Comments on: Heed the Warning: Don’t Make a Big Deal out of Anything! http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/ Documenting the experiences and commentary of a fledgling reiner in her quest to train a performance horse Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:34:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Amanda http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-435 Amanda Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:33:49 +0000 http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-435 I think that is so true, which, I can't blame them. It would get boring to go round & round, same scenery, same walls. Right now my "arena" is an alfalfa field, so there is different things to look at for Mea, but I try, after every training time to ride off somewhere...recently it's been in the barren bean field across the road from me & just walk, no training, just an occasional trot or canter. I think she enjoys it. I think that is so true, which, I can’t blame them. It would get boring to go round & round, same scenery, same walls. Right now my “arena” is an alfalfa field, so there is different things to look at for Mea, but I try, after every training time to ride off somewhere…recently it’s been in the barren bean field across the road from me & just walk, no training, just an occasional trot or canter. I think she enjoys it.

]]> By: MJ http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-434 MJ Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:05:53 +0000 http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-434 Ya, thats what I was thinking. I think I might try to fit in a little more trail riding. Jim's property has direct access to mountain trails. Sometimes I just let Leo run til he's done up the side of it. He's got a lot of energy, so I should probably let him burn it off once in awhile and do something different. Even though I could do it all day, I think maybe horses can get bored doing arena work all the time. Ya, thats what I was thinking. I think I might try to fit in a little more trail riding. Jim’s property has direct access to mountain trails. Sometimes I just let Leo run til he’s done up the side of it. He’s got a lot of energy, so I should probably let him burn it off once in awhile and do something different. Even though I could do it all day, I think maybe horses can get bored doing arena work all the time.

]]> By: Amanda http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-431 Amanda Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:30:50 +0000 http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-431 She never did it again, but I haven't had to be aggressive with her since either. I think thats pretty much what made her do it, she was getting sick of doing spins to the left & kinda had a mental breakdown & WAS NOT going to do anymore. I always forget too, that she's still young (5). Now when she does a good spin, I'll ask for a little more the next time or 2, then I quit for the day. If he's still be defensive, you may want to forget about working on it for a week, then come back & try it. She never did it again, but I haven’t had to be aggressive with her since either. I think thats pretty much what made her do it, she was getting sick of doing spins to the left & kinda had a mental breakdown & WAS NOT going to do anymore. I always forget too, that she’s still young (5). Now when she does a good spin, I’ll ask for a little more the next time or 2, then I quit for the day. If he’s still be defensive, you may want to forget about working on it for a week, then come back & try it.

]]> By: MJ http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-430 MJ Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:16:52 +0000 http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-430 Amanda, Thanks so much for the response. It really helps to know that his behavior is normal. Did Mea ever do it again? I tried to do a lot of forward work today and it seemed to help. Right up to that little bolting incident we had. Ha! Ha! He was still very defensive today though. It might take a few days or weeks to fix the damage I've done. Amanda,

Thanks so much for the response. It really helps to know that his behavior is normal. Did Mea ever do it again? I tried to do a lot of forward work today and it seemed to help. Right up to that little bolting incident we had. Ha! Ha! He was still very defensive today though. It might take a few days or weeks to fix the damage I’ve done.

]]> By: Amanda http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-424 Amanda Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:57:53 +0000 http://reinersblog.com/bad-habits/heed-the-warning-don%e2%80%99t-make-a-big-deal-out-of-anything/#comment-424 I know exactly how you're feeling! I had this same problem with Mea a couple weeks ago. I was working on spins & Doug wanted me to try to get them to take 1 or 2 more steps on their own as I release the reins. Going to the right she did soooo good she would almost do a full circle (spin) on her own. So I tried to the left, she'd stop immediately, so I thought ok, I'll just keep working on it, well she finally got tired of it & I admit I did get aggressive with her & frustrated because I'm like "WHY??? You do it sooo good going to the right!" So she ended up pushing into my outside leg & would pop up like Leo did everytime I would ask for a left spin. So I thought ok I'm just going to trot off & get her going forward & doing something else. So I trotted her off for a while & occasionally I would stop her & do a left spin, just asking for 1 step across at first & eventually was able to do a full one, then stopped for the day. I told Doug about it the next day at my lesson & he said I handled it well & asked to see the left spin, I was nervous, thinking she would blow up again, but she didn't she went around just fine. He said if you do too much "tight" exercises as he called them, spinning or disengaging hind end, like you're doing, you have to balance it with some forward impulsion exercises to give them a chance to stretch out a bit. Now she's doing spins great both ways. I just ask for a little bit more from the spins each ride, spend just a couple minutes on them & that seems to have helped. I know exactly how you’re feeling! I had this same problem with Mea a couple weeks ago. I was working on spins & Doug wanted me to try to get them to take 1 or 2 more steps on their own as I release the reins. Going to the right she did soooo good she would almost do a full circle (spin) on her own. So I tried to the left, she’d stop immediately, so I thought ok, I’ll just keep working on it, well she finally got tired of it & I admit I did get aggressive with her & frustrated because I’m like “WHY??? You do it sooo good going to the right!” So she ended up pushing into my outside leg & would pop up like Leo did everytime I would ask for a left spin. So I thought ok I’m just going to trot off & get her going forward & doing something else. So I trotted her off for a while & occasionally I would stop her & do a left spin, just asking for 1 step across at first & eventually was able to do a full one, then stopped for the day. I told Doug about it the next day at my lesson & he said I handled it well & asked to see the left spin, I was nervous, thinking she would blow up again, but she didn’t she went around just fine. He said if you do too much “tight” exercises as he called them, spinning or disengaging hind end, like you’re doing, you have to balance it with some forward impulsion exercises to give them a chance to stretch out a bit. Now she’s doing spins great both ways. I just ask for a little bit more from the spins each ride, spend just a couple minutes on them & that seems to have helped.

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