Northernhorse.com Blog

My brain is getting full. We have been given a nice selection of new resources to use when working with our horses.

When you draw that circle in the sand and decide to teach your horse to do various things while she stays out of your circle but you stay in it, you have to broaden your ability to communicate. It really was easier to just walk along with her backing up and moving to either side and asking her to get over. I had to develop a whole new language that included a stick and string to get it done from my circle. Continue Reading »

Today we started with a bit of theory and some safety tips, then Jonathan talked a bit about saddles and tack. We practiced saddling the fence until we got pretty good at setting the saddles gently. Then on to saddling our horses and once again practicing the groundwork exercises to see if they respond the same with their saddles on. Continue Reading »

We started the day with some very interesting demonstrations of how little energy it took to send a signal through a rope. If you have never done this you should give it a try.

Attach a soft rope halter to a good quality lead rope – meaning a rope that has some life to it.  I have learned over the years whether it be working with horses or computers it is important to have good quality tools. And my favourite halters and lead ropes are ones I have bought from clinicians. Continue Reading »

We started the morning with a bit of theory. Then we invited our horses in. I’m sure a whole lot about ourselves is revealed to a clinician as soon as we walk in with our horses. Keeper has been handled by me since birth. I intentionally brought her to the clinic because I knew she would be a walking billboard of my strengths and weaknesses.

I think we all try to make less mistakes with each horse we train. With the geldings not being with her, I was the best friend she had so she was pretty willing to go along with most of my ideas and other than a few of my mistakes we did pretty good.

We worked through a progression of ground exercises that helped reinforce defending our personal space while asking the horse to do various simple tasks. Jonathan puts a lot of emphasis on personal body language and I am finding that interesting. I tend to have little clucks and checks that he finds unnecessary. He just changes his intention and heads off expecting them to do just like a foal does with its mom and maintain their position relative to us. Whether stopped or on the go. He gives them lots of responsibility.

It helps to have the difference between a neutral stance and an energizing stance so well defined. And although I have always tried to use the most subtle cue possible, it is really a thrill to have your horse move off a simple posture change.

I am trying to learn to be leader 100% of the time. Keeper is very sensitive and tries so hard to please but it is becoming obvious that I don’t always stay on top of my duties as leader.

It wasn’t until 9:30 this  morning when after noticing that there were still no other people coming that I asked Randy “There are no people here – am I missing something?”. He smiled and said the clinic doesn’t start until tomorrow. Some folks should start showing up later today.

I just took it for granted that a 4 day clinic would be Thursday to Sunday.

I’ve got a whole day to rest up for the clinic so I decide to play with Keeper in the arena some more and help get her used to being in arenas. The back wall of the Big Rock Walker Arena has a big black horse image that stands a good 10 or 12 feet high on the wall.  Like a horse standing up high.

Keeper would run to that end. Stop. Stick her head up in the air and take a good look at the horse on the wall and then swing her head around and look back at me like I should be way more alarmed about this than I was. She did this a few times. She has been living in the real world too long and takes everything at face value perhaps? Or maybe I just need to get her out more?

When I called Dave to tell him about my day off  he decided to come and spend the afternoon and evening.  I am lucky to have a good man.

So we had to get the trailer out of the quonset and get it loaded up with all the things I think I have to take with me on my little journeys.  Also had to find a few extra hours to get my work caught up ahead. Had it planned out to the hour when I headed out to catch Keeper and load her in the trailer. Continue Reading »

Keeper

I’ve decided to take a clinic. It was weeks away when I signed up but somehow the time has arrived. I am a bit nervous. I have hardly been to any clinics. My horse, Keeper, hasn’t been out overnight without her boyfriends (the geldings), she hasn’t been in an arena (except for one rather negative experience) and because of the fears I somehow developed over the past few decades (probably from the rare but scary and painful falls I have experienced) she and I have seldom loped. She is seven now. I am 60. She is big and strong. I am getting slower and weaker every decade. Continue Reading »

Photo credit Deana Bjornson

I just posted a request for a Nurse Mare. The mom rejected the baby. That got me thinking that there have to be quite a few of you out there who have already raised an orphan and who have lots of knowledge you could pass along to anyone who has less experience. Even for myself, it has been years and there may be new information out there about their requirements; perhaps better formulas? Cheaper formulas would be nice if I remember right. If you have any tips or advice or information about raising orphan foals, please take the time to share it. Just click on the “Comment” link below.

I’ll start it with “Make sure it has had adequate colostrum” and pooped – feel free to elaborate on this.

Didsbury Horse Show

I just put up an event listing for the Didsbury Light Horse Show. This show is in its 47th year and it is classified as a Bronze level Equine Canada show. Pretty darned good for a show put on by volunteers in a little Alberta town.

What I found most interesting is that they have increased their dressage classes because of the interest in them and added a reining class.  Continue Reading »

We don’t get a horse hauled very often but we saw that lots of folks just put an ad on the Northernhorse.com wanted section when they need a horse hauled so we thought we would do the same thing.  Douglas Horse Transport had a trailer going near to where we needed the gelding picked up and said they would do it for us.

They did a tremendous job. The horse arrived in great shape and both Morley the driver and Nicole who coordinated the event kept us updated all along. I think it is a good idea to pass on good news when folks do a good job and I would like to thank them for taking good care of our horse. You can contact them at: www.horsehaulin.com 1-866-642-8546.