January 25, 2015

Isn’t he stunning! This is Neptunes last photo shoot before he leaves for his home in Arizona next weekend. We’ve enjoyed having him here. Still can’t believe this guy sat in BLM holding pens for 2 years before we scooped him up for the TIP program. He has been awesome to work with. At 8 years old he has more than proven that an “older” horse can be just as trainable as a younger one. He’s easily caught in a 50×100 paddock, picks up all four feet at liberty and can be saddled without issue. We can’t wait to see how far his new adopter is able to take him!

January 6, 2015

Saddled Neptune again tonight and let him just hang out in his stall with the saddle on. It was uneventful. Practiced picking up all four feet and tied him for about 20 minutes when we were all done. He’s doing great!

January 4, 2015 

Worked with Neptune again on turnout in the big pen. This time with my less than calm mare.  She is 16 hands he looks TINY next to her!! Also saddled him again. NO buck this time. I took my time saddling, adjusting the cinch, preparing him for it and he handled everything very well! We also practiced picking up feet. He is doing great! Video is being uploaded now.

Catching / Haltering Video

Saddling Video

 

December 25, 2014 – Training Day 30

Today I decided to go ahead and turn Neptune out into the big pen. He had spent the night in the 50×50 because he had gotten out and I found him in there. Boy did he have fun in the big pen!! He’ll need a couple more times of turn out in the larger area (50×100) but all in all he did pretty well. Definitely feeling frisky. Video angle / lighting is poor on the second half of the video. I will try and remember to get footage next time I turn him out.

December 24, 2014 – Training Day 29

Turned Neptune out for the second time. Haltering went much more smoothly even with three days off. He was a little spunky but did really well! May be ready for the big pen tomorrow!

 

Dec 21 -23. 

I’ve been sidelined with a shoulder / arm injury not related to this horse. Dr. took X rays and I have the all clear to work horses again just can’t have anything pull on me for a while. I hope to get back in with him tomorrow.

December 20, 2014

Worked with Neptune on haltering in a bigger pen. It did take a little bit of convincing but with practice I was able to halter him in the bigger pen. Will do the same thing tomorrow and get video. Had the wrong setting so it didn’t take today.

December 14, 2014 – Training Day 27

Today we reviewed picking up feet. Neptune has been doing really great so I decided to start with more advanced training. I worked with him with the saddle pad, then the bareback pad, then bumpers, then finally saddled him up with a childs saddle. He did buck for a few minutes but soon settled and traveled around nicely. I saddled him twice today, the second time he didn’t buck at all. Really positive lesson for him today I think!

First Saddling

 

Second Saddling

 

December 13, 2014 – Training Day 26

Worked on lots of cool stuff. Haltering then spent a few minutes on the obstacle course. He was pretty fresh from the cool weather and days off! Taught him how to trailer load which was no problem for him at all!! Such a brave guy. Ended the day by reviewing some of the basics, working with feet, and then finally spent some quiet time braiding his mane. Video coming but here are some pictures.

 

December 11 – 12 – OFF due to rain.

December 10, 2014 – Training Day 25

Worked with Neptune to review picking up his feet. He’s wanting to anticipate picking up his front and back feet. Worked on grooming all over his body including his legs while focusing on him not picking up his front feet.

December 9, 2014 – Training Day 24

Worked with Neptune in two different training sessions today. The first was just a review from yesterday, approach and brush on both sides. The second was just me and the halter. I really focused on retreating every time he had his ears forward and before he felt the need to look away. I’m pretty good at reading his body language so it was a fun kind of test for him. This REALLY seemed to make a difference. By the end of our session he was walking towards me and no longer looking away when I’d put the halter over his ears. I know we’ll need lots of practice but this was a GREAT change in him tonight!

December 8, 2014 – Training Day 23

Again tonight we worked more on our relationship. Lots of approach and retreat. No haltering. Lots of brushing on both sides with a brush (at liberty). At all times he was free to move off if he needed to and, if he did I waited then approached again.

December 7, 2014 – Training Day 22

Worked with Neptune with more approach and retreat. Started introducing him to hay pellets as a supplement since he won’t take carrots. So far he’s leary of the hay pellets too so it will take a few days. Still I worked with him on approach and retreat while trying to not have him associate anything negative with being caught so most of what we have done is where I walk up to him, pet him and walk away etc several times a day on the weekend. I did finish the evening by redoing his hair. It hadn’t been unbraided since I originally detangled and put it up so it was time to redo it. Unfortunately, in playing with my new camera, I didn’t realize the angle was too high but decided to include the video anyway. Most of the video is sped up at 4x actual speed except for the very beginning segment.

 

December 6, 2014 – Training Day 21

Neptune had quite a few days off due to a recent storm. My pens finally dried out enough today to work with him. I’m continuing to work with Neptune on accepting being haltered. He can be haltered, but he doesn’t like it. As you can see in this video he will turn his head away. I tried today to introduce him to carrots but he would have none of that. Won’t even eat them out of his feeder. I’m going to try some positive reinforcement techniques and see what we can get accomplished. He does everything once he is haltered pretty well so this is the area I’d like to focus on improving next. Of course we can’t do all haltering all the time but I’m making it a more conscious part of our training routine.

 

December 1, 2014 – Training Day 20

Worked with Neptune today continuing approach and retreat and haltering. He is getting better but still not thrilled about having the halter put on. We also worked today on not anticipating picking up his feet when I rub my hands down his legs. Overall he did really great!

 

November 30, 2014 – OFF 

November 29, 2014 – Training Day 19

First day back to work after the Thanksgiving Holiday. I took Neptune for his second stroll around the obstacle course. This time he was able to finally conquer the tire! We reviewed all of the obstacles. Learning how to cross the bridge during his first day on the obstacle was quite the mental task for him and he worked up a sweat. Today was completely different. He had a been there, done that attitude about the whole thing. I had thought I recorded video but it turns out I had my new camera set wrong. I hope to get video of him over the obstacles soon.

November 26-28, 2014 – OFF 

November 25, 2014 – Training Day 18

Today was the big day for Neptune, his first trip out to the obstacle course. He did really well. The step up bridge was the biggest challenge for him. He just couldn’t quite figure out why or how to put his feet up on it. The teeter bridge, logs, and other step overs were all no problem. With patience and persistence he was finally able to tackle the step up bridges. Really pleased with how well he did his first time out.

 

November 24, 2014 – Training Day 17

Our last approach and retreat session I think made a big difference in Neptune. He still isn’t the kind of horse to come up and want to be caught, at least not yet, but today he allowed me to walk pretty much right up to him. He didn’t do his customary trot off. Today it was just a couple of steps to the side. We did lots more approach and retreat. We did lots of simulated bridling, putting the lead rope over his ears. We worked on grooming / petting all the way down his rump and front legs which have, historically, been sensitive spots for him. He was GREAT. Didn’t lift his feet up in anticipation of picking up his feet and didn’t scoot or kick when I was touching his back end. It still worries him and he takes a deep breath when I step away and release pressure but he’s really starting to understand our routines and I feel every day I am gaining his trust and he worries less and less about the things I do around him.

November 23, 2014 – Training Day 16

I had wanted to get a lot more done with Neptune today than I did, namely starting to work on his back feet but the weather was just not decent enough for that. Instead we worked on approach and retreat. Neptune has been without a halter for a while now and I can get him haltered but he’s always a little flighty when I first go in to get him. Today we worked on approach and retreat. No haltering at all, just rubs and scratches and I’d walk away. He only tolerates haltering, he doesn’t like it and doesn’t look forward to it though he seems to enjoy his lessons once he is caught. He’ll need more practice on this going forward but the weather being so windy today gave me the perfect opportunity to work on it.

 

November 22, 2014 – Training Day 15

Its been to windy by the time I get home to work any horses all week but today I finally got a chance to play with Neptune again. He was great. It still takes him a couple minutes to halter but he is doing better. With the days off he needed a refresher course with picking up his front feet but remembered his desensitization lessons well. I was able to brush him all over his body with my soft bristled brush but am still working on brushing him on his lower legs. On the front feet he wants to pick them up instead of let me brush them and when I try and brush the back he wants to move away to evade. We’ll get there with practice!

November 18, 2014 – Training Day 14

With new horses coming in tomorrow we wanted to move Neptune to his new stall which also has the most light. He’s been doing good in the alley so changing stalls wasn’t an issue. I felt comfortable, for the first time, to take him further than the alley to the area just between my house and the stalls. He handled the open space well although I could tell he was still nervous. With practice he’ll gain more confidence coming outside!

November 17, 2014 – Training Day 13

Reviewed leading by one foot. That went well so we I started to introduce picking up the foot. He isn’t sure about me bending over to pick it up with my hand but he’ll yield to the rope and let me handle his foot. Its a start!

November 14-16, 2014 – Training Days 9-12

LOTS of good stuff accomplished with Neptune. I didn’t have a cameraman any of these days so video / pictures were limited but we had lots of fun playing. We worked on catching, simulated bridling, haltering, and leading. I reviewed desensitization with the stick and string and even introduced the dreaded plastic bag!! We played with yielding the hind quarters in response to pressure on his ribs. We worked on backup up with a suggestion from the rope. I started him on leading by a front foot in preparation for picking up his feet. He picked that up very nicely. He’ll lead slowly by each foot but he’ll lead. Worked more on getting him used to ropes around his back legs. He’s been ok with it when I’m flicking the end of the lead rope and had gained confidence with the but rope but each time we moved lower towards his gaskin or hock or cannon he’d get real scared and want to kick so we did some work with that and he finally got to where he could even pick up his back right leg without kicking out at the rope. Oh and tying, two days in a row he did very well. Not well enough to really be active around him but enough to where I can leave him tied and work a horse in the adjacent pen and not have him worry and approach from the front to release (he’s still worried about a side approach while tied). All in all a great weekend for Neptune.

November 13, 2014 – Training Day 8

Worked with Neptune on more desensitization. More work on putting the halter on and taking it off. We worked on leading by a rope around his neck loosly much as someone might do to go quickly catch a horse in a paddock. He did very well with that concept. Worked some more on grooming as well.

November 11, 2014 – Training Day 7

Worked with Neptune today with some review and some new stuff. We reviewed approach and retreat and desensitization. I introduced a brush and grooming for his neck, shoulder, chest, and barrel on both sides. He was good with that all the way to his hip. I am being careful near his hind end because he has been goosey and shown that he is sensitive about that area of his body. Instead of trying to touch him back there with my hand or the brush I’ve been using other objects. Tonight was a “butt” rope. At first he got really worried, tucked up under himself and bolted off but within a few minutes he calmed down and was ok with it. He’ll still need review though. After that I started working with him on accepting cinch pressure by putting my rope around his barrel. He bucked quite a bit at first but soon settled and then stood calmly as I simulated cinching about a dozen more times with the rope. We finished off by simulating haltering/bridling by putting a rope over his ears back and forth about a dozen times. All in all a great session!

November 10, 2014 – Very windy. Had the day off.

November 9, 2014 – Training Day 6

Worked with Neptune on desensitization and leading. Then we ended with a spa day finally finishing detangling his mane!

 

November 8, 2014 – Training Day 5

Worked with Neptune tonight on more desensitization. He really had trouble coming out of his stall not wanting to come through the gate so we worked on that a few times. He was a bit insecure about leading so we just practiced walking up and down the alley way. We’ll do some more practice with him tomorrow too!

November 7, 2014 – Training Day 4

Worked on approach again. Worked on touching his hindquarters / rear legs with the stick. He’s fine with the string but super sensitive with any other kind of touch so we worked with that today. I had to make an extension of the stick by adding a pool noodle. I’ll get a picture when I get a chance but it worked awesomely for him. I was able to stay a safe distance from his rear end and he finally figured out being touched back there wasn’t that scary. He only kicked at the pool noodle once but when he would get scared because of the touch he’d race around his stall. We finished that task when he was finally able for me to touch him on the hindquarters and down the back of the legs without running off. Huge improvement.

I also started to work on Neptunes mane. I knew, from experience, that I would lose the long pieces that hang down. Those were dead hair that couldn’t drop because it was knotted up. It took a bit of work but I got about 90% of the mane untangled. There are still a couple spots but he stood quiet the whole time and was a good boy.

Approach is very easy for him now. He still snorts around when I go to get him but stays within a 5′ radius of me. He isn’t trying to hide and is constantly watching me. It takes him a minute and then he can be easily approached. Because he has been so easy to approach and isn’t running off to the back corner of the stall when I come in I decided to go ahead and take the lead rope off. You can see in some of these pictures he doesn’t have a lead rope around but didn’t want to “leave” so I had to take them at a weird angle!!

November 6, 2014 

Worked on approach for a couple minutes in the morning but for the most part he had the day off. Here are a couple of pictures I took in the morning though.

November 5, 2014 – Training Day 3

Another great session. Neptune is improving each day gaining more and more confidence. Today I was able to touch him on the left side of his neck fairly easily and am starting to be able to touch him on the right. We continued to work on desensitization to the stick and string as well as leading. As you can see from the video he is getting pretty light to lead which is always a good thing! Should be able to introduce him to the obstacle course this weekend.

November 4, 2014 – Training Day 2

Again, really great session with Neptune. He is still worried when I first go in the pen but calms down within about 5 minutes. Very easily was able to touch him all over with the stick and string (review from yesterday). We then worked on leading, reinforcing from yesterday, encouraging lightness. He’s able to take more steps forward now. In following me he started to gain a little more confidence and even reached out to smell my hand a few times.

November 3, 2014 – Training Day 1

Being able to settle really made for a positive change. Neptunes first training session focused mostly on just allowing him to get comfortable with the idea of me IN the pen with him. He was much more relaxed than when he first arrived. We worked on decreasing his flight distance. I also worked with him with tossing the stick and string over his back. By the end of the training session he could stand calmly with me about 5 feet away and tolerate the string touching him all over his neck, legs, back, and rump without flinching or getting scared We practiced a few times on both sides and then worked on leading. He is already understanding the concept of yielding to pressure from side to side and even took a few steps forward. We ended on a good note.

Arrival

Upon arrival Neptune had about a 26′ flight distance. That means once you got about 2 feet on the outside of his pen he needed to start moving his feet to get away. This video shows him within the first hour after unloading. We then gave him time to settle.

 

At the facility