Ocala visit, Part 2 -- The kid is pretty special (and a massive photo dump)

The second day I was in Florida (I arrived Monday morning and left Wednesday evening) turned out to be a bit of washout. We had planned to take Scout over to Justin Dutton's farm for one of her schooling jumper shows where you pay for one round and then get to go back in to fix anything that didn't go well, alas the weather had other ideas. The show was canceled due to a whole afternoon of downpouring -- booooo. I did spend the morning over at the Davidson's Florida compound and to hang out with my favorite little person, her pony and I got invited to go on conditioning rides with Andrea. Yes, PLEASE! The funny thing is that I've never ridden with or around her at all, so it was such a special treat to get to ride their upper-level horses without any kind of knowledge of my ability. Their Florida farm is on 600 acres, has a full track for gallops and a conditioning path that goes around massive fields with undulating terrain. After not riding for almost two months I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to keep up, but it turns out all that gym time has been paying off!

The cutest

It's not pony playtime without Twinkle Toes!

Sadly, will not fit in carry-on bag

We ALL finally got to ride together! Aubrey was SO excited!

Part of the trot paths

We did a series of trot sets and even galloped a bit which was super fun on something that is decidedly NOT a thoroughbred. The horses were all a bit wild that morning with the incoming weather a drop in temps but I had an absolute BLAST.

Scout got a bit of a spa day en lieu of the schooling show, and was not super psyched about Mom rolling in to pull his mane and make a fuss over him. I stuffed him full of treats which may have softened the blow a little:)

Wednesday, we planned to take him over to the venue of his debut event to xc school. Nora had only taken him xc once before and she was super excited to get him out again. I was so pleased to tag along and play groom while she schooled Scout and another client horse. What's even better, is that I got to see just how much he's matured in every way. He hopped onto her big rig without an issue, tied at the trailer and stood quietly for tacking and walked flat-footed across the property with an inquisitive look in his eye.

Growing up!

Starting their warm-up

It was super nice to see how she warms him up for XC. She walked him for 10-15 minutes before picking up a big, forward trot in a giant figure eight around a bunch of jumps. She walked and trotted through the water complex while doing this and picked up a canter and continued on a figure eight, adding in lead changes (!) and going up and down hills to help set his canter in balance before sending him toward any fences.

But, on to the good stuff... She's got him solidly in front of the leg and thinking forward but with a very reliable half-halt to utilize to help him sit and wait when she needs him to.

That trot THO

Weeeeee!

He was really giving everything a ton of respect but still landing in the same balance as he jumped it

This photo makes me SO happy -- she just has the biggest smile when she's jumping him

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First trakehners!

I was super pleased with his attitude about everything -- he's become such a professional about his job and he's proving to really have the right elements to make a great event horse. He still gets it wrong, maybe 20% of the time, but he has VERY good instincts to get his giant legs out of the way and carry a rider successfully to the other side -- better yet, he doesn't get upset or hold a grudge, which is perfect for an adult ammy!

I'm SO excited about our future together and I'm so unbelievably happy that he and I have met a trainer who gets us both. She has developed a really special relationship with him and he is giving 110% back to her in response. And even though I have to wait a few more weeks to hop in the irons myself, I'm even MORE excited now. He makes his eventing debut tomorrow -- so please send good vibes our way, hopefully, I'll have good things to report in a few days!

Creating Value

How is value of a horse determined and why is it important? I started thinking about this recently after reading a post over at A Yankee in Paris which talks about the kind of life she prepares her horses for and why. For me, an adult amateur who helps co-raise two children, works several jobs and has lots of hobbies outside of horses, it is important for my horse to have some intrinsic value. But beyond that I want him to have some actual value in the horse world -- so how is that determined?

What's this guy worth?

When I first moved Scout to his current barn, he jumped a 4'6" hotwire fence TWICE to go play with some neighboring horses. The BO was recalling watching Scout trot half-heartedly up to the fence line and just ping over it when he asked me what my plans were for him. And I gave him my generic answer which is that I'd like to take him BN, maybe Novice some day. But that I'm not super interested in heavily competing but just enjoying my horse. I explained that I knew he was more athletic than my goals warranted and that was okay with me.

And recently, while getting Scout insured I discovered that whether I knew it or not I've been adding to his value all along.

So how is all of that determined? Well, from a fair market value Scout has a lot going for him. He's big, bay and a gelding. He's just turning 6 this year and he's conformationally pretty correct and desirable. When I bought him his value was ~$5000, and now it's nearly doubled due to a couple of choices I've made along the way that have helped to increase his value.

When I started reaching out to professionals throughout owning Scout it was for two specific reasons... 1. the further his training and 2. to prepare him for me. At the end of the day, I want Scout to be much more advanced than my goals will get him to and beyond that, if life gets too hectic down the road, I want Scout's "value" to be more than just a BN event horse. If I ever decided to lease him out his value will be determined by his versatility and experience.

Has talent, needs direction

But before he gets to BN or anything else, he needs quality mileage. All of the pieces need to come together to help create a foundation for a great athlete. I've put a nice start on him, but my skill set only goes so far.

With my BO, playing at being a jumper

For Scout, that means time in a various rings. My BO would love to play with him in the 6 year old jumpers this year. I fully support this idea!

And even though I want him to be an eventer, it doesn't mean he has to be a one trick pony:)

Maybe cow pony?

Western Dressage???

So I was stunned when I went through the process of insuring him and they helped me to quantify his value. Obviously if a horse has a recognized show record that adds value, but what I didn't know was that professional training also is included in a statement of value. And while we've intermittently used a professional, the overall dollar amount equates to increasing his value by nearly double. I was very excited to learn this, but it was never the reason for me using a pro.

I just need him to be a solid partner

And having value goes beyond his monetary value, or worth in the show ring, because I also need him to have value as a solid citizen. When I recently stopped at the barn to organize some of my stuff, I ran into the main guy who does all the day-to-day stuff and he expressed how much he was missing Scout (he calls him "domestic" and always tells me what a nice horse he is). If nothing else, it's nice to know that my horse is a barn favorite, admired by many and an easy guy to handle and deal with daily.

But what's he worth to me?

#priceless

2018 vs. 2019

The beginning of 2018 brought so much uncertainty for Scout and what our future might be together. And after the scare of him getting cast and the subsequent cellulitis that formed as a result, I owed it to him to pump the brakes and take a long hard look about what I wanted from him. What I ultimately decided was to take things slow... maybe even painfully slow to outsiders. He was after all, a very big, very immature youngster who needed time to heal and fill out physically.

Fall 2017 -- Fall 2018

So that's exactly what we did... and we had some mixed results. In addition, I reached out to trusted professionals to help develop my athletic youngster and help shape him into a suitable mount for me. I dealt with WAY too many truck problems and FINALLY got my rig back on the road. My lessons stopped due to said truck problems which was beyond disappointing but I stuck to my regime of working with Scout both on the ground and under saddle and he really began to blossom. Ultimately, these setbacks led to me not wanting to blog at all -- but if you follow me on any other social media platforms, you know what we've been up to!

He's been LOVING life at the new barn, and absolutely thriving. In fact, he's perhaps feeling a bit TOO good. I think he's finally in his big boy body and he's really ready for the next step in his education.

The best he's ever looked in winter

I was so thankful to have the indoor to retreat to this fall/winter when we got nothing but rain for months and months because he really needed a job to do. He was definitely starting to tell me he was getting bored, even with the indoor riding routine.

ANOTHER growth spurt this fall

Longing for days like this again

I tried to mix things up for Scout a little by having a friend come ride him here and there (which he was very opinionated about) -- and then he got a few weeks off after my 40th birthday -- which coincided with the holidays. After Christmas my BO asked if I would be interested in coming to Wellington to nanny for a week or two (like I was gonna say no) and so I started to make a plan for what Scout would do while I was away.

But what if I want EXTENDED vacation?

There would be a resident trainer at my barn while I was out of town but I thought since my rig was back up and running I'd like to reach out an event trainer, specifically someone close to the Davidsons (since I work for them in summer/fall). So after a little research I decided to send Scout to Nora Battig-Leamer for 10 days! I have a few friends who have either ridden with her or had her work with their thoroughbreds and I really like her riding style!

As it turns out, she thinks Scout is quite special (his step and jump being quite impressive) and after some logistical conversations, we decided he should go to Ocala with her until the end of March to continue his education! He's going to have an amazing opportunity to go and do and see ALL THE THINGS and come back a more mature, more well-educated horse! It seems like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and for him and I am so excited to see how he progresses. I have a few trips planned to go see him while he's there and of course, I plan to take lessons on my some of my BO's horses while he's away so I don't lose my sea legs!

Who is this grown-up creature?

So, I'm over here trying to adjust to not having my horse around -- which is SUPER weird... and I thought I'd jump back into blogging (I have a ton of fun things on deck to talk about). 2019 is off to a MUCH better start than 2018! Here's to keeping all them positive vibes running through the blogosphere.

The trouble with horses

My god, I've been a shitty blogger... my last post was May 10th? 

And I'm sure that after my last post everyone thought maybe I sent Scout to the Amish. Not to worry though, he's still eating $$$ like it's his job.

The truth is, we've had a couple months of bad luck. After my last post, we took Scout to Plantation for a schooling, which he really stepped up like a big boy and took in the terrain and sights and sounds like a champ.

View from the top of the hill (not for the faint of heart)

 

I guess he likes getting to the base!

Enthusiastic horse is enthusiastic

And he even conquered the water without a single issue:)

We had been scheduled for Scout to make his eventing debut just two weeks later at Fairhill but unfortunately he contracted Anaplasmosis a few days after this xc school. The poor guy spiked a 103.5 temp with hot front feet and legs and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't completely freaked out. We treated him very aggressively, and he responded wonderfully, but we lost 2 weeks of riding while he recovered.

Not long after this I decided to move him (yes, again) to a great facility with an indoor that had a few spots open up. For an additional $25 than what I was already paying, having access to three rings and an indoor seemed like a no brainer.

Day one at the new barn, looking fly

<3

I think he's growing again and I can't even...

Awesome indoor

View of the outdoor -- there are so many cool jumps!

The new place is (again) mostly a hunter/jumper barn with great facilities. It's a family farm that's been in the area for a long time so while it has terrific amenities it's not snooty at all. Bonus is that Valley Forge Park is just a short hack away with 100s of miles of trails! The barn has it's own jumper series that they run and they have clinics and events throughout the year... despite all of that, it never feels busy or crowded.

And since we've moved, he's had a touch of cellulitis (the day before I went out of town for 4 days) and then had a bout of choking the day I returned from a 10 day vacation! The cellulitis doesn't even get me worked up anymore, we just treat it and it resolves very quickly. The choking was alarming because he's never had any issues like that before, but we're going to do an endoscopy to see if he's ever had a tie-back. He doesn't roar or anything, but he does make a little noise when he tense under saddle, so if he did have an old tie back I'd just like to know for the future.

Since the last time I posted, I've had some medical issues including herniating a disk in my back. To further add insult to injury, the entire brake system in my truck failed and needed to be replaced (that happened the day before I left for vacation) -- but we're back on the road again.

In some better news, we have started taking lessons with an eventer nearby and Scout's been going very well under her guidance. She rides him for the first 15 mins of our lessons (to save my back some pain) and LOVES him. He's been jumping out of his skin and looking quite fancy on the flat.

His canter is getting SO cool under saddle. Now if only I could actually sit it!

That hind step<3

Trot isn't too shabby either

He can get heavier in the eggbutt french link, but it also makes me ride more correctly

So fingers crossed we've gotten all the bad luck out and we can get back to the fun stuff! I hope after all this time I still have a reader or two left! I'll try to do better!

Addressing bad behavior -- the Hard NO

Of the three horses I've owned, Scout is far and beyond the easiest in terms of training. Riley was extremely stubborn at times and had a bit of a mean streak. Nolan was hot and sensitive and needed a lot of busy work to keep him focused. Scout has been extremely straight forward in every aspect. But the the thing with OTTBs is that when start their retraining they are often going through lots of physical changes that allow you to mold them when they are at a weak point in terms of fitness. Typically during this let down period, OTTBs can seem very quiet, easy, and almost dull -- you can get lured into believing that they are just that quiet.

the face of innocence, clearly

Then as they gain new muscle and fitness their true selves start to emerge. When I first met Scout he was simply a sweet, giant gelding. He was curious and easy going by nature. Seemed to take everything in stride and even when he didn't understand what was being asked, he tried anyway. He was almost TOO easy. And if I'm being honest I've always been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the hard NO to reveal itself.

So now that he's back in full work and roughly a year post-track he's feeling very good about life indeed. He's started to show us that he does in fact, have some sass! The work is getting harder, we're asking for a lot more under saddle, and he's got some opinions about working correctly. That's okay because it's just a part of the learning process and he's going to have some growing pains (literally and figuratively).

For the sake of this post I'm going to characterize attitude into three categories (leaving the PAIN category out).

1. Feel good sass: maybe it's a little buck after a line of jumps, or a head shake during a canter transition, or a squeal for no reason. In Scout's case, it's usually a tail swish:

Literally after every jump... someone was very pleased with himself

This type of sass needs no discipline or attention. He just feels good and it's not mean spirited.

2. Naughty/tantrum sass: bucks, spooks, scoots, kicking out, bolting -- these types of behaviors could fall into this category. They're generally brought on by an objection to an aid or environment.

In Scout's case, he like to kick out or buck at leg aids:

So sassy

Typically with Scout this behavior is VERY short-lived. It's an objection/opinion but he moves on quickly. As long as he does what's being asked (usually it's simply moving forward) then he doesn't get punished (and by punished I mean NOW YOU HAVE TO WORK HARDER).

3. Hard NO sass: this is unique for every horse. Scout's hard NO has just recently revealed itself and it comes from a place of insecurity. It only comes out when he doesn't understand something and gets worried. We first discovered it at Fairhill at the water complex:

Cue tail swishing, dancing, wanting to be anywhere but here

Even watching another horse, he just didn't understand.

A few minutes later, he started rearing. Completely uncharacteristic for Scout. I can say with some certainty that he does not have a mean bone in his body. He was trying to communicate to us that the pressure was too much and he needed to understand what he was being asked to do. So, we let him take a breath and I led him in. He initially tried to pull against me but I reassured him that we'd go in the water together and then he was okay. But, despite him going in and not caring about the actual water, he wouldn't go in without me leading him. We had pushed him just enough that he was left feeling very unsure. This was not because of anything we (the pro and I) did, it's just the first occurrence of the hard NO, and it caught us a bit off guard. It was clear that getting after him, or applying even more pressure might break his good nature. So we regrouped. We let him gallop around and jump a few more things and then we went back to the drawing board.

Because Scout has been so easy, I've taken for granted some basic groundwork training. And you better believe I'm kicking myself about it. Ever since Nolan, I've completely changed the way I think about training horses, and so I feel pretty stupid that I've let my easy horse get away with little things (because they add up to bigger issues -- duh).

So I broke down Scout's Hard NO reaction in terms of ground work, busted out my trusty rope halter and got to work. At a very basic level, I need to be able to control his feet, ALWAYS.

Clearly the face of a horse that's naughty

I was reminded pretty quickly that even though he's a quiet horse, I don't hold him accountable all the time. Usually I just let him saunter along with a big loop in the lead while I do a million other things. So I got right to work by making him walk WITH me, not in my space, not casually plodding behind me, right by my side. We played with stopping and backing to help sharpen his reaction to my body and it was clear that he reactions were dulled. I took him to the ring to work on some techniques I learned from my trusty Amish cowboy. I started with simple tasks like walking/jogging at various speeds with me, yielding to pressure, backing next to me and also while facing me. Circling and changes of direction with soft cues on the lead. And after a bit of an ugly start, he began responding extremely well. Lots of licking and chewing and tuning in to me. We moved on to some more advanced techniques incorporating "the box" -- the idea being that you put a horse in an invisible box and control the horses feet within said box.

Why????

The feets stay where I puts them

I played with him and this idea for quite a while asking him to yield his hind quarters in various directions and do turns on the forehand on the lead.

Then I took him on a walk behind the barn into the state park to see if we could find some things that might make him unsure.

Apparently none of this is even a tiny bit scary

Turns out, he's super brave and took my lead on everything. He's not really afraid of anything, which almost makes him more of a puzzle.

While this ground work is useful, I was curious to see how it would come into play the next time he met a Hard NO trigger (water). So I set up a two day plan to get him schooling at a stream followed by a day of xc schooling to further the lesson.

The first day, he went on a hack with a solid buddy and I followed on foot. We were prepared to pony him or lead him on foot if needed but the goal was never to let him get to the point where he was shut down. Naturally, he followed his friend right into the stream, but then shocked us all by throwing a bit of a fit IN the water. Tail wringing and backing up, but once his moved his feet again he was golden. He went in and out by himself without issue, even trotting through a few times.

Looking super earnest<3

SO the real test would be at Windurra the next day. The water there is a little more welcoming that the complex at Fairhill but there's A LOT to look at there. His farm is on a very busy road and they are actively doing a ton of heavy construction on the property. It's not for the equine faint of heart.

And I'll write up more about the schooling later, but the Hard NO made a very dramatic appearance, this time at the ditch. Boyd has a series of ditches in a row, right up against the busy road that are fully revetted and DEEP. He's never seen one before, and very nearly stepped right over it before he stopped to look into the abyss.

Don't look in there Scout!

Commence Hard NO sequence. Tail wringing, backing up, general worried behavior. My trainer pressed him a bit more, because he seemed so ready to hop right over and...

I SAID NOOOOOOO!

But this time we were ready. I jumped in, snapped my long rope lead on him and got right to work moving his feet with the trainer aboard. She sat chilly, urging him with only her legs and I led him up to the ditch. And wouldn't you know it, he hopped over... so they trotted around and we did the same thing all while on the lead. This is really where all the ground work comes into play. As you can see there's a big bush next to the ditch, so it's not like I could stand there and just lunge him around me. I had to get my timing just right to follow them around, without him feeling any tension on the line and keep his feet moving. We did this two more times and then I unclipped him while they trotted around and they did it alone. Piece of cake. Then he cantered it without any help. Success!

What we found, was that in order to shut down the NO, we just had to snap his brain out of it. That wasn't going to happen with a whip, or leg pressure, or by forcing him. He needed to move his feet, get his brain refocused and try again. In a weird way, I'd rather he have this kind of behavior that a dirty runout/stop. So when she moved on to the banks and water she was able to recreate this idea without my assistance. I helped him get his feet wet the first time, but he never got to the point of the Hard NO again.

More complicated than he seems

For right now, that's our goal. We're trying to engage him in challenging experiences without pushing him beyond his mental limit. Now that we know where that line is, we can figure out a way to set him up for success. It's easy to forget that this is all brand new to him and his naughtiness is truly coming from a lack of understanding and confidence vs. just being a jerk. While rearing is a very, very bad vice, there's plenty of warning and the whole thing happens in slow motion, so I'm not condoning it, but I'm also not super worried about it either. I think we're on track to building his confidence on the ground and under saddle and making him feel like an absolute superstar.

So tell me bloggers... Does your horse have a Hard NO or a way of showing their extreme displeasure about something? If so, how do you work with it, ground work, under saddle, utilizing professionals? Any advice for how you might handle my situation?