I also have a little guy off the track and this string of comments and suggestions has been great in the knowledge that I am not alone. My seven year old seems to have a problems that has not been addressed yet, this being that when I tried to turn him out with one of our older babysitting geldings he attempted to NURSE (not only once, but 2 times). Needless to say he caught it good from his pasture mate. Any ideas for a safe way to introduce him to other but still keep him in one piece?
Me too (wanting news about Pam).
Sometimes it doesn’t pay to advertise. 
Tess and I had our two steps forward over the summer, now we’re in one step back mode. Two weeks ago we switched from night turn-out (14 hours) to day turn-out (8 hours) and Miss Mare is pissed. Apparently she has no future plans to get over it either.
“You mean you’ve ruined my life AND I have to trot with my head down??? I don’t think so.” 
We hadn’t jumped in two weeks trying to get the flatwork back to where it was supposed to be. Then came today’s lesson: new course, a few new jumps, and a mare who’s fully capable of firing both booster rockets simutaneously. Now I know what she feels like over 3’6" (even though the jumps were set at 2’6" to 2’9" 
)
And we have another lesson tomorrow. Ain’t life grand?
pkd: Oh, nooooo! Not lateral exercises! I’ve sworn off teaching those ever, ever again. We now just pay the cowboy/reiner to teach them to move off/bend around your leg. If Douglas ever retires, I shall hang up my spurs. 
Otherwise, I always remember when schooling a greenie: half-halt first to shift their weight back onto their haunches before I ask for any kind of lateral anything.
And I want Sam! He’s clueless, but at least he’s predictable! 
“You just keep thinkin’, Butch. That’s what you’re good at.” – The Sundance Kid
Not to worry, Merry - he let me know yesterday was a “special treat”… Today we took 5 steps backward to remind me I was in fact still riding a greenie!!
don’t worry - he’s not a “Riverman” - TB variety or WB variety (great TB sire called Riverman). He came with the barn name “Rivers” and I just expanded it to Riverman. (After I cleaned his stall the first time I had an inkling of why the name “Rivers” was selected ). Actually he is Mr. Prospector on top, but more importantly, he is Diplomat Way on the bottom, which is how Robbie is bred, along with a few other really nice hunters.
at the altar of the green horse.
As you may’ve read in off-course, I now have one. She will be 3 in April.
Just to address spookiness …
I like to teach young green horses, first off, how to do some rudimentary form of leg-yielding/lateral work. No, it doesn’t have to be “this will get an 8 in the dressage test” perfect, but I find it helps them understand that their body ends work in conjunction with each other, but it’s also very handy for a horse that is shying/spooking at everything.
Reason why?
A horse who is spooky isn’t looking to you, his rider, as his herd leader who protects him. When you are riding, your horse needs to be focusing on you, not worried about what might eat him in the corner. To get his attention, do some sort of exercise that engages his brain. Once he learns that you are going to ask him to work, he’ll definitely forget about what might be out there lurking in the shadows. To accomplish this, I usually will do a little leg yield in the direction the spook occurred, trying very hard to stay within the rhythm of the gait I’m working in.
I found with my last young green horse, who had a lot of look in him, that the best thing was not to make too big of an issue in correcting it. Because it just instills more need to flee in the animal, who is reacting solely on flight instinct.
I do think the worst thing you can do is reward the horse after it spooks. This is almost always the rider’s way of saying, “sheesh, I’m so glad to still be up here.” If you have to pat something, pat yourself!!!
If you do your groundwork with your horse, and reinforce his behavior positively (when he’s standing quietly on the cross ties, reward him with a “good boy” and scritch just for standing there, even if it’s something he does naturally or has done for years), he’ll have a better clue of what you expect of him.
Good luck! Wish it to me too!
Robby
Is he going to be Western, or English? 
Thanks, everyone. 
He really is a good boy.
Every time I start to get frustrated with something we haven’t “mastered” yet, I make myself stop and realize how far he HAS come. And then I remind myself that we have all the time in the world and there is no pressure to get anywhere, any time. Given his lifetime of medical woes, I’ve had many, many moments where I just accepted the fact that he was going to be a really cute pet. And now he’s gone to his first show!
I have this absolutely darling picture of him on one of the first days of his life. He was a preemie; his mom almost died shortly before he was born; I spent endless hours agonizing over both of them. He is standing nose-to-nose with his mom and looks like this itsy-bitsy teeny-tiny stuffed child’s toy next to her … he doesn’t even look real. I remember thinking that there was no way that he’d ever be big enough for anyone to ride!
And now, he’s a pleasingly plump (oh, SHUT UP, Merry! 
), 16.1-plus-hand, cute-as-a-button “kid.” I never thought I’d get this kinda kick out of working with a greenie (I’m much better with the “difficult” adults). And I know that he’s never going to be a world-beater. But I have to say, I’m sure blessed with him!
Bulletin Board Goddess
Merry-
I would be a lot better off if that was desirable. Heck…NHS here we come! Oh but wait…back to reality, evading the bit is slightly less than desirable. Drastic…
.:Erin B #2:.
“When you get to the end of all the light you know and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught to fly.”
Bumpkin, I’m not sure bravery had anything to do with it–in either instance. Just gut reaction which, thankfully, worked well enough. Tess doesn’t really run away; it’s more that she goes several quick strides and then comes back into my hands. This was the first time I ever felt like I’d just been shot out of a cannon.
Ah yes, the incredible pony that actually read, I believe, at a third grade level.
findeight, that’s not such a bad idea. Hmmm… I can foresee myself toddling up to the elementary school and asking one of the classes to make me a BIIGGG sign that says, “DEL MAR” so I can hang it on my arena fence.
“Friends don’t let friends eat fish tacos.”
It does help me emotionally to read that I am not the only one.
Thanks everyone!!!
do you mean a triangle in the horizontal dimension (all rails on the ground) or vertical (two rails on the ground, third rail only touching the other two rails)?
And is it on the takeoff or landing side?
My dumblood, Caleb, has managed to get himself cast TWICE against the round bale feeder!! You’d think he would have figured out that when the urge to roll strikes, not to do it smack up against the feeder not once…but TWICE!!!
At least he wasn’t hurt and THANK GOD I was home both times and heard him out there banging on the thing for help. My very smart and a few years his senior Quarter Horse, Jax, looks at him like, “DUH! You are such a DOPE!” I think Jax actually rolled his eyes at Caleb! LOL
~Courtney~
Good luck, Bumpkin! Give us a full report when you get home.
‘If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?’
DMK – Did your neighbor star in Deliverance a few decades back? He shore sounds like a gud ol’ boy to me!
LaurieB - I have had a horse hate the saddle pad in a general sense, but nothing as extreme as you are describing… then again, I don’t have mares (Robbie just said NO to $100 worth of gel pad and cover - he prefers his Beval pad I’m not telling him about the $200 Supracor pads, thank you very much)
Do you think maybe there is something on the pad that irritates her skin when it warms up after a little bit of contact with her skin? Residual bleach or maybe a coat conditioner?
An optimist thinks we are living in the best of all times…
A pessimist fears this is true.
I just wanted to share…
I am moving up in the world. My horse has graduated to the Pre-Green division. I was reserve champion in the baby-greens last week so I think its time to move up to 3 foot. My greeny is four years old and realized 2’6 is no problem and therefore is barely jumping over them. Look out 3 footers, here we come. Wish me Luck!
I am sooo happy for you!!!
Have fun tomorrow dear.
V. .V
.( * )
Merry – Totally O/T, but have you tried Topamax? its great!
