)
) but this :
)
but I pulled her round and she kicked a dustbin instead - I don't know who was
most scared, her or me, but I calmed her and led her back to her stable where I
found that pesky kid again!!
- then she walked to the manège as though butter wouldn't melt!
Actually only took me 20 mins to get her in and there was NO mud!!5th April
Well I think we have cracked the leading problem - went this evening to catch her in from the field - she walks over to me by the gate once I call her. She puts her own nose into the head collar as I hold it up. She walks quietly to the gate and waits while I open it, she walks through and waits while I close it. She then walks along the road with her head by my leg, she fell over her own hooves twice, she was so relaxed! All this on an absolutely loose rope!
No problem going into the stable or being groomed & rugged - this is more like the Scully I first met!
7th April
I had a lesson with Hayley on Scully today.
She walked right up to the field gate - didn't even have to call her, she saw me
walking down the road. No problem out of the gate and she was walking nicely
alongside until halfway to the stable - then she planted, so I circled her and
again and again and again but she was having none of it, even resisting the
circling - so I just put on steady pressure and she pulled back then walked
forward! Had to do this once more and she then walked OK but she tucked in
behind me again, instead of walking relaxed alongside.
When we got to the stable she circled inside making it difficult to unrug her
and then almost impossible to tack up - lifting her head and shaking it to avoid
me getting the bridle on - managed it after a while and she then started rubbing
the bit end on the door...
Saddling was equal fun - circling in the stable and it took me three goes to get
the girth done up - she blows herself up like a balloon and I can only get one
hole on the girth straps - later two more and in the school after a bit of
walking another two!
In the school today she was all over the place - spooking at the trees and we
had a mahoosive buck and canter from a standstill!
Hayley decided to put her on the lunge and we did walk & trot in outline
quite nicely. Then we did the same off the lunge and she behaved herself
reasonably well apart from one walk to canter transition which was unasked for!
By the end of the 1/2 hour lesson she had calmed down and even rode back to the
stable with only a little sniff at the air outside the school gate.
Hayley said my upper body position was perfect but I still need to watch my legs
coming back - for some reason I find it so much easier to sit correctly on
Scully - perhaps it is just a better saddle?
15th April
Oh what a day!
Arrived at 10.30 - called her over the field and she walks all the way to the gate , headcollar on and down to the stable - absolutely perfect! :D
Groomed her, tacked her up with her new bit ( a copper french link) and she is fine - no circling the stable today.
Led her out into the yard and she stood still untethered while I put my hat and gloves on and got the whip. Well, almost still - she went to investigate the straw in a barrow in case it was edible ;)
Walked up to the school and mounted at 10.45, walked into the scary end a bit more each lap until she stayed on the track, then we had a nice trot after a bit of an argument about whether she wanted to or not and then a really nice canter - she didn't need persuading to go into canter. :D
Then I noticed the saddle was a bit wonky and stopped to check her girth - despite tightening it after mounting it was loose again - she blows herself out when being tacked up and obviously I will need to tighten the girth more than once!! :eek:
Anyway it was now gone 11 and Hayley was supposed to give me a lesson at 11 but no sign of her, so I just kept, walking, trotting & cantering and working on the outline till she turned up at 11.30! So that was a 3/4 hour "warmup" and Scully was working really well - we did another 20 minutes and then I asked Hayley to help me load Scully into the lorry.
Well, that's when the fun started - we got the same ramp pawing and sniffing I had yesterday when I tried it on my own but then we got rearing and all sorts of naughtiness! She found that she could avoid the ramp by going sideways to the left and squashing Hayley who was trying to encourage her on. After around 20 minutes of this she actually got on the ramp and suddenly galloped into the box - took me totally by surprise and of course she came up the wrong side of the ramp so she had her head where her bum should be, whereupon she bangs her head on the hay rack and gallops out of the box again! :mad:
No amount of persuading would get her back in, so I rang Laena (one of the yard staff) who came over to help, so now there were three of us with lunge ropes round her bum and through her bit - but still she avoided coming onto the ramp!
Another 1/2 hour later I moved the box out into the yard where there was more space and we tried again but Scully had the measure of my two expert horsewomen and if there was an Olympic Gold for horse stubbornness, Scully would win it hands down.
Here is a pic of the later efforts:
Once everyone had decided to give up for the day Scully just stood at the bottom of the ramp as cool as a cucumber, then walked back to her stable absolutely calm and as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth!
19th April
Today I dropped the ramp and put a big armful of hay in the box. Then went to get her out of the field - she walked right out of the field into the space between the electric fence and the gate all on her own - then I put the head collar on to lead her out the gate - down the road past three cars coming out - no problem.
Up to the horse box parking and she stops when she sees the box - a couple of gentle tugs and she walks up the the ramp where I immediately gave her a handful of hay and two carrots - then we walked off up the scary lane - much better than last time, even though the wind was rustling the ivy in the trees - out onto the lane behind and let her have a bite of grass - then back through the trees to the manège where we did some leading on the rope first, then off the rope - that lasted nearly the length of the manège till she realised she could canter off
Back on the rope and then out of the manège and back to the box - I threw a lot of hay on the ramp and she tucked in - then I walked to the back of the box where the carrot bag is and rustled it getting some more carrots out - these went on the ramp too. She thought this was a great game and four carrots later she totally forgot herself and put a hoof on the ramp!!!
Enough excitement for one day, she then went to her stable (straight in - no faffing) and had a nice groom and her tea.
22nd April
Today Liz came down and did some work with Scully - including some long reining.
Conclusion - Scully has a nearly total lack of attention to what we are asking of her and human beings are of little consequence in her world.
While she will comply under duress, she has little motivation to comply because SHE wants to. But when she is working with you she is lovely.
Since she is food oriented, perhaps we will try clicker training - who knows?
One thing is certain - I will not be using force on her, I don't want compliance that way.
25th April
Life isn't straightforward with Scully - today she came straight in off the
field with me and into the stable to tack her up - I had the usual avoidance of
the bridle - round and round, mouthful of hay and stick her nose in the air but
once the bit is in the right place she takes it and settles - no fight over the
bit, just the initial "I don't want to - make me!" The saddle goes on
fine but she blows herself up like many horses - I usually have to tighten the
girth two or three times as she relaxes.
I led her out of the stable to the yard where I tried to get her to stand near a
raised wall to mount from and as soon as I am higher than her she scoots
sideways! I found another place on the loading bay where she would stand within
mounting distance.
Then we went for our very first hack - and alone! The first part of the route
through the scary trees and onto the bridle path is where I have been leading
her in hand - so no problems there - then we met Cobby & Nicola coming the
other way and other than stopping to chat as she passed, Scully was happy to
walk on - maybe best part of a mile out and she is looking everywhere, but I
pull her into line gently each time she strays - she has a few detours avoiding
a white painted tyre in the grass and she isn't too keen on clumps of yellow
rape. She also stumbles occasionally, I think she suffers from Cleo's
"don't pick my feet up" syndrome!
I didn't need to push her on at all - we had a nice walk at a constant pace - I
just sat and went with her motion, riding her quietly with my hands low and wide
to encourage her to come onto the bit.
Half way back along the bridle path she settles and even starts to soften and
work on the bit - I can certainly tell as she feels so different when working
from behind, there is a spring to the walk and it is much more active plus a
darn sight faster!
Rode her back to the stable where I untacked her and popped her into her stable
for tea. Later I got her out in her headcollar and groomed her, not tied up,
just standing, with the leadrope in one hand, every time she looked up or moved
off, I gently brought her back to me and then I just draped the lead rope over
her back while I groomed and conditioned her tail & mane she didn't move a
muscle.
So a nice progression from the in hand work getting her used to the scary trees
and the bridle path - I am sure she will take it all in her stride once it
becomes familiar and comfortable for her.
I see this as a progression from what Liz was trying to do in the school - I
just feel more comfortable and in control on top of Scully rather than on the
ground - saves me walking too 
The other common factor starting to emerge is that this is all time related -
the longer you work with her the more she pays attention and works - my 3/4 hour
warm-up waiting for Hayley the other week had Scully behaving impeccably - much
to my chagrin as I told Hayley how difficult she was to get clean transitions -
then she does every one perfectly!
Contrast that with this week - I was having real arguments with her, so got
Hayley to school her for a few minutes, when I got back on she planted and I
only got her moving again by turning her, then a slow walk then a trot on each
rein, canter was nowhere - I asked in every corner and she just trotted faster
and faster (hehehe.. on Scully that is FAST!) then I changed rein and she went
straight into canter - now this is not the usual RS canter - this is proper,
posh, balanced, collected and very fast canter which needs no leg to keep going
but you do have to lean in on the corners! - a couple of half halts and she
drops back to a collected trot - those moments are just precious!
So like the curates egg - she is good in parts, a moo when she wants and all
mine.....
13th May
Well, my faith in Liz Pitman was well rewarded today.
After some leading work and some training in using the Dually halter I got for
Scully - Liz said let's try walking her over the ramp of the lorry.
So I backed it out into the open and we had the usual reaction from Scully -
going off to the left and then rearing.
So Liz had me take of the ramp fence and hold it alongside the left of the
approach to the ramp - hey, scary or what!
Scully carried on rearing and resisting but after asking again and again and
then backing her off and letting her come forward herself, after 10 minutes
Scully was standing on the ramp like it was perfectly normal behaviour!
A few more minutes and she loaded right in - not once but 3 or 4 times - just up
and in, turn, peer out and then walk down without a care in the world!
15th May
The back lady came today to check her out and did several horses on the yard,
Brema (the horse next door) was done first and because it was the first time for
her, she was asked to be trotted up the road.
I anticipated being asked the same so decided to go and get the Dually in case
Scully played up. We got the nose waving in the air which I never get with the
ordinary head collar - I am sure she now associates the Dually with
"work"! Anyway, once on she was calm and when we were asked to trot
up, I thought we'd try the bottom ring first and not a training ring - well, she
walked smartly out of the stable straight onto the road and trotted up to the
tack room, turned, trotted back and went straight back into the stable with no
trouble at all!
Perhaps it was partly because I was determined that Andre wasn't going to have
cause to make comment - so I was super positive and Scully was just a star!
Anyway she said Scully had a lovely swing to her hips, a good strong, well built
back and was very athletic - so no problems there!
31st May
Not much been happening - we've been away but Hayley has been riding her for me.
Today the equine dentist lady came - Scully had a few sharp edges to her teeth and the dentist thought that was probably the cause of some of Scully's behaviour in the school when she tends to look out of the school on bends.
The initial exam over, the dentist removes the gag and starts on the teeth - Scully isn't too keen and starts walking in the stable and throwing her head up, so back on goes the gag and I get the task of hanging on to the right side and staying in the centre as she circles - first one file than another goes in as the teeth get filed down and we circle with me determined to keep her head down - at one point I had both hands on the gag and she had my feet off the floor! But we persevered and eventually she settled down and kept still. The dentist said she wasn't at all scared by the experience and was just being bolshy. The sweat was running off all three of us by time we had finished, but at least now we can settle down to some serious schooling now I know her back and her teeth are OK.
7th July
Been doing some long reining and in hand work most days with her - with varying amounts of success - recently she has become very mardy in her stable to the point where when I went to tack her up the other day she span and tried to kick me in the stable.
So today, Liz came out to see her and she reacted the same way towards her when she first entered the stable. So Liz worked on the problem using the usual pressure & release methods and brought a plastic bag on a stick into play - Scully had to think really hard to work this new one out - will it eat be or is it edible? you could see the cogs whirring in her brain!
Eventually I had her leading round the yard, following the bag and nice & relaxed - I still find it amazing how these seemingly unrelated exercises "cure" the problems!
Afterwards she was quite happy for me to be in her stable but Liz got the ears back - until the bag reappeared - then Scully came for a cuddle and a rub as soft as butter.
8th July
Opened the door and went to put the Dually on and she pokes her nose in the
air but no spinning, just backs off with her ears back.
So went to get the plastic bag stick from outside the stable and "Oooer,
Dad, what you got there?" Ears forward and turned towards it so I drop it
down and she comes to explore - show her the Dually and she goes away again.
Plastic bag again, stroked it on her neck and away as she responds. Swap Dually
for normal head collar and she lets me put it on OK.
Led her out onto the yard and gave her a good groom and made her stand still
while I did it - if she moved I put her back, when she turned I walked her in a
circle and back to where we were. Then I walked her up the lane and made her
trot all the way back and into the yard at the trot - I dictated speed and
direction. You should have seen the look on her face while we trotted! "Are
you MAD? we don't trot out!"
9th July
Scully & I had one of the IH RAs out today in the pouring rain to look at me & Scully riding - she doesn't go forward well for me.
After the usual issues after mounting, she identified a couple of position problems with me which we corrected and then got Scully walking forward more actively for a while till she got bored again. Then we used the whip just as a noise maker above her head to engage her and that worked quite well in walk - then I asked for trot and she went full canter, OK I thought, I can do canter so sat to it and off she went - so fast round the top of the school that I was thrown up & over her outside shoulder, try as I might, I couldn't get back in the saddle before the long side and exited over the side as she turned! Fortunately I don't seem to stick my hands out at all and just forward rolled into the soft sand of the track - I had sand absolutely everywhere, not helped by the rain!
Back on again, she didn't want to play anymore so I just got a bit of a walk out of her before we called it a day.
Aren't horses fun!
The RA said she is a nicely put together horse and yes, she has potential to do whatever I want, but we have a communication problem and I need to relearn how to ride her! RS horses really can't be compared with her... even if she is trusting, kind eyed and soft to handle.
10th July
Hey ho - another "I don't want to play" day - she is definitely in season again ... this weather is playing havoc with her hormones, but at least the Oestress seems to be helping.
11th July
No options today, young lady, hiding in the corner is not going to be tolerated! So out came the plastic bag, but the reaction from Brema next door was more than Scully could muster - she really is an equine Catherine Tate - "bothered? me? whatever!" but it did allow me to get alongside her neck with her ears forward and give her a good scratch behind the ears and then she followed me to the door and we got the headcollar on.
Led her out and she stood in the sun and accepted the bridle & bit with only a couple of backward steps, then not even a snarl when the saddle went on and the girth did up 3 holes straight away! Usually I struggle to get the first hole caught as she blows herself up.
Hayley spent around half an hour schooling her and got exactly the same as me on Wednesday but eventually Scully settled and started to work nicely - she finds it hard to maintain an outline but does try for as long as she can - then relaxes and tries again.
Here's a short video of the last few minutes of the session.
14th July
We still have the avoidance issue in the stable - it seems to be a deep rooted
behaviour pattern but is actually quite shallow - by that I mean I only
have to persist and she gives in - today I got the spin and the bite (this time
aimed at the rugs!) but when I approached with the brush, she stood there and
let me groom her, brush out her mane & tail and even plait her tail for a
bit of fun! Then she let me drape the line over her neck and as soon as the line was over her nose she stood still for the headcollar
to go on. I think I shall just have to factor in time to go though the
process every time I get her out! Perhaps one day she'll just give in if I
don't.
Having got her out she was fine and walked out of the yard head down, listening
to me. Today we went round the triangle 3 times doing stand / walk / trot
transitions on a big smile rope. We only had two resistances, the first time we
went past her winter field where 2 of her friends have their stables - she
hadn't seen them for some weeks so I suppose it was to be expected, but she got
told to pay attention and we had no problems there the 2nd & 3rd times past.
The second resistance was going past her stable the first time. I was just using
voice commands and my body language - no rope - and she soon got the idea and
was only a bit slow on the trot the first couple of times - after that I got the
transitions up and down, sometimes we did a fair distance, other times just a
few steps, overall I tried to keep her paying attention to me.
My reasoning is that if she will respond to my voice only on the ground, she may
respond in the same way when I am riding her - not sure I can do the canter one
on foot, but then she doesn't seem to have a problem going into canter!! :-)
I ended up giving her apples & carrots in her trug and leaving her in peace!
21st July
We had a really good day with Scully today - my more positive "You will
do what I want" approach to her is paying off - she came out of the stable
and was tacked up with a bit less resistance than last week and she didn't pull
against being tied up at all - twice she got to the end of the lead rope on the
ring, once backwards and once forwards, both rimes she just stopped and came
back on her own. Despite a fair bit of planting and hiding from the scary bits
of the school, I got her walking nicely with me before Hayley turned up to
continue the schooling work.
She was much more forward going today and Hayley got some good work out of her,
she improved greatly in working through from behind and was actually working up
to the new Myler bit all on her own by the end of the session - even on the
walk/trot and trot/walk transitions.
Hayley said she will build up her top line quite quickly if she continues to
work as well as this and she isn't in bad shape now.
28th July
Hayley schools her in the manege
The ground stuff is going really well following the Kelly Marks (IH) approach
and despite Scully having her off moments (usually when in season) we are
bonding very strongly.
Under saddle though it is a different matter, I rate lower than a horse fly or a
rain drop in her world! I have the greatest respect for my RI who schools Scully
for me - she rides very firmly without whip but not in the IH way. Here is
a couple of videos of her last session - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUsoaQ2-OAw
& http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRCYH4YZn-4
You'll notice how Scully slowly starts to pay attention to her rather than
everything else and ends up in the session actually trying to come onto the bit
and carry herself better.
1st August
The girls on the yard were going over to Shoplands (about 1/2 mile away)
for the dressage competition, so I arranged to walk over with them on Scully.
She came out of the stable fine and stood, untethered, while I groomed and
tacked her up. So far, so good. Then I mounted and stood in the yard while Jess
got Brema sorted out and we walked up the lane and into the field just fine -
the field was a new experience for her as we waded through wheat crop.
Then we crossed the road fine - no drama at all, along the lane to the yard
until we came to some overhanging trees which I had to duck for - well she
decided to trot forward and then back up before going through at the trot with
me hanging onto her neck! Then came the black tarmac speed humps on the concrete
road and she skips over them. On into the yard where we met the other 3 girls
coming out after their rides - Scully was up on tippytoes looking everywhere -
so excited!
I was a little worried about what she might do if I tried to keep her there for
too long with everything going on around her so I followed the other 3 back the
the stables - skip over the humps again and OK back to the road but she was
getting a bit strong in my hands and didn't want to stop at the road while
someone stopped the traffic for us - then she cantered over, slowly forward but
her feet going 13 to the dozen - almost dancing! Fine back into the field, then
after 20 yards or so it all got too much for her and she bronced me off into the
wheat - one of the girls caught her reins as she went over to the other horse
and I clipped on the leadrope I had taken clipped to the saddle, just in case! I
then walked her back and she was really bargy until we got back to the lane and
familiar ground - she was then fine again.
Having put her away she stood and kicked the door and whinnied so loudly and
constantly - I think she enjoyed her adventure! I must say that it is starting
to knock my confidence a bit - that is twice she has had me off in the last two
rides!
6th August
Visit from Suzanne Marshall -
I had her all tacked up ready to go after not too much of a struggle! I
climbed on board and Scully did her usual statue impression - ignored my leg and
only walked a few steps if I turned her and kicked her on. So Suzanne got her
hat and had a go. She was riding Scully really firmly but still only got a few
steps out of her - then she tried the wip wop (short frayed rope) whizzed over
her shoulders - nothing - then she whizzed it round over and alongside her head
- a few steps! Swapped wip wop for whip and whizzed it very hard over her head -
lots of noise - and Scully trotted forward for a dozen steps then back to
walk and stand. Got off and put her on the long reins - you have to almost run
at her backside (keeping out of the kick zone!) to get her to trot - otherwise
she just dawdles along with her nose in the sand...
I think this is an issue she has with the manège - she goes forward off the leg
down the lane!
7th August
Today I had a lesson on Hovis at the RS - I must say I was a bit nervous -
especially as Hovis has thrown a couple of people recently. But I needn't have
worried, he was his usual good self, in fact he was working in a nice outline at
walk for me. The RI was one I haven't had before - she made an awful fuss about
getting us into canter - pushing the trot on till they broke into canter -
I am afraid I cheated and just sat & squeezed and off he went as usual!
The RI got me sitting back more (I do tend to tip forward on transitions) and it
did help.
So, I feel a bit more confident again now, thank goodness.
18th August
Lesson with Hayley
The last two weeks have seen my RI schooling her really firmly
to get any forward motion and Suzanne Marshall having a go too without a huge
amount of success. Forget wip wops - she really doesn't take any notice, a
schooling whip whizzed over her head got some reaction but not for long.
Today, rather than my RI schooling her, I rode her under my RI's eagle eye and,
after a lot of whizzing the reins over her shoulders and firm nudges on her
sides I got her going forward albeit slowly and in fits & starts. Our path
round the school resembled a drunk's and her ears were everywhere but on me.
Eventually, she started to soften & even come on the bit for a step or two
and we started to get down the scary end of the school - then we changed reins
and went right back to the beginning!
After 20/25 minutes of this she suddenly gave in and we did a perfect couple of
laps of the school on the track in a nice active walk, head down, ears sideways
and without me having to nudge her on.
So I turned her into the middle and jumped off to give her a big hug.
22nd August
Kelly schools her in the manege.
She mounted in the yard and I led the way round to the school,
Scully following me quite happily - I warned Kelly of the nap point by the barn
and she wip wopped Scully past it - I sped up to open the school gate and I had
Scully trotting after me!
She went into the school at the trot and trotted round for a few minutes doing
circles & figure of 8s right into the scary end - she was really lively and
trotting nicely. Stops and walk on with a bit of wip wop and some leg.
As she started to lose impulsion Kelly took her out of the school and we walked
round the triangle of roads back to her stable - she tried to take the short cut
of course!
So another brill forward going day with no arguments this time!
Plan for next week is to take her into one of the empty paddocks and start with
leading one day, some of Kelly Marks's ground work pole exercises the next, long
reining the day after and Kelly will ride her in the paddock on Friday.
Hopefully that will give her lots to think about, some more fun and get her keen
to come out and play!
29th August
Kelly schools her in the paddock
Kelly climbed on in the yard again and we walked to the boys paddock.
Scully was quite lively and behaved like she did on our trip over to Shoplands, much more forward going and paying much more attention to what was being asked of her. Kelly was still working quite hard to keep her going initially but once she had settled she was trotting nicely.
Kelly said she had a nice powerful trot and was concerned not to take advantage of it and just letting her trot round without doing transitions to walk & back.