Juan
Juan (as in Don Juan) is a 8 yo BLM gelding. This handsome grulla boy was gathered 10/02/2012 from Antelope Valley HMA in Nevada. Juan is not broke to ride although with training he should make a very nice riding horse. Juan has an adopter but you can still follow his progress! Be sure to bookmark this page, like us on Facebook and subscribe on YouTube to ensure you have the most up to date information about Juan’s training progress!! 
October 26, 2014
We have occasionally noticed Juan will step off oddly. This past Saturday we finally video taped him and realized what it was. He has string halt. This article explains the condition: http://www.thehorse.com/articles/26838/stringhalt-in-horses Because surgery is cost prohibitive and not a guaranteed solution. It isn’t painful for him but does make him dangerous to ride. Juan will be returned to the corrals where he will be fed and cared for just as he was before we picked him up. He won’t have any added stress of training or riding applied to him and should live a quite comfortable life. His case is mild for now and affects both hind legs.
October 22, 2014
Worked with haltering Juan over his existing halter. He’s going to need some more practice but I think last nights lesson really helped him out. Reviewed grooming, haltering, leading and hindquarter yields.
October 21, 2014
Today seemed like a breakthrough for Juan. One of the biggest things we have been working on with him is his extreme head shyness. Every day, little by little I’ve been working with him to allow his head to be touched by the stick. His main area of concern is his muzzle, forehead and poll area (he has been OK with his cheeks being touched by anything, including my hand). In previous lessons he’d get frustrated, throw his head and knock whatever I was trying to touch him with away. I’d persist and eventually he’d relent a little bit but I wasn’t really making progress on his problem areas. Tonight I attached a piece of fabric to the end of my stick and used that instead. Because it could drape down from the stick even when he flipped his head around he couldn’t rid himself of the soft cloth. After about 10 minutes he had settled and I could easily place the cloth on his forehead and rub him without him showing any concern. Following that lesson we worked on leading, and grooming, and started on tying. He is accepting being brushed all over his body now. He wants to lift his legs when you get below the knees / hocks but isn’t kicking out or doing anything silly.
After we worked on grooming I went back to check out and see how he would feel if I touched his face again. He was fine with the cloth, no worries so I tried with my hand. Success! He stood quietly while I rubbed my hand all over his forehead and bridge of his nose and played with his forelock by his ears. I didn’t tackle his muzzle or poll but he is MUCH improved. Hoping that the lesson sticks next time I work with him.
October 20, 2014
Worked with Juan today on being touched around his head, poll and nose area in preparation for haltering. We also worked on leading and yielding his hindquarters. We spent lots of time on approach and retreat and getting him used to having his legs and body touched with the stick while I am standing right next to him. For grooming I was able to brush his neck, shoulder and barrel and front legs down to his knees without him worrying at all. If he is still comfortable next time we’ll go to hindquarters, hocks, and ankles in the front.
October 19, 2014 – OFF
October 18, 2014
Juan is still apprehensive but making great progress! He’s much more easily approached now although. We are working with getting him used to being touched around his face and poll so that eventually he can be haltered. He’s been very protective of this area. His leading is coming around although still not quite good enough to come outside yet. We reviewed previous desensitization lessons and I introduced him to the saddle blanket. He was apprehensive at first but soon realized it wasn’t hurting him. After his main lesson was done I introduced him to the spray bottle on his mane which he hardly noticed and started the process of detangling his mane. It will take a few sessions to get the knots completely out but he stands quietly and lets me work on them. He gets more comfortable with me being near him each time I work with him.
October 17 – Off
October 16, 2014
Lots of fun with Juan today. We worked lots on desensitization with the stick and string and then graduated to the flag. Juan started off worried but soon settled to where neither of them bothered him. Juan is still more fearful of my approach then me touching him with objects. He’s not keen on me touching him at all. I continue to work with him using approach and retreat to help him even get comfortable with me in his space. The idea being to gradually increase his comfort level until he is completely confident with me standing beside him, and finally touching him. That being said, he did allow me to rub the left side of his neck a few times without showing too much concern. Still working on the left side.
Juan and I also worked on leading. He is doing well but still needs to be a little softer before I can start to think about taking him out of his stall. We are hoping to get him on the obstacle course this weekend but it will all depend on if he is ready. Here is a quick video from last night.
Arrival Day – October 15, 2014
Juan was a little bit of a handful tonight so we broke up his training into three sessions. That really helped him. The first session we worked on JUST looking at me and changing directions to the inside. He was able to learn that very quickly so I stopped on a good note to give him a break.
Next we worked on touching him with the stick and a rope. At first he didn’t want the stick to touch him at all so I started by throwing my long rope over his back and just wiggling it around letting it touch his back, butt, neck and sides. That took him a while to get used to and then he didn’t notice / care. He settled down and stopped running, instead he would stand there. Now able to think, I used by stick to gently touch him on the neck and shoulders. At first he would startle or jump forward. Pretty soon he realized the stick wasn’t hurting him. I was able to touch him on his neck, shoulders and chest from the left side. We found a good note to quit on.
The third and final session he was VERY calm compared to the first couple times. NO running away or getting scared this time. I worked on approach and retreat with the stick again which he remembered. Slowly I started getting closer and closer until I could touch him on his neck. That startled him so we worked on it and pretty soon he was OK with me touching the left side of his neck. I moved him around some so he didn’t get locked into one spot and he did very well. I was able to snap a lead line on. We worked on leading. He already has a really nice foundation in leading, he’s responding softly to the feel of the rope. Can’t wait to continue to work with him!
At the Corrals
