Sweet Wild Syringa

ninnymary

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Will having someone else hang over her back make her skittish? I know Springa knows your neighbor but you and she are so close compared to your neighbor.

Mary
 

thistlebloom

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Will having someone else hang over her back make her skittish? I know Springa knows your neighbor but you and she are so close compared to your neighbor.

Mary

Sorry Mary, I didn't see your question. No, she should be fine with Julie on her. She's a horseperson and I'm sure Syringa will sense her experience. Anyway, Syringa needs to get used to being handled by other people.

I've broken ribs before. Its cus I trip alot! It always turns into pleursy. ouch ouch ouch.

Yikes Rhodie! Is the pleurisy from not being able to breathe deeply?
 

thistlebloom

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My ribs are healing but still a bit sore. (Not breathing just wasn't working out @baymule , haha).

I haven't had a lot of time during the week to train, but try to get Syringa out in the evenings. I love this time of year when it's light at 4 a.m. and still light at 9:30 p.m..
It does cause a little sleep deprivation though.

The trailer training continues. She has been getting more consistent about getting all 4 feet loaded. The time it takes and the extra work to get her in is getting less each time. She's more comfortable and will load a little sooner if I'm in the other stall, but she needs to get the confidence to be "sent" in on her own.

One evening last week I was particularly tired and was just going to feed everybody and give her the night off, but on a whim I haltered her and led her over to the trailer. She only gets a tiny bit of grain in the evenings because she doesn't need grain, it's more of a little treat.
I have put her portion in the feedbox of the trailer as a high value reward if she gets in. That's the only place she gets it, so it's an incentive.
I didn't do any preliminary refreshers, or groundwork with her, just led her up to the door and gave her the send signal. After a moments hesitation and shuffling around she loaded herself, all four feet in! That was a huge moment for me, that she obeyed on the first ask with a send.
I let her enjoy a bite of grain, backed her out and sent her again. She wasn't as quick to comply the second time (her typical M.O.) but did load up and I let her polish the grain off before asking her to back out.

I have learned not to get greedy and ask for too much because it pushes her defensive button and I would prefer to not have to work on correcting a degenerating lesson.

Oh! I forgot, the first time she got all fours loaded it was raining hard and the trailer was noisy. I was in the other stall that time and had my phone on me so took some pics. That was also an elated moment. :)

She was not crazy about the sound of rain on the roof.
20190608_160004.jpg


First time all fours.
20190608_160015.jpg


20190608_160026.jpg


I have also knelt on her back last week. I was standing on the fence rails above her and rubbing her off side with my foot and leg, then knelt with one knee, said what the heck, and put the other knee up there too. I had a hand on the fence just in case, but she was quiet and relaxed. And no, @ninnymary , her back did not buckle with all that weight on her, haha. ;)
 

Carol Dee

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My ribs are healing but still a bit sore. (Not breathing just wasn't working out @baymule , haha).

I haven't had a lot of time during the week to train, but try to get Syringa out in the evenings. I love this time of year when it's light at 4 a.m. and still light at 9:30 p.m..
It does cause a little sleep deprivation though.

The trailer training continues. She has been getting more consistent about getting all 4 feet loaded. The time it takes and the extra work to get her in is getting less each time. She's more comfortable and will load a little sooner if I'm in the other stall, but she needs to get the confidence to be "sent" in on her own.

One evening last week I was particularly tired and was just going to feed everybody and give her the night off, but on a whim I haltered her and led her over to the trailer. She only gets a tiny bit of grain in the evenings because she doesn't need grain, it's more of a little treat.
I have put her portion in the feedbox of the trailer as a high value reward if she gets in. That's the only place she gets it, so it's an incentive.
I didn't do any preliminary refreshers, or groundwork with her, just led her up to the door and gave her the send signal. After a moments hesitation and shuffling around she loaded herself, all four feet in! That was a huge moment for me, that she obeyed on the first ask with a send.
I let her enjoy a bite of grain, backed her out and sent her again. She wasn't as quick to comply the second time (her typical M.O.) but did load up and I let her polish the grain off before asking her to back out.

I have learned not to get greedy and ask for too much because it pushes her defensive button and I would prefer to not have to work on correcting a degenerating lesson.

Oh! I forgot, the first time she got all fours loaded it was raining hard and the trailer was noisy. I was in the other stall that time and had my phone on me so took some pics. That was also an elated moment. :)

She was not crazy about the sound of rain on the roof.
View attachment 32108

First time all fours.
View attachment 32109

View attachment 32110

I have also knelt on her back last week. I was standing on the fence rails above her and rubbing her off side with my foot and leg, then knelt with one knee, said what the heck, and put the other knee up there too. I had a hand on the fence just in case, but she was quiet and relaxed. And no, @ninnymary , her back did not buckle with all that weight on her, haha. ;)
Training is progressing nicely. Way to go Thistle and Syringa :)
 

thistlebloom

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That is HUGE! Way to go! Haha, I bet you felt like screaming, but that sure would have sent her shooting out of the trailer like a rocket. Quietly screaming WHOO-HOO!!!!

Haha! You know it!
Do you know how hard it is to do a happy dance standing still and quiet?
 
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