Shari's Gone Country

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Breakthrough! Dusty, the unbroke gelding is growing up...

As you may remember, one of my roomies, Cindy, has a horse... a project horse.

Dusty came to our farm as a yearling. He's a Thoroughbred, who was rejected from any possible racing due to a slightly crooked front leg. It's not enough of a problem that he can't be ridden in due time... he just can't stand the constant pressure of racing, even it he wanted to.

So Cindy got Dusty by way of a rescue service.

He stood about 15.2 hands and was just plain "full of it" all the time. Within a couple of months, it was time to take him from all boy, to wannabe... a gelding. So, off he went for a ride in the trailer. Smart vet... let's just sedate him here in the trailer. Well, he was gelded, got his feet trimmed, and an overall health check as well as vaccinations. Wanna bet he remembers that trailer ride?

Over the past year, Cindy has had plenty of ups and downs with him. He has a very high "play drive", and hasn't realized he can really hurt when he gets too frisky. Unfortunately, Cindy has been his target more than once. Like the time she was in the wrong place at the wrong time... couldn't get a gate open fast enough to avoid his hind hoof in back, just rib high.

We've all been nipped more than once, until finally we said, "enough is enough" and began to discipline him.

This last May things were like this from Cindy's point of view. "I have way too much respect for him, and he has little to no respect for me."

The turning point was the weekend we spent at Clinton Anderson's "Walh Walkabout Tour". Two days of highly detailed instruction changed Cindy's approach to how to get Dusty's attention, and his respect.

In just a short 2 1/2 months, Dusty no longer insists on biting us. Oh sure, he still tries when he senses an opportunity, but those are far and few between.

He spends quality time in his workouts. He's really learning to be a gentleman.

Cindy doesn't have a lot of time to work with him, and she's his only true trainer. Bev and I don't get into the round pen with him, as he's not a real candidate for "team training".

One of the most important things we did, was to decrease the diameter of our round pen from 60 feet to 50 feet. Now Cindy doesn't get tired chasing him around the pen. She's able to reach her "positions of authority", and that makes a ton of difference.

Just this month, Dusty has learned the "bareback pad" isn't something he can get off his back by bucking. This was just a run up to actually saddling him.

This past Saturday was his real breakthrough. Cindy saddled him, then bridled him, and even put a little leaning weight on him.

After working with him for about 20 minutes or so, she said... ok, now go see how you really feel about all this tack on you.