Tolter Taming Thread- Apple Sauce

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Tolter Taming

Apple Sauce

Number 1: First Encounter
I woke up just as my dream of horses faded away. It was 7:36 AM on my alarm clock. I groaned until I couldn't groan anymore. Then I sat up and said, "Another 'perfect' day." After I finished eating breakfast, I hopped into my car and drove to the Wild Horse Rescue Center with a horse trailer. When I got there I asked, "You don't mind me looking at the horses and possibly claiming one?" The people there said that they would be happy if I did. I started looking at the horses on the right. Most of them looked sad. One of them was very pretty but he didn't seem right for me. One of the managers said he was slow and old. "Sorry, buddy." I said to him as I walked on. As I came to one of the last ones, she nuzzled me like saying "Pick me! Pick me!" She was very pretty and her green eyes, woah! They shone like the sun. "This really is a perfect day!" I said to her. A manager came over to me and said, "Well! Looks like you've got yourself a horse!" I nodded and asked if I could claim her. He said yes and I did everything I was told to. "Thank you so much!" I said to him. I got a carrot and a lead rope. I could tell she was not going to like a halter. I praised her as she got into the trailer. "Next stop, home!" I said to her as I got in.

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Number 2: Adjusting to home
"Here's our stop!" I say as we drive into my driveway. I climbed out of my car and into the horse trailer. Apple Sauce whinnied as I stepped in. "Good girl, Sauce." I put my hand around the rope and leaded her out. Then she started running towards the grass. "Sauce! Come back here!" I shouted. She started to roll around on the dirt but I caught her before she could. I bet she knew how to eat grass but just incase, I shoved grass into my mouth to show Sauce. I guess she already knew how because she was galloping and trying to eat grass at the same time. I opened her gate to her paddock and she came flying in. I brought hay out for dinner that night and showed her how to eat it too.I didn't taste that good... one of my dogs randomly came sprinting out of the house and over to Apple Sauce. "Toby!" I called out to him. Toby is an Australian Labradoodle. He checked out Sauce while Sauce tried to stay calm. I went into my house to feed all the other dogs. "Din, din!" I yelled. After I fed the dogs, I fed my other animals. Before going to my room, I said, "Goodnight!" to Apple Sauce. She whinnied as she dozed off.

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Number 3: Introducing...The Halter!!!
The next morning was rainy. I totally forgot about Apple Sauce but as she galloped into my dreams, I remembered. "Oh no!" I said and I ran out the door. Or tried to. Sauce was in my way! "How did you..." But I couldn't finish my sentence. She was walking to a bent pole in the fence, small enough for her to jump over! "Thanks, Sauce." I said. Suddenly, it started hailing! She didn't like that at all! I lost sight of her as she trotted away. "Sauce! Apple Sauce!" I shouted over and over again. When it cleared up, I searched for her. "There you are, Girl!" I said as I walked into my riding ring. It was dry there because it had a roof. I tried to make her move with the rope but she bit through it! "You need a halter!" I said as I ran out of breath. As I got a halter that would fit Sauce, she wandered into the field! I scolded her with my voice. I gently put the wrap behind her ears and over her nose. Now the hard part. As I tried to, quickly but softly, clip the throat latch, Sauce felt it and whipped it off. "Let's try that again." I said as I reached over to get it. This time took a long time but it worked! Of course, I pulled and pushed but I got her in finally! We worked on that for the whole week and on Saturday, Sauce wanted me to put it on! "Good girl, Sauce!" I praised her.

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Number 4: Meeting A friend
As we got better with the halter, Toby kept coming in and out. One day my guinea pig came over. "Daisy!" I said. She just cantered over to Sauce. "Up?" I asked Daisy. I lifted Daisy up to Sauce's face. Daisy put her front paws onto Sauce's muzzle. I gasped as she climbed onto Sauce's forelock! Know I knew they were best friends. "Let's go for a walk!" I said for the first time. But Daisy could fall off and Sauce didn't want to budge. I ran into my house and got Daisy's harness and leash. I put them on Daisy and set her on the ground. Sauce's halter was already on so I just had to clip her lead rope on. I leaded both of them to my field. Sauce yanked her head down to eat grass. So did Daisy. "Okay, it's eating grass time?" I asked them. They either said yes or ignored me. It took them around two hours to finish. I lead them back to Sauce's stall. I built a little house for Daisy next to Sauce's stall. Now they never want to be apart!

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Number 5: Gaining Apple Sauce's Trust
Whenever I try to rub Sauce's face, she whips it up. She HATES: Getting curried, getting her mane or tail combed or brushed, and getting rubbed or scratched anywhere. She bit me multiple times, sometimes making me bleed. One day I said to Sauce," I need you to trust me if i'm going to ride you." While I was giving Sauce a carrot, I rubbed her forehead. She was surprised at first but calmed down afterward. With my other hand I rubbed her side of her neck. I knew she was scared so I fed her another carrot. "Good girl!" I praised her. Then I got the curry out. She took one look and pinned her ears back. I also had a bag full of carrots. As I gave two carrots to her, I put the curry on her neck and lightly rubbed. Sauce shifted back and forth. I took the curry of and gave her carrots. Then did put the curry on again. We did this exercise for the rest of the week. Morning: Rub face, curry. Afternoon: Rub face, curry. Then one day, I got from one side of the neck to the other in less that an hour! I gave her four carrots and brought Daisy out to play. We still practice for cleaning and just in case she changes her mind and hates it again.

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Number 6: First Time With The Saddle
Now we are best out of best with grooming. 'Saddle Time' I have scheduled for this week. I took a big breath as I walked onto Sunday. SUNDAY: "Saddle week!" I said to Daisy as I walked to Sauce. She was just waking up as I peeked over her door. I groomed her,of course, and picked out a soft saddle pad. Apple Sauce shimmied it off and made it drop off her back. "Hey! That's not nice!" I scolded her in a gentle voice. I put it on again and held it while she tried to shake it off. I gave her an apple this time for a treat. 'Practice every two hours ever day' I wrote down on my calendar. MONDAY-TUESDAY: Practice pad until perfect! Practice, practice, practice! Wow, lots of work. WEDNESDAY: I find a light riding saddle for Sauce, early Wednesday morning. As I drive back to the house, I say to myself, "Sauce, you be a good girl. Please be good!" I park and walk a couple of steps right into my "good" girl. She guides me to her door like I didn't know how to get there and stood directly at it. I saw that her door lock slipped and Sauce noticed it. I egnored that and put her halter on. Groom, check. Pad, check. Saddle, let's say almost. Sauce obviously felt it and bucked it off. We did the try and error game. On the last try and almost, sauce got used to it! I gave Sauce and Daisy four carrots each. "Me and my good girls!"

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Number 7: Bridle and Ground Work
Now THIS is bridle week. I put the halter on Sauce's neck and whisper in her ear, "This is it, Sauce. You good?" I have a bridle that fits Sauce. "Open up!" I say as I tickle her mouth. Surprisingly, she does! I put the bit in quickly. Sauce try's to spit it out but I am already on the throat latch! I lead her to some grass and walk her around. I practiced that all day until Wednesday. Now, saddle...with or without bride? With! I take the chance. Groom, barely. Pad, on. Saddle, on. Bridle, on. Reins over the head and out the barn. For the beginning, I walk on the track with Sauce and trot sometimes, too. The lunge line is a leash, kind of, and you clip it on the bridle. Then you stand in the middle of a circle and make them go around. I cracked the whip softly and made Sauce canter. I wanted a trot so I pulled back a teeny bit. Now she looked like a trained horse. I do a pattern. Canter, trot, walk, canter, trot, walk. Few halts here and there or just a fast halt/walk. Playtime after we are done.

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Number 8: Fist Ride
It's the Monday after bridle week. I'm really nervous because I'm going to ride her! I change into riding pants and a t-shirt.(Of course underwear.) Bacon and eggs for breakfast and orange juice to drink. I put my hand outside to feel the temp and it's SUMMER!!! I have a water bottle in every room and drink one while I go get Sauce. I think Daisy helped with the tack or something because it's on Sauce, but everything backwards. "Hi Apple-whoa!" I say, then sigh and fix the halter. The bridle is on her neck, hanging off. Sauce whinnies like saying, "Ready to ride?" I chuckle and keep working. I pat her while grooming. I give her lots of water and before I get out of the barn. In the riding ring there is a bucket of water for animals. She drinks and I press all my weight on Sauce with my hands. She pulls her head up and bucks. "Get used to that, missy." I say and do it again. I do that twenty more times and put my foot in after the last time. Quietly and gently, I sit down and put all my weight on the saddle. There's no chance she doesn't feel it so Sauce takes off cantering and I almost fall. I didn't care if she cut the corners or spooked. All I cared is that she understood that I was to stay on her. She bucked, jumped, and leaped but I didn't fall off until she bucked out of control and sent me flying to the wall. I tumbled and stood up with my evil eye on. I tried it again and again, but I kept falling off at the same spot. I got on her the last time and kept my legs on her. I slid but didn't fall. Kicked and squeezed but I stayed on until she walked. I praised her and treated my minor cuts and scrapes. I trained Apple Sauce!

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Number 9: Free Spot
It's been at least two months since Apple Sauce has been here. My favorite thing about her is her attitude. She is a trickster at sometimes and a good girl at other times. Her colors stand out, much more than other horses I've seen. Her eyes are beautiful and glow in the sun. They are lime green and have a cheerful spark in it at all times. When I take trail rides with her Sauce, she does spook at fast movements unless it's an animal. She is not domestic nor wild, but less wild than domestic. Daisy now rides in between my legs in the saddle and eats grass with Sauce, too. I smile when they do something cute, like putting on the tack backwards. It's very cute! Daisy is a big help to Sauce when it comes to telling the truth. Sauce tells Daisy what to do and I always figure it out. Jumping Sauce is the hardest thing to do on her. I squeeze and cluck but she refuses every single time. So I trot over poles and very low jumps. She's fine with that. Each ride I take is one hour and thirty minutes. I give her a water break two times if it's hot and once if warm. Sauce does hate the whip but I have to get her going. She bucks me off like the first day I rode her but when I get back on, I give a not-too-hard slap on the behind. When it's windy and cool, I canter out the door of the ring and into my little trail ride. Once, a log fell right as we got on the trail! I said, "We gotta do it, Sauce." And we jumped over it so nicely, I gave her a huge carrot. Then it started raining for the next two weeks and I gave a warm little blanket to Daisy. I also gave Sauce a blanket with a soft furry inside. The hottest day hit 102 degrees! It was crazy hot and I sprayed Sauce with the hose. My dogs drank the hose water and got wet at the same time. I started writing my own little book. The title was Apple Sauce. The first line was hard to think of but I came up with this: My name is Georgia, I'm 19 years old and I have a horse named Apple Sauce.