The Art of Natural Dressage

Hi Kirsti,

Well, I have encouraged the running/energy towards me, via me running, and the Tiger, and the treats of course since neither horse is that natural at running wild!!!!

Or do you mean the stopping part? If so, with Jack (the gray), he is so polite and probably learned human-horse boundaries in his past life <G>, that I don't worry about him running me over cuz he just slows and stops. I think he has better coordination, and is a smaller horse than Lucy, so it may just be easier for his to gather himself up to stop???

Now Lucy (the big black and white)I am always careful when i play with her. In the past, when I call her in the pasture, there is usually less energy so just raising my hands up and saying whooooaaaa slows and stops her. Also, if I click, she stops where she is and waits for me to bring her a treat, something I purposely shaped.

In these yahooooooo clips, she is running faster than usual (new place, outside the pasture, etc.) and doesn't know how to slow and stop (as I found out!). So the lesson became one of how to teahc her to slow and stop better, or really self-control? So as you can see, I chunked things down, I decreased the distance, thereby decreasing her speed a bit, then a few times I asked her additionally to back a few steps before I clicked. In hindsight, I could have used my Tiger? to help her focus, so will try that in the future.

I will be working on this more since I like this exercise a lot. I also want to teach her to wait, and them come, like Cheryl and Cam? did on their video...very cool!

Hope this helps!

Brenda

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Jack04574

Hi Barbara,

Good question!

I watched the clip again and I 'think' Lucy (the black and white) has her ears up most of the time, or is flicking back and forth, hard to tell cuz the resolution is poor. Jack (the gray) almost always has his ears up when he comes towarsd me, in a nice, eager but cute way. Even when he follows/chases the target, often his ears ar forward. With Lucy however, whenever she chases anything (target, Tiger, me, dogs, etc.), her ears are back <G>!

I'll try to notice, I'm usually just looking at her big hooves flying this way and that!!!! Yikes!

Thanks for watching!! Brenda

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Jack04574

Hi Karen,

Well, I have Border Collies and they herd/bring the ball back to me so I thought why not Lucy??? Anyway, it gave ME a focus in my shaping, more structured shaping, rather than just letting her push it randomly around the ring.

Have you seen the goldfish clip on Youtube, where the goldfish pushes a ball into a goal??? also gos thru a hoop, and a tunel, etc. underwater of course!!!

Thanks for watching Jack's videos...he is a work in progress. And yes! It was just so funny to me that, first of all I am on this horse without a bridle, and second, that he was so 'getting it', and wrapping himself around the barrels! Too cool! If you notice some of the subsequent clips that I am trying to shape him to go straight....not very easy...maybe should have done that first I think????

Brenda

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Jack04574

Thanks Bianca!

That's sort of been my goal from the start, to try to teach her to always target the opposite side of the ball to where I am standing, makes it easier for ME if she 'herds' it back!!!! But I think it is a hard concept for her, a horse, unlike my Border Collies who are born knowing how to balance and gather stuff back to us! It's a great game anyway, and gives her some fun exercise!!

Brenda

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Lucy04574

http://www.youtube.com/user/Jack04574

Hi Inge!

Would love to see the soccer playing!!! My mare just trashes the ball if I encourage feet stuff! This is my fourth ball $$$$$$$ ????? I do have a hard ball, but it is smaller, and she doesn't like it as much!

Try to get your game on video???

Thanks for watching! Brenda

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Lucy04574

http://www.youtube.com/user/Jack04574

Thanks Tlove! Brenda

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Lucy04574

http://www.youtube.com/user/Jack04574

Thanks Ania!

I took this game from a dog training game called "Come and Get It' that we used for puppies and in agility training so you can try it with your dog, eh???

Brenda

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Lucy04574

http://www.youtube.com/user/Jack04574

Hi Brenda!

What a nice video!
Whoops, I just noticed that I only saw the first of three videos So now I am going to watch the other two, too!

Lucy looks great, I loved watching her!

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Best wishes,
Jolanda
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our introduction with photos: http://www.artofnaturaldressage.com/viewtopic.php?t=744

i use these kind of balls
http://www.bitloosrijden.nl/equispirittoys.htm
and yes i have..or my horses have broken a lot of balls..cost a lot of money, but these balls are much stronger..and they have not broken one...yet..

Oh THANKS Inge! Those are the COOLEST balls! I wonder if I can get them in the US???? I will check it out!!

Brenda

_________________
http://www.youtube.com/user/Lucy04574

http://www.youtube.com/user/Jack04574

Hi Brenda:

Try this website:
www.naturalhorsetalk.com or www.equinebehavior.com

Not sure they still work but they did a couple of months ago.
Jocelyne

yep..there you can buy them...
and they are realy good

Hi all,

I'm new to teaching bow (or any of the other stretches, etc.) and would love any ideas or suggestions from those of you seasoned bow trainers!

I am using a target to get Lucy to lower her head, am gently lifting her foot, and I only got stepped on once!! Duh!

Here is our first session:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuty7OMVasg

Should I teach her to stretch her front feet forward first, as a sepearte exercise? And then teach the bow? Do I worry about what her rear feet are doing, or should they just stay put??

Thanks in advance! Brenda

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Lucy04574

http://www.youtube.com/user/Jack04574

Well, I definitely wouldn't call myself a seasoned bow trainer, but after finally finding what worked for Caspian, maybe I can give a hint or two...!

I did teach Caspian the back crunch first, before I started turning it into a bow. It was easiest that way for me this first time, it being essentially the first time I'd taught the bow -- I wanted him to rock back as easily as possible, so I had him stretch his feet out.

Karen mentioned someplace that she wasn't/isn't teaching Tam to stretch first, though, in order for his back legs to be further under him, so that when she mounts it's easier on him. Is that right, Karen?

Perhaps for Caspian, once he gets the bow I can forego the stretching beforehand, in order to get his back legs under him.

He didn't understand how to lean for the longest time, no matter how much I put the treat or target between his legs. Finally it took me pushing on the top of his forearm for him to make the connection, and now he's leaning quite a bit.

For the rear feet, do you mean, making sure they're even? Or don't move?

As far as teaching the one-knee bow, I did begin that pre-AND with Caspian -- I held his leg, and asked him to go back. He really didn't like it -- he'd lean way back then kind of panic and jump up. It was also difficult for me to support him. I think, when I teach it again, I'll start with the leg lift, and then ask for the lean, with him having known both beforehand.

But I would love to hear from those who know much more about the bow than I do...!

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"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Almost! I didn't start with the backcrunch, but I did add it later, because Tam wasn't understanding that he could lean back without my help.

The main point for me, so that I could mount him while he was bowing, was that he not have his forehead on the ground, between his legs. I want his head to be up, because then his balance will be more even and not all on the front end.

(EDIT) The lured bow (holding a treat between the front legs) is a very, very pretty bow. It looks elegent, but I was concerned about how the horse balances for that kind of bow. I taught Cisco to bow that way, and I don't feel comfortable trying to mount him with his head on the ground. So with Tam, I decided to try it by rocking him back and not luring.

Brenda, don't ask the hind legs to remain still...just let her sort it out. She will have to walk her hind legs back in order to make room for her foreleg to come back. She'll sort it out.

With Tam, I picked up his left front leg, and got him to be ok with me holding it. Then I brought the leg back slightly. Reward the tiniest try to lean back with the leg. As the horse becomes comfortable with leaning back, they will be ok with leaning back more, etc. Until the bent leg touches the ground.

Tam required me to support that leg for the longest time. Then while playing around with the back crunch, he figured out that he could lean back with out my help, and soon after that, he figured out he could hold his leg up on his own.

Just remember to go slow (ask less, get more!). I think, Brenda, you will have it very quickly!