KBR Horse Net
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KBR Horse Net
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We started moving Spirit with a rider with halter and lead. We worked in the round pen
making lazy circles and figure eights. It was important for Spirit to get comfortable with
weight shifts as well as picking up the rider in his left, then his right eye as the patterns
changed. When it became evident that Spirit wasn't bothered by these things it was time
to clip reins to the halter and James was on his own.
After the second session in the round pen it was time to move on. |
First time with reins in the RP
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| James, like anyone who intends to bring along a green horse should do, is taking weekly riding lessons. James had been "moving" on his horse three times now and so he decided to ride Spirit in his riding lesson. After some driving to warm him up, James mounted up in the riding arena where he and Spirit did well. |
Walking in wider spaces
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| They continued to ride patterns, practice halts and starts, and within a few minutes Spirit was really paying attention and showed the beginnings of some nice carriage. |
Nice movement |
| Spirit was starting to respond to leg pressure so it was time to try trotting. Before doing that, however, it was important to establish a familiar pattern. James walked Spirit several times from the same spot in the arena to a specific spot on the rail and asked Spirit to stop. After about four repetitions, Spirit expected to stop at that spot. James then could ask Spirit to trot knowing that he would stop on cue at the rail. |
Headed to the "stop" spot |
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After a few trots to the spot James and Spirit were ready to trot safely in the middle of the
arena. The horse was doing well at this point.
When teaching new behaviors it's important not to crowd too many new things into one session as most horses retain more from sessions where prior behaviors are reviewed, then only one or two distinctively new behaviors are asked of them. So it was time to quit at this point. |
Nice trot work |
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The next time out Willis rode Corey and James rode Spirit in the arena. It only took a couple of
minutes for Spirit to get comfortable with another horse and rider nearby. After playing "follow
the leader" for a few minutes, they ventured out into the stable and onto the horse course.
James rode Spirit over most of the obstacles including stepping over concrete culverts, walking over the
wooden bridge and crossing the footing mound. For a grand finale James guided Spirit to one
of the tire rings and stopped him nicely with both front feet in the ring.
(We didn't have a camera with us that day but we took the camera with us on their next time out and photographed a "reenactment" which appears in the next part.) Continue to Part ThreeReturn to Part OnePress "Back" to return to the page that brought you hereGo to Wild Horses & Burros at the Olympics!Return to Case Study SectionReturn to Training SectionReturn to Wild Horse MentorsReturn to KBR World of Wild Horses and BurrosGo To
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