Month: February 2020

R+ Odin the Mustang

February 23, 2020 / Corrina

Here's a short video I made of our preparatory session before trailer loading:

Because trailer loading is hard for Odin the Mustang, I want to make sure that we are solid on all the fundamentals. O really enjoys working at liberty and it would be very nice if he would simply walk into the trailer because I asked him to and he trusts that I will do right by him.

We're getting there.

However, the trailer is parked up front and there's a bit of a jaunt to get from O's living quarters to the front. The journey is mostly fenced or blocked in by brush. Theoretically he could crash through the brush and get to the neighbor's place but he's never been there so I don't envision him going off to explore. Still, I want to be absolutely sure that he'll stay with me. Also, up front is a lot of nice lawn grass. What is likely to happen is he'll follow me up front, start grazing then ignore the "please get in the trailer" request. Maybe liberty training to get in the trailer is an idea worth abandoning.

What I like about making videos is that I see the gaps in my training methods and point them out to the viewer. Enjoy!

The trailer training (not in this video) went very well. We practiced a bit yesterday and he really didn't want to get in. I have a flag for him to target in his parking spot in the trailer so I try to focus on the targeting, not that he's getting in the trailer. Yesterday he got in several times, targeted the flag, then backed out politely. Today he marched right in the trailer without hesitation and was willing to stay in there for several moments. I always try to make backing out my idea so I don't ask him to stay in for very long.

A couple times he started to back out, got distracted by the neighbors working in the yard and stopped. I asked him to come forward again and he did. Big win! He did that a couple times, which indicated to me that it was time to stop for the day and do a little grazing for relaxation (and lawn management). Good boy Odin!

Two Weeks Ago

February 21, 2020 / Corrina

B's final resting place, two weeks ago today.

Two weeks ago my heart broke when I discovered my ex-racehorse, Beege, in excruciating pain at 5 a.m. It was still dark, softly raining when I heard him whinny quietly from a place in the dark. The ending is only happy because he's no longer suffering.

I still miss him and frequently walk out to his burial site after Odin is fed to talk to B and tell him I'm glad he's no longer in pain. I imagine a veil between us and it's easier for him to see me than it is for me to see him in his pain-free state. In part, I lack some visual imagination and in part, it's hard for me to clear that agonizing morning from my mind. This morning I woke up at 3 a.m. and relived the discovery and the wait for the vet to arrive.

When I did go out to feed Odin, in the dark, I can't help but fear another terrible discovery. It's been dark these last few mornings but the stars shine and the neighbor's porch lights and the barn lights help a little. I say "good morning, Odin" and he nickered.

Mustangs don't vocalize much if at all, so the nicker lifted my heart. It tells me he's ok, he's glad to see me, and he's ready for breakfast.

Besides no longer having to witness B's daily pain from arthritis the other blessing about his passing is that Odin is becoming more bonded to me. The nicker tells me that plus his enthusiasm for greeting me whenever I come out. Granted, he may think of me as a vending machine of tasty snacks but he understands that instructions are forthcoming then he must respond correctly before receiving any treats. Otherwise I'm just coming over for a pat, rub, or scratch which are well received too.

Odin and I are adjusting to B's absence. At this point I probably miss B more than O does and we go on, taking in what each new day brings.

R+ Positive Reinforcement: Scary Bunnies, UPS Drivers, etc. the Middle Part is Hard!

February 17, 2020 / Corrina

One goal I had for today was to video our progress but Odin came up to the training spot as soon as I put down all my props: the red bath mat, a target, his halter, my stick, and the grooming box. This is good news because it seems to mean that he enjoys training and being around me.

Odin usually starts out by partially putting his left hoof on the mat then pawing with the right. He no longer gets rewarded for pawing at the mat as that's a kindergarten step and he's graduated to first grade. So I wait until he gets the right answer and then reward him handsomely.

Since he put both hooves on the mat fairly quickly, I invited him to go for a walk up to the front. It's somewhat of a long walk that is apparently fraught with danger. As we leave the paddock, the road goes down the hill, over a brisk stream (no bridge or anything different than road as the stream passes through a culvert) then up the hill to the garage and front yard.

He stayed with me on a loose lead fairly well on the way to the front yard. When I stopped he stopped at the property place. Bada bing, Bob's your uncle. On to targeting the flag on the side of the trailer ten times in a row. Bada bing, Bob's your uncle. Time to walk politely to the grazing area.

I gave Odin the signal to graze and so he did. While he grazed, I rubbed him all over and often I pick his hooves but had forgotten the pick this time so instead I practiced tying a bowline knot around his neck with the lead rope. The bowline knot is handy to learn because you can always untie it; it never tightens to the point where it's impossible to untie. It's not a quick release though so I wouldn't use it to tie my horse to anything. I would use it to secure the lead rope around Odin's neck if I were riding and needed a safe place to stow my lead rope but also would like it to be handy.

Odin tolerated my fiddling with the rope around his neck and I was just about to let go of the lead rope just to give him a bit more liberty.

Remember those dangers that our place with which our place is fraught? Odin did. I'm not sure what he saw on the north side of the house, potentially a bunny? Maybe he heard the dog arthritically getting up from her bed inside the house? Not sure but whatever it was Odin needed OUT RIGHT NOW.

I'm glad I still had the lead rope.

Not that he could go very far as our place is fenced and gated.

Still, I'm glad I had the lead rope because I wanted to encourage him to explore whatever it was that scared him plus I was curious to see what he was alarmed about. No idea but whatever it was, it was after Odin. I got him situated so that we could safely depart back to the barn but by then everything was scary, including the stuff we walked past on the way to the front. I kept backing him away as best as I could or moving him to the other side of me so that I was between him and "the danger".

The idea of the walk-on-a-loose-lead lesson is to plant your feet so that the horse does more moving of the feet than the handler. This can be a bit tricky when your horse suddenly turns into a wild salmon on a fishing rod or a kite on a windy day. Usually there are options, like backing, moving his body to a different side but not in circles around you, which apparently accomplishes little.

On the walk back to the barn, the UPS driver roared up to a neighbor's driveway, then a squirrel ran down a tree. That was too much! Odin bolted ahead so he's completely facing the wrong direction. How do I get him back into position when clearly there's a squirrel that's out to get him. Well, I backed him up from where I stood then brought him back into position when we were out of harm's way from the squirrel.

And then he has to switch sides again because something was scary about the creek and then another neighbor got his burn pile going so there was snap, crackle, pop. Good grief! We are in a veritable haunted house! Switch sides again so that I can protect him from the danger. Again, the key is to maneuver with your feet planted until after the horse moves. Otherwise, you're being lead around and the horse is in charge, which often isn't a good idea.

Finally we made it back to the barnyard with no other encounters with birds, bunnies, squirrels, UPS drivers, firebrands, or poltergeists. When I removed Odin's halter in his paddock, he breathed a sigh of relief and enthusiastically followed me back up to the mat where we practiced standing on the mat again.

Whew, what a session!

R+ (positive reinforcement) Practicing the Easy Stuff

February 16, 2020 / Corrina

Reward for job well done.

Today Odin and I practiced leading, stopping when I stop, targeting the purple bucket covering trailer hitch and a flag hanging on the side of the trailer. Leading was good practice because Odin was very distracted by some pasture guests:

Another doe was off to looker's right but out of the picture. Odin likes to know where everything is. Even the brown squirrel that scurried down a nearby tree and startled him. I'm curious what Odin thinks of deer and squirrels.

As we continued on the driveway toward the front, where the horse trailer is parked, Odin kept trying to look behind him to track where the deer were. It's good practice to let him know that I'll keep track of the deer; he needs to pay attention to where I'm going.

However, because Odin was a wild mustang for more years than he was a domestic horse, he used to being in charge of himself. So I don't get mad at him but remind him what his current job is and reward him when he gets it right, which is the basis for R+ training. He really enjoys this style of learning and it's fun for me to teach this way. Why shouldn't all learning be fun?

These games also help grow our bond so that when I ask Odin to do something he doesn't like, getting in the horse trailer for instance, he'll be more likely to do it. Besides, it's pouring down rain and the trails are closed so may as well practice and perfect these small things.

And then there was a Crash

February 15, 2020 / Corrina

Odin's reward for patiently waiting for my signal to graze.

It's been a full week since I lost Beege. Odin and I have been keepin' on with R+ (positive reinforcement) training doing little things that we both enjoy.

And then last Wednesday as I was leaving the YMCA and heading north on Pioneer Highway to work, a car turned in front of me without yielding. We crashed.

Crashing is a hassle, if you're lucky. It takes hours to untangle the mess and get on with your day. Others need to drop what they're doing and help. If you're unlucky, a crash can be so much worse. I'm starting to feel lucky that the crash was pretty much a hassle with some pain, soreness, and some forgetfulness and confusion.

Crashing is a hassle because it disrupts what needs to be done and then self-care needs to be done to make sure the brain and body are okay because the brain and body need to be okay to make everything else in life okay.

Jodee is okay in spite of the crash because she was in her crate. If she was sore, she didn't indicate but it's hard to imagine she wasn't sore, especially since I was quite sore.

On the afternoon of the crash, I asked Odin to stand on a mat. He thinks it's great fun to paw at the mat but he only gets reinforced (R+) if he stands on it. It was a nice day (not raining) so he stood on the mat and I groomed him. Easy and fun, not much brain or body effort.

The next day Odin didn't want to come in at feeding time. He was distracted by something. Maybe the neighbors were in their yard or maybe a pack of coyotes was passing by. Not sure but he did stand on the mat for a bit then left. I had to bring him in with the halter and lead rope, which isn't as much fun in either of our opinions but that was his choice. He could still stare at the neighbors or watch for coyotes from his paddock. The view isn't much different from his daytime turnout.

Yesterday was exhausting. I checked in with my medical provider and had to answer a million questions. I was also forgetful and mixed up some words. I messed up a simple, routine form that I have completed twice per month for the last 14 1/2 years. That felt weird. I worked for a few hours then came home and buried my nose in a library book. Thankfully Odin wanted to come in on his own. It was also our anniversary. By "our" anniversary, I mean Randy's and mine. We celebrated 13 years together.

Today the clouds are heavy and the burden of the last week felt heavy too.

Still, the keepin' on needs to keep on. I finally felt good enough to pick manure, fill all the hay bags, deal with water buckets. And I received some inspiration from Alexandra Kurland's book "The Click that Teaches". Odin and I practiced leading. Sometimes he gets distracted and walks past me. So I picked random shrubs, sticks, ferns, rocks, whatever to walk to and stop. If he stopped when I stopped, he was rewarded. If he walked past me, he had to get himself back in position before he was rewarded. It's a fun game and teaches him where I want him to be. It also teaches him to wait for my signal to graze. I think it'll help with trailer loading too.

I could use some easy stuff for a while.

R+ Positive Reinforcement: Training Odin the Mustang

February 11, 2020 / Corrina

Since we lost Beege the other day I'm trying to give Odin the Mustang more attention than usual. We both feel a little lost and clingy without B.

Here's the video I made of R+ training at liberty:

Remembering Beege: June 3, 2003 to February 7, 2020

February 9, 2020 / Corrina

Beege was ultimately my teacher. Of course when I got him in October 2015 I had big plans to start eventing or continue hunter/jumpers. He'd been retired from the racetrack for at least 7 years, someone had him for a while and started eventing him. The photos of Beege going over beginner novice obstacles were horrifying at best because his rider wasn't balanced, was jumping ahead of him. What I liked was his try in spite of a poor pilot. Beege was going for it even though it didn't look like he enjoyed it very much.

After I adopted him from a neighbor, I put him in training at a local hunter/jumper barn without much success for a number of reasons. The training operation was in transition was one problem and the other was that B didn't take to a life mostly in a stall. He was used to having access to pasture and turnout. Most boarding and training barns do not have the luxury of acreage for adequate turnouts for all the stabled horses. Many horses get turned out for an hour a day then return to their stall or the arena for the remaining hours. Many horses do fine in this system. Some horses prefer the familiarity of their stall but not B.

In November of that year I moved him to a friend's pasture. Since I didn't have a horse trailer I attempted to do some training on my own and relied on past practices or traditional horsemanship, which is often pressure and release or sometimes even punishment. The idea is to apply pressure then release when they get the right answer. At the time I didn't know how to recognize the right answer.

One problem with B was that he felt pressure from so many directions it was difficult to get him to focus. Plus it was November so daylight hours were in short supply and training in the field lead to mud, which is less than ideal. Training on my own was depressing as I was not making any progress with him. It was also clear that he didn't trust me as his leader. For good reason too.

Thankfully I was introduced to a kind farrier who had some connections that might be able to help me. One of these connections was a trainer starting her own business and she was willing to come to me to help me out. We started training together in February 2016.

Meghan is a natural horsemanship trainer, which I knew little about except that it seemed kinder than traditional methods. In the past I had rejected it because it never seemed like natural horsemanship trainers ever actually rode. Which was short-sighted of me. This time I needed to start somewhere and clearly we weren't going to start riding until B was more trustworthy.

Meghan's practices are primarily based on pressure and release techniques developed by trainers like Pat Parelli. B was extremely sensitive so where we started was simply desensitizing him to a stick and string. That went well but we moved on to the flag and learned that he was explosively distrustful of the flag. If it so much as moved, B would snort and bolt.

My hopes for riding and going to events were pretty much dashed, although I could see some progress with Meghan's training. Her goal was to teach him confidence so that he didn't have to snort and bolt. We worked together over the months and were able to hand-walk him over to a neighbor's arena. Sometimes it went well and many times it didn't. It was always hard to tell when an exercise that had started well was going to unravel B.

Since I grew up on the philosophy that 30 days of training will get you a rideable horse, my hopes to start riding any time soon seemed silly. But Meghan was moving her operation to a training facility and I could put B in full-time training in June 2016. The consistency would help him.

Or so we thought.

What we found was a long journey of lameness exams, ultrasounds, x-rays, chiropractic work, joint injections, a strained suspensory, which required stall rest. I wasn't sure if the treatment was worse than him living with a strained suspensory. Plus it was December so my getting to the barn to hand graze him was difficult. Arena exercises were out of the question because if he got scared, he needed to move his feet. Possibly a lot of moving and that was bad for his recovery.

Eventually (3 months?) he recovered from that injury and we were able to start riding again. Until he started spooking at unpredictable things. Since he wanted to learn and wanted to please, we thought he might have more pain. After more diagnostics and injections, a specialist diagnosed arthritis in his front fetlocks. Maybe he'd be suitable for light trail riding or maybe some easy jumps but he'd be unpredictable under saddle as it was clear when he was in pain, his fear and distractedness overruled any training he'd had.

None of this was fun for B or me. Or even Meghan really. It's difficult to ride an unpredictable horse even if you're getting paid for it.

I made the decision to retire him to another friend's pasture. I could still do ground work with him and he learned to like some of the Parelli games because he was good at them. He was good at obstacles and targeting strange things like boats, tractor implements, and tarps. He would even stand on a tarp. B's bugaboo was the flag. I spent hours trying R+ (positive reinforcement or clicker training) just getting him to look at a flag. Finally he would target it. Sometimes he'd allow me to actually touch him with it. He learned to love target training and getting rewarded for the right answer.

What B and I gained from training was confidence. I learned to be a leader and to wait for him to tell me what he needed that day. Sometimes B was very quick about telling me what he needed, which was a reminder that he was safe. Mostly B was a sweet horse who desperately wanted a job he was good at. R+ training was a good fit for him because he loved being successful and R+ rewards, frequently, a job well done.

This post will be one of many as I work through my emotions about losing him on Friday.

RIP Winterproof (aka Beege) June 3, 2003 – February 7, 2020

February 8, 2020 / Corrina

I lost this beautiful boy yesterday. When I went out to feed at 5:00 a.m. Beege heard me coming and whinnied a bit pitifully from a place near the pasture — not his normal waiting place. It was still dark but I found him lying down, steam rising from his body. Not good. He'd obviously been rolling and was in pain. I walked up to the barn to get a halter to help him. By that time he'd gotten himself up and came up to his stall.

At first I was relieved, thinking he was okay but he started pawing violently in his stall. I called the vet emergency service and was about to put on his halter when he went down and got himself cast against the wall, couldn't get up. By then my vet called to say she was on her way, driving time. I tried to help him up by putting a lead around his front hooves and rolling him my way. Somehow he managed to get himself up, ripped a wooden post from the wall and headed back outside. I called him back in so I could halter him before he went somewhere else to roll.

Even in his extreme pain he was compliant and wanted my help. I got him haltered and we walked outside where there was a little more room in case he went down again. And he did. By then Randy came up to the barn with a cup of tea for me, because he's sweet that way. He's not a horse guy but he asked if he could pet B and so he did. He went back up to the house to take care of our old dog, Jodee, while I waited for the vet. B was up again and I kept him walking to avoid going down again.

By the time the vet arrived, he went down again and cast himself against the barn. Between the vet and me, we got him up again and she injected him with a sedative. How he did not gash his legs by getting stuck against walls is beyond me.

The vet did her normal check with the stethoscope and injected him again with more sedative. Not enough sounds in the hind gut, which means blockage. We started discussing options. Surgery? He might not make it to the operating room. Since B was retired I didn't have him insured for colic surgery, mostly because his quality of life post-surgery probably wouldn't be great.

The vet put on the long rectum sleeve and felt around for poop and blockage. No poop. More injection as he was obviously still in pain.

At that point he put his forehead on my abdomen and rested it there for a moment. It was a poignant moment and remembering makes my eyes water.

The next step was to tube his nostril to see if she could draw any liquid out of his stomach. Some came out, along with a bit of grain that he'd eaten the night before. His dinner hay must've been between that part of his stomach and whatever was blocking the exit. He'd eaten most of his hay so we concluded that I caught his colic early, which is a blessing sort of. Less time to be in excruciating pain.

She said that if he colicked again through the third sedative that she could give him the super sedative, the morphine based one, and ultrasound his gut. With the ultrasound, she saw the front part of the gut moving a little but nothing in the hind gut. We made the decision to put him down.

The morphine made B feel calmer and as always he was compliant. I lead him up to the back pasture with a spot in mind for burial. He stopped at the crest of a small hill and started to graze. His final meal, his last moments of being a horse.

If he had pooped on the way up to that spot, I would've rejoiced but I knew he was just being a horse, relaxing with me for a few moments.

Dr. Claire came up with her kit and explained to me how it would work, the series of injections, how she would help him lie down after the first injection and how I could be at his head for the final one.

It was still dark when she began. He went down with a predictable thump. I loved on him, told him what a good boy he'd been, and then he was gone.

A horse's body takes several minutes to shut down. About 30% of their body is respiratory so they exhale several times even after the heart has stopped. I probably would've been shocked by that if Dr. Claire hadn't explained what to expect. My only other experience was with cats and they exhale only once.

I spent the day alternately mourning and worrying about Odin the Mustang. Per Dr. Claire's advice I let him discover B's body. It took a couple hours and when O finally saw him, he spooked then walked over to investigate. As a mustang who grew up on the range, I felt certain that O had seen more dead horses than I ever have but I wasn't sure what to expect from him.

O grazed near B's body for a few hours. The excavator was coming but I wasn't sure when so I covered B's body with a tarp. O didn't like that. He tried picking up the tarp with this teeth, pawing at it. Maybe he wasn't ready yet. I'm not sure.

The excavator did arrive in the afternoon and B is buried now. O seems to be looking for him, a little lost, clingier to me than usual.

Rest in Peace Winterproof. June 3, 2003 – February 7, 2020.

R+ (Positive Reinforcement): Moving Right along with Clicker Training

February 2, 2020 / Corrina

Not only are Odin the Mustang and I learning together with R+ training, I am also learning about videography and the limits of youtube, facebook, and other social media. Up until today I've successfully uploaded a few (poor-quality) videos to my YouTube channel. Today's video was better quality because I actually centered the camera on the work area, Odin cooperated with me, it was sunny out today, and I figured out how to voice-over to explain what I'm doing in the video. However, the video was a bit too long and YouTube won't upload it.

Every good story needs a conflict and I'd rather that my conflict was not with YouTube. Or maybe I do because that's a minor conflict and easily ignored.

The "conflict" for this story is how to overcome obstacles when working with creatures that don't speak your language, has entirely different motivation, and are much bigger than you.

The obstacles are different for each horse.

Odin the Mustang is learning quickly. He's curious and very interested in R+. Whenever I set up an exercise he comes up to see what I'm doing. Today I set out the red bath mat (mat) and my stick with a string and lash attached. The camera goes on top of a barrel and the trick is to get the camera set up before Odin loses interest in the mat and comes over to poke his nose at the camera.

We started a week or more ago just learning basic targeting skills. He's a pro at targeting anything I suggest he touch with his nose. Our challenge now is to a) stand on a mat, which is good for standing in one place until I release him, b) back up, which is good for strengthening his top line and haunches, balance, adjustability, and getting out of my space when asked, and finally c) lowering the head to feel calm. When a horse has his head up, it's likely he's worried or concerned about something and his adrenaline is up. It's hard for anyone to learn when they're adrenaline is up and since horses are prey animals, anything that changes is worthy of notice. My job is help them learn what is truly worrisome and what they can notice then forget about. Teaching them to lower their head gives them a tool to relax.

My video, that you can't see yet, shows Odin walking up to the mat, picking it up and gently shaking it. I put it back down and ask him to stand on it. He's not actually standing on it yet, just accidentally touching it with a hoof. He gets rewarded for that because I want him to notice that putting a hoof on the mat is the right answer while putting his hoof just anywhere doesn't earn him a reward. We practice that several times as well as backing up. He prefers not to back up very much so I click when he backs up a step but then ask for more backing until I actually give him a treat. The deal is do the job, get a reward. I get to decide within reason when the reward is given.

Odin does all kinds of things to avoid actually backing up. He'll move sideways, forward around me, swing his haunches away, and so on but he does not get the reward for doing anything but backing up. I may have asked too much of him in a previous session where he willingly backed up about 10 steps. I thought, oh cool you can do that, go for it! But that might be a bit much to expect every time, especially now that he's asking me whether he really needs to do that.

At one point, Odin spooked at something and his head went up in the air. Once he took a breath and focused back on me I asked him to lower his head by placing my hand on his poll between his ears. He still doesn't understand that cue but when he lowers it slightly I click and reward. We can work on this exercise every session. Backing is the larger issue for him and I don't want to drill him. I'll keep it fun for him by also doing the exercises he likes.

Beege, the Off The Track Thoroughbred (OTTB), has a different set of challenges. One challenge is that he's always on high-alert and he's a great tattle tale if the neighbors are in their yard doing something. Since he's so concerned about things far away, it's hard to get him to focus. I've been working on just getting him to target, which is a game he sometimes loves, sometimes snorts and wants to run away even if it's the same target we worked with yesterday. With Beege I meet him where he's at and have low expectations about his success.

My goal for him is to feel secure and confident in his environment plus have a little fun with him. Lately he tells me he's uncomfortable by his actions but I don't know why. His abscess blew out his heel bulb so he shouldn't have any foot pain. I've supplemented his diet to help his tummy and I haven't taken Odin out of his sight in a while. All should be well but he tells me it's not. Besides taking care of his physical needs the best I can do is attempt to teach him how to cope. One way to do this is to target and feel successful at it. Every day is a brand new day for Beege though.