Marker Training Journal #3

A pic to give some idea of the current training location. There’s enough of a slope in the field to make The Boi work without it being too challenging to do small circles and serpentines. I am very comfortable schooling in fields and pastures; after all, that’s how I started out as a kid and it looks like I’m back to those days. Fine by me. Mocha was my experience of a barn-raised, barn-arena horse and I’m kinda meh on having another one in my life, especially since I don’t have big show plans in my future. Plus working on a hillside is good for training and conditioning a sure-footed horse. The slope is a huge conditioning aid, and the lack of an arena means the horse doesn’t get dependent on arena walls for going straight (something we’re working on now). Arenas have their uses, don’t get me wrong, and we’ll be putting in arena time later on. But for now, a field works just fine for the basic walk-trot work we’re doing.

Marker has made leaps and bounds in progress this week. He is pretty much respecting human space when being led in familiar settings except for rare moments (we’ll see what happens in a new setting at some point). He ground ties, and learned that faster than Mocha did. He eagerly snatches up a hoof when I ask for it (well, giving him a cookie after he does that for all four hooves probably helps in providing incentive). While he’s still fussy about bridle path clipping—it’s the actual cutting of hair that upsets him—we’re no longer engaged in circling and attempting to evade. I can hold the non-blade edge on his crest and even the blade edge (with a guide snapped on) on his crest. He just freaks out a little bit when I cut some hair, but even that is much improved, with just wide eyes and a raised head. Plus he is now lowering his head when I hold the non-blade edge on his neck with the clippers on. Progress! I knew it would happen. Just takes time.

When it’s time to go to the field for work (with lunging cavasson on), he marches right down there. Today was his day off and he was more into moseying than marching (we routinely turn the horses loose in the lower field to encourage them grazing there. Doesn’t always work but we do it anyway). A good sign because that means he is developing a work ethic and enjoys his schooling. Lunging right now gives him a chance to blow off any emotional energy that might have been brewing, especially when dealing with the clippers, before I get into the saddle. It’s also a chance for him to work on canter, balance, and just get settled into the saddle before I get on him. Gregg Shrake gave me that rationale for lunging a young horse or one coming back into work years ago, and it seems to work.

It’s possible to get some idea of the slope from this picture. I’m leaning back slightly to discourage Marker from trotting downhill—that’s an easier move and we will be trotting later in the ride, but right now he needs to accept whatever gait I tell him to take. Note that I am riding with a fairly long rein. He is not at the point in his conditioning and training where he’s ready to move in collection. Plus, someone somewhere in his past rode him with a really tight rein and he fusses about it. We’ll be fixing that as he gets stronger, but for now he’s learning to trust the light contact I have—yes, there is contact there—and it’s not a big deal because he works well off of seat and legs, not hands.

(As you can tell, the old Mocha mare is soooo concerned about him working around her. Not.)

One of his strength issues shows up when we start working in circles and serpentines on this slope. He’ll occasionally try to break into a canter on a downhill turn at the trot, or a trot when doing it at a walk. That’s a sign that he still needs to build strength. And that only comes about through wet saddle blankets and tincture of time. I’m already seeing some improvement there.

Works are kept short but he gets ridden five days a week right now with two days off. I’m going the short frequent rides route to bring him back into shape because that way we avoid soreing him in the back or legs. I’m starting to see the appearance of withers, which I thought would happen. In a month or two, I’ll start making the rides a bit more complex, but for now, we’re dealing with conditioning.

After the work, we go for a short road ride, on the quiet gravel road by the field. He likes that. And, honestly, he’s less spooky than Mocha so far, though we haven’t encountered loose dogs and big equipment yet. I can talk him into relaxing when something worries him.

All in all, decent progress for the first few weeks. He carries himself a little differently, now. He is a Horse With People, and that’s a big deal for him. Some horses are very people-oriented, and is he ever one of those. Praise goes a very long way.

I’m happy.