Ask Shawna Answer: Preparing for a Dental Check

This question was sent in by Jean: I would like to have some exercises I could do in preparation to help my horses dentist check his teeth without a struggle. He is older and doesn’t necessarily need any mouth work, but does need to be checked. Thanks so much.

This can be tricky business but with a little effort your horse will happily oblige. With the use of positive reinforcement you can build up a positive association with the dentist and your veterinarian. These procedures are often viewed as invasive to our horses and they let us know this. The more that we insist, the more resisitant our horses become. This pattern often escalates into a mess of a situation. The horse can come away with fear that carries over to the next dentist/vet visit. Worse case scenario, someone can even get hurt. With a little preparation you can teach your horse to cooperate and actually look forward to these examinations. Your dentist, vet or farrier will look forward to working with your horse.

I have showed a little sample of some of the work you may start with to prepare for a dental check. You may move to the front of the horse and graduate up to opening his mouth. Continue along with small steps toward your end goal. Only move forward when your horse is comfortable with the current step. Also, short and reinforcing sessions are more effective than long drawn out sessions. Remember to always start your clicker training program with the first and most important step of teaching your horse to wait for the reinforcement without invading your space. You never want a mouthy, nippy or pushy horse and this is established in the very early stages. Finally, as with all training,be sure to keep safety in mind for you and your horse. Don’t force or corner your horse and don’t forget to watch your fingers. When you have them in their mouth they may bite down without intending to bite you. I hope this helps you out and gives you some good ideas. Please keep me posted with your horse and his progress and enjoy getting him on target!!

Horses in the Morning: Plodder vs. Bully

Listen in to the show and learn about how to encourage your horse to become an A student! I share about both Mint and Bugs’ personalities and progress of On Target Training and how we overcame distraction and disinterest and developed an motivating, successful and positive session every time. Click here for the link to the show!

Mounting: Look No Hands!!

There is nothing more annoying than a horse who walks off, or worse, acts up, while you are mounting. Bugs, being a bit of a fuss budget was not the worst, but he wasn’t the most accomodating horse to mount. He would turn to face me, refuse to give to the pressure of the reins and wouldn’t move up or would just be fidgety. I could always get on him but it wasn’t always pretty. Athletic? Yes. Pretty? Not so much!

Sometimes these issues need sessions devoted to improving the situation ASAP. But in his case, I simply addressed it a little bit every time I mounted. I started by clicking when he would follow me to the mounting block. I’d click once more when he would happen to be lined up nicely, and again when he would be still. I would really draw attention to reinforcing him once I was in the saddle. Pretty quickly they start to figure out that the sooner you are in the saddle the quicker they can get reinforced. I would proportionately feed more once I was in the saddle. Horses figure out pretty quickly how to accommodate and expedite the process. Next thing you know, they are bounding right up to the mounting block with hopes of you getting on!

Cancer, Schmancer! Facing my diagnosis.

July 7th 2011. That is the day I got the news that I have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL/SSL). I don’t capitalize the name of the disease because I don’t want to make it seem any bigger or more important. I want to keep things in perspective and this is not going to change my optimistic view of life and all that life holds. Sure those are big scary words but then there are plenty of scary things in life. Words I prefer to capitalize are: God, Faith, Hope, Peace and Love. These are words worth focusing on.

Here’s a quick run down of my circumstances. I went in for a routine check up. The blood work/CBC panel showed that I had an elevated white blood cell count. More blood was drawn and the count was even higher. Then we ran a more diagnostic test (flow cytometry). This at first showed the my WBC was back down…phew! Then the rest of the tests came back and showed that I have cancer cells in my blood. It is an incurable cancer but it can be very slow growing and quite manageable. There are more tests being run now that will determine which chromosomes are defective, if the cells are mutated (tend to be more stable) or unmutated (more unstable), etc. These tests will give us a better look at my prognosis. It can be a few years to twenty years. I have read that 50% of people diagnosed with CLL live over 12 years. But in either case I want to stay focused on the life I have in front of me.

I questioned if I should share with everyone or if I should just keep it on a more personal level. I decided it is more cathartic, for myself and others, to share. I am glad that I did. The people that have come forward and have given me words of encouragement or have shared their own stories have helped me through the very difficult first few days. I cannot express how much it has helped. I feel connected, not alone. A big THANK YOU to all of you who have taken the time to reach out to me. You have been a big source of comfort and reassurance.

My time feels more special now. I feel Blessed with each day. God has a purpose for me and it involves horses. I am staying focused on my passion and sharing a gift that was given to me. Thank you for being a part of my journey and allowing me to be part of yours in this unpredictable life. Now, please excuse me, I have some horses to train and people to teach!

Be well,

Shawna

Super Simple Flexion Exercise

This is so simple but very effective. It is actually a byproduct of offering reinforcement under saddle. Being a positive reinforcement based trainer, I feed from the saddle. Often horses demonstrate a favorite side. It may not be so much their favorite as the more limber side. They will turn to take the treat from the easier, more flexible side. I immediately start to balance out the two sides by feeding (usually) from the side we are bending towards. For example, if I am going to the right with a right bend that is the side I will feed from following the click or bridge signal. I often find that one side is noticeably more rigid than the other. This usually coincides with the them being more resistant to bending in that direction as well. After a couple weeks I will notice a huge difference in both the turning to take the treat as well as the softness in the bridle when asking to bend. They are actually stretching and improving their own range of motion. Super simple, super effective!!

Photos of me from my Sea World Days!

I was going through some old photos and came across these pictures from my days as a whale trainer.  This is what lead me to training horses and applying the positive reinforcement (clicker) training to horses.  It is fun to look back on that unexpected journey from marine mammals to horses!  These photos are from the Shamu show at Sea World in San Diego back circa 1990??  I started taking the positive reinforcement(clicker training) to horses  back in 1994.  There is still a lot to do!!  I hope that you enjoy the photos!

Speaking of Trailer Loading… Another Success Story!

The real success is when the training carries through to other people and situations. Lorelei is such a story. She is a young horse in Hap Hansen’s string of horses. I initially began working with Lorelei to address her attitude about getting injections. She was intolerant of the whole process. She did quite well with the training and now stands quietly for her shots. It turns out she is allergic to just about everything and needs shots on a regular basis. Luckily, we got that sorted out just before we found out about her allergies, which require regular injections.
 

Well, it turns out she also has an aversion to the trailer. Not the little two horse kind, which is more common, but the big sixteen horse type. Usually horses view the larger trailers more like a building and walk in rather easily. The smaller trailers seem to create more problems. Maybe it’s the confinement and feeling trapped or claustrophobic, who really knows? The good part of having issues with the little trailers is that they are more readily available to practice loading and unloading. This is not the case with the big trailers.
 

With the help of my friend Lisa, who is Lorelei’s groom and primary caretaker, we addressed Lorelei’s trailer loading issues. I wasn’t there everyday but Lisa was with her and implemented the training techniques. I would try to be there as often as I could for loading in the big trailer to go to shows. Since the discrimination was with the large trailer it was difficult to actually practice on a regular basis. Lisa continued to work with the little trailer when she could. Even though the problem wasn’t the two horse trailer the reinforcement helped the whole process and association to become more positive.
 

Because Lorelei is young she doesn’t go to every horse show, so a couple weeks ago she was scheduled to go to a show and Lisa reported that Lorelei loaded up like a trooper with no hesitation. Then it was time to go home and Lisa wasn’t able to be there. Lorelei got right on with a person who had not even done the training with her. Not only did she load right up, she actually initiated the loading process so the groom/handler just went along with her. He wasn’t her regular groom but she responded just the same. He reinforced her once she was in the trailer but the real success comes when a horse just does the behavior without discriminating between handlers.
 

This reminded me of being at Sea World and bringing along baby sea lions. I usually had a young charge to train and prepare for the show. There is a lot for a young sea lion to absorb. Since the person who trained them has the best rapport with the young sea lion and a greater chance for success, they would also be the trainer who worked them through their first few show segments. I always felt proudest when I would eventually watch them successfully do the show with someone else. I knew at this point that they were solid on that segment of the show.
 

This is what makes Lorelei’s story so reinforcing for me. I know that I can train any horse to go into a trailer, but the real success comes when the training is done by the people who are with the horse everyday and it’s even better when the horse does the behavior for someone else all together! Not only did Lisa get Lorelei responding and succeeding at trailer loading, she really changed Lorelei’s mind about the whole thing. Now Lorelei will load for anyone, any place, any trailer and anytime. Well done Lisa!!
 

If you have stories of clicker training success I would love to hear them and share them with others. Please post your stories or send them to me and I will post them.

Ask Shawna Answer: Getting Sassy to Focus

In this video answer (sent in by Krista) I address a horse’s worry about who is coming and going from the barn. Sassy will focus when she is doing a session until she sees a horse heading to the paddocks. Then she becomes agitated. I lay out some ideas to get her focus back on her session. REMEMBER… if you have questions or comments, I love to hear them!

Teaching Your Horse to Stretch

Stretching is a great tool for helping our horse to loosen up and prevent injuries. However, if done incorrectly we can do more harm than good. It is important that the horse relaxes during the stretching process. Pulling on a stiff or tense horse can injure them as well as you! With the use of positive reinforcement/clicker training you can communicate what it is that you are looking for and you will usually start to see your horse actually stretch on his own once you initiate the process. I have just started this training with Mint. In this session Mint “drops”. This is not something that Mint has done in previous sessions. I don’t worry about it as long as he is minding his manners, paying attention and not getting distracted. In fact dropping shows a great deal of relaxation and this is an important factor when teaching your horse to stretch. When I film these type of sessions for the blog I just film it and let you see things as they happen. I want to keep the reality in there since these are things that you may or may not encounter as you move through the training process. I hope this gives you some ideas. Please post any questions or comments. I would love to hear from you.

Ask Shawna Answer: Catching the Horse Who Doesn’t Want to be Caught

In this video answer I address the horse who avoids being caught or who panics once caught. It is a quick and easy process to rebalance the scales and have your horse coming to you!!

Ask Shawna Answer: Training the Back up

In this video I address some of the nuances for training your horse the back up from the ground. This makes backing up undersaddle a breeze! There are some progressive training videos as Bug’s was learning to back up. Look under the category: Bug’s Blog.

Ask Shawna Answer: Teaching Your Horse to Accept Pressure/Contact

This question is from Ann. She asks about her Thoroughbred who shakes his head when he feels pressure. Through positive reinforcement you can change this from resistance to seeking the contact.

Ask Shawna: Barn/Buddy Sour and Herd Bound Horses

Another Ask Shawna Answer… This question was posted by Sharon. I address barn sour/buddy sour/herd bound behavior in horses. Of course there are many factors involved but positive reinforcement has worked wonders in each of these areas. Please post your questions to askshawna.com!!

Treasure: Dealing with a Sour Puss!

The answer addresses Treasure’s cranky expression when moving into the trot.  Of course you always want to rule out that there is a physical cause or discomfort occurring.  Once you have established that it is behavioral, there are ways to improve attitude, expression and work ethic.

Ask Shawna Question: Clippers, Vibrator…?

This question was posted by Marjorie at Askshawna.com. I address how to teach your horse to stand quietly for clipping. Even if they are terrible with clipping, with these methods you can change their minds without resistance. Next thing you know they are voluntarily participating in the clipping process. Thank you Marjorie for the question and allowing me to be part of your success. Enjoy getting your horse On Target! If anyone has questions about horse training or horse behavior please don’t hesitate to ask.

Horse In The Morning: Responding Correctly to Pressure

What a great show! Listen to this week’s show where I address a hot topic in how to teach your horse to give into pressure through positive reinforcement. Click here for the link to the show!

Flying Lead Change-One and Done!

Well, as you can tell from the title we have started a new and exciting phase of training! Flying lead chages are a pretty big mile marker. It seems like Bugs is ready to put on his “big boy pants”!! When we were at the show we were great but he didn’t know changes yet. I want to state loud and clear that I never want to over face a horse. I know that consistant success is built on a solid foundation. No two horses are the same. Recognizing when your horse is ready to move forward comes from a close relationship, one that is part instruction and part listening, a conversation if you will.

That being said, Marcy (my hunter/jumper trainer) and I feel that Bugs is ready. He routinely makes good decisions and doesn’t get flustered when he doesn’t understand a new lesson. He focuses and tries to solve the puzzle. The positive reinforcement really helps him to be involved and to perservere.

We had a flat lesson with Jan and her green horse, Annie. Marcy has been helping me to adjust my position and my seat is getting more solid with every lesson, well, nearly every lesson. Bugs was good, listening and soft. He had a bit of extra energy but he mostly keeps that to himself at this point. As Jan and I finished up, Marcy put a pole on the ground (across the diagnal) for Bugs and myself to work on a flying change. We discussed the next part of the lesson, the shifts in balance and positioning necessary to allow him and to support him through the change in his lead. My goal was to shift the balance as we crossed the pole. This can be a challenging proposition. You are channeling a lot of energy and horses can get excited, sometimes too excited. A flying change, when new, is a bold manuever and you need that energy, but it helps to know that you can bring your horse back to a soft, listening mindset.

Bugs seems to pick up the left lead easier than the right so we start off on the right lead. This way we can try to set him up for success when we are asking to change his lead. So, off we go! As we come across the diagnol I have got my ears pealed and a big smile on my face. It seems to me that Bugs likes to figure things out and finds comfort in being compliant. This moved him out of his comfort zone. He was not sure what was going on. He was trying to do something, but just wasn’t right. I think he feared that his actions might be taken as disobedience. The first couple of times he was a little wound up, maybe even a little worried. I just stayed very relaxed and focused on getting him back after the attempt. Then we started again, giving him time to settle into a nice calm, controlled canter. The next couple times he still didn’t get it but he seemed a little more settled. I knew that we were on the right path. His mind was more settled and processing as opposed to reactionary. On about the 5th time he got it right! I clicked, reinforced with a few handfuls of treats and lots of praise (he responds well to verbal praise too).

It is tempting to want to do it again right away but I recognize that the better thing to do is to let him rest in his success. I am very poud of Bugs and his good decisions. He really seems to enjoy the challenges that come with training. I am excited for this next week. We have trailer loading, backing up and flying lead changes to look forward to!!

Keeping Your Horse on the Ball

More “Horses in the Morning”!! I was a guest on the show on Wednesday and discussed some ways to keep your horse paying attention and interested in the training process. This is a fun show and good info to boot!! Click here for the link to the show!

Now, THAT’S a Back Up! (2nd session-ongoing series)

Okey dokey, here is the second video in the back up series. I discuss a bit about the targeting and how to strengthen this behavior. The stronger your horse gets at following the target the more willing he will be to follow it when it gets a little tougher. This goes back to the reinforcement history. In a nutshell, our horses make decisions constantly. They will opt for the things that have a good association. The more positive reinforcement associated with a task or behavior the quicker they will choose that behavior. So the better they know the target the harder they will try. Really pretty simple when you think about it.
 
I decided in this video to practice backing up with the target myself. Bugs association with me is stronger (more positive reinforcement) than his association with David. Therefore he does try harder for me than for David, at this point anyway. The target is the common thread so I want to help him understand what to do when the target moves towards his chest. They were both kind of hesitant and I want to minimize undo confusion.
 
Confusion can lead to frustration. I know it is a breakdown in communication and that it is my job to take smaller steps, to somehow figure out how to make it clearer. Training is never a recipe with precise measures but more a set of guidelines. Horses being individuals means things need to be adapted to the individuals’ personality. That is the best part of the new technology, we can work through things together and share insights.
 
Anyway, Enjoy this session with Bugs and the back up and let me know how it is going for you Mandy (and anyone else who is following along). And yes, our barn has an outdoor pizza oven!! As always, I love thoughts and comments.
 

Speaking Of Horses: Using On Target Training in Today’s Horse Training World

Listen in on my interview with Speaking of Horses host, Wayne Williams. We talk about the origin and the latest updates to On Target Training! Click here for the link to the show!

Now, THAT’S a Back Up! (1st session-ongoing series)

Just the other day I was commenting that I want to teach Bugs the “fun” behaviors that Mint knows. I have been focused on his under saddle work and want to balance out our time together. Then Mandy sent me a question asking how I teach the “back up” that Mint demonstrates in his videos. What perfect timing!

When I take my horses for expos, demos or clinics the “back up” is a real crowd pleaser. I think it is fun because it highlights the horses involvement in the training and the enthusiastic mindset that comes with the use of positive reinforcement.

I have heard plenty of people comment on how special my horses are, but truth be told, they were not special on the outset of their training. They were just ordinary horses. Actually MInt was the worst horse I had ever worked. He quit at EVERYTHING in the early days and Bugs was a highly suspicious rescue, who routinly pulled back out of habit. But through On Target Training, they have both developed heart.

When horses learn how to make good choices, they continue with this habit in just about everything they do. I find that the more they learn, the quicker they are to embrace new things and the more confident they become. It creates a positive cycle. It also strenghtens our relationship. Since there is no time like the present, let’s get on with the “back up”.

In this session I ask Mint to demonstrate the finished behavior. We then move on to getting started with Bugs (we are getting David started as well) David is a good friend and my cameraman. He will increasingly be called to help with sessions because he is ever-present, and always willing. To call him a horseman at this point though, would be pushing it. Someday, maybe! David had some hesitancy and this seemed to contribute to Bugs hesitancy. By reinforcing Bugs movement I could build up his confidence. Remember, attitude and effort are the most important elements of every session. So okay, go ahead and watch the session and please let me know if you have any questions. Oh, and Mandy, when you start sessions I sure hope that you share updates and thoughts as you go along.

Stall Manners-Stationary Target/Trailer Loading

Just a quick little video (30 seconds) to show you Bugs targeting on his Stationary target in his stall. This helps when I point out the stationary target mounted in the trailer. This session was done right before we went to the trailer to serve as a fresh reminder for Bugs. I want to reiterate this is an easy behavior to train. If you have questions or want more info please don’t hesitate to ask.

Horse In The Morning: De-spooking Your Horse!

Great show! I talked with Glenn and Jamie about how to desensitize and de-spook your horse. Click here for the link to the show!

Bugs First Tarp Session

This video is from my helmet cam and shows Bugs first exposure to the tarp. The positive reinforcement training has gone along way toward building his confidence with new objects. How is your horse with new objects?

Bugs Free Jumping a Line (at Liberty)

This is Bugs first line free jumping at liberty). It is taught through positive reinforcement. Bugs is a green horse who is just learning to jump-both with and without a rider. Jan who is working with me is new to the process as well.

Our First Horse Show

 

March 21, 2011

So, Bugs and I have been doing great with jumping together. Bugs has shown an extraordinary mix of willingness and relaxation when it comes to jumping. It has been so long since I had ridden that I am a green rider once again. This means I am not necessarily an asset to Bugs when we are jumping. We are learning together. Granted, I have taught him to free jump at liberty and this seems to have bolstered his confidence. He has learned how to jump without the distraction of a rider.

 

A couple of the ladies from the barn decided they wanted to go to the county show. It seemed like a good idea for Bugs to go too. Of course, we have not done something like this yet so I don’t know what to expect. Marcy and I agreed we had no idea how he would be once we were at the show but we might as well find out. We would play it by ear and work from his comfort zone and plan our activities accordingly. I was so excited. It was his first show and I hadn’t shown in 17 years!!

 

The plan was mostly for Bugs to get some exposure to new things and places. We were going in the lowest classes (if he seemed settled enough). We were leaving on Friday and coming home on Sunday. Nothing ventured nothing gained… right?

 

Everything was packed up and ready to go. Everything except Bugs. I had planned for everything but the trailer loading! I am going to elaborate on the trailer loading in my next post. For now I am going to focus on the show. So much to see in just one weekend!

We got to the show and his eyes were huge. I have not seen the whites of his eyes too often. I could see ‘em now! His suspicious streak was bubbling up a little bit. He was not sure what all of this was about. He settled a bit after we started walking to his stall. He resisted going into his stall at first . Everything seemed to be a trap to him at this point. The grooms got him ready for a lunge. It seemed like a good way to get him settled and take the edge off. I am not a big proponent of excessive lunging but at his point it seemed like it could help to set him up for success.

 

During the lunging process he was looking around and not very fluid or focused to start but ended up doing pretty well. Then we got him ready to be ridden. He seemed to find comfort as we settled into familiar exercises that we practice at home. As he would bend around my leg and soften throughout, I would click and reinforce his cooperation. He just became more focused on me and seemed to ignore the distractions around him. He was great! I felt an internal sigh of relief. You never know what is going to happen when you change your horses environment.

 

When we planned on coming to the show I knew to be ready for anything. Everything seems so different when you are looking at it from your green horse’s eyes (or ears). I had clicker and target on hand in case I needed to get him focused on something constructive, to channel his energy. I had previously worked with Bugs to desensitize unusual stimuli. This goes a long way towards teaching horses to handle situations like this well and to minimize spookiness. Our work was paying off as he was making great decisions!

 

The next day we were ready to show. He was lunged a little in the morning. We started with flat classes. Next we had our jumping classes. Just the lowest classes (yes, against ponies!) He was terrific. He rode just like he was at home. I think he was starting to enjoy all that there was to absorb. He is a curious and nosy horse. Once he decided it was safe he seemed to move on to thinking it was kinda fun in the curious way, not the celebratory way. He was just taking in the sights.

 

Bugs got better as he went. The show helps me to gage our progress. Not only where we are on our skill level under saddle but also where Bugs is psychologically. He was relaxed, focused, willing and confident. I have to admit I felt like a proud parent. The blue ribbons didn’t hurt either!

Mind and Body

For the horse, the mental and physical factors are interconnected. If his mind gets tense, so will his body. –Hans Senn–

Developing Feel

Feeling is as important to the rider as hearing is to a musician. Only time spent in the saddle will develop feel. Feel cannot be taught, only further developed and polished. Feel may be the most important quality in riding well. Your ability to feel will improve when you are totally relaxed. –Hans Senn–

Do tell!!

Everyone does such different things with their horses. What is it you do with your horse? I would like to know if you have goals set for you and your horse. Are you working on anything in particular? Please share your thoughts comments.

Ask Shawna.com Answer: Horse flips over when riding

Susan posted a questions via Askshawna.com about her horse who flips over with her in the saddle.  Also wondering about the foal.  Wills he pick up this habit as well?  Please leave your thoughts, ideas, comments or share your experiences.
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Horses In The Morning: Bugs’ First Show!

Listen in to Friday’s show and hear all about how Bugs did at his first show! Click here for the link to the show.

Horse Tip Daily: Not Taking Our Horses for Granted



Listen in and learn how to take advantage of the daily lessons we learn from our horses. We are always learning from each other and thats something that should always be reinforced. Click here for a link to the tip!

Shetland Pony Balks at Pressure During Training

Victoria sent this question in through Ask Shawna.  She has a Shetland pony who acts out when any pressure is applied during training.  I discuss solutions utilizing positive reinforcement.  I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Photos of Bugs

Here are some photos of Bugs that were taken last week.

Bugs: A Rescue Gone Right

March, 15, 2011

It has been about a year now since I first fell off of Bugs.  That, of course, was the first time I met Bugs and decided I have the tools to rebuild his trust (see “Bugs:  A Horse with Big Shoes to fill” for more about his beginnings).  What an amazing journey it has been so far!  It struck me how much one learns through the process of bringing a green horse along.  I learn something everyday, Doesn’t that sound cliche?  But it is true!  It reminds me how much I take for granted dealing with an experienced horse. There are so many firsts.   Watching him mature and learn to deal with new obstacles.  This, to me, is the most joyous part of the training process
 
I realized that this journey is one that should be documented. I plan to keep a journal of our progress, along with my thoughts and observations so that I never forget our shared exprience.  This will also provide an opportunity that others can learn more about using positive reinforcemen,t together with some traditional training,  to accomplish these goals..   I want to share our triumphs as well as our challenges.  I would love for you to come along!  It would be great to hear comments, questions and suggestions as we grow together.
 
Here is a short recap with a little bit of new information.  Bugs  grew up in a pasture without much in the way of human interaction.  At the ripe old age of 4, Bug’s owner pulled him from the pasture and gave him to his adult grandson as a roping horse prospect.  Bugs didn’t take too well to his training and being ridden.  He continued to buck until his rider’s fell off.  Mind you his owner was not new to breaking horses but Bugs wasn’t responding well to training.  The owner thought that Bugs needed to have a different career.  He decided he should try him out as a bucking horse.  The irony is that he wouldn’t buck out of the bucking chute!  Bugs ended up with a pretty good scar on his face from an injury sustained in the bucking chute.  This career wasn’t panning out either.  The decision was made to take him to the auction.  He was reedy, had a scar on his face and just seemed like he was not going to trust anyone enough to make any friends.  I don’t think the auction would have ended well for Bugs.  But, thank God, my friend Marcy intervened and gave him another chance.  He was kind of a back burner project.  The low key and consistent routine  really seemed to help him settle.
 
It was just last December that we really began to get started together undersaddle. I am going to start the journal from that point and post on some of the major highlights to bring us up to date.  I will journal about progress undersaddle and from the ground.   Again, I would love to hear from you, questions, comments, thoughts, suggestions or share your own experiences.  I hope that sharing this journey together helps to open a dialogue with each other and our horses!

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