She finds out that she can work hard without getting anywhere, or she can stand nicely. She's making good progress this way. The other thing I've been doing is to walk up to her without a halter and just start doing things with her while she's at liberty in her fence. I know she's not going to "get away" in there, so it's safe for me to go about things differently. Talana has come to recognize my grooming bucket. She likes it because it's got nice grooming tools in it that make her feel good, so she usually walks up to me when I bring it in. But at first when I brought in the saddle, she'd turn and walk away before I approached her. I know she has bad memories about being ridden, so my goal here is to teach her that she can trust me. Even when I'm holding the saddle.
            One of the ways I want her to learn to trust me is to learn that I'm consistent. If she walks away while I am picking out her feet and between hooves, I follow her with the pick. If she keeps walking away, I increase my energy and send her away at a trot until I see her paying attention to me. I don't worry about circles; I actually jog along nearby and we usually go in a straight-ish line. Usually in a moment I see her ear flick back to me. Then I bring my energy down to a walk and give her a chance to respond. Typically she'll also slow to a walk and lower her head a little. Then I turn away from her while inviting her to come with me, and we walk together for a few steps. When I'm ready, I come to a halt and ask her to Whoa. She stops, I go back to picking her feet. To backtrack a bit, if she doesn't slow to walk with me, I go back to jogging her around for a bit and try again when she looks more ready. Generally, this whole process takes about thirty seconds. Afterword, Talana refocuses on me and stands very well. Back to my point about consistency: I do the same thing if she's walking away from the saddle. I know her history with saddles. She thinks they aren't nearly as nice as a hoof pick. But I treat them as though they are the same. The saddle isn't any scarier, and she needs to know that I expect the same behavior in regards to the saddle as to the pick, even if she's not as emotionally comfortable with the saddle. With time, I'm hoping this will change her response to the saddle - Oh, it's this thing that gets put on me after grooming sometimes, rather than, Eek! Not the saddle, those make me feel weird! We've done this a few times now, and she's getting better and better about it. I can tell that she's already starting to understand. She can walk away, but I'm not going to stop tacking her up. It'll just take longer.
            The other important part of this process is that I make sure not to hurt her or frighten her. The last thing she needs is one more bad experience with the saddle! I move smoothly and confidently, and when I tighten the girth I try to do it without yanking or pinching. Then when I am riding, I make sure to give her a good experience as well. I don't ask her to do things that will make me off-balance enough to bounce on her back, or if I do I don't punish her for expressing discomfort. When she does what I ask her to do, I praise her and reward her for a job well done. When I need to correct her, I am firm but fair. A small thing doesn't need a big correction - not with Talana. She "hears" the subtlest movements I give her. No need to suddenly act like the world is ending, or to frighten her or give the idea that I'm a big angry monster on her back. "Nope, that's not what I asked for," is all I need to communicate.
            I find that Talana is responding well to this approach. She always seems disappointed when I walk away. She's not anxious to gallop away from me when I release her. I think she is discovering that it's all right to trust me, and that I won't do anything mean to her. She is starting to act more relaxed with the saddle. I am so proud of how well she stood for me to tack her up yesterday. I didn't put anything on her head at all until I'd tightened the girth most of the way, and when I walked away to get the bridle, she looked after me for a moment, then followed me. She still likes to stick her nose in the sidepull for me to make it easy to put on. The other day, she even acted like she expected a bit, lipping at the reins!
            On one hand, it seems like we haven't done much. "All" I'm doing is riding her around at the walk and sometimes trotting a little. We haven't been riding for long periods of time. But on the other hand, Talana is learning some important things. She is learning that she can trust me. She is learning what cues I use and how I expect her to respond to them. I am learning, too. I am learning how she moves, what things are rewards to her and what things are neutral or unpleasant to her. So, overall, I think we've made a lot of progress.

My beautiful mare

            I love watching her. She looks so happy and healthy. We've moved her from the backyard to the meadow now. The pictures below are in the meadow; the one above is in the backyard. The meadow is where she'll be until winter, and then I'll bring her back up where it's flatter. If she started sliding at the top of the meadow, she might just slide into the Benjamin River! Well, it's maybe not that steep, but I don't want her to have any problems on the ice down there where I can't see her.

            So we're doing rotational grazing with the meadow. We don't have access to the whole thing, which is quite large, but we do have access to a couple of acres of it. Since I want to take good care of this precious grass, Talana gets to be in this spot for 2 weeks, and then she'll get moved to a new spot so the grass can recover. Wherever it looks like it's needed, I'll also re-seed. Eyeballing the amount of space we have, I think it's just enough. Perhaps if things go well this year, the land owners will allow us to use more space next year. We are allowed to ride around/hang out in the rest of the meadow; I just have to scoop up anything she leaves behind.
            The land owners seem to like her. They always smile when they see us working out there, anyway! And they like to give her treats, so I showed them how the fence works and told them that they can give her one carrot a day broken into chunks so she thinks she's getting lots of carrots. Everyone seems to like that arrangement. I am glad that they like to check on her. It makes me feel good that she has so many people keeping an eye on her even when I'm not here.

            (One more picture from the backyard.) I can confirm that Talana has dapples! They aren't always visible, but when the sun hits her side I can see them. They are on her rib cage and the top of her hindquarters. I think her mane and tail are growing in shinier, too. We also gave her another bath, and this time I washed her tail. It was still really dusty. Now it looks and feels better. I don't think she's been this clean for this long... maybe ever! I feel very satisfied with how I'm able to keep her. Next on the list is to get a farrier out to work over her feet. I suspect after that she'll feel even better.

More riding adventures

            For the last few days, my muscles have been sore and more tense. I've still been riding, but less trotting lately because I feel unbalanced again. I am certain that it's what my body is doing on a given day that allows me to sit correctly and comfortably. Days when I am tense - or anxious at all, even if I'm enjoying my time with Talana - I am just not able to balance when we are trotting. It's kind of frustrating, but this is what my body does. So I just work with what I've got on a given day.
            My bareback pad arrived. It is a Best Friends Comfort Plus. It is extra cushy on top. My poor seat bones don't have much padding on them because I am underweight, so I thought that would be helpful. It is! Talana is shaped very nicely for bareback riding. Her back is muscled and rounded, and her withers don't stick up like some horses' do. But I know that when we trot, I am poking her in the back, because I get sore, too. The only problem I've had so far is not a problem with the pad, but with me. My thighs don't want to relax completely. This is a general problem that I have, riding or not. And so, when there is anything at all between me and my horse's back, I have to concentrate and practice a lot to get my legs to drape around properly. At first, I was very unbalanced on the bareback pad because of that same cushy stuff that I want there! But I realized right away that it was me, not the equipment, and I've been practicing in the pad some more and it's going better now. It is nice and grippy on top, so some almost falls that I've had have not actually ended with me on the ground, but rather hanging on sort of sideways as Talana stops. Then I can grab her mane and swing myself back up again. The pad doesn't seem to slip, so that is good. I think both of us like the pad now that we are getting used to it.
            Talana seems to think that it is time we move on to cantering. She keeps offering to canter when we are trotting, and while she has what feels like a very nice canter, I'm not really ready. I don't want to be going that fast until I feel like I can give useful directions to her at the trot. I can hang on; cantering is easy that way. But steering is important, too... I guess Talana is less concerned about that, since she knows where we are going. Thankfully, I have a nice respectful horse, and I am able to remind her that we are not going to canter until I ask for it. Or trot, for that matter - she loves to move out to the faster gaits. When I feel her getting ready to trot prematurely, I gently squeeze my hands on the reins, just enough so that she can feel it. Usually she settles back into a walk right away, but if she trots anyway I turn her tightly one direction or the other and then we continue on at a walk. She seems to think it's a lot more work to turn than to trot forward, so now that she's learned that this is the consequence of trotting without permission, she's making the error less often. I like this method, because it doesn't hurt her in any way, it's easy for me to do while staying balanced, and it does seem to work well. She is responding nicely and doesn't even seem to get irritated about it; just takes the feedback and goes, "Oops, I guess I can't do that."
            I am still very happy with the bridle I made. Talana goes well in it. She is still happy to put her nose right in when I offer it to her. She also responds very well to cues with it, and I really can't say I miss having a bit in the least. I suspect Talana doesn't miss the bit, either. I am giving her softer cues in this sidepull than I ever did with a snaffle, and she's responding more quickly and with little to no objection. She has stopped pulling her head down when we trot. Now she only does that if we are walking in a direction she doesn't want to go in, and then I pull her head up and direct her a bit more firmly the way I want to go, and she shakes her head and we go.
            I also talked to my mother about saddles the other day. She suggested that I try using an extra, much thicker pad in addition to the thinner one that she gave me. The idea there is that it will be an extra layer of cushion between any bouncing or ill-fitting of the saddle and Talana's back. I figured it was worth a try at least, so I found some thick foam and gave it a try.
            Well, I'm still not convinced that the saddle fits Talana "properly," but if this is how Mom rode her way back when, I can see how that worked. The extra padding does appear to make Talana sufficiently comfortable with the saddle - we trotted, and then we cantered, and then we trotted some more, and Talana was not at all fussy about it. So I have decided that as long as she's not acting like it bothers her, this is how I will use her saddle. And I've gone ahead and ordered some stirrups so that I can ride around in it, because without stirrups I bounce and slide like crazy unless I hang onto the pommel with one hand and Talana's mane with the other. Oh, yeah, steering? Never mind about that. I need stirrups! They will arrive in about a week. I am looking forward to it, because then I will be able to hang on securely and do more interesting things.

Trotting is fun!

            Yesterday Talana and I had a really wonderful ride. It was terribly hot - almost 80 degrees! Oh my, almost Virginia weather! - and neither of us really wanted to work too hard. So we did some nice walking over poles and some figure eights and serpentines. And I thought we would trot around just a little bit, because I want to keep practicing that. I have definitely been getting better at balancing while we trot, and I've been doing better at holding the reins usefully instead of forgetting to keep contact with them while I'm focused on staying attached to her back. Well, I made a big breakthrough yesterday.
            Our first little bit of trotting went fine. She moved out when I asked, I kept aware of the reins throughout, she didn't pull her head down, and I didn't bounce around much. She slowed and halted when I asked. And I noticed something.
            As I sat back for the halt and gently squeezed the reins, we slowed. And in between the original trotting speed and the actual halt there were a couple of steps of a much different trot. I have observed this a few times now. I have been thinking, "How can I get that movement, only on purpose?" Because it is much smoother and "floatier" than the trot she has been giving me. This time, as I felt it happen, I realized just what is going on here. She's giving that nice movement in response to my seat - as I sit back a bit more, I am balanced differently. I am more settled. Somehow, that must make it easier for her to move nicely, and since she'd surely rather move nicely, she does. So I get two steps of lovely trot just as she's slowing for the halt that I've asked for.
            Well! I thought, That's an easy thing to fix then! So we turned around and trotted back the other direction, only this time I sat back just a tad from what I'd been doing. It felt so nice and comfortable, and made all the world of difference for both of us. Talana seemed to really like it better, and stayed focused on me the whole time. It was an easy fix after all! I am so happy. After that excellent trot, I decided we were done trotting for the day. No point punishing a good deed in that hot sun by doing it again. Instead of trotting some more, we stood for a minute to take a break.
           The other thing we did was go walk around the yard, outside the fence. Talana was very curious about all the stuff out there - cars going by, trees, lilacs, apples on the ground - yet she listened to me very well. After maybe three or five minutes of walking around the yard, we went back to the fence and quit for the day. I gave Talana the biggest apple I could find from our trees, and she spent the afternoon relaxing under her tent.
            Now we have a new toy to play with. Today my bareback pad arrived in the mail, and we are going to try it out soon! No more sore seat bones for me, no more grumpy Talana when I accidentally bounce around on her back too much (or ride around for a long time, which we haven't actually done yet).

Riding adventures

            Today Talana and I did some riding in the morning. It was a little more exciting than usual; I got spilled on the ground. Both Talana and I were so focused on what we were doing that when Alice the dog decided to bark suddenly, we both jumped. Talana felt me slipping, and tried valiantly to stop in time to keep me on her back, but I was just a tad too off-balance and basically slid right off of her. I am convinced that if I had been able to grab her mane or hang on for a fraction of a second longer, I wouldn't have landed on the ground, because I could feel that she was getting us stopped as soon as she could. The fall itself was no big deal, really. I landed on one thigh, sort of sideways to the ground as though I was going to lie down for a nap. I got a couple scrapes and a bruise. The wind was knocked out of me for about thirty seconds, and then I was fine. I reached out and grabbed Talana's reins and asked her to come over to me while I sat on the ground, because she looked kind of worried. She sniffed me and I patted her face so that she knew I was ok. She seemed to feel better about things after that. And then I got up and got back on, and we went back to what we were doing. But first we went and took a good look at Alice, so that Talana knew what spooked her.
            Other than that little incident (during which I was glad I have a short horse), we had a wonderful ride! I put out some makeshift poles to walk over. At first I put them too far apart, but once I got them positioned better we walked over them several times. This is what we were absorbed in doing when Alice interrupted us. What was so fascinating about walking over poles? It changed Talana's stride. I put them just far enough apart that she had to reach a tiny bit to walk over them, and immediately she stretched out into this long-striding walk that I've never felt before. She even continued to walk like that after going over the poles! It felt nice. We were moving along at a good pace; not slow, and her strides weren't short and choppy like they sometimes get when she's walking but wants to trot. I guess we were just so focused on how that was going that we forgot about the dog.
            After walking over the poles, we practiced trotting some more. I'm still basically pointing her in a straight line and then concentrating on my seat when we trot. But this time, Talana didn't unbalance me by pulling her head down partway through. Maybe she's realizing her back feels better when I'm balanced, and pulling her head down is a good way to make me bounce around up there. So we did very well at the trot today! We even trotted over the poles a couple of times, and she used a lovely sort of jog that seemed comfortable for both of us. I am getting better and better at the sitting trot, which I must admit I've never been great at. But the way my muscles are (so tense, always), I just can't seem to post without stirrups. And I figure, does it really matter whether I post or sit right now? I need to get better at both anyway.
            I am very pleased with our progress. Talana is moving more smoothly and evenly every day. She seems to be learning to pick up the pace I'm asking for and maintain it, rather than going a few steps and changing her speed. At the beginning we were doing a lot of walk a few steps, walk very very slowly a couple steps, speed up to a fast walk for two steps, slow down and see if we can stop now... drat, we have to keep walking. Now when I ask her to walk, we're walking, and less of this silliness about seeing if we can get the human to forget what we were doing. I'm sure it helps that I'm relaxing more and not lurching about so much. And as of today, I'm seeing similar improvements to our trotting.
            I'm not riding for more than twenty minutes a day so far, and most of that walking. But I am amazed at how far we have come in such a short time. Talana is so much more willing, even though we started out in a good place with that. She's softer to my cues now, and I think she enjoys our little lessons. I am also getting much better at giving consistent cues, particularly with my legs and seat. That's something I've never had an opportunity to practice, but Talana responds beautifully when I do it right. I'm thinking more and more about Dressage, and wondering what we can learn besides the basic things we're already doing.
            The other thing I'm thinking about is riding with just a neck rope and seeing how that goes. I am quite sure Talana will not decide to take advantage of that by zooming out from under me. She may, however, decide that grazing is an option. I think we will practice with the rope on the ground first so that she learns the cues. I really don't think she will know what to do at first. She doesn't know how to neck rein at all, and that seems like an indicator that the neck rope will be a little odd to her. I think it will be fun to see if I can teach her. I want to know what she can do if she has the freedom to move her head any way she likes.

Making a sidepull halter/bridle thing

            Ever since I discovered that bitless bridles exist, I have been very interested in them. When I was little and taking riding lessons with other children, I watched other kids steer their horses by yanking the reins. I saw the reactions the horses gave them: tossing heads and pinned ears, turning quickly and tightly to escape the pain. I was always afraid of doing that to the horse I was riding, so I didn't do a very good job steering a lot of the time. While my heart may have been in the right place, I didn't understand the difference between appropriate pressure and excessive pressure, so I did not progress very much in my ability to communicate with my horse.
            Now that I'm older, I understand this better. It is entirely possible to ride with a bit and be gentle. But - you have to have the skill to do it. And your horse needs to be trained sufficiently to understand what you are asking. Between me and Talana, we have enough rusty spots in our training that I can't say for certain that I wouldn't accidentally yank on her mouth. The idea of trying to re-teach her that riding can be fun and gentle while having something in her mouth that with the simplest error on my part can cause her pain in a delicate place... I just don't like that idea.
            So, the thought that I can do the same things except without a bit really appeals to me. I thought at least we'd give it a try and see what she thinks. After all, if she's happy enough to do what I ask with no bit, why do I need one? For the basic things I'm asking her to do - walk, trot, back, go around this obstacle or that - we probably don't need the minute finesse of a direct line from my fingers to her mouth.
            Another thing that appeals to me is simple tack that I can understand. A nice thing about a sidepull is that it's basically a halter. I know how those work, and I understand how I'm putting pressure on her, and where, when I tug on different parts of it. That helps me feel more confident and secure in my movements, because I am not concerned with accidentally hurting her.
            It's such a simple piece of tack, in fact, that I can make them myself. I found a tutorial with pictures online, and set to work with some rope I got to play around with. It takes a lot of rope to make a halter! They recommend 18 feet. I'm not sure exactly how much I used to make Talana's, but it was at least that much. The rope I used was fairly soft and wide. It's not that thin stuff that I see on most rope halters, but that's ok. This one is a test run anyway, and I wasn't even sure it would work.
            It only took me three hours to end up with a serviceable halter, however. I added loops on the nose knots so that I can attach reins made from the same rope. And I went right outside and put it on Talana to see how it worked.
            It worked! Talana has now gotten so used to it that she puts it on herself if I hold the noseband open for her. She seems cheerful about it each time. And she's taking direction from it very well. It took her five or ten minutes to get the hang of how the different cues feel, but after that she seems happy with it. It seems to be soft enough over her nose because the rope I used is so thick. I may still put padding there when I start riding her around for longer periods of time.
            Hooray! I will probably try to get some pictures of it to post so that you can see what it looks like. I think it's not the nicest looking thing ever, but it works well enough for me.

Beautiful Talana, all nice and relaxed

            While my previous post was all about training "issues" we've been having (or "opportunities," as I prefer to think of them), Talana is settling in very well indeed. She seems to enjoy the time I spend with her, and when I'm not right there with her, she's happily grazing or drowsing in the sun. I've even seen her using the tent to scratch an itch!
            I keep taking pictures and then comparing them to how she looked when she first stepped off the trailer. In my eyes, she's more beautiful every day she's here.

            Is that a hint of dappling I'm seeing? I keep thinking I can almost see it. She's never been dappled before, but maybe I can hope.

            She seems to always have this cheerful expression when I'm hanging out in the field with her. "Oh, hello human! Whatcha doin'? What's that thing you're holding, is it an apple? Can I sniff it?"

            Poor sunburned nose! I'm going to see if I can find some appropriate sunblock to put on it, because that looks really uncomfortable.

            I see some muscle there in her hind end! That wasn't there before. Chris Lombard is right, hills really make a difference. Our meadow is basically one big hill, with some steeper parts and some flatter parts. Any time we go down there, she has to work just because of the terrain. I have also noticed that she's walking more smoothly.

            The flowers here are wild oregano, or at least escaped oregano. It's all through our lawn. So far, Talana has been reluctant to eat it. I'm not sure if it tastes weird, or has a weird texture, or maybe she just doesn't want to argue with the bees, who really love those flowers. Or, perhaps, she is unwilling to eat something she does not recognize. That's ok. It smells nice when she trots through it.
            Her supplement has arrived, and I've started adding it to her feed. She doesn't seem to notice that it's there. I guess it will be a while before we see any changes that we can pin on the supplement, so now it's wait and see. I do think she looks pretty good right now, though! Everyone who has looked at her has exclaimed, "She's 29? Whoa!" I am glad that others think she looks good, too, including the vet who checked her out before she left Virginia.
            And really, I think she's the prettiest part of my world right now.

Ground driving, circles

            Ever since the clinic with Chris Lombard, I've been wanting to try ground driving. So I got two long ropes and a shorter rope that I rigged up as a sort of surcingle. And Talana and I went driving a couple times! It was an adventure.
            To start with, neither of us know what we're doing. I was pretty sure Talana had never done this before, and I was right. She was confused from the start about me being behind her instead of beside or in front of her, and at first she kept swinging around to face me. But in a few minutes, she realized that I was back there on purpose (whatever weird human purpose that might be), and stopped trying to "fix" our positions.
            Once she got that figured out, she had to figure out that the long ropes are more like reins than a lunge line. That one was tougher for her, and she hasn't really got it yet. When I stand directly behind her, she will turn her head however I cue her, and she will back up. But if I'm at all to either side, she just doesn't seem to register that she can turn away from me. At all. She will sidepass or back or circle me instead; anything not to turn away from me. I've gotten her to turn away exactly twice now, and I really don't think she understood that she was doing the right thing when she did it, even though I released the cue and praised her.
            The next difficulty we encountered - or next training/learning opportunity - was going in a straight line. Talana is really stuck on circles. When we are in a wide open space, she insists on circling. And I'm not good enough with the lines yet to correct that early on, and then she won't turn away from me and straighten out. But! All is not lost! When we go up and down the driveway, she has the same tendency to circle, but the edge of the driveway seems to help guide her visually. It seems like the combination of seeing the path in front of her and feeling my cues that match it helps her understand what I'm asking. So we have done that a little, and successfully.
            I've been keeping our ground driving sessions short. When it's so new and difficult for her, I don't want to make her too frustrated and sour about it. But that circling like she's on a lunge line or in a round pen had me curious what she knows about working that way. So I took away one line and the surcingle to see what she knows how to do.
            And that's when I found out where there are some big holes in her training.

           She will move out into a circle quite well. She will pick up a trot quite well. And then she will not focus on me at all. Not a bit. It's like her brain turns off when she moves her feet. She's not watching my body language or reading me at all. She's not noticing ninety percent of what I'm doing, because she's looking over there. Or maybe in that other direction. But not at me.
            So I worked on interrupting that by asking her to change her pace. If I get really aggressive, she'll flick her ear in my direction for a second, pick up a canter while looking kind of fearful, then immediately quit paying attention to me while cantering for a few strides before dropping back to a trot. Now, at first I thought I just needed to work on finessing that a bit, but she gave exactly that same response every. Single. Time. And yes, I could keep her cantering by chasing her, but she just got more and more upset while not looking at me, and started stumbling because she wouldn't look at where she was going, either. So that wasn't working, and anyway I don't want to canter her too much right now because she's out of shape. So I asked her to come back down to a trot, and eventually she realized I wasn't pushing anymore and did that.
            Then I tried to re-focus her attention on me by turning her, thinking maybe that would get her brain clicked back into gear. Nope. Yes, I could turn her, but again, she was completely checked out the entire time. It was like I had to lead her by the nose to turn her because she was not looking at my body language. At all. By this time, I was quite baffled. I asked her to "Whoa," and eventually she noticed that I wasn't pushing anymore (just as before), and dropped to a walk. But she did not stop. I "Whoa'ed" again, and eventually did get her stopped. I had her stand a minute to take a break for both of us. But she did not want to stand. She was all antsy. She just kept antsing back and forth and side to side. It was clear she thought she ought to be moving.
            If I gave her any line at all to work with at this point, even if I stood still in my "I'm relaxed and not asking you to do anything" pose, she started circling me at a fast walk. While not looking at me at all. Golly!
            I also tried having her do a turn on the forehand for me a few times, to see if I could get her looking at me that way. I could get her to do it, but I swear she did not absorb a bit of what I was asking. I could bump her hindquarters with the end of the lead rope, and she would move, but she still wasn't focused on me or on what she was doing. And... she still kept trying to circle instead of turning properly, although I could get her to do it. By this point I was ready to give up for the day. Since the moment I first let her circle, she had not paid me a bit of attention. She was acting like a different horse than the one who was trying to figure out the driving lines, or the one who has been carefully carrying me around the backyard. I needed to stew on this overnight.

            The more I thought about the little details of how she was moving and what she was doing, the more I thought she and I were coming from different places when I was trying to work with her. I was looking for engagement and focus, and she was looking for a way out. Somewhere someone taught her that all you have to do on a lunge line is move your feet when they chase you, and then endure it until it's over. I think that once her brain clicked into that mode, she didn't notice that I was doing things differently because she didn't realize that it's possible. And the more I asked her to move her feet, the worse it got.
            So how can I break that cycle? Making her more upset by circling her more just doesn't sit right with me. And I don't care how long I've known her, I don't want to be attached to a horse who's trying to get away from me at a trot or a canter. Or any speed, really. I kept thinking about ways to move her feet. She doesn't know the wiggling-lead-rope back up cue. And how can I teach her that if she won't stop mindlessly circling me? I have to stop that circling.
            I became convinced that I had to teach her to stop moving her feet, before I can teach her how I want her to move her feet. But she won't stop when I ask! I thought. And then I realized how silly that is. I have read about how to do this, and Chris Lombard's video shows it, too. I need to teach her the basics of what later becomes ground tying.
            So this is what I did. I took my grooming bucket down in the meadow and left it in a strategic spot. The meadow is where I've been working with her and having so much trouble, so that's where we're going to do this. Then I got Talana haltered up and led her down to the bucket. At first she was just like before, looking anywhere except at where I am and where we're going. I just ignored that and asked her to stand by the bucket. She gave it a sniff, and stood for a moment. Then she began to walk forward.
            As soon as she took one step, I asked her to back the way she knows how. (That's pressure on her nose from pulling the lead rope toward her butt while making a "ch ch ch" noise.) As soon as her feet were back where we started, I released the cue and picked up a curry comb. She looked at the curry comb, looked away, and took a step. I backed her a little further this time, then walked her forward to her spot and started to curry her. Then we did that a bunch more.
            Each time she stood a little longer, and by the time she was all brushed, Talana had one ear on me at all times and looked a lot more relaxed. That was the end of the lesson, so I picked up the bucket and we walked back to her fence. She walked on a looser lead than I have ever used with her, and did a wonderful job the whole way home.
            Then today we did it again. I placed the bucket in a more distracting spot. Today she was able to pay enough attention to me to start learning a different cue for backing up. I use the same sound, but wiggle the lead rope until she backs. She's really starting to get it. I'm also getting better at escalating it appropriately when she is slow to respond. We stood in the difficult, distracting area long enough to get her curried all over. She did pretty well. Then we moved back to the same spot we'd used previously, and she found it easier to stand there. She even relaxed enough to graze while I brushed her. I used that as an opportunity to teach her a new rule: If I've asked you to stand, you can graze if and only if you don't move your feet. Talana has always been so good about picking her head up right away when asked, so I feel comfortable with this rule. With another horse, I probably would insist that they not eat in this situation unless I gave specific permission.
            I have seen a couple of big improvements already. Talana is leading more politely, and even when she's interested in her surroundings I can get her to halt when I ask. I also have a way to back her to where I would like her to be if she has inched ahead of me, and she's starting to listen to just the verbal cue. She is also standing more calmly when I ask her to stand. I think she is beginning to trust that if I ask her to stay put, she will be ok. Yes, even if there's a sail boat going by. And her ears actually follow me when I move! That's the mare I know. As she masters the idea of standing when and where I ask her to until I ask her to move again, I can start moving a step away from her as she's standing, then another step. Eventually, I'm hoping to get her to ground tie in unfamiliar places. Then I will know that she fully understands that I'm the one who tells her when and where to move her feet.
            As for the circling issues, I'm really considering trying not to circle her at all for a long time. The point of the circling exercises actually has nothing to do with circles, anyhow. It's actually about she and I tuning in with each other's body language and responding to each other. If I want her to be engaging her mind as well as her body, I've got to find ways to do it that don't wear that circular groove any deeper into her mind. It's not useful at all. It occurs to me that ground driving may be particularly useful for this, if I can teach her that it's a totally different game.

Saddle testing

            On Monday, I don't have work, so I was able to spend all day with Talana again. My mother sent a saddle along with Talana. I have been told in the past that this saddle does not fit her, but since horses do change shape a bit over time I thought I would try it out and see if I could tell. It's an English saddle, and Mom lost track of the stirrups at some point, but I can always get new ones.
            First I just set the saddle on Talana's back without a pad or girth to see if anything looked out of place. I'll be the first one to admit that I don't know what I'm looking at, though, so I was not surprised when I looked at it and thought, "Well, there she is with a saddle on her back. Um... it looks like a saddle!" So I tried a more hands-on approach and got out the pad and the girth to cinch her up for a ride.
            Talana was a doll about letting me tighten the girth. She made a little face once or twice, but I didn't even have a halter on her and she stood beautifully for me. It still looked ok to me, so I got out the sidepull halter/bridle that I made for her (perhaps I'll make another post about that later; it was a fun project) and took her over to the upside down bucket I'm using as a mounting block.
            We walked around for a little bit, and even without stirrups I definitely felt more secure in the saddle. But I did notice that it's not as soft and comfortable as her back. She is shaped very nicely for riding bareback. We didn't have any problems walking around, and she responded well to my cues. So I decided we'd try trotting a little bit.
            That's where the problem came in. For one thing, I had difficulty posting properly - I must be depending on the stirrups too much, and having trouble without them. Also, while Talana seemed delighted to be asked to move out a bit, she almost immediately pinned her ears each time we trotted. No bucking, no bad behavior, just pinned ears and shaking her head slightly. After a few times, she started resisting a little when I asked her to trot. I thought she was probably uncomfortable, so I hopped off and took off the saddle.
            Then I hopped back on and we walked and trotted a little more. This time when I asked her to trot, her ears were up and she seemed cheerful about it. I was doing a little bit better at posting, but still not wonderful, so we went back to walking after one short, successful trot.
            I really suspect there is something about that saddle that pinches her. I don't know what or where, or if it's fixable. But I don't think I should be riding her around in that particular saddle. I am afraid my mother will be disappointed; she likes that saddle very much and seemed invested in the idea that I use it.
            Although I am really enjoying riding around bareback, I do want to have a saddle for going out on trails or unfamiliar places. It just makes sense to me to have the added security if I need it. I have a new horse-loving friend at work who has a pony about Talana's size, and several saddles that fit him. We are thinking of trying them on Talana, and this saddle on the pony, just to see if there's a difference.
            Overall, I think it was a successful experiment. I got a lot of information out of it, and Talana was so good even when she wasn't happy about what we were doing. I made sure we ended on a good note, and Talana tried to follow me out of the gate again. This time she didn't holler after me, though. She stood and grazed instead. I think she has realized that I'm coming back soon when I walk away, not leaving her behind.

Talana is home!

            My beautiful girl has been here since Friday, and I've been having so much fun spending time with her that I haven't even posted pictures yet! She arrived Friday evening about an hour before dark. She was sore from the long trip and stumbled coming off the trailer, but no harm done. For the first couple of minutes, she just stared at the ground with an expression of relief, as though she was saying, "Thank goodness this ground isn't moving! It is so much easier to stand on!" And then the fellow who had taken her off the trailer handed me her lead rope, and I rubbed her neck. She gave a big sigh, and I led her over to her new field which is also my backyard.
            Talana took one look at that nice long grass that I've been growing just for her, and grabbed the biggest bite she could. After a couple of minutes of watching her, I thought she wouldn't notice if I walked back to the shippers to talk to them - but she noticed! She hollered for me the moment I was out of sight. My partner was watching her for me, and he says that she didn't move, just picked up her head and called for me. And then went back to grazing exactly where she had left off.

            We made molasses cookies for the shippers. They were surprised and delighted. I figured they deserved something special for bringing Talana to me.

             This was the night she arrived. I've gotten used to bigger horses. I almost forgot what it's like to be able to put my arm over her back! She had a little scrape on her right hind leg, probably acquired during the trip. So I cleaned it off and put a bit of Swat there to keep the bugs off overnight until I could get a better look at it in the morning. That's why I'm holding a pink-smudged paper towel.
            The next morning the area around the scrape was a little puffy, but there weren't any flies bothering her. I cleaned it off better and saw that it really is just a little scrape. I put some Neosporin on it, and the puffiness was gone in a couple hours. Now it's healing up nicely and I'm sure it will be all better soon. Here is what she looked like from my window that morning:

            She has her tent so she can get out of the rain or sun if she likes. At first she was a bit skeptical of it. It does make creaking and flapping noises in the wind. She wasn't really afraid; she just seemed to think that it was a better idea to stand next to it rather than under it.
             Talana had clearly had her mane brushed out before she came northward. It wasn't a big tangle as it usually gets when I am not there to tidy it up. Her mane has more white hairs than I remember. She was very dusty with the red Virginia clay that makes it so difficult to garden at my parents' house. Her white socks were sort of chestnut colored, and anywhere I touched her my hand was coated with iron-rich dust. So I curried her and brushed her and curried her and brushed her. And I got out the coconut oil and massaged it all through her mane and tail and combed them out. She was so very happy with the attention, she just drowsed in the sun and sighed and yawned. Then I got a rag and a big bucket of water and gave her a bath. She didn't even try to step away from the water. It must have felt so good to have someone scrub all the dirt off of her. I used the dog's shampoo, which is oatmeal and coconut based. It worked really well, and her coat is softer now than it has ever been in my memory. Now when I brush her, loose hair comes off and no dust. Her socks are actually white again.
            I walked her down to the meadow after her bath. I want her to see where she will be living. She won't be in the backyard all the time; when she eats the grass down enough I will move her fence and make it bigger. She's here because I want to keep an eye on her until she's settled in. She was excited about the meadow. The river was a big deal for her to see. There was a sail boat coming in, and she stood and watched it for a long time. I'm not sure she's seen that much water before. The grass down there has now been Talana Approved. In fact, she seems to prefer it to the stuff in the back yard, which appears to be a finer-leaved species of some sort.
            It rained on us when we were coming back up the hill, so she got wet on top. She didn't seem to mind at all.

            And then when it got a little darker, I took a picture of her with the sunset.

            I was so happy on Saturday. I got to spend the entire day fussing over Talana, and she seemed to enjoy it very much. Every time I walked away from her, she followed me to the gate and neighed when I left her behind.
            Sunday morning was even better. I woke up knowing she was here, and safe, and that her first full day had gone well. Sunday morning Talana was moving more smoothly, and I think the soreness from her journey had retreated by that point. I brushed her and cleaned out her hooves.
            I have been reading about hoof care, and learning a lot. What I've been reading makes me wonder if her feet need a bit of attention. She's moving fine - particularly for an old girl with arthritis in her rear legs - but I think her toes might be a bit long and I notice that the groove between her soles and hoof walls seems deeper than maybe it should be. I scraped a bunch of grit out of there on each hoof. But, I don't really know if or how much this is out of the ordinary. So I will ask the farrier to tell me all about Talana's hooves when she comes to look at/trim them.
              I do know that the noticeable growth rings I see on the outsides of her hooves are a sign that things aren't ideal. Based on what I know about what she's been fed and what I've been reading about growing healthy hooves, I am pretty darn certain she needs a supplement with copper and zinc in it added to her grain. So I have ordered one and we'll see if that makes a difference. While her fur is soft and somewhat shiny, she's not glossy the way I would expect if she's getting all her vitamins and minerals. Her mane and tail are also dull, and although I keep putting coconut oil in them, it just gets absorbed right in in a couple hours and then they aren't shiny anymore. After I put the oil in Fable's mane and tail a couple of times, they stayed shiny.
            The other thing I've learned from reading is that excess iron inhibits the absorption of copper and zinc. Remember that iron-rich dirt I mentioned? That's what the grass she's been eating all her life grows in. So maybe that is the root of the things I'm noticing.
            But, aside from thoughts about nutrition and hoof care - Sunday was lovely! After I tidied her up, I put her halter on and attached one lead rope to each side of it to make reins. It turns out that the lead ropes are much too long to be practical and bump her all the way down at her pasterns when she walks. But she was a good sport about it. I hopped up bareback to see if either of us can remember what to do.
            Well, I think she remembers better than me! Or maybe her muscles are just in better shape. She was very responsive to my cues, and she worked to keep me balanced. Thank goodness, because I think if she hadn't been trying so hard I'd have toppled right off in the first couple of minutes before my body adjusted and relaxed. But once I was able to relax a little, I felt more secure and we were able to walk around the yard for a few minutes. I realized after a bit that I wasn't using the reins very much because she was responding to my seat and legs. This made me very happy, because I have never felt like I was doing the right thing with my legs before. Talana responded so well, I just kept laughing because it worked! She turned both directions for me, she walked on, halted and backed as well. Each time I asked her to do something, she seemed surprised when I praised her for responding. She became very soft and willing when she discovered that I was so happy with her. We even walked under and around the tent a few times. And then I got off and brushed her and told her what a wonderful girl she is. And then I took some pictures of her.

            I have so much to say about all the things we've been doing that I didn't even notice it's bed time. I had better go to sleep, or I'll be too tired after work to play with Talana tomorrow, and we can't have that! Hopefully this big long update with many pictures will keep my readers busy until the next installment.