#198 - I could have closed the float behind Gran today!

She went in voluntarily. I didn't close the doors because I wanted it to be a good experience.

In time.

We are slowly getting there.

#196 - We did it!

After a very difficult start this morning we finally did it!

I was on my own and planned to ride Gran this morning so I was out in the paddocks first thing. I was feeling well (health wise) but very nervous about getting on, wondering what she was going to do.

Well, after the floating issue yesterday she wouldn't even come! Definitely not a good start. Food wouldn't entice her and as I had no plans of doing both ride and float training on the same day she wasn't to know this wasn't going to be an issue. I didn't have a halter with me as she just follows me most days so I didn't think it would be necessary. I also thought if Teddy came to the food so would she. Well Teddy and Gran must have had words as Teddy wasn't coming for the food either. Both my horses are guts, especially Gran, so this was highly unusual. They would get close but then back off. At one stage they both ran back to the back paddock.  I finally went and got a halter and just went up and caught her.

Straight off she started with the snorting. I got her groomed, saddled her up and got everything ready and started just leading her around. She snorted often and just the sight of the float, which she wasn't actually near, had her backing away. I kept her attention and then after some simple ground work I took her to the mounting block. It was Teddy Deja vu! Every time I went to put my foot in the stirrup she would step sideways. Teddy used to do this constantly! She stepped sideways, forward, around the block, snorted a few times and was basically driving me nuts. I was already anxious which wasn't helping but this was making me shake inside. I tried putting my weight on the stirrups, draping myself over the saddle (if I could reach), getting off the block and positioning her, leading her from on top of the block... nothing was working. I was feeling my anxiety turn to anger. I tied her to a post and went and got my crop. When we started again she continued with her antics and I would tap her back into place with the crop. She doesn't like crops either, not that I've ever harmed any animal with one, I do no more than taps, but I didn't even have to touch her most of the time, she would just move as it came towards her side with her head held high. Finally after only a minute or two with the crop and some reassurance from me she stood still and I got on. Challenge one complete.

Next I was hoping she wasn't going to buck me and was talking to myself to relax. I didn't feel as much tension in her back as the day she bucked me off but I could still feel tension. Again, I realise I was probably just as tense so was really trying hard to suck it up. I moved her on and once I got her into a consistent walk I relaxed. It was probably only a minute but it was a very long minute for me. Then I felt calm and things were great! I felt like I was back to normal. Challenge two complete.

We worked on position in a walk, diagonals at a walk and trot, changing diagonals, figure eights and finished with some cantering on either side. We are both out of practice so it was only about a 30 - 40 minute session but we did great. And Teddy only called out to her once! Challenge three complete.

Everything else was normal after that and I was pleased that I faced my fears. I don't think I will be as concerned on Thursday when we try again. I'm amazed at how one minor broken bone has shaken me so much but I'm determined to get past it. Doing it on my own was 75% of the fear that today help enormously.

The only other issue I have is the impact on my SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus). This illness tires me out and luckily I'm still on annual leave so can rest when needed. I set out this morning at 8.30am and it is now 2.30pm and I am stuffed! It is going to be a lot of trial and error before I work this one out. It will be worked out regardless.

#194 - I'M BACK IN THE SADDLE!

Today, against the odds, I finally got back on Granny and rode! It has been a very long time and I have struggled through my illness to get here but I was determined to make this happen. At the start of Spring I thought I would give it a go and Granny bucked me off, breaking the middle finger on my left hand (I'm a lefty) and damaging the tendons. The tendons are still a mess.

It wasn't a good start.

Today, I arranged for Kim from Aurum to come to my house to give me a lesson and help with gaining my confidence to get back on. I had to sleep before she came as the Lupus wiped me out at the start of the day, but I was determined this was going to happen today.

I couldn't get Gran to Kim's place as I'm having to retrain her to float - unfortunately I'm back to square one with that. But Kim came and rode Granny first then I got on. I was anxious and I guess Gran could tell and looked a bit anxious herself, but once I was on and had walked around a bit and got back into the feel of things I was HAPPY! So Happy! And relaxed. I took her for a walk, trot and canter and it felt great. I was surprised that I still remembered so much. 

Also Teddy was a star! He has come such a long way with the separation anxiety. I have found that if he is tied and asked to wait he will do so patiently. He called out about three times in as many hours so I think he did an amazing job today. He also wasn't charging around so that makes a huge difference.

All in all I'm very happy and confident that I can find ways to make this work. Unfortunately I had to sacrifice going to a BBQ at some friends as I had to get a sleep in beforehand, but this is what I need to do to achieve my goals. I'll make it work.

#193 - Attempt to Fix Separation Anxiety - Part 2

Well this is going better than I expected. Granted that its early days yet and they aren't out of each others sights but with the way Teddy was behaving I'm proud of his progress.

For the last week I have been separating the horses from anywhere between 20 minutes to 45 minutes, any time of day or evening, with either Gran or Teddy lead away (though mainly Gran). They can still see each other clearly but they can not touch each other or interact other than to call out to each other. For the first two day's Teddy called out and he only did so for the first five minutes then he went and ate grass. I note that he didn't wander too far from the fence line. Gran on the other hand would become more alert as she was taken away but then she didn't care much after that.

This week I have started with a larger distance between them - a lane-way and in separate paddocks with a obstacles in between to block the view. Gran has been wandering into Teddy's view and this is the only time he can see her and she will do this to eat grass. She doesn't seem bothered at all.  Teddy isn't liking the separation much and has been calling out intermittently for the last 15 minutes.  He must feel he's at the start of last week all over again.

 I will continue to do this latest distance for the next week and report back on how they are both going.

I think Gran will find this a piece of cake, Teddy on the other hand, well I hope he will become acustom to it. Then I'll increase the pressure. It will take the time it takes and with Teddy that tends to be longer than what most people claim things take with their horses.

I'm going to put them back together now after only 15 - 20 minutes but I think it's better to mix things up. Then I can come in out of the cold!

Postscript - tonight was harder on Teddy than I realised. He had worked up a little sweat and was even foaming between the back legs. Poor Teddy! A ahh I mean Suck It Up Princess! 

Gran Teddy Auto: #190 - Turned out and waiting patiently

Not a lot of change yet but I'm trying to remain optimistic.

It been a while since Gran's been in the float and I'll probably be back at square one, it's winter now so both Gran and Teddy are virtually turned out in the paddocks, I've just come back from holidays and I'm in constant pain at the moment so there is no telling when things will get back to normal and so they will just have to wait. But I am 100% committed to getting back on my horse and providing both them and me with some consistency.

While I was away for six weeks a friend came to the house to feed the horses and would change their rugs and brush them down on the weekend. I found it funny that when I asked how things went she told me Gran was a darling - what everyone says about her - and that Teddy was cheeky - also what everyone says! Apparently when she took the rug off Teddy he decided he didn't want it back on. When I asked what she did next she told me that she though she would try some natural horsemanship on him to catch him! I grinned to myself anticipating that this wouldn't have gone well unlike with most horses who respond to this, and asked how long did she try for and she said for well over an hour and a half and she got absolutely nowhere! She ended up luring him in with carrots LOL! Teddy wins again.

I didn't think to tell her the many methods I have developed over the years to catch Teddy and the first piece of advise should have been to not even bother trying to take his rug off and on without him tied. That horse loves a nudie run! She told me that there was such a contrast between my horses and you betcha! They are nothing alike, with Gran being an "I Will" type and Teddy a definite "What's in it for me!"

There is an upside to not being able to do a lot with them due to my ill health and that is the time I spend with them has become a treat, not just for me but for the horses too. They see me coming and they are both very happy. They really seem to enjoy my company, and not in a "feed me" way. We are all definitely bonding well. Teddy isn't as bitchy to Gran when I'm around (he's fine with her when I'm not there but he used to pin his ears back at her and chase her off as soon as I walked onto the scene). He's actually sharing feed with her now and they are side by side in my presence and no longer competing for attention. They are a lot more patient now as well, with me and each other. I'm not sure why, maybe its just the passage of time.

I had their brushes with me this morning when I went out to see them and they were just delightful, both seeking a brush behind the ears at the same time. Too cute!  I hope this all continues and I'm able to control my pain soon and fulfill my horsey dreams.

#188 - A lot to catch up on & a video of the horses playing

In a nutshell:

• Gran has been float training and has improved tremendously but still needs work
• The float has been modified (it took two and a half weeks to do!) - fixed jockey wheel, breaching doors reconfigured so I can close them without the centre divider, the tailgate spring has been fixed, three old hinges on the tailgate replaced with four new hinges, the roof, sides and floor have been resealed, and a side door holder has been attached so the wind wont blow it shut when Gran looks out during loading
• Teddy and Gran are in love! Teddy has taken to running around neighing for a few minutes when I take Gran away from the property. He also calls out when we come home while following the float down the drive
• Gran got an insect bite on her eye which required a vet visit. I had her checked out and it turns out she also has arthritis in her knee. Before I bought her I was told she had been seen by a chiropractor and a equine massage therapist for soreness as she had "started to pull up sore" after my visits and rides at the property and that she hadn't had this soreness before. Both "professionals" told the previous owner that she had soreness in the poll (a common issue). I believed it of course. My vet has told me that any qualified person, particularly a chiropractor worth their salt would have picked up the arthritis in the knee as the extent of it suggests its been there for a while. Neck - knee? What could it be? ...Unbelievable! Anyway I have been treating her and I believe we can manage it fine. She is showing no signs of soreness or lameness at the moment and she is being worked more than she has been in the past five years; or so I have been told.  This week I have ridden every other day and she has no lameness at all.
• Gran got loose (my stupidity) and got out onto the main road (the 80km road most people travel 100km on!) Luckily she didn't get hit by a car thanks to Teddy neighing to her which caused her to run back to him. Also I was lucky that a car towing a caravan coming slowly from one direction and a car towing a boat from the other. I had a minor heart attack and I think I've suffered some permanent trauma as a result! I now vow to get the front gates put on ASAP!
• Dressage with Gran is coming along nicely

This is a video of the horses hanging out at our dam, which I've posted to my Facebook page already so sorry for the double up Facebook readers. I put them in the dam area to eat grass but Teddy had other ideas:

#187 - Float training with Norm Glenn

Last weekend saw the start of my float training with Gran and a local horse trainer named Norm Glenn. I found Norm to be a great trainer with good sensible methods. He is also a good teacher which is a perfect combination. I say this as I have see a lot of accomplished horse people who just don't know how to explain themselves well and this just causes more stress and wasted time, resulting in everyone walking away unhappy.

Gran had more issues than I thought so after last weekend's non-stop half day training session I was required to reinforce the training everyday. I found this was successful but was still taking up to an hour each day just to close the tail gate, that I needed to lead her in to the float if I wanted it to be easier, I didn't feel totally safe doing it and it was very stressful. So I called Norm back and today we spent another two hours working through the problems and discovering ways that would best suit Gran to accept the float and load well. This is one of the reasons I like Norm. He doesn't have one or two methods and sticks to them, he nuts it out and works with the horse and the owner to find something that works. When I rang him to come back I was half expecting to hear, "Just persevere and it will eventually work" and if I had I would not have been happy, but thankfully he didn't, he said, "Ok, let's try something else."

This morning's session was extremely successful with Gran self loading and me not even entering the float,  and she learned to stand still until asked to come out. This allowed me to close the tail gate very easily and we even got to the stage where, after being loaded, I would ask her to unload and she would stay in the float! I had to guide her step-by-step out of the float on my terms.  This is exactly what I wanted.

Looking back over these two sessions I think that last weekend was more like watching Gran just get tired over the hours as I didn't see the complete acceptance that this was something she just has to do. There was still a definite, "stuff you!" vibe about her. Today it was like something clicked in her mind and you could not only see it but feel a completely different and calmer "accepting" vibe come off of her. I am now confident that we have achieved an attitude shift in Gran, but the only way I will know for sure will be over the next few days, even weeks.

The difference in method this time around was that she had no choices because it was felt that there wasn't a fear of the float from her or other major issues, that we had work through all that the last time around, and it was more she was trying to call the shots but planting her feet; in a way shutting down. It seemed to be like she was think she didn't want to do it so she wasn't going to do it. Today, the moment she refused the pressure was on within a half a second until she complied. Every move of the head was instantly redirected, every back away was met with all aids pointing in one direction - into the float - and the only time the pressure was released was, obviously, the moment she complied, or when her head was down and she was checking something out while licking her lips and chewing. No dressage whip was used to tap her anywhere as it proved to make the situation worse. This was all halter and lead rope work. All redirecting. I was taught to be forceful and quicker without being violent or punishing (either of which I would never tolerate). Actually, speed in my response was probably the key.  

I also discovered what a flexible horse she is, she's almost a contortionist! She can turn the whole front of her massive frame into a horseshoe shape in an attempt to look outside the back of the float and she can stay there as long as she likes. To look at her you would think there would be no way she could manage such a feat but, I kid you not, her front feet are almost level with her back feet and she is in a perfect horseshoe shape inside a regular double float! It would almost be comical if it wasn't for her trying to complete the turn and leave the float head first! I actually think that she would follow through with this idea if it weren't for me preventing her! She also does this in the float when traveling so now she is on a very short lead.

Where to from here? Continue to practice. If tomorrow goes well I will have my lesson at Kim's and take Gran in the float, but that will only happen if I'm totally comfortable with it.

Below is some footage of the first training session. Unfortunately Steve was not available to film the end of that day and was unable to capture anything today, and half the time I am learning to load Gran. It was filmed on a very windy day and I have sped the footage up just because it can be kind of boring. But what you will see is what she was like at the start - very little rearing or kicking or bucking, though it's there, but more refusal to go in and/or stay in the float. Also her trying, in her plodder way, to push people around. The main problem was that she could do the 'half in half out' or 'in for 30 seconds' things for literally hours on end. HOURS! She would just wear people out. Also this was before we discovered that she responded better without a dressage whip in hand.

A hell of a lot of progress was made and I will hopefully film an "After" portion in the next few days to demonstrate the difference. 

#186 - Gran has a big day tomorrow

I heard back from the previous owner who said she was too busy to come and show me how she floated Gran and suggested I get a professional out to teach me how to handle her. I assured her that it wasn't my handling skills that were in question! The fact that I've already had professional horse handles/breeder/ Equestrian Australia qualified coaches out and they couldn't get her in the float is evidence enough to me that it isn't about handling skills.  I know how to handle a horse and I'm sure the professionals do too, they have been doing it their whole lives! Gran simply has floating issues. Period. Telling me she scrambled once is not disclosure either!

Anyway, Gran has a big day tomorrow as I am paying good money to have Norm Glenn out to reeducate her to go in the float.

http://www.normglenn.com/

I have had a lot of good feedback about his methods and have been told he is the go-to-guy in the region for solving horse problems. So fingers crossed this works because if it doesn't I won't be happy in will be heading down avenues I would prefer not to.

The photo is of Norm doing his thing with another horse. Tomorrow I intend to have photos and video of Gran doing the same thing - self loading!

I am feeling positive!

#185 - Can't I trust anyone?

I think I'm a sucker! Why oh why do I trust people? Gran is not floating and I was told she had one scrambling issue in her life and otherwise she floated well. And that was just a scramble, she never had floating issues or gone down in the float, just once she scrambled "a little bit" I was told. I believed it and even called the people who raised her to see how they thought she floated, just to be sure. They said no problem and that she had been to many comps in a double front loader float, just like mine, without problem. I took this as a good sign. Who won't?

At the previous owners property I asked if we could load her and the owner said she didn't have time to hook the car up and I believe her; having kids and all. Gran was delivered here and I believed it was for the previous owner to be sure she was coming to the right place - a good, caring home on a well maintained property. She was down in the float when she got here.  I was told that they overshot my driveway so did a u-turn a bit up the road at the Bushland Resort and they must of taken the corner too quickly and she went down then. I believed them. I was more concerned about what to do when a horse is down in a float as I'd never been in that situation before and also the owner was so upset I just wanted things to be ok. She was crying and her husband was trying to calm her and I really felt bad for her. I would have  been upset too. Gran got up in the float and unloaded herself and just stood there without a care in the world. I thought it was just a bad situation that could have happened to anyone. Maybe I should never have excepted her in that situation but I did. I  trusted that it would be ok.

Gran has been here just over a month and a half and I've tried to load her many times and so has my instructor. My whole holidays of riding was cancelled because I couldn't get her on the float to take her anywhere. She will walk in but wont stay there. Gran has had two solid hour long sessions to load with a EA qualified coach and she still wont stay in the float. She's had a number of sessions with me but still wont stay there. The previous owner said she loads fine you just need to tap her on the legs but the getting in the float isn't the problem its the staying on and closing up. And Gran shows on signs she is scared in there, she eat and tries to sticks her head out the front door to look around but she just backs out whenever anyone tries to close the float behind her. Forget about getting the tail gate up. What's more is I do horse stuff on my own so I need a horse I can load on a float on my own. Right now that's just impossible.  Three people couldn't get her on.  Now I've got to get a professional trainer in to sought this out. If not I'm going to have another very expensive paddock ornament!

I cant' win and I don't know if I've been lied to again. Nearly everyone I know thinks I have but I'm so trusting I don't want to believe it. I've been told to send her back and ask for my money back but she's a good horse in all other aspects... if only she'd float! I've been told to take the previous owner to VCAT but that seems a bit extreme right now. I'm so upset about all this and I feel like such a chump.  I'm just so upset!

How much is the instructor going to cost me? All for a problem that shouldn't exist. I've asked the previous owner to come and show me how she loads her but I haven't had a response back yet. I hope I hear back soon. If that doesn't work I will get Norm Glenn out to retrain her and if that doesn't work I'll get stat decs from all the professionals and Gran will have to go back.

#184 - I'm sore and Gran isn't! Progress!

A blog-able occurrence. I took Gran for a ride this morning, mainly walking and trot, about even amounts of time and she doesn't seem to have pulled up sore. She is definately better in one direction than the other but I don't think that has anything to do with her health, she is just left handed like me.

 Me on the other hand am aching like an out of work cowboy.  I guess that is progress on both fronts.

We got it out of the way early due to the heat but I'll go do some floating with her this evening. It was recommended I get a rearing bit to make us progress quicker but I am definitely not confident in using one so will leave that to the experts and plod along the way I am. 

#183 - My Granny wont float

Yay, I have a new horse with her own issues. Thankfully it appears to be her only one but she just wont go in the horse float and when coaxed in she plays up.  She goes left and right and jumps around and being such a big girl I need to be particularly careful.

I am trying to get her in each day and when she will go in she backs out virtually straight away.  She pulled back with such force that even when anchoring with all my weight she still managed to take me skiing in the paddock on two occasions. I had to drop the lead twice too. I got her in about five or six times and she ate a mouthful while she was there about half the time but she quickly backed out again. I try being encouraging and talk sweetly and pat her while she is in but if she backs up I have to let her go until she gets passed the entrance as she may hit her head on the top of the float and that would just be more  trouble. She grazed the top of her head today on the top of the float flap but I stopped her on the ramp. Stopping her on the ramp is successful some of the time and I will just have to preserver.

It doesn't help that I have a shocking headache or that Teddy decided to run around neighing for 30 seconds while I was inside the float with her. Sending her searching for him (this was when she grazed the top).

Ideally I hope she will learn to self load but we are very far off that now. I will try again tomorrow and the day after that, so on and so forth. I may have to buy a rearing bit just to gain more control.  She certainly gives me a workout though and don't be fooled my the photo looking like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth... we that is actually unfair, she is great apart from the floating issue.

#182 - A new blog name has been chosen!

Yeap I have decided to call the revised version of this blog Gran Teddy Auto. It just has that special kind of ring to it.

From now on I will be writing about my experiences with both horses. Most likely any writing on Teddy will focus on ground work, natural horsemanship (no particular teaching, just whatever I have adapted that works for me) and liberty work. With Granny I will be focusing on dressage, eventing  and trail riding.  But you never know I might mix it up a bit.

So for any new readers out there (perhaps you were drawn in by the new blog name!) these are my babies, photos taken today:

Granny 

Teddy

Here's to an awesome equine 2013!

#181 - Looks like this is the Teddy and Gran Log now

It's been two weeks since I got my new horse Granny. Not a name I would have chosen but what are ya gonna do! I cant think of a good name that sounds like it either and if I do change her name it would have to sound similar.  I must admit that Gran is kind of sticking with me now though, so keeping it looks inevitable.

She is a 14 year old Clydie X TB, 16.1hh. light bay with a baldy face and white patches around her body. She looks mostly Clydie to me, even has the feathering around her hooves and she is built like a tank.  She has great dressage scores from the past but has been out of work for nearly five years so we need to work to get both of our fitness up. It looks like she has her dressage aids firmly committed to memory she is doing so well. She has had one foal in the past but I have her as my new riding mount and Teddy has been doing ground work.

I originally hoped that seeing as she is such a sweet natured girl that some of that may rub off on Teddy but they are in separate paddocks now as the only time I put them together Teddy started being a bossy boots. I don't want her picking up his bad habits, so for now at least, they are talking to each other over the fence with a driveway between them. They seem happy enough with that.

I doubt I will find the time to write a blog for each horse but I still want to record our progress and my ups and downs of returning to riding, so this will now be the Teddy and Granny Log (I need to work out how to change it on Blogger - maybe something like GranTeddy).

Teddy has been doing a bit of ground work and is doing very well. He's a lefty like me so he is working on the squeeze game on the right side. He has actually turned a corner from his rude behaviour of the last month and I  think it might be that I have moved him down the line in the pecking order. I want Gran to be seen as my number one and I do everything with her first. On the one occasion when I didn't, I started Teddy on ground work and took him out of Gran's sight and she started to threat and pace up and down the fence line calling out to him. She is such a girl!  Teddy did the same the first time I took her out of his sight but now he couldn't care less.  And his ground work has been consistently good so I hope we progress a lot on that front. The real test is when I get the float modified to accommodate Gran and take her away from the farm. It will be interesting to see how they both behave.

I have been working Gran fairly regularly after initially coming off her on the first day. She spooked as I was getting on and I hadn't even put my foot in the other stirrup when she seems to simultaneously jump forward, up and to the right and I went backwards and to the left! I fell flat on my side and once again I felt pain in places I'd never experienced before! It took some help from Kim the next day to get me on the right path as I was kind of shaken up by the fall but I'm OK now. Gran is such a lovely horse to ride. Such smooth movement. We are coming along OK but she is still pulling up a little sore. I cant get a physio or masseur out here until next year due to the Christmas holiday (a two week wait) so I've started her on Bute just to be sure. I also find that she is so wide that I'm pulling up sore too!

Today was an unplanned rest day as I've had visitors all day and ended up having a BBQ which left no time to ride. It wont hurt her to have a break but I hope to still work her each day, even at just a walk, to get her fitness up.  Once we are on our way I think I will have to alternate days between Teddy and her. There are also a few clinics coming up mid January so I want to take Gran out to them as well.

So far so good.