January 24, 2015

Olaf went home to Arizona with his new adopter. We are sure he’ll be loved and enjoyed!

January 20-22, 2015

Continued to review basics with Olaf including haltering, leading, picking up feet and the bareback pad.

January 18, 2015

We were teaching some of the other horses to load today so we decided to give Olaf a refresher course. Here is his video. He walked right in with no issue.

January 15, 2015

Today was a fun day. We saddled Olaf for the first time. The video below shows, start to finish, our entire training session with no edits. The saddling part comes about five minutes in if you want to fast forward! I could tell you how it went but isn’t it more fun to watch the video?

January 14, 2015

Olaf had a few days off due to rain and subsequently mud. Today was the first day it was dry enough to work with him. We reviewed basics of haltering, leading, grooming and picking up all four feet.

January 10, 2015

Today we cinched up Olaf for the first time with the bareback pad. I did this in increments to see how he would react. He was a little worried about the whole process but never bucked. I tightened him up three times and asked him to move off. Each time he did as he asked and didn’t buck out at all. I’m hoping to introduce him to the saddle tomorrow if the rain lets up. Video starts as soon as he was cinched the first time and ends with the end of our lesson.

January 6, 2015

Worked with Olaf tonight on reviewing basics like haltering and picking up feet. Then we introduced yielding his hindquarters in response to pressure from my fingers on his ribs. He was able to do both sides although we’ll need to work on softness. We finished the evening working on desensitization of his belly / cinch area in preparation for cinching with the bareback pad or saddle.

January 4, 2015

Working on updating the website. Here are some pictures from today. We had some spa day time first and then did actually get some work done. Here are the spa day pics 😀 He did get his tail brushed out and braided for the first time!

December 31, 2014 – Training Day 19

Worked with Olaf today for about 15 minutes with the nylon flag. He has seen the fabric one before but I wasn’t sure if I had introduced him to the nylon one yet. He was a little worried at first but soon settled and began to investigate it. He figured it wouldn’t hurt him but was still cautious about me touching him with it. Being the good sport that he is he tolerated it but will need a couple more introductions in order to become more comfortable with the flag.

 

December 28, 2014 – Training Day 18

Worked with Olaf today again with picking up his feet. We are working on just getting him comfortable with picking up his hind feet before we start to hold them for longer periods of time. He is doing well and has not kicked once!

December 26, 2014 -Training Day 17

Worked with Olaf today in his stall focusing on desensitization and picking up his feet. Front feet he has gotten pretty good about. He is a little slow to pick them up but once he does he lets me hold them.  For the first time today I tried picking up his back feet. Great news is he didn’t give me any trouble. With how goosey he had been I thought for sure he might try and kick (which is pretty normal). He was great. I didn’t hold them for long but it is a great start. I guess all the work I have been doing around his hind end has paid off! To finish we worked on grabbing his tail for the first time. He was A-OK with that too!

December 25, 2014 – Training Day 16

First day on the obstacle course and he was great!! First we worked in his pen on yielding from pressure on the rope around his buttocks. This is a difficult manuver usually for mustangs to learn because it can make them feel trapped and for horses who are sensitive around their hind end can make them kick / buck at first. We only practiced the one direction. At first it was difficult for Olaf to understand what was being asked and so he trotted / cantered around his pen keeping pressure on the lead rope. I worked to try and make sure I only rewarded him when he gave some indication of yielding to the pressure. This was new to him, he had to bend AWAY from me. We worked at it for about 15 minutes and finally he figured out the puzzle. The video shows the end result. I still need to teach him to do the same thing except turning to the right instead of left.

With that done it was time to take him on his first outing out in the big open spaces. Joe is handling him in case he decides to bolt. As you can see he did pretty darn good! Check out these pictures and video of Olaf on the obstacle course.

 

December 24, 2014 – Training Day 15

Took Olaf out of his pen again for leading / lunging practice in a bigger area. I had my husband Joe work with him at first because I can’t hold on to him right now if he were to decide to pull. We have a metal pole in the middle of our lunging area we can use if need be so that if a horse does pull they don’t learn a bad habit of pulling away from us. As you can see in the video he was naturally very light outside (he’s light in his stall too) so I went ahead and worked with him some. Once he did startle and get the rope in a position where I couldn’t pull on him correctly to stop him so I dropped the line instead of pulling and having the possibility of him running through the pressure and creating a bad habit. He came right back up to me which was awesome. He may be ready to turn out! We are hoping to try him leading outside tomorrow. We will see!

 

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 – Training Day 14

After three days off we did a little bit of review with Olaf. Reveiwed haltering two different ways. He’s still leading pretty light. Reviewed touching his body. He was a little jumpy near his hind end so I worked with him with the rope a bit in that area. Practiced touching his lower legs to start prepping for being able to pick his front feet up. Good training session considering the days off and the cold weather. Video is start to finish with no edits.

 

December 17-19, 2014 – Pens Too Wet

December 16, 2014 -Training Day 13

Olaf was awesome today! It takes him a couple of minutes to settle when I first go into the pen. He is allowing haltering over his ears. Not blocking on either side of his body. I worked him only at liberty today to build approach and retreat / haltering / yielding hind quarters and having him follow me around the pen.

December 15, 2014 -Training Day 12

Worked with Olaf on grooming down all four legs. He’s a little jumpy when I have to bend down near his hind legs so that is going to take more practice. Again no blocking on the right side today so hopefully we have overcome that issue! Starting tonight Olaf will have his halter off so we can practice haltering each session.

December 13-14, 2014 – Off 

Stall was too wet.

December 11-12 – Off due to rain.

December 10, 2014 – Training Day 11

Worked with Olaf today just at liberty approach and retreat. For the first time he didn’t try to block me at all approaching on his right side. Its good to see persistence has paid off!

December 9, 2014 – Training Day 10

Worked tonight with Olaf again on desensitization this time we really focused on his right side and again it was hard for him at first and then he settled and accepted me on that side. I also worked with making sure I can touch him over his back, hip, and down his butt with the stick. At first on both sides he was a little goosey when the stick would go down the back of his butt but every time he’d trot off I’d reapproach and try again. Soon enough he would stand still for me on both sides without worrying about it.

December 8, 2014 – Training Day 9

Continuing to work with Olaf on desensitization and being able to stand on either the left or the right side without him trying to block me. The left side is generally not an issue but on the right side he’s constantly wanting to use his head to block me from being on that side. With patience and persistence he is fine and allows me to approach repeatedly and pet his neck without trying to block. Also worked today to finish his mane. Finally got it all done and into two braids! Pictures will follow when I get a chance. He’s doing great!

December 7, 2014 – Training Day 8

After yesterday’s practice being able to stand on the side of Olaf I felt like we were in a good position for him to tolerate detangling his mane. I DID get about 45 minutes of video…at a horrible angle where you could only see the top of his mane not the knots 🙁 Oh well, I’ll remember to check my camera angle next time! Anyhow, he was a good sport for the whole thing and, although I still have about 30 min or so of work left on his mane, I think it came out great!

December 6, 2014 – Training Day 7

Worked with Olaf today just on approach and retreat and again working towards getting him comfortable with me being on the side of him. Worked him for about 30 min today. Here is a video of the first 8 or so. You can see how reactive he started off (5 days off, I don’t blame him) and how he settled. He settled very nicely for me and I’m pleased with how well he did.

 

December 1, 2014 – Training Day 6

Worked with Olaf today on more approach and retreat and leading. He’s doing great. I am starting to work with getting him used to being touched in preparation for being groomed. He does great on his left side but constantly wants to block me with his head on the right so that turned into our focus for the evening. We worked on having him allow me to stand on his right side behind his jowl. It was REALLY concerning for him at first and every time I’d move towards his neck he’d have to trot off. Then he’d face up, on his own for the most part, and I’d try again and he’d trot off. Finally he relaxed and it clicked for him and he was able to stand still with me on his right side. We repeated a half a dozen times in different spots / in between different exercises just to be sure and he was great!

November 30, 2014 – OFF 

November 29, 2014 – Training Day 5

Olaf had his first trip out of the stall today. He was a little worried at first being in the open area and pulled a few times but soon settled and had a great lesson learning to lead around in a bigger area. I also reviewed desensitization and he finally felt comfortable with me being on the side of him so I am hoping tomorrow to start tackling his mane! Video uploading

November 27 & 28, 2014 – OFF 

November 26, 2014 – Training Day 4

Worked with Olaf this morning reviewing desensitization lessons and starting to teach him the fundamentals of leading. You can see in the first part of the video how he is so naturally inquisitive. Still need to work on gaining his confidence enough to be able to get around to the side of him to start working on his mane but we’ll get there eventually! He’s doing great for this just being my fourth time working with him!

November 25, 2014 – Off

November 24, 2014 – Training Day 3

This guy is fun to work with though I’m still not quite sure what to make of him. Still wants to trot around then walk right up to me and sniff or snort. Tonight I was able to pet more on his face, up between his eyes, a little bit on his cheeks and the sides of his muzzle. I practiced sending him off then allowing him to approach. Because he was much more confident in me touching his face today I was able to get a drag line on him. Lots of fun with him tonight.

November 23, 2014 – Training Day 2

Olaf is such a neat, interesting horse. He’ll trot around me then all of a sudden walk RIGHT up to me. It is the WEIRDEST thing. Its like he is not sure then works up the courage to come stand next to me. It’s so hard for me to NOT back away from him when he does it. I want to encourage his confidence in me so I allow it. I’m interesting to see how our relationship develops over the next week. He’s certainly offering behaviors no other horse has before so I’m having a lot of fun working with him to see where things go.

 

November 22, 2014 – Training Day 1

Today’s lesson with Olaf focused on getting him comfortable looking at me, turning to the inside, and being touched with the carrot stick. He did really well with all of his lessons. We worked together for about 30 minutes and by the time we were done he had gained enough confidence in me to start walking up to me, on his own, stopping within arms reach. He would let me pet him on the bridge of his nose from that position but that was all he was comfortable with so I didn’t push him further than that.

November 20, 2014

Quick video before breakfast:

 

November 19, 2014 – Arrival Day

Didn’t actually work with any of the new arrivals today but I did take a couple of minutes to evaluate them. Olaf is your typical wild mustang. Not overly fearful of me being in his pen or around him but doesn’t want me to touch him or approach either. Not terribly flighty and curious enough to watch me but doesn’t want to come say hi just yet. This guy is way bigger than I anticipated he’d be. Easily 15.1 or 15.2.

At the Facility