I am really pleased

bannerminis · Jul 26, 2011

I finally have Sunny getting back to work after he pulled the muscle in his back. He could have come back sooner but I had my hands full with the mares so thought it would be no harm for him to have a holiday.

Anyway we went back to the groundwork and its like he had never stopped.

So this evening I pulled out my cart and brought it over to the fence. He was fascinated and followed me along his fence line trying to smell it.

I exercised him and then tacked him and did some long reigning. The only thing he can be a bit stubborn about is reigning back. Sometimes its perfect and other times he can dig the heals in and make a total mess of it. But that will come with practice I suppose. Does anyone have any tips on improving it though??

So I got brave and took him over (tacked) to see his cart up close and personal and he smelled it and looked at it and then it was like "SO".

So I walked him and I pulled the cart - again no big deal and no issue.

So I thought I will go one step further and see how he takes it. Tied him up and brought the cart to him and hitched it on. Lightly in case I needed to get it off in a hurry but it was safely on.

Backed him up and off we walked (leading him with the headcollar) and I dont even know if he knew it was there. We walked all round the back and lawn and there were a few tight squeezes in turning but it didnt bother him.

So we left it on a good note and he got a few polo mints for being such a good boy.

I am so pleased with him. I will be taking it bit by bit but if he keeps going like this there will be no stopping us.

The only thing I have to do with the cart is move the shafts back as there is WAY too much space between him and the cart so need to slide them back a good few inches.

The thing I need to work on is my hands and in keeping contact with the bit. Its so long since I have ridden and even longer since I have driven I feel all thumbs. But again that should come back with more practice. Good job Sunny is so patient lol.

Here are a couple of pics taken a couple of wks ago when he came back in from grass.

Reignmaker Miniatures · Jul 26, 2011

What a good looking solid guy. He's going to look great in harness and it sounds like he's got the right mind for the work too.

hobbyhorse23 · Jul 29, 2011

Congratulations! Sunny looks absolutely fabulous in those photos. He's such a pretty color!

bannerminis said:
I exercised him and then tacked him and did some long reigning. The only thing he can be a bit stubborn about is reigning back. Sometimes its perfect and other times he can dig the heals in and make a total mess of it. But that will come with practice I suppose. Does anyone have any tips on improving it though??

First of all make sure he knows how to do it well in-hand. He should know the verbal cue for it and understand that cue whether he's in front of you or beside you. Make sure he's not in pain as well- reluctance to back could be caused by some leftover owie from that back sprain.

If he had problems doing it on the long-lines before he was hurt and does it fine in-hand you need to break the transition from in-hand to on the reins into smaller steps. I will have the horse back away from me in a halter while I'm facing him, then teach him to do it beside me (both of us moving backwards hip-to-shoulder), then teach him to do it beside me off a rein cue so everything is the same except now I'm using rein pressure instead of lead pressure. Once they get that you can move further and further behind the horse until they're backing easily in long lines.

If he gets reluctant, don't escalate. Just ask gently with your hands and don't let him go forward or sideways. He can stand still or he can back up but the only way he gets the release is to go backwards. As SOON as he moves backwards even the tiniest bit, even just rocking his weight at first, reward him so he knows he did the right thing! Make it easy for him. With praise and consistency and it never turning into a battle or a big deal he'll get over it.

Leia

bannerminis · Jul 31, 2011

Thank you Leia.

Sunny worked fine with the back command before his muscle issue. With halter I had worked on the back command with him and so he does know what I mean. He knows Stand too.

He just started to swing to the side when I asked him but then like you said I asked him to step back and even if he only did a step he was praised and walked forward and then do a lap and then asked to halt and back again. He is a clever boy and is now responding much better. Funny thing is hitched to the cart he does it very naturally - go figure.

I will be doing more work on that though as I want it perfect and at least now I know that with your advice I am going in the right direction with him.

Yesterday my neighbour sat in the cart while I walked at his head. He was very confused as to why he was hearing a different voice and he knew someone was in the cart but how was I standing at his head LOL. He is just too cute.