Always An Adventure

"And that's a wrap"

"I am so out of here"

"Don't bother looking for me tonight, I'll be staying out with the boys!"

Yes, sorry, it’s another installment in the long series of riding adventures with Dusty.  I’ll preface this by saying that she hasn’t been ridden for almost two weeks due to obligations and life in general.  Our herd has also refused to come up at dinnertime to be taken into the barn and fed.  I’m attributing this to the cooler weather and decline in the fly population.  In my opinion, the herd now thinks they are feral.  Thank goodness there is always hay in the hay nets on the fence just in case foraging at night becomes too much of an inconvenience.  Then, too, there are three run in sheds for shelter.  Truthfully, I don’t care if they stay out all the time; it’s a lot less clean up in the stalls. 

On to Dusty...  After she was groomed and tacked we headed to the indoor.  I had planned to take her on a small trail ride, but we had intermittent drizzle and rain.  We usually take a hand walk around the perimeter to fill in the holes that the foxes have been digging in their never-ending search for mice and critters.  There was a mound by the wall, which is out of character for them.  Since I had Dusty, I called my daughter over to investigate.  When she kicked it with her foot she unearthed half of a deer leg.  So that explains all the coyote yowling the last week.  I’m sure they killed a deer and the foxes stole part of it.  How nice for them that we use a salt compound in the arena to keep the dust down; now the leg would be cured and keep forever.  Not!  We disposed of it.

On to Dusty and the mounting block...  I could tell by the way she was acting from the start this wasn’t going to be an easy day, and unfortunately I was right.  After positioning her, I managed the second step before she deliberately swung her butt out and gave me the "make me do it" look.  Okay, I was ready for that.  I attached the longe to her halter and she did some longeing at the trot to the left.  Let’s try it again, Dusty mare.  To which she replied, “I don’t think so,” and swung her butt away from the block again.  Back to trotting on the longe to the right for a while and see if the second time’s the charm.  It was, and I got on.  She actually stood for me until I cued the walk.  I’m well aware that she hasn’t forgotten what she’s learned about mounting, but she chooses to challenge me when she feels like she can. 

I was immediately treated to some head flipping and her trying to pull the reins from my hands.   This was unacceptable, so, with a gentle inside flexion, using the inside indirect rein behind the wither for the bend, I fixed my outside hand directly back to my hip, elbow at my side in a direct rein of opposition, and just closed my fingers.  If she wanted to pull then she would be pulling against herself and when she accepted that and realized if she didn’t pull, things were more comfortable for her.  Being the smart mare she is she stopped challenging after a while at the walk. 

We worked on what I described in my Establish Success post, and then proceeded to trot when I thought she was willing to behave.  We had some moments where we needed to half halt to slow down, but all in all once she decided to cooperate it wasn’t that bad a ride. 

I’ve never ridden a horse in all my years like her.  She is smart with an attitude and when she sets her mind to not behave it is a true test of wills.  Instead of getting angry or frustrated I’ve found it best to adopt the attitude of being patient, insistent and consistent when dealing with her moods.  She's opinionated and not a horse you can dictate to or pick a fight with; you definitely have to set her up with a right and a wrong choice, and let her get to a place where the right choice was HER idea.  It takes time, and patience, trial and error.  But, we're figuring it out... slowly.  Maybe someday she will realize it can be fun for both of us if she’ll just give in a little.

Until next time

Quote for Today

Every time you ride, your either teaching or un-teaching your horse.     - Gordon Wright

The Dreaded Mounting Block

" Do I look like I'm ready to work "

 (This post is one I've previously put up - April 12, 2011 -but I'm re-posting it because it was simpler than writing another one with the same scenarios. It seems April is the month that Dusty has issues with mounting blocks (or me). I used the exact methods described below to get her to behave at the mounting block this time also).

Ever since I’ve known Dusty she has had issues with the mounting block.  I foolishly thought we had conquered this particular problem…until this weekend.

As you can see from the above picture I had to wait for the princess to awaken from her beauty sleep before we could even think of beginning to get some work done.  Notice how she’s spread everyone’s hay around to make a cushy mattress for her nap.  The princess and the pebble?

When her highness deigned the time had come for her to stand and come to the gate, I got her groomed and tacked and headed to the arena.  Well apparently, Dusty has decided she does not want to work for a living but should perhaps be a halter or blanket model in catalogs or a pin-up centerfold for “Play Stallion Monthly.”  Regardless of what she thinks, I think she could work a few hours a week and be gracious about it.

After adjusting the girth we headed toward the mounting block, I positioned her, put my foot in the stirrup and she swung her hind end out.  This was one of her old tricks that I thought we had cured.  Granted, my daughter is usually there when I mount to hold her and she stands like a statue.  I’m guessing she had a flashback to her younger days when it was just she and I tackling the mounting block.  Obviously, she felt it was her right to refuse my attempts to mount.  Again, I disagreed.

We tried standing still, praise, petting and treats.  Should work right? Wrong. 

We tried stand, click, treat, and good girl.  No good.

Circling, repositioning etc., all this went on for about thirty minutes. Have I ever mentioned how frustrating Dusty can be?

--An excerpt from a previous post to show Dusty’s antics when mounting:

Horse People Are Funny

One more, uh, incident:  the time Dusty cantered off as I was mounting; of course, I landed in the dirt. When my head hit the frozen ground, I bit down hard on my tongue.  While I was still lying there in agony, she came over and stomped on my foot. Nice mare.  I thought she was trying to help me get up, sort of like stepping on the tines of a rake. With my swollen tongue and throbbing foot, it was not my best day. With the limp and the lisp everyone probably thought, “poor thing, she must have had a mild stroke.”

So as I sat on the mounting block holding the reins, staring at her and taking deep breaths before I lost my temper, I reassessed the situation and thought about what I could be doing wrong.  Obviously, I couldn’t let her get away with this behavior because it could easily escalate into a battle of wills and I didn’t want to lose ground after she was doing so well. 

There is a little trick my daughter taught me that she learned from riding so many rank horses over the years.  It may not make all the natural horsemanship people feel warm and fuzzy, but it works.  I’m conflicted about whether to put it down because if used incorrectly you can actually flip a horse over, and nobody wants that.  I should also add that no horses (Dusty) were harmed while using this method.


Take the right rein and pull it gently into position for an ‘indirect rein of opposition in front of the wither’ (keep the hand above the mane; don’t let it cross the neck - very important) to flex the horse’s head slightly to the inside of the arena while simultaneously shifting the shoulder toward the mounting block.  If the hindquarters shift away from the block, move the rein into an 'indirect rein of opposition behind the wither.'  Once in position and standing quietly, let go again.  Take both reins in the left hand before mounting and maintain a light contact to prevent unwanted forward and back movement.

From the ground we walked circles with me on the outside holding the reins as if I was in the saddle, positioning her to the inside of the arena while spiraling out until we came close to the mounting block.  Then, without letting up on the tension, and keeping her head flexed, I parallel parked her next to the mounting block using the loose left rein to lead her up.  When she stood quietly, I petted and praised her.  Once she remained in position without trying to shift away from the block, I mounted.  She took off before I had my stirrups; no big deal, but not what I wanted.  We whoa-ed in the center of the arena and I dismounted. Then we proceeded to do the exact same thing again, this time with me putting my weight in the stirrup and removing it, putting weight on the saddle and removing it, over and over until she stood still no matter how much I tested her.  I mounted, keeping the reins ready on her neck in case she walked off, but she stood quietly.  I rewarded her, she got a treat and lots of praise and pets and we walked off calmly.  We did this one more time, called it a successful lesson and she was turned out.

The following day I took up the reins in the same configuration and instead of spiraling in circles we walked directly to the mounting block.  She stood quietly while I mounted, she waited for the cue to go and we walked off softly on the first try.  Dusty offered me the best ride I have had with her to date.  She trotted long and low, tracking up with strides that were controlled and even.  We didn’t ride for long - a few times around in either direction at the trot.  A loose rein for relaxation as we walked around the arena a few laps and then over the cavelletti once in each direction.  I dismounted, praised her and gave her a treat and we called it another successful lesson.

My thoughts on this whole experience: once she knew she couldn’t get the best of me she gave in and maybe somewhere in the recesses of her crafty mind she respects me a little more for not letting her get her own way.  Not everyone will agree with the method I used, but sometimes with a horse like Dusty you have to take the upper hand and do whatever works.  

Until next time

Quote for Today

A hot horse and a hot head don't mix.

The Most Frustrating Mare

There’s almost nothing going on around the farm right now.  The weather isn’t really cold but it’s on and off rain every other day.  This makes the pastures muddy and sloshy.  The horses are a muddy mess every day, which leads me to wonder why would they really want to roll in the mud.  Rolling in mud isn’t exactly a spa treatment and can’t feel that good.  It makes me not want to clean anybody up for a ride either.  The mud is so caked on some of these equines that I have to take a shedding blade to them just to budge it.  The other night when I went to take Mellon’s halter off it was so encrusted with mud I had to get a hoof pick to clear out the snap.  Of course, since I was working over my head the dirt promptly went right in my eye.

This time of year seems so frustrating to me.  At times I’d rather have snow instead of rain; at least it’s cleaner.  It also makes me wonder why Dusty has suddenly reverted back to her old behavior of refusing to come in at night.  In the seasons of spring, summer and autumn, I get it; there’s still grass out in the pastures to be eaten.  It’s warmer and it’s nice to stay out at night and play “let’s make believe we’re really wild horses.”  There may be a blade or two of grass coming up somewhere now, but I don’t think it’s enough to warrant this current behavior.

Our recent nights have been cold, down near the single digits then up into the 30 degree mark like a roller coaster.  We bring them in at dusk and as soon as two or three horses are safely in the barn Her Majesty might decide to lead a conga line back to the pastures.  No amount of calling will stop her progress.  Or she stays in the catch pen just out of reach until the last horse is brought in and I personally think she expects one of her employees to bring dinner to her.  Which isn’t an option.  When she finally realizes she’s not getting fed she will come to the gate and allow herself to be brought in.  Dusty is a very frustrating mare and she does try my patience.

There’s no rhyme or reason to her behavior that I can come up with but I can only hope her leg is feeling so good she wants to do more.  I’m sort of insisting she come in and rest at night.  So far she’s only threatened to stay out all night then relents and comes in, even if it’s after dark.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of fun to go back out around eight o’clock to see if the princess is ready to grant permission to be brought in.  The last time she wasn’t up after dark we sent Mellon (the Terminator) out after her and told him to bring her home, which he did.  She’s a free spirit, but Mellon’s the boss whether she likes it or not, and she will listen to him or it’s her very ample butt that’s going to get a kick.

We’ve tried many different scenarios to try and fix this behavior and they work… for a day to two.  The most effective one was when we left her in the side paddock by herself for the entire day.  Next day she was the first one to the gate.  So I know she can figure out when she’s doing the wrong thing; problem is she simply doesn’t care.  For now it’s a test of wills between her and us.  Eventually we will win, but that’s not to say she’s still not the most maddening horse we’ve ever dealt with.

 Until next time

Quote for Today

How do you catch a loose horse?

Make a noise like a carrot.

    - British Cavalry joke -

A Dusty Update

" The new and improved Dusty "

On the Dusty behavioral situation:  She seems to have turned a corner and is acting more like her normal self this past week.  When the rest of the herd comes in she follows and sometimes crowds the gate to come in first.  This could be due to the abnormally cold weather conditions we’ve been experiences along with more snowstorms.  But I don’t think that’s the sole reason for her willingness to come in to the barn at night. 

Her blood tests came back normal, so there is nothing medically wrong with her.  As I said before, I doubt that she’s in pain from her saddle; she’s been checked by a professional saddle fitter and given a passing grade. There is nothing to point to medical pain; she has been checked by the vet from stem to stern and she’s healthy as a horse.  This would include teeth, ulcers and arthritis etc.  The one thing I’m surprised about that the vet didn’t check was her thyroid hormones again in this series of blood tests.  I’m going to call him back for that test.

The general consensus that we’ve come up with here at the farm concerning Dusty is that the thyroid medication was making her a little out of sorts (crazy).  When we put our heads together and systematically went through any new changes with her that might have resulted in her new behavior patterns, the thyroid medication was the only new ingredient in the Dusty program.  Since her original T4-T3 tests were on the low normal side, the vet prescribed thyroid medication because she was a little overweight.  As of now, she’s lost the proper amount of weight and we’ll try and keep it off. 

We’ve taken her off her medication because we think it was winding her up and being cooped up in a stall, most likely pacing all night, wasn’t the best thing for her.  Dusty has enough energy normally for two horses and this medication was like a shot of adrenaline that she didn’t need.  Two nights ago she actually lay down and slept for the first time in a long while.  We are still giving her a supportive supplement from SmartPak called SmartEnergy, which will help support her thyroid function and hopefully allow her to make her own thyroid hormone as needed to maintain her levels naturally rather than guessing at what she needs with medication.  If more aggressive support is needed we’ll look into using TSF-100, which Blue has been getting at a half dose since his last low thyroid test and has normalized his levels without having to up his medication.   She's also on a digestive supplement, but we may try her on something more soothing like GUT or SmartGut as an ulcer aid/preventative.

So far she seems to be happier and friendlier since we took her off the medication.  I haven’t ridden her because the weather is anywhere from below zero temps to 25.  Call me a wuss, but I’m not freezing my butt off and it’s a good time to give them all a little quality time relaxing as a herd.  There will be plenty of time to get back in the saddle when it’s not uncomfortably cold and miserable for all concerned.

Until next time

Quote for Today

A horse doesn't care how much you know until she knows how much you care.