Arianna training day 13

On Saturday we were blessed with a nice breeze and a more comfortable temperature of 82 degrees F (a very pleasant 28 degrees C!). 

Arianna stood calmly at the hitching rail whilst I brushed her all over before heading over to the round pen. 

She naturally carries her head quite high as we walk through the yard, looking and checking everything out on the way. When we first entered the round pen she called to her friends and started to fidget. Instead of sending her out on to the circle this time I kept her in close range and practised yielding her nose around to her shoulder. At first we moved around quite a lot, but then she remembered and stood with her head almost touching her shoulder without me having to do anything to keep it there. We practised this 3 times each side and she already seemed much more relaxed and focussed.

Next we practised friendly game with throwing the rope over her neck and back from both sides. There is almost no brace in her body now and she didn't flinch at all and I was able to encourage her to lower her head simultaneously to throwing the rope over her with rhythm.

Now I really felt that she was a) relaxed and b). focussed on me, and we practised quarter yields, forehand yields and the yo-yo game.

Even when another horse walked along the path that goes right past the round pen, she looked over but didn't loose her focus on the exercise we were working on at the time.

We played a little circle game and she was far more comfortable being further away from me on the circle than she has previously which was very pleasing.

To finish I stood on the little mounting block and gave her lots of love, getting her more used to me being higher than her. I used driving game to position her so I was in zone 3 without stepping off the block and proceeded to scratch her over her shoulders, back and rump. She was so relaxed and we probably stood for at least ten minutes. Her head was low and I leant over her back then wrapped my arms around her flanks with my head resting on her croup!!! It was magical. We finished with bringing her head around to both shoulders with the lightest of pressure whilst I stood on the block.

I was very, very pleased with how much more relaxed she is becoming and she really has no worries about me laying on her!!!

Arianna training day 8-12

Arianna training day 8
Monday morning I'd kept my diary free to watch the individual final of the Olympic dressage. At 6am I was in bed, armed with a supply of tea and biscuits ready to watch every test! I was so proud of all our British riders, with their very subtle light aids and all demonstrating the true harmony with which I believe all dressage should showcase! I cried tears of Joy when Charlotte nailed her test and took home the gold once again!!
In the afternoon I worked with Arianna. First we spent time grooming in the tie up area where she was very calm and stood quietly to be brushed and fly sprayed. Then we went to round pen. We played a bit of the friendly game but she seemed very distracted and was calling to her field buddies and seemed to want to move her feet so I let her have a run around on the 22 ft line to burn off some of her energy. When she was ready, I noticed her ear tuning in to me and then her eye, and then I yielded her quarters and let her come back to me. We went back to the friendly game but I still felt quite a bit of 'brace' in her. We practised a few things and finished on a good note and went back to the tie up's. At first she stood quietly but once she noticed another horse in the main arena she had her first little melt down, dancing on the spot, scraping the floor and I had to untie her. All her calm had disappeared and she appeared wild eyed and full of energy and even pushed in to me at one point (which I made very clear was not allowed under any circumstances!). I stroked her and talked to her but she didn't calm until the other horse had left the arena. It wasn't until I was driving home that it occurred to me what had caused the melt down. The horse in the arena was a stallion and now I was thinking she may be in season!

Arianna training day 9
Later in the week my friend Lisa came to visit Arianna at her new home. We again, spent time in the tie up area and she was much calmer and stood like and angel to be groomed. We had a little play in the arena, just practising quarter yields and then doing a lot of leading. She's very happy for me to be out in front of her and to follow but she's far less comfortable with me in zone 3 at her shoulder and girth. We made it fun by playing mirror me and just using forward, halt and backing up to keep her attention on me. She's getting very good at the halt now and I can breathe out as I stop my feet and I can feel her let go and halt next to me in harmony.
Before I put her back in the pasture, Arianna wore her fly mask for the first time! She didn't mind at all! Clever girl!

Arianna training day 10
On Saturday David and I had jobs to do around town, so we stopped by to check on Arianna in the middle. It was nice just to go in to her pasture and hang out without any pressure. We cuddled and scratched and socialised with her and all the other horses in her pasture. It was nice to see her come up the hill when she saw me arrive.

Arianna training day 11
On Sunday I had a bit more time and I worked her in the evening when it was much cooler. Again she didn't much want to stand still to start with the friendly game so I let her out on to the circle to burn off some energy. This was the first time it was cool enough to let her have a canter around which was nice to watch. She came back to me in the centre much more quickly and we played porcupine game with backing up, quarter yields and forehand yields. I also started teaching her to bring her head around to her shoulder. 
This is something that is a fundamental part of western riding. The safety mechanism to stop the horse when riding western is to bring the horses nose around to the riders knee. Seeing as I would like to ride her in her halter before I introduce the bit, which is fairly common here, this is part of the ground training to prepare her for that. As always, the aim is to use the lightest of pressure. I'd already taught her to lower her head with a feather light pressure on the loop at the bottom of the halter but this seemed to confuse her much more. We went around in quick a few circles before she understood, but then she licked and chewed and we practised a few more times both ways to finish.

Arianna training day 12
Today I practised a little more of yielding her head around to her shoulder and really worked on throwing the end of the 12ft rope over her neck and back without any brace in her body. It didn't help to start that our new area to tie up is right next to a large hay barn which has 15ft of draping tarp which flaps in the breeze! Actually this was great and once Arianna faced it and took the time to look at it, she was more intrigued than worried. We investigated it together and she sniffed at it and even poked her nose through! I'm very pleased that she isn't afraid of new things and I'm looking forward to nurturing that curiosity!
Then we went back to throwing the rope over her neck and back until there was zero brace anywhere in her body.

To finish, I gave her a lovely bath, with shampoo for the first time and scrubbed her all over and washed her mane and tail. She loves water and even let me wash her face! Such a good girl!

Arianna training day 6 & 7

Day 6
On Saturday I had to wave off Chloe and Joshua at the airport, so in the afternoon I spent a little time with Arianna to take my mind off them leaving.

It was a hot and muggy afternoon. We stood in the tie ups and I gave her a good brush all over. I can tie her to the railings now and she might fidget a little but as soon as she realises she's tied she stands quietly. She loves to watch all the goings on around the yard and especially people riding their horses in the arena.

After lots of tlc and cuddles I took her to the wash bay and gave her a spray down with the hose... again, a good opportunity to practise being tied and she loves the water. I sprayed her all over and she's certainly not worried about bath time.

Day 7
On Sunday we had a bit more time to spend together. We started with the usual routine of grooming and cuddles in the tie up's. Then Cynthia loaned me her bareback pad to try on Arianna. This is the first time she's worn any kind of pad.

We practised laying on her back, taking it on and off until she was really settled about it. Then we started to attach the girth, first extremely loose, then gradually a little tighter to the point where it was stable enough for her to work in it.

She was so un-phased by it all! We worked in the round pen with the bareback pad on.

First we played the circle game and practised our quarter yields, then we practised backing up and draw with the yo-yo game. We still need more work on leading. She's super happy to walk behind me and getting better walking with her head next to me, but she's still not confident when I'm in zone 2 or 3....
I couldn't have been prouder of her though today, we played a little a squeeze game between the mounting block and the edge of the round pen for the first time today and then I stood up on the block and played friendly game and leaned over her again to finish.

Arianna training log day 4 and 5 and a busy day at the ranch.

Practising with her back feet...

Leading practise... and then posing for the camera!

Farrier day at the ranch
On Wednesday I was at the ranch, which is always busy as it's farrier day but I feel between the staff, volunteers and Tommy the farrier, we've got the routine down now and everything went very smoothly.

I was super proud of little Gemma. It's obviously a team effort, gentling a willd yearling to the point when they can stand for the farrier, but I feel a little extra proud of her as I was the first to halter her and teach her to pick up her feet. Last week we trimmed the fronts which was pretty incredible as I'd only picked up her front feet twice before! This week we did fronts and backs and she was super behaved!! I felt like a proud Mum! I even had a little time to teach her to walk forward to a little pressure and before you knew it, we were leading all round the pens!!!

I also managed to fit in a little time to work with my friend Sarah's horse 'Little Fawn' and we took her up to the trailer for the first time. Little Fawn is such a character! In her pen, she's in your face and all over you like a rash! Last week we learned her leading skills left a lot to be desired when she nearly squashed Sarah a few times in the alleys and we consequently did a lot of work last week on personal space. This week she lead like a dream so it had obviously sunk in that running over people is not acceptable!

Little Fawn's first time in the trailer!

Trailer practise was divided in to 3 clear parts. Part 1 at the beginning when Little fawn was interested in the trailer, and was touching, sniffing and chewing. Part 2 where Little Fawn's attention had run out and she was now bored, so decided to make her own entertainment by trying to sneak round the side of the trailer, rearing up, spinning, stamping and generally having a paddy. Part 3, where little Fawn realised she would not get away with such behaviour and was much better off focussing on the trailer again! Lol! I do love her though, after she'd finished having her strop, she stepped up in to the trailer easily and was totally at ease in there. We loaded and unloaded once more and she looked positively chuffed with herself after!

All in all another great day at lifesavers wild horse rescue!
 
Arianna training day 4
I left Arianna to her own devices on Sunday (thank you Cythia for checking up on her for me) and on Monday I went back down to see her in the morning. It was very busy at the yard that day.

Horses were being ridden in the arena, horses were getting ready in the tie ups and some children had a made a ramp with chairs and a piece of wooden board and were playing with toys cars and trucks on it! This was a lot for Arianna to take in. So we spent quite a bit of time in the tie up area, just brushing her and chatting to people and every time she moved I politely asked her to step back to where I had left her. This is going to take a while I think as mentally she's in to everything all the time but I'd like to get her to where she will stand in the tie up area without being tied at all but stay where I left her.Then we went in to the round pen for the first time.

Arianna did a lot of snorting and blowing as we walked over there as it's kind of secluded and out of the way but thankfully most of it was in the shade in the morning.

I began as I normally do with the friendly game, rubbing her all over with the stick and string, but her head was up like a giraffe and her eyes were popping out her skull in this new place so we quickly moved on to something to get more of her attention.

We practised porcupine game to do quarter yields, forehand yields and backing up using just my hand or the stick. This definitely helped to get her attention back on me and then we were able to do quarter yields and backing up without actually touching her which I was pleased with.

We did a lot of practise of being able to stand still further away from me. At first as soon as I took off all the pressure and let the rope lie on the floor and looked away, Arianna would seem confused and would start to wander off to investigate somewhere else. I just kept correcting her with wiggles of the rope and asking her to yield her quarters and then taking off all the pressure again as soon as she stood still. She still seemed a little confused, but gradually she would stand and look at me, lower her head and lick and chew without moving, with the rope on the floor! Such a clever girl!

Next we played some yo-yo game and I love how Arianna is equally happy to back up on a light finger waggle as she is to draw back to me with just a smile and a soften of my body language. This is one of the things she finds easiest.

Now we came back to the friendly game and I encouraged her to drop her head and relax whilst I rubbed her body with the stick. This was probably the most relaxed I've had her in the friendly game and even managed to throw the rope around her neck and back without her flinching from both sides.

Then I gave her a scratch and stood on a little mounting block whilst doing so to get her used to me being higher than she is, ready for backing. She was a bit suspicious at first, but once she understood, she stood very relaxed with me at her wither, and let me wrap my arms across her back in a bear hug! What a clever girl!

Arianna Training Day 5
A couple of days later, Arianna and I continued our practise in the tie up area. It was much quieter on Thursday evening but she's still a bit of a fidget! We took our time and Chloe brushed one side whilst I brushed the other, which took Arianna by surprise at first! We brushed through her mane and tail and I put in a running braid in her mane to help keep her cool. This was Arianna's first time being plaited!

In the round pen Arianna wanted to move her feet so I let her move about with a bit of circle game in trot to let off a bit of her energy. Walk and trot circle game seem to come easily to her but she is far less inclined to canter in the round pen yet!! The quarter yields in the circle game are getting there but were not perfectly square on yet so this is something I'm definitely going work on more next time. She backs up nicely now and turns at the should either direction well.

It was very muggy and I was getting hot, so we practised some porcupine game and the forehand yields are getting not only lighter but slower and more controlled from day 4. Then we just had cuddles again whilst I stood on the mountain block and Chloe leaned over Arianna's back whilst I scratched her.

 After her short work out, we un-braided her mane to find she now had a perm! Joshua my son and Chloe gave her lots of kisses and said their goodbyes as they go back home on Saturday and it got me thinking.... I wonder what Arianna and I will be doing next time they come to visit.....?

A New project..Introducing Arianna

Hi everyone,

It's been a long time since I updated this blog, mostly because I was writing all about my recent move to Los Angleles in my other blog ( www.anenglishgirlinla.blogspot.com) but seeing as this new adventure I'm undertaking is more about the horsey part of my life and hopefully the start of some more work for equal equestrian, this seemed like the most logical place to write about it!

Through my work as a trainer at Lifesavers wild horse rescue near Lancaster, California, I had fallen for a 5 year old bay mare called Arianna. Her back story is vague, but we do know she can from the fallen feed lot auction (an auction where horses are sold for meat, before being transported to either Canada or Mexico for slaughter!) and that she had a chestnut foal last year called Cosmo.

Cosmo was since adopted but Arianna was still at the ranch with some 200 other horses, still being cared for at the Lancaster site. I fell for her or farrier day when she refused to have her wormer and I stepped in to help and she ended up closing her eyes and resting her head on my chest!

Since then I've spent a little time grooming her and leading to and from different pens. We had one short session in the round pen (it was very hot that day!) and we even taught her to go in the trailer before the big moving day. The trailers here don't often have ramps as they do at home but the horses just jump right up in to them.

Arianna is a quick learner and takes everything in her stride so far. Her give away when she's nervous is her head goes high and she tucks up under her tummy whilst taking everything in. and she loves to do a load shout out to her friends in her paddock, usually right next to my ear hole!

She had her vaccinations, her feet trimmed, her teeth floated and then a few days later, we were ready to move her to the new ranch nearer my house. 

Day 1
Tommy my farrier, very kindly transported her his trailer the 75 miles to "Shadow Hills Equestrian Centre" where I'd be keeping her going forward.
She stepped straight up in to the trailer without hesitation (whilst munching on a few carrots) and we tied her up and closed the partition, something that was new to her, closed the doors and we were off. As we passed Tommy and Arianna on the free-way, Arianna looked remarkably calm, enjoying the breeze through the windows of the trailer. When we arrived at Show Hills she wasn't even sweaty, although I think her legs were feeling a bit wobbly as she almost face planted coming off the trailer!

She spent the afternoon and first night in her own pen to acclimatise

Day 2
Chloe and I spent a bit of time brushing and fussing over Arianna before I took her for a little walk to get a closer look at her new home. We went into the big arena which was a first for Arianna and just to make it more interesting there was another horse already in there. Arianna was a little distracted, but she still was polite and walked with me and we played a bit of the friendly game. Then Chloe and I gave Arianna a wash down. This isn't something I think she's ever experienced before, but she seemed to very much enjoy it, even a little in her mouth and on her face!

Then we put her out in the big pasture where she is going to be living with 4 other horses. She kept herself to herself mostly whilst assessing her new room mates!

Day 3
Today we took Arianna in to the tie up area to groom her for the first time. We didn't use the cross ties but just practised being tied to one side and standing still. She was very good with her fly spray and even let me spray her face whilst I covered her eye with my hand!

We did a little leading practise in the area as well. She's learning to walk next to me now, instead of following behind me or walking on top of me! Then I put her back in the pasture to have her supper with the other horses.

She's already my little star and I'm loving have that one on one bond with a horse again.....

February 2016

I am now officially Mrs Bees! On Thursday 14th January, my partner David and I tied the knot! We kept it super small and had a Ceremony at the church in the village I grew up in and then sandwiches and drinks in the village pub! It was so relaxed and exactly as I'd always dreamed. To top it off my amazing parents had arranged a surprise stay for the night and 3 course dinner at Cliveden House!!!! I felt so special!!! An amazing day I will never forget!

Peroni and I have been enjoying lots of time together. Sometimes we just hang out together and he really enjoys being groomed and scratched, primped and brushed and even I trimmed his feathers and beard with the clippers! His whole demeanour is becoming so much more relaxed, I can get him to lower his head now and whereas he would stand still, he would be highly attentive to me and which part I was grooming. Now he stands with his head low or munching on his hay and is much happier for me to do his face and ears. It might not seem like a lot but it's a big change for him as a right brain extrovert!

 
We've had some groundwork training with Sue Edwards which has been amazing fun! Peroni is such a fast learner and being an extrovert he finds it very easy to move his feet. We've been working on the 7 games and are making rapid progress! He just loves to try new things and when we walk to the arena his expression says "oooh - what are we going to play today?!" which makes me so happy. The games are really helping his confidence and I've entered a youngstock showing class next weekend! I'm mostly just looking forward to making him all beautiful and getting some nice pictures, but it'll be a good introduction to competition. With that in mind, we had our first lorry loading practise today. After 15 minutes of sniffing and pawing the ramp, Peroni loaded himself! A few more times on and off and he got a well deserved reward on the box, totally calm and happy!

We've also been out 'hacking' (just leading of course) around Hodgemoor woods which, he took all in his stride. He found the different surfaces under his feet the most interesting part and sniffing some bollards!

Over the past few weeks, ongoing trouble with my back has meant I haven't been able to do much riding. One of my clients horses, William is a regular though and I mostly just hack him out twice a week as part of his varied exercise regime. He's so well behaved and although, he asks politely if we can go a bit faster somethimes, he's been so good just walking round the woods with me, and has really looked after me recently.
 

Goodbye 2015, hello 2016

So I haven’t updated my blog in over 2 months, with good reason. So much has happened since my last post and up until now I haven’t been ready to recount it all, but as 2015 draws to a close and 2016 is just around the corner, now is the time to accept the past and look forward to the future.

The Chiltern and Thames Championships were my next big event after my last post. My sister Chloe came over from France the same week to groom and support me. Guinness warmed up exceptionally calmly and made me so proud in his first test. His first time in the big indoor arena at Bury Farm and  he was calm, collected and 100% concentrating on me, like I’d never known before. We broke into canter in the medium trot, but I didn’t care, I was so proud of him! I had hired a stable for the day so after we’d all had a rest and some lunch, I brought Guinness out to warm up for his second test, but something wasn’t right. He didn’t want to go forward in trot, and whenever I pushed him on a bit more he just kept breaking in to canter. I had to withdraw from the elementary and I was devastated to say the least. I just couldn’t understand what was wrong?! Had he trodden on a stone? Pulled something? The final class was the one I’d put all my effort into, the dressage to music class, and was planning on fulfilling a lifelong dream of doing a dressage freestyle to the music from Black beauty, on my very own, Black beauty look alike. Unsure of what to expect, I tacked Guinness up, and hoped for the best. Although I took it easy in the warm up, Guinness seemed ok as long as I kept the circles big. So I nursed him around my test without pushing it at all and just kept him long and low and managed to come away with a 7^th.

 

After that I just walked Guinness on hacks in straight lines and Chloe rode Hero out with me a few times which was nice. I had a week’s holiday coming up and the day before I left I took Guinness in the school and he felt as lame as before. I gave him the week off and when he was no better after his rest, I contacted the physio and then the vet. It wasn’t good news and I had a very tough decision to make. This is what I wrote to say goodbye.

07.12.15 Goodbye my friend

It is with huge sadness that I have to say goodbye to my friend, partner and teacher of the last 6 years, Guinness. Guinness has suffered with a multitude of problems since I got him at just 4 years old and over the past month, with the change in weather and his increasing age, his arthritis is such that he is no longer comfortable to trot, or walk down any form of slope. I wish a long and happy retirement were possible for my beautiful boy but without the physiotherapy schooling gives to provide his arthritic neck with support, it is mine and my closest vets and physio’s opinion, that retirement would mean, further more frequent neck issues including locking and muscle spasms. I just can’t bear the thought of him being out in the field one day and being in pain and alone or his legs giving way underneath him because of his wobblers.

I will miss his cheeky face over the door, how he tried to bite and kick me when being brushed, how nervous I felt before every competition warm up and how proud I felt after every class. It was only August when I passed over the cross country finish line at Aston le Walls, in the pouring rain and sideways wind, streaming tears of joy because of how proud I was of my boy and how much I love him. I will miss his beautiful face, kind eyes and the little white streak in his tail. I will miss his smell, and the feel of his soft neck on my cheek and velvety muzzle on my face. But most of all I will miss him as my friend.

I’m grateful he will not have to suffer in his final days like Donald did and Frosty did right at the end. I’m grateful that he will never know any different than the life of pampering and luxury he is accustomed to and the constant attention and love he has known. I’m grateful for all the excitement we’ve shared and all we have overcome. I’m grateful for all he has taught me. I’m grateful for hard he has tried to keep going, even when he’s been uncomfortable. I’m grateful for all the fun we’ve had together over the last almost 6 years. I’m grateful for all the bucks I’ve learned to sit and even the few times I’ve ended up on my arse! I’m grateful for all the happiness he has brought to my life. I only wish we could have more time together, but I hope he understands that I’m doing my best to put his quality of life before my own emotional and selfish needs. He truly is one in a million to me, the horse I dreamed of as a child, my horse or a lifetime, my very own, Black Beauty.

Say hi to Donald, Frosty and Peter for me. I love you so much and I will miss you every day.

3 weeks has passed since I said goodbye to my horse of a lifetime, and it hasn’t been easy. Some days are harder than others but I’ve had phenomenal support from my family, my partner, and my friends. So much reminds me of him, and I think that’ll always be the case. The day I received my regional qualification email was one of the hardest, but I’m still confident I made the right decision. 

Since then, many things have changed. My partner has been offered an amazing job in Los Angeles, and all things considered, we’ve decided it’s too good of an opportunity to miss! We’ve been engaged for a long time but this was a great excuse to arrange a last minute wedding so now it’s all hands on deck! We will be married early in the New Year and then if everything goes to plan, we will be moving out to LA around April!!! Peroni, my youngster will go to France to live with the other Adams family clan (Taffy, Frosty and Beanie) whilst I’m away until he’s old enough to be backed! 

Peroni is growing in to such an amazing little horse and all the groundwork and handling I’ve done so far has really paid dividends. I moved him from his current yard back to Kevin’s in Seer Green and he walked the 45 minute walk by my side along a busy road like a grown up pony! He was nervous and curious at times, but he followed my feet as I’d trained him to do and couldn’t have made me prouder! I’m looking forward to having my first proper groundwork lesson with him with Sue Edwards next weekend!

So lots is changing and it’s sad, exciting and scary all at the same time, but life isn’t a dress rehearsal and as I’m waiting for the clock to chime in an new year, I’m feeling exceptionally grateful for all the wonderful things and people I’m so lucky to have in my life, and hoping 2016 will be one of the most exciting adventures of my life so far…..