All Work and Some Play

Winter time is usually a tough time for me to get in the saddle and hit the trails.  The weather where Trovao is kept is usually pretty rough.  Deep snow and open fields make it cold and unpleasant.  Lucky for us,  Christina has obtained permission from the lady who owns her farm for us to come over and use the arena.  Let me tell you what an experience it is.  We don't ride in the arena, we play!  It's a great way for the boys to stretch their legs and be silly, but still learn.  Not sure if I have mentioned this before, but Trovao is scared of everything.  Chairs, tarps, bouncing balls, you name it.  At times, I think he is scared of his own shadow.  Garbage bins, that are out every Thursday, that he has seen a thousand times, they are going to kill him.  So, we use the time in the arena, to attempt to desensitize him.   All this started last winter. 

We usually start off "play time" by chasing them around the arena to stretch, but then rein it in to free lunging them.  I love watching how Trovao behaves.   He becomes so attentive.  I wonder if it has a lot to do with when I first began to train him.  On the lunge line, I would give him 5 minutes to each side to buck, be silly, and gallop around, then it was business.  It seemed to be a method that worked for us.  Until now I've never had an arena to free lunge in, so it's been amazing to see how well he actually responds.   He has his cheeky moments, but he is learning.  

We do a lot of different things when we play.  For example, after we have got them warmed up and paying attention, we bring out the trotting poles and have them go over them down the long wall.   In the beginning, Trovao would do everything he could to avoid going over them.  Christina would say "over" and over Rusty goes, but not Trovao.  We would think that would just follow Rusty over, but at the last second, he would skip around them.  Eventually he started to go over them.  The nice thing is that they are the same poles used to set up jumps, so I think this has helped him associate them with jumps in the field.  Two weeks ago, Johanna and Apollo joined us in the arena and she set up some up as an actual jump on the opposite wall.   So the boys had to go over the trotting poles, then over the jump.  

Other times when we have worked in the arena, we have brought out tarps and different sized balls, and barrels.  Trovao doesn't like tarps, so one day we decided that it would be a good idea to play with one.  We started with it on the ground.  It took a bit of coaxing, but I actually got Trovao to walk on it. I was leading him of course, and treats were a definite reward.  Soon, I had him walking on it beside me without me holding him.  He would follow me on it.  I was pretty happy about this.  After accomplishing this, I decided that I would try to put the tarp on him.  He wasn't overly amused about it, but he trusted me.  I began by holding him and rubbing the tarp all over his body.  I would toss it up and have it make noise, as that's what scare him.   He didn't like it much, but again, trusted me.  By the end of the exercise, I had the tarp up and over his head.  While this was amazing, I'm still sure that if we come across one on the road, it will try to kill him.  

Other things that I have done with Trovao involve lunging whips.  In the beginning, I began with only one whip.  I would do the same thing I did with the tarp and run it up and down his body, flicking it over his back.  Quick movements would startle him a bit, but he accepted it.  I then began to swing the whip around at his sides, and eventually helicopter around his head.  The biggest challenge has been to not hold on to him while I do this.  Every time we play in the arena, I make sure to work on this.   Last week, when I went up to play, I tried two whips.  I couldn't believe it.  He stood right in front of me and let me swing both whips around his body and over his head!  This amazed me because I've only done this a few times with him.  My boy never ceases to amaze me.  

The next thing I want to work on him with is to kick a soccer ball.  He already expresses some interest in the ball.  While he hasn't figured out how to play with it, he does like to go and sniff it.  I have taken to kicking the ball to his front hooves and making him walk forward saying "Kick it".  He has done it a couple times.  Shocking enough I got the idea to kick the ball up and over the boys for fun.  While Apollo wasn't impressed with my idea, Rusty and Trovao weren't bothered by it.  That made me happy that it didn't spook him.  I have been able to kick balls under his feet, bounce them off his back, and play catch with Christina over his back.  Who knows, maybe I will be able to make a soccer star out my boy yet.  

I have been lucky to get some arena time with my boy lately.  While it doesn't compare to time in the saddle, it's still a great bonding experience.  I definitely recommend that every horse person take some time to just play with their friends. 

Well, until next time my friends.  Thanks for reading.

Ashley and Trovao

Trovao decided to be a paint after a nice roll in the arena.  

Up and Over

Well what can I say, work is such an inconvenience when it comes to me wanting to get back in the saddle.  But I'm sure Trovao doesn't mind not having to carry me around for a few hours on some trails.  OK, I'm sure he does miss it, and me, a bit.  I definitely do.

In my last post, I introduced everyone to our friends, Christina and Rusty.  I began to tell you about how they have been such an amazing influence on us.  Our first time out, Trovao and I were in a rough spot with each other.  Years of nothing but boring flat work resulted in fights and both of us souring. Getting ut on the trails and away from the arena was the best thing that could have ever happened.  We have finally reconnected.  When Trovao met Rusty, I couldn't believe how well they got along.  Trovao trusted Rusty and he would do anything with him.  Rusty and Christina have seen us through a lot of firsts.  I didn't think that we would see these firsts, but we have and it's a great feeling.  I think the first story I want to tell you about is our first time jumping.

Now, Trovao and I have jumped before, but it was not graceful, nor was it actually over a jump.  When he was about 5, we jumped a ditch because a truck was coming up the road.  OK, so maybe I shouldn't count that one.  I've always wanted to try jumping. All I've ever known in the equestrian wold was Dressage, so the thought was kind of scary, but also intriguing. The ride started out like any other ride Christina and I had been on.  She met me at the top of the driveway and we headed out to the neighbour's bush.  Our neighbour has a team of Clydesdale horses that he drives through the forest at the back of their property, so they have a really nice trail that we incorporate into our outings.  Near one of the entrances, Christina had set up 3 jumps, as she used the trail frequently.  When we approached them, she asked if we would want to try going over them, or we could go around them, but she would be taking Rusty.  I thought about it for a second and decided why not, lets do it.  So after a few pointers about seat position, we were off.  Rusty broke into a canter and Trovao followed suit, only he wasn't calm, he was anxious.  Approaching the jumps, I kept thinking "don't spook, don't refuse, and don't dump me!" But Trovao was amazing!  One, two, three and we were over them all.  I was so proud!  He did not miss a beat, and I'm sure he cleared them much higher than he needed to.  It was at that moment that I felt a huge change in my horse.  He had discovered something new and he loved it!  He walked with such an attitude after that, so proud of himself for doing it.  Christina took us over another log jump that was higher than the first ones, and again he just soared!  What a rush!  The ride ended up on riding on the trails behind Christina's barn, where she had a few more jumps set up.  Well you guessed it, we went over those too with no problems (following Rusty of course).  The only problem I have now, is that I have created a monster.  Now when I ride the trails, and Trovao sees the jumps, he becomes like a kid in a candy store.   You can just feel the excitement coursing through him.

After a few rides on these trails and going over these jumps, Christina suggested that we go to her friend's property, where they have a jumping course set up.  Why not!  Let's see what Trovao can do!  Well for anyone who knows my boy, these ones were scary.  If it doesn't look like a natural log, well it's just going to eat him.  The trotting poles on the ground may jump up and bite.  But, after a bit of circling around, and convincing, he gained the confidence to go over.   Before I knew it, we were jumping over plastic rain barrels, tires, and coloured jumps!  Today I don't even need to follow Rusty!  Trovao has found something that he really loves!  And because he loves it, so do I.  Secretly, Trovao is not the only jumping monster that was created.

On that note, I'm going to end this one for now.   I'll be back soon to recount another story for you all.  Thanks for reading.

Ashley and Trovao