woohoo!

Hi All,
Silke is doing sooo well, Mike rode her all over the big arena today and she seemed unconcerned about everything, she has accepted the rider and she even licked and chewed and blew out, so I think we have turned the corner on her training. Soon we will be trotting and then cantering. She had a really good back up today also.
I really can't say too much more she did everything we asked and she did it even when she didn't really want to.
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl& Silke

silkes ride's

Hi all,
Silke is doing very well, she has learned how to be hobbled, she was very good at it from the very first day we tried it! now she just looks at us and says " I have hobbles on I can only take little steps, can you please take these off?" She now runs to the gate to be caught, anytime, morning or afternoon, and anyone can catch her.
My Trainer, Michael is crawling all over her and sliding off her butt, no problem. she is getting used to a big heavy western saddle with a back cinch. she had no problem with the back cinch! When we first started riding her in the beginning she bucked because she felt trapped and clausterphobic, so we decided to slow way down and just do desensitizing exercises as well as rubbing her all over, she is really starting to trust everyone, in stead of just trusting me. We basically started over and found the holes in her program. It has been very fascinating to be a part of her training, Michael is a great trainer, and he allows me to be a large part of the process.
He started riding Silke 3 days ago and we have had 3 very calm and successful rides, I truly cannot wait for tomorrow, she is now improving on a daily basis. Silke is my best trained horse (on the ground work) and soon to be the best in saddle too. mostly because we are not in a hurry to trot, tolt and canter etc.
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl and Silke

Silke teaches the trainer!

Hi All,

I am very excited to tell you about Silke's progress, because it was amazing to see my trainer tap into the potential of my horse before my very eyes. I was able to teach him to see her from my eyes. I wish there were words to describe this wonderful feeling. I was able to show him the side of Silke that I see everyday. I worked with Silke while he watched, and I explained what I was doing with each movement and with every expression of the horse and of me. Then I had him do it while I coached him into it step by step. He was able to send her out at a very soft walk and she even gave him a soft trot and finally a soft canter. he was so open to my suggestions, he is a very good trainer because he is still learning and he is open to ideas. He found out that softness/lightness can come from softness/lightness. And we saw it transfer under saddle, he had the best ride ever. We ended on a very good note. Silke loved the lesson. She got to teach the trainer. I can't wait till tomorrow, Thanks for listening,
Cheryl & Silke

Silke's great ride!

Hi all,
Today was a great day, Silke was so awesome she totally accepted the saddle and the rider and she even trotted/tolted just a little. she is so confident, I can throw my blue tarp into the arena where she is tied or standing loose and she just stands there, like,  what do you want me to do with that? she doesn't spook at anything in a big way, if she reacts at all she still doesn't move her feet unless we ask her to. she is doing change of direction so easily now. Her flexion with the bit is a lot better. I really love the progress we have made it is really helping her to have a lot more confidence in humans, then she doesn't have to be on her gaurd so much. Trust is such a huge issue with these horses especially the older ones like Silke who haven't had any human touch for the first 7 yrs of her life. When I picked her I thought she was 5yrs old, but she is actually 7.
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl & Silke

Day 8 in July Training

Well,
Today was a great day we worked on Saddling, desensitizing, I put a horse blanket on Silke and she got used to all the clips between the hind legs and the belly straps, as well as the snug fit around her haunches. I was also able to take it off and on over her head several times back and forth. She acted as though she had always worn it. I am very pleased. As most of you know, I have been looking for a trainer that could start her under saddle, in the methods and manner that I am familiar with. I ride western and I like to ride with a loose rein on trail and I just want an all around horse that I can do anything with in a safe way and someday my grandchildren will ride.
 Well, after talking to all of my friends and trainers that I know, I finally found someone who could train my horse here at my facility so that I wouldn't have to send her away to be trained. But the most exciting thing about it is that I get to be there everyday and be training her too. I work with her in the evening and "Mike works with her in the morning while I watch and videotape so we can re-watch everything. the training started last week. It is going quite well, Mike is doing most of the riding and I am backing it up with groundwork to transfer it under saddle. She also got her first experience with a back cinch as well as this afternoon she had her first breast collar put on, again she just took it all in stride. Mike and I follow the same basic program so it makes it easy for us to both work with her. I am very pleased and so is Silke.
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl and Silke

Silke's 6th day

Hi
This is Silke's 6th day in a row, it was easy for both of us today she stood still for hobbling and looked at me as if to say take it off, I can't walk, which is what I want her to do. She has completely accepted the saddle and all kinds of things inside the saddle bags. I am training her to trail ride and I hope she will be good for Grandkids  and husbands. We will see about that. She is really loving being trained and I am really enjoying it too. We both get tomorrow off.  A well deserved time to sleep in.
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl

Silke's Registration papers!

Hi All,
Today I received Silke's registration papers in the mail WooHoo!
The progress wasn't as great today, but I can say she is accepting a lot more things touching her. that has been the hardest thing to overcome for her, being 7yrs old and finally having Human things touch her after being in the wild (so to speak). She is accepting the hobbles very well she just stood there today and waited for them to be removed. (3rd day being hobbled). She stands still when the whip is being cracked really loud too. I put my leg over her and she dropped her head. I asked her to put her head down with less than one ounce of pressure. She put her head all the way to the ground and kept it there. she followed the arena dragger and also stood still when it went behind her. She is starting to trust a little more each day.
Thanks for listening,
Cheryl