Silke and I are having great sucess, we started riding on Monday and we have been riding every day since then. Today we did figures of eight we are just doing great!Thanks for listening,
Cheryl & Silke
ground play
May 2011 Silke's blog
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Silke's new rides
Silke and I are having great sucess, we started riding on Monday and we have been riding every day since then. Today we did figures of eight we are just doing great!Thanks for listening,
Cheryl & Silke
Monday, November 28, 2011
Silke's ride
Hi All,
This is a wonderful day. I rode Silke in the oval pen today, I got on and asked her to walk, she took 2-3 steps and I said whoa and bent her head to me and got off, then I took her back to the mounting block and got on again and asked her to take 5-7 steps and bent her around to a stop. then I went back to the mounting block and got on again and sat for a few seconds and then asked her to walk a circle (about 10-15 steps) and then I got off and went back to the mounting block and repeated.
I know this doesn't sound like much, but I need you to understand that I am a very timid rider with Silke and I have always had other people ride her first and Silke has bucked them off in front of me... making it more and more difficult to build my confidence. She was very calm today and very willing. she is not the problem, I am. I was all by myself so this was a big milestone for us. Silke is taking very good care of me, and I know it. I am spending every morning with her about 6 days a week on the ground and bareback, and now under saddle with her. I have a friend who is going to help me with ground driving her. I am sure it will help a lot. I also hope to teach her to lay down, just like my horse Bear. Have a great day and thanks for listening,
Cheryl and Silke
This is a wonderful day. I rode Silke in the oval pen today, I got on and asked her to walk, she took 2-3 steps and I said whoa and bent her head to me and got off, then I took her back to the mounting block and got on again and asked her to take 5-7 steps and bent her around to a stop. then I went back to the mounting block and got on again and sat for a few seconds and then asked her to walk a circle (about 10-15 steps) and then I got off and went back to the mounting block and repeated.
I know this doesn't sound like much, but I need you to understand that I am a very timid rider with Silke and I have always had other people ride her first and Silke has bucked them off in front of me... making it more and more difficult to build my confidence. She was very calm today and very willing. she is not the problem, I am. I was all by myself so this was a big milestone for us. Silke is taking very good care of me, and I know it. I am spending every morning with her about 6 days a week on the ground and bareback, and now under saddle with her. I have a friend who is going to help me with ground driving her. I am sure it will help a lot. I also hope to teach her to lay down, just like my horse Bear. Have a great day and thanks for listening,
Cheryl and Silke
Monday, November 21, 2011
Winter Silke's Progress
Hi all,
I don't know what your fall/winter has been like but ours is full of rain, wind and cold weather, I think we had about 2 weeks(not consecutively) of Summer and a few days of fall and this morning it was 28 degree's and then it has been raining and windy all day. Enough said.
After all that I have to admit that I have been going out to the barn everyday at about 6:30 or 7:00AM since the 10th of April 5-7 days a week. I have been working on how to get the best out of all of my horses, but my immediate attention has been on Silke.
The Trainer is not here anymore so it is up to me to continue to find the "holes" in my program. I truly have been having a lot of fun and I have learned so much about softness, feel, timing and body language. I could write something about Silke every day but it would be quite boring to most of you. I keep this blog going so that I can chart my progress.
So here is what we worked on today:
I put a 14 foot line on her and then I attached a 23 foot line and let the 14' line drag. This accomplished 2 things, Silke got used to something dragging beside her on both sides and it was heavy so she also got really light with a loose lead line at walk, trot and canter. Her Canter slowed way down and as soon as she went around relaxed, I asked her to stop. She seemed to like the game and she didn't really care that there was a rope following her on the ground beside her. I thought she might not like it, but I was pleasantly surprised, both ways. This should prepare her for long lining her for driving. I also worked on asking her to stop at all 3 gaits and then to stop on the rail between me and the rail, she did really well with this too. I always end the session with my getting on her and having her stand still at the mounting bench. well, I accidentally let go of the rein, and she walked slowly over to the gate 10 feet away and I called her name and she turned to me and I asked her to come back, and she did! She just let me know she was ready to go to the pasture. We played a bit longer and I got back on her, it was a great day and we ended on a good note too! I played with Bear and Feather today too and I cannot believe how different they are compared to Silke, she is so light and responsive, I am finding more holes in their programs than in Silke's. She is making a better horseman out of me!
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl & Silke
I don't know what your fall/winter has been like but ours is full of rain, wind and cold weather, I think we had about 2 weeks(not consecutively) of Summer and a few days of fall and this morning it was 28 degree's and then it has been raining and windy all day. Enough said.
After all that I have to admit that I have been going out to the barn everyday at about 6:30 or 7:00AM since the 10th of April 5-7 days a week. I have been working on how to get the best out of all of my horses, but my immediate attention has been on Silke.
The Trainer is not here anymore so it is up to me to continue to find the "holes" in my program. I truly have been having a lot of fun and I have learned so much about softness, feel, timing and body language. I could write something about Silke every day but it would be quite boring to most of you. I keep this blog going so that I can chart my progress.
So here is what we worked on today:
I put a 14 foot line on her and then I attached a 23 foot line and let the 14' line drag. This accomplished 2 things, Silke got used to something dragging beside her on both sides and it was heavy so she also got really light with a loose lead line at walk, trot and canter. Her Canter slowed way down and as soon as she went around relaxed, I asked her to stop. She seemed to like the game and she didn't really care that there was a rope following her on the ground beside her. I thought she might not like it, but I was pleasantly surprised, both ways. This should prepare her for long lining her for driving. I also worked on asking her to stop at all 3 gaits and then to stop on the rail between me and the rail, she did really well with this too. I always end the session with my getting on her and having her stand still at the mounting bench. well, I accidentally let go of the rein, and she walked slowly over to the gate 10 feet away and I called her name and she turned to me and I asked her to come back, and she did! She just let me know she was ready to go to the pasture. We played a bit longer and I got back on her, it was a great day and we ended on a good note too! I played with Bear and Feather today too and I cannot believe how different they are compared to Silke, she is so light and responsive, I am finding more holes in their programs than in Silke's. She is making a better horseman out of me!
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl & Silke
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Silkes Progress Nov.2011
Hi All,
As I said before, it has been almost a year since I brought Silke home. The horse I have now is very different than the one I started with. She comes to the fence when I call her name almost every time. anyone can go into her pasture to get her. She has better softness on the ground than my other two Iceys. she is very focused on me when she is with me.
Yesterday and today I worked on her trust and her speed control as well as transitions and stopping.I put my saddle on her and sat in my saddle to get her used to the one I will consistently ride her in. (she was in a different saddle before) I am again working her on my own so she can get used to just me and my equipment and my schedule. I feel like she is adjusting nicely to this program.
I am also working with Bear on "riding with confidence" we are working on softness and gait transitions under saddle. We are having a lot of fun, I am getting a lot more consistency with him than I had before, he is so much softer.
I am learning so much from both of them and tomorrow I will add Feather into the program.
I get Silke out between 7:00 and 8:00AM and Bear from 8-9 and now Feather from 9-10AM.
My horses seem to like the consistency I feed Silke hay in her stall from 6-7 so she is not hungry when we start, and Bear and Feather get fed at about 7:30 but they are out on pasture 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.
They are all happy horses! Silke goes out to pasture as soon as we are done. Bear and Feather too!
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl and Silke
As I said before, it has been almost a year since I brought Silke home. The horse I have now is very different than the one I started with. She comes to the fence when I call her name almost every time. anyone can go into her pasture to get her. She has better softness on the ground than my other two Iceys. she is very focused on me when she is with me.
Yesterday and today I worked on her trust and her speed control as well as transitions and stopping.I put my saddle on her and sat in my saddle to get her used to the one I will consistently ride her in. (she was in a different saddle before) I am again working her on my own so she can get used to just me and my equipment and my schedule. I feel like she is adjusting nicely to this program.
I am also working with Bear on "riding with confidence" we are working on softness and gait transitions under saddle. We are having a lot of fun, I am getting a lot more consistency with him than I had before, he is so much softer.
I am learning so much from both of them and tomorrow I will add Feather into the program.
I get Silke out between 7:00 and 8:00AM and Bear from 8-9 and now Feather from 9-10AM.
My horses seem to like the consistency I feed Silke hay in her stall from 6-7 so she is not hungry when we start, and Bear and Feather get fed at about 7:30 but they are out on pasture 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.
They are all happy horses! Silke goes out to pasture as soon as we are done. Bear and Feather too!
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl and Silke
Friday, November 4, 2011
Silke's progress
Hi All,
For the last several weeks and months I have been working on lightness and follow the feel, what I have found is that it also builds a relationship of trust. Silke likes the games we play and I am really tuning into her reactions and her language with me, and with others. We are working on moving away from my fingertips in all the area's that my leg or foot would touch her and seeing how light of a touch I can make it and still get a movement. I am also working on how much touching she likes when being brushed or just rubbing her, I want to know her subtle likes and dislikes. We are working on transitions at the walk, trot and Canter (on the ground) she is so light now that sometimes I just think about looking the other way and she goes. I am spending 1-3 times a day with her in small segments of time, I find it works best for both of us. I will take the time it takes so it takes less time!
Thanks for listening
Cheryl and Silke
For the last several weeks and months I have been working on lightness and follow the feel, what I have found is that it also builds a relationship of trust. Silke likes the games we play and I am really tuning into her reactions and her language with me, and with others. We are working on moving away from my fingertips in all the area's that my leg or foot would touch her and seeing how light of a touch I can make it and still get a movement. I am also working on how much touching she likes when being brushed or just rubbing her, I want to know her subtle likes and dislikes. We are working on transitions at the walk, trot and Canter (on the ground) she is so light now that sometimes I just think about looking the other way and she goes. I am spending 1-3 times a day with her in small segments of time, I find it works best for both of us. I will take the time it takes so it takes less time!
Thanks for listening
Cheryl and Silke
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