Dobush Farm

Back in the Saddle-breds

  For some,  getting back in the saddle after six months off is intimidating.  My intimidation has been writing on my blog,  thus resulting in a six month hiatus.   I wasn't sure how to jump back in.  So here it goes.

Currently I am working with Jack and Jill,  Cleveland Bay-Saddlebreds. They share the same sire as my adored Cleveland Bay-Thoroughbred,  Watson. Jack and Jill are four and five years old respectively.  They came to me with minimal handling.  Plus they have never left their farm and the herd they considered family.

Alert and focused on their new surroundings,  their body language told me these horses were going to need a training program specially designed for them.   This program would consist of focusing on "exposure"  to life and teaching them how to react in new situations.  

I would keep them together in a small secure paddock with their halters on for the next few days.   The weather was mild and better to be out in,  rather than confined to a stall in a scary new place.  They would soak in the new smells of other animals,  hear the movement of horses near-by and get used to the rhythms of a new farm.  I would greet them many times a day in order for them to get comfortable with me.

 Even though these horses wore halters,  they did not know how to safely have one put on,  or even have a person walk up to them.   They did not know what a brushing was or the many simple things we take for granted.  I was their to introduce them to to world of humans.  It was up to me to convince them we can have a lot of fun together.  Jack and Jill had never been mishandled,  rather they just had a routine that didn't involve much hands on human interaction.  

Canadian Chevals

 

 

One highlight of my job is that I get to work with all breeds.  I am building up my experience with Canadian Chevals.  Until now,  the two I had worked with were good horses,  nothing exceptional.  I am now working with two that were carefully bred in Vermont by imported stock.  Due to health reasons of the breeder,  these two inadvertently got  put on the back burner as far as saddle training went.  So,  when I got called in to train a nine year old and six year old,  I was a little cautious.  Sometimes "older" horses can be resistant to changes of their sedate life-styles.  While, others will welcome the education and stimulation.  These horses are defiantly the latter. Plus the mare and gelding had completely different learning curves.  The gelding was your typical "golden retriever" open to do anything and happy to please.  The mare

questioned everything I had to ask,  cautious and on guard before saying "ok".  By the third session working with them,  they were both eager to work with me. 

I only make it to this farm once a week,  and I missed one due to extreme heat.  After only five weekly sessions,  these horses learned to give to pressure,  ground drive, and now ride.  We only walk,  but we nicely go through an obstacle course of cones and ground poles.  They can be separated from the herd to work and have good ground manners. 

 
Training continues and these exceptional horses are for sale.  Contact Chris or Craig at Cedar Hollow Farms for more information.   Cedarhollowvt@gmail.com

Dales Pony For Sale

Brimstone Quincy was bred at Briar Hill Farm.  He was born in May 2005 and is 14.1.  Quincy is very good on the trail and will negotiate all terrain.  He is currently in training for dressage and learning to jump.  Plans are to show him at the end of July at Green Mountain Horse Association. more photos coming soon.

Continuing Progress

Shortly after the last post,  I recommended that Cole come to my house for a little more one on one training.  Cole seemed to have a strong buck reflex that I wanted to work-out.  At my farm I get to spend more time with a horse and I get to do things I can't always do at other farms.  For instance,  I love to pony horses so they get used to going out and dealing with traffic and all other sorts of stimuli.  Cole needed to wear a saddle longer than just an hour to get used to it. 

Cole's work day would start with me tacking him up completely with a rope halter over his bridle.  He would wait in the stall while I tacked up my horse Logan.  Then Logan and I would "pony" Cole for three to
four miles down the dirt road.  Cole would get used to me leaning over him and petting him.  Seems simple enough,  but this was new to Cole.  He also got used to me being taller than him, a new perspective.  I also strongly feel that if a horse sees another horse being ridden and having fun,  they are more accepting of being ridden.

 After our jaunt,  Cole and I would head to the ring while Logan rested in the stall.  Cole and I would continue the basic drill we had done before.  A little lunging,  some giving-in to pressure and head bends.  Then I would hop on Cole and do the same from the saddle,  minus the lunging!  Our standing exercises would then go into walking and halting exercises.  If Jan was riding in the ring with me,  that would help Cole  get through the sticky situations.  Its funny how a horse can forget how to move its feet with a rider on top.  After his training session,  Cole was turned out to pasture wearing an old surcingle.

  Cole needed two weeks at my house.  Then I sent him back to his farm with confidence that he would do great.  Amanda kept up a similar training routine.  I hear he is doing great,  no bucks and lots of trotting.  I am very happy. 

  Go to Animal Aid to follow his progress and see who adopts him!

Animal Aid, Inc.

My job takes me to many farms for many different reasons.  Some people want a better understanding of their horse,  some want control of their horse.  The reasons go on and on.  When I met Gerda Silver last year, my first job  would be saddle breaking one of her Haflinger mares. Once that task was done,  she hired me to train a Rocky Mountain Mare to drive single.   Gerda's interests are diverse, but she has one passion that consumes her life:  animal rescue.  

   When you pass through the gait that protects the animals at Gerda's farm,  you drive into a yard where the barns feel more like an extension of your living room.  Every animal has a look on its face of relief and relaxation.  Amanda Bills is the primary caregiver of the animals at this farm,  along with the help of many others.  

  The horses and donkeys here are either retired from a long life of public service as police horses  or are recently rescued from a sale condemning them to slaughter.   Depending on the condition of the horse/donkey,  rehab duration can vary.   Training will then follow as the horses come into good health.  Each animal is then put up for adoption for a  fee which will cover some of the expenses it takes to get the animal into the adoptable condition it is in now.

Pictured above is King Cole,  one of the current horses at Gerda's farm.  He is a Dutch Harness Horse,  four years old. When King Cole came to Gerda's farm,  he was under weight and not even halter broke.  Coles hooves hadn't been trimmed in a while.  Cole is a very sensitive horse whom really wants to please,  he needs a lot of time to learn to trust his handler.  Amanda has been teaching Cole to accept new things such as brushing,  hoof cleaning and tack.  Gerda pushed Cole a little out of his comfort zone and now he accepts the vacuum.  Working with his sensitivity, I came into the picture to teach Cole to trust his judgment and differentiate between good actions and negitive reations.   Panic doesn't work in a humans world.  Stopping and waiting for a que is much better.  King Cole now ground-drives,  accepts ropes around him and is learning to give to pressure of the bit.   This may sound basic  for most horses,  but most horses haven't been neglected, cattle prodded or mis-handled.

   To help continue King Coles training,  Animal Inc. needs monetary support.  This is easily done by going to Gerda's website and donating. Animal Aid. Inc

Hello again

  It has been three months since I have tackled my blog.  So much has happened I don't know where to begin.  I will start with the most fun.  I have  a new pony at my farm for Jan/Feb training.  This is extra special to me because he was sent to me by another trainer.  Marcy Baer is a well known and liked breeder/trainer of English Dales Ponies and Norwegian Fjord's.  While Marcy is competing in Florida with her top Stallion "Duke,"  she sent me her up and coming Stallion,  "Tennyson."  Marcys instructions were to "show him the world and get some miles on him."  Tennyson is not very comfortable with traffic, so that's our big goal.  

The first days at my farm,  I did ground work with Tennyson so we could get to know each-other. I lead him around the property to show him the new environment.  Then we started riding in the ring,  followed by  leading him down the road to cool off.  I wanted him to see new places with the comfort of having me by his side.  Gradually I started riding him through the woods and then down the road.  Tennyson still isn't 100% with traffic,  but he is getting more relaxed.  When we started Tennyson  wasn't comfortable with the dogs trekking behind him in the woods and now he loves it.  The first time I went down the road with Jan and Noodle,  Tennyson trotted sideways until he got used to a horse behind him.  All these things we take for granted with our older-wiser horses.

 
 

 

Pair Verses Team

When one is trying to learn new things,  I have found it is best to keep your mouth shut and listen.  This is for two reasons,  first:  you can't learn if you are talking,  and second: you might say something dumb.  Through observation,  I quickly caught on that in the driving world,  a pair of horses is two,  not a team of horses that I would have blurted out if I didn't follow my own rules!

Last month my friend Harriet and I went to drive her Dales ponies as a pair.  For the past two months Templeton and Quincy have been under the great training hands of Larry Poulin.  Now it was time for us to take the reins.  Harriet has driven pairs in the past;  she helped introduce the Friesian breed to the American driving world.  I on the other hand had not.  

 
 
 

 

  
 
 

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Tunbridge HDT Columbus Day Weekend

 

Apprenticing to a Pro

A couple of weeks ago,  I got a call from Sue Lathrop,  a well known and respected driver. Sue's navigator was injured and could not be ready for the CDE at GMHA the weekend of August 27-29.  Sue and I had met at my first driving show a few weeks back.  She was the judge at the show and found out I was a very enthusiastic newbie to the driving world.  Sue asked me to be her navigator and I didn't hesitate to say yes.

I learned to train horses when I was in high school.  I worked at a small Thoroughbred breeding farm.  Hands-on learning is the best.  I knew the moment I said yes to Sue I would be learning a new field of horsemanship that would be as exhilarating to me as when I was first learning to start horses under saddle.

  Walking the course was much more complex than finding a line through an event course where maybe there are  one or two options.  This was four obstacles in one.  It was my responsibility to keep my driver on course if she had a "senior" moment. 

 






 

Andalusian-Thoroughbred mare, what happens in 30 days

"Tango" is a four year old Andalusian Thoroughbred mare at my house for her first official 30 days in training.  This mare has had a lot of handling and isn't wild like some of the horses I work with.  It is her first time away from her home and she is nervous.  I am always reminded of how some horses adjust quickly and some don't.  I usually like to keep horses in training seperate from my horses so they really bond to me.  But in some cases,  you can just tell they need a horse companion.  The last horse that came to me,  and this one both have my "Noodle" as a pasture mate.  He keeps every one calm and that keeps my neighbor happy.  No one wants to hear whinnying all day and night!