KBR Training Case Study:

"Patience"
Part Seven

When these instances occurred we would mix up backing lessons, longeing out (now that she was clear headed about it) and targeting. We had to stay with a mixed bag of approaches since she is bright and if you repeat the same method of correction too many times, she'll figure out a new evasion. Her resistance is passive, however, and non-threatening. Even when attacked once by a gelding while being led, she didn't panic and let us run off the aggressor.

On vaccination day, Patienced lined up with the rest of the horses and took her shot like a lady; even better than some of the old timers, and she was a breeze to worm.

With learning comes new privileges. Since she can be caught, she can be turned out which she seemed to enjoy very much.

Easter weekend brought gale force winds; strong enough to lift one neighbor's canvas boathouse into the air and deposit it on another neighbor's barn. Around 3:00 I took Patience and Nell for a turnout in the front pasture and went back to work with Keno.

About an hour later when I went to get Patience and Nell, Patience was storming around the pasture, bucking and twisting and kicking, then gunning it all out, skid stopping and repeating her high jinx in the opposite direction. It looked as if letting her out on such a windy day might have been a mistake. She finally stopped in a corner and I walked up to her. She rocked back like she was going to leave and I gave her a stern "Whoa!" She just stood there, blowing from the exertion, let me halter her and we headed back to her paddock.

Hanging out with Sharon after
some line work

Longeing lightly for Cindy
(Note the float in the line)

Grazing in the pasture
with Nell

By this time the wind was really howling. The shortest route back was through the front barn where doors were rattling, the tin roof was humming and things inside were clattering and banging. Patience was a little careful but never stalled out. (She was certainly willing to come out the other side of the barn, though.) She went back in her pen without incident.

Sunday was nearly as windy. I decided to let Patience, Nell and Mello enjoy the the taller grass in the horse course. After they were out about about an hour out there, I went to move them to the front pasture where the grass is really short. (They hadn't been on much grass this year.) Nell, of course, came trotting right up to me and I moved her to the pasture. When I came back for Patience she did her wild mustang thing again. This time she ran up the footing mound steps, head and tail high, stopped atop the mound, gave a big blow and took a lap around the horse course. Hmmm... maybe letting her out in the really good stuff was a big mistake. Fortunately, just like she did before, after she ran a little bit she went to a corner and stood quietly while I haltered her.

After the afternoon feeding, I went to the front pasture to put the mares back up. Nell came trotting right up. When I came back for Patience, she did her thing again. I was beginning to see a pattern with her. "Let me run around a minute and then you can halter me."

A few seconds later she stood waiting for me to put the halter on and she led like a lady. This isn't the first time I've seen a horse who, when being picked up, asked for just one more lap. Some run laps around the entire stable. If they need to make use of their last minute of liberty, I don't worry too much about it so long as they don't take forever and are easy to catch when they're done blowing off steam.