Galahad

Galahad is a 4yo, 15.1h black gelding gathered from Red Rock Lakes HMA in California. He is in training as part of Mustang Heritage Foundation’s Trainer Incentive Program. He is available for adoption for $125. Galahad will be halter started, lead, load and pick up all four feet. Galahad is NOT trained to ride.

 

August 20, 2014

Worked with Galahad some more on the obstacle course. He tackled the tire for the first time tonight and did very well! We also reinforced picking up his feet and he’s still doing great with that!

August 18, 2014

We’ve been practicing picking up Galahad’s feet. He was initially sensitive about his front feet. Now it isn’t any problem!

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August 13, 2014

Galahad went for a walk to the obstacle course for the first time. He was hesitant about crossing over the obstacles but I much prefer a horse that stops when he’s unsure to one that tries to run off! He’ll gain more confidence with our man made obstacles as he has more practice!

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August 9, 2014
Lead Galahad out and about around the back of the property. He was great! No trouble at all. Afterwards we worked on trailer loading. The first time he loaded he panicked a little bit when he got inside and got a scrape above his eye but we worked with him in and out a couple times. He is much better but still needs to gain confidence going in and out.

August 7, 2014

Haltering was no trouble this evening. From there I checked to see how he was leading. Again, no issue so tonight I decided to work with him on leading outside his stall. My corrals are arranged with an maybe 10′  – 12′ alley in front of the stalls. It dead ends on one side and is open on the other. Generally when horses come out of their stalls for the first time there are going to be two hangup spots, coming out of the corral and walking past my tackroom at the open end of the alley. Both of these areas create (in the mustangs mind) a squeeze area, a small space they aren’t sure they can cross. It is kind of humorous because left to their own devices the horses would freely wander in and out no problem but when the lead rope is attached they become skeptical! If they are going to have trouble they have it at one or both of these thresholds or they just walk right out no problem.
I figured Galahad was going to get stuck, just from how sticky he was teaching him to lead. He didn’t understand why he should go through the gate so he stopped. It took about 15 minutes of baby steps. Left, right. lean etc for him to finally make it across the first threshold. Once in the alley we practiced leading up and down and that went smooth so I decided to try to tackle the tack shed. Again with the thresholds so we worked step by step to get through that once. Once “outside” he was a little worried but still behaved very well. I didn’t plan on taking him far since it is dark outside and 1st time outside their pen, in the dark, with scary shadows and a horse that’s scared because its never been led anywhere is not a good idea! So we ended on a great note and I put him away. I do have video I will upload in the AM.

August 6, 2014

Great training session tonight for Galahad. Leading really clicked for him today and he led free and easy the whole session. Another day like that and he’ll finally be able to come out of his pen! We worked on approach and retreat on both sides and desensitization to the rope. We also removed his halter for the first time.

August 1, 2014
Started out a little sticky with leading still tonight. We worked on lightness, disengaging the hindquarters and yielding his front end.

July 29, 2014

Continued to work with Galahad on leading. Again he had the sticky feet but with the time off he has had that is OK. We reviewed touching on both sides of his neck and leading. Leading is really hard for him but we kept working on it. Lots of pressure and release. Finally by the end of the session he was leading up pretty freely.

July 15 – July 29

A lapse in training logs has occurred due to me needing to focus on rebuilding the website after a major crash. Gallahad has had a few training days since July 15th. Most recently she has had 7 days of complete rest from training due to  my needing to focus on other things.

July 15, 2014 – Training Day 5

Good training session this evening. Continued to reinforce last nights lesson. Yielding hindquarters was pretty good but I realized leading wasn’t. I would ask for forward motion and he would move his front feet and I would reward by releasing pressure. BUT…noticed today he was just parking out…and rotating around in a circle not actually moving. So tonight we focused on rewarding ONLY when he would move a hind foot. Leading started progressing much more nicely from there! Worked again on approaching each side of his neck and rubbing all the way on his topline to the point of his hip and down his ribcage. Practiced putting a halter on and off (over his rope halter). Really good training session for Galahad tonight!

July 14, 2014 – Training Day 4

Worked with Galahad this evening on yielding his hindquarters, leading and desensitization. Worked on being able to approach and rub him on each side of his neck.

July 12 & 13 – OFF

July 11, 2014 – Training Day 3

Galahad was much easier to approach today. Was able to walk right up and pet his muzzle and his face (although not his neck…he had to warm up to that). Leading was much improved today. Worked on some desensitization to the stick and string. Finally I measured him. Galahad is a solid 15.1 and probably still growing since he is only 4!

July 10, 2014 – Training Day 2

Worked on approach and retreat with Galahad. Was able to get to where he would allow me to pet the left side of his neck and snap a lead rope on. From there we worked on the basics of leading. I left him with a drag line for the night so he can continue to teach himself about pressure and release.

July 9, 2014 – Training Day 1

Worked with Galahad on going left and right and turning to the inside when asked. He’s a very mellow kind of dude. He allowed me to touch him with the stick without any negative reactions. He even got curious enough to touch my hand with his muzzle several different times. Such a good boy!

 

Arrival – July 9, 2014

 

At the Corrals – July 6, 2014

Status

Adopted!

Details

YOB: 2010

HMA: Red Rock Lakes, CA

Height: 15.1 hands

Gather Date: 08/01/2012

Others Available