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training journal - day nine


It was another stormy day. Luckily, our chute was still set up in the indoor, so we were able to bring Nine out again. She got noticeably more energetic as soon as I let her off of the lead to work on the flat. She seemed like she was even proud to have been able to get over the jumps in the chute. After flatting, I made sure the fences were set back down to the lowest level before raising them to higher levels.

Nine was eager to show off that she remembered how fast she had to coordinate her feet through the bounce, and didn't even falter at the small two foot six inch tall vertical. The roan mustang even threw a buck of excitement that could probably unseat any rider I could think of at the moment. As I raised the fence, I narrowly saw, out of the corner of my eye, Nine beginning to approach me, but turning away as soon as I stood up. Maybe these were the first signs of trust showing.

With the final fence set at a thin three foot oxer, Nine gave her best effort to make the jump look as eye-pleasing as she could. I saw her attempt to tuck her knees in, but it honestly looked more unrefined than her usual jump. She seemed to be getting used to the idea of a chute, being that she would quietly slow her canter to a trot, and then to a walking gait afterwards. As I raised the fence once again, I noticed Nine creep just a bit closer than last time, then leave right away again.

The oxer was set at three feet and six inches with an approximately two foot spread. Let me tell you, as soon as the bounces were raised, Nine could tell something big was coming. She jumped in with an eager curiosity, generously clearing the two smaller verticals. As soon as she saw the larger fence, she galloped forward, giving a powerful launch over the rails. As soon as her hind feet touched the ground on the other side of the oxer, she went wild, bucking and spinning in an excited frenzy. I could tell from her perked forward ears that this was simply a show of pride and happiness. I quickly made it over to her side and decided that I would most definitely coat her legs with a liniment wash so that she wouldn't feel sore for tomorrow.

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training journal - day ten


The weather was fair today, but the fields and arena were far too muddy to turn a horse out or to ride in. Nine would definitely have the day off from working, though. I decided instead that I would introduce some leg boots of sorts. I grabbed a set of polo wraps, front jumping boots, hind jumping boots, a full set of cross country boots, and bell boots. Starting simply, I attached the bell boots to just her front legs and let her try to walk around in them. She seemed to be most curious by the way that they touched around her coronet bands, but otherwise, she was pretty calm with them. Next, I decided on the front jump boots. She let me fasten the straps somewhat easily, but the hind ones were a little odd. She stood perfectly still, seeming uninterested as I put them on. As soon as I took her for a walk around in them, she sporadically double-barrel kicked backwards, sending a tall fan tumbling to the floor. That spooked her further, causing her to bolt forward to the closed barn door. I let her stand as I picked up the fan, then slowly and as calmly as I could, approached her. She was breathing heavily through her nose, her eyes flitting around nervously. I managed to get her to calm down by softly stroking her head and neck until she let me get close enough to snatch the hind boots off of her.

I finally, after much effort, got her to sniff the fan, then stand back on the cross ties. Hind jump boots were something to work on. Unfastening the front jump boots, I decided to move on the the cross country boots. I was going to skip the hind ones, being that she seemed more than a bit touchy with her hind legs today. The cross country leg protectors might be more comfortable for her being as they were almost identical to the front ones. She seemed to be quite interested in the ripping sound of the velcro, being as she rubbed her nose on it for a few minutes, either scratching or tickling herself on it. Finally, the polo wraps. I again only did the front legs. She walked in these as if she had been doing it her whole life. I was walking back towards the mounds of horse boots at the cross ties when one of my stable hands came over to ask me a question about one of my horses. I was so engrossed in listening that I hadn't even noticed the ripping sound of velcro, or my mare's lowered head. My attention was only drawn to the roan mare that stood a bit behind me when the stable-hand pointed to the polo wraps, which had somehow been undone and were sitting in piles around Nine's hooves.

I honestly couldn't help but laugh sometimes at this clever mustang mare, who had figured out how to undo a polo wrap from her legs. I quickly gathered the wraps and after attaching Nine on the cross ties again, rewrapped and put away all of the boots I had gathered. Today was a somewhat productive day, so I was content to let Nine return to the hay and grain that was waiting for her in the stall.

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training journal - day eleven


I had Nine on the cross ties again this morning to try the hind boots on for a second time. I tried the jump boots on again first, being that those would be the easiest to take off if she freaked out. She didn't act out as severely as yesterday, but she walked as though she was uncomfortable with the stiff boots around her fetlocks. I took them off to replace them with the polo wraps, which were probably the most comfortable of the bunch. She didn't care much, but it was obvious by her facial expression that she preferred these to the jump boots. The final try were the cross country boots. She seemed a bit puzzled by the way that these felt like a mix between the jump boots and polo wraps, but didn't seem to particularly mind the feeling of them.

I was happy that Nine put up with the boot samplings, so I was content to leave it at that for today and let her graze out in the field with her pasture-mates. She seemed to be getting along well with the three mares that I decided to turn her out with, so I figured that they were pretty calm and without major conflict between them.

training journal - day twelve


Today was the day that I decided it would be safe to move all the jumps back outside, so I didn't get around to taking care of Nine until later. I decided that the hot weather today would be perfect to give the roan mare a bath in. With that being decided, I attached her to the outside wash area and got started on scrubbing all of the dirt and filth out of her coat. She seemed to enjoy the water, even letting me spray her face off, as long as it was lightly. I proceeded to brush out and braid her mane and play around with her tail while she dried in the warmth of the sun. I'd say our beauty treatment turned out well.

training journal - day thirteen


I decided today that we would try to introduce a few more essential pieces of horse-ware to Nine. I gathered my old, synthetic saddle, a girth that seemed like it would fit, and a pad that was softened from years of use. She didn't quite know what to do with herself as I stood with the items in the outdoor arena, and she half-passed to the side as I placed the saddle pad onto her back. I gently cooed reassurance to her as I readjusted the pad and stroked her neck. Eventually, she stood still and the heavy flaring of her nostrils began to subside. Calmly, I reached for the light-weight English saddle that was perched on the fence. As soon as it settled on the roan mustang's back, she shot backwards, vigorously shaking the saddle and pad to the ground. She didn't seem scared of it, more like she was making a game of it.

I grabbed a hold of Nine's lead rope, the retrieved the saddle and its pad. I placed the tack on the mare's back with a little less care than I had used the first time, and she immediately rounded her back in defiance. However, she didn't attempt to shake the saddle off a second time, so I continued by latching the girth to one side, then unclipping the lead rope from her halter. Just in case she did bolt with the girth, I didn't want her to get caught up in the nylon lead. As soon as the girth began putting pressure on the mare's stomach, before I could even get it latched, she puffed out her stomach and quickly stepped away. But, she left the saddle sitting upon her back and the girth hanging from one side, so I decided that this was a fine amount of progress for today.

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((I might not have the time to do long entries, so these might just be general, some-what undetailed updates))

training journal - day fourteen


We finally were able, after much effort, to get and keep a saddle on Nine. She protested a bit at first, but after a little bit, she accepted the unusual feeling of a girth around her barrel.

training journal - day fifteen


I brought out a simple hackamore bridle, and Nine surprisingly allowed me to slip it over her head, probably assuming that it was a fancy halter. The feeling of the reins on her neck seemed to perplex her, being that she tried a few times to bite at them. By the end of the session, she allowed me to lead her around by the reins.

training journal - day sixteen


Today we put all the tack together: the saddle, pads, girth, and bridle. Today I decided to bring a normal bridle with a bit out. She handled the saddle fine, as usual, but she flipped her head up and down by the unfamiliar pressure of the bit in her mouth. After she figured out it wasn't coming off, she settled and relaxed with a loud sigh.

training journal - day seventeen


I lunged Nine with her tack on today. She really enjoyed lunging for whatever reason, perhaps because she was proud of learning it. She wasn't even fazed by the stirrups slapping at her sides and continued on as if she had no tack at all.

training journal - day eighteen


I decided that I would attempt to get on Nine today, and my weight on top of her seemed to be unexpected for the roan mare. She shot forward as soon as I fully sat in the saddle, but luckily I was somewhat prepared and managed to hang on. After a few minutes of petting and calming the mare at a halt, we decided to walk. I was very taken aback by her gait: it was powerful, like a lion or a tiger. Even after ten minutes, she was fully relaxed and still walked like a full out predator.

training journal - day nineteen


We had two big accomplishments today, even if I only planned for one. The first, and planned, one was that she conquered her first ground pole. The unplanned one was that she trotted afterwards. It was a trot just as filled with impulsion as her walk. You could really feel how toned and full her muscles were just from a bit of trotting alone.

training journal - day twenty


Our property is surrounded by orchards on either side, so there were plenty of trails and paths to take horses that didn't like the arena on. I rode Nine out there by herself today. She was a bit curious about the small jumps that dashed the outside edge of the trail, but she seemed in her element while brushing through trees and picking her way around fallen branches and roots.

training journal - day twenty-one


Again, Nine made an unexpected accomplishment. The timing of the cat jumping up onto the fence post just as Nine lifted her feet over a ground pole was just too coincidental. The mare reflexively snapped her hind legs a good height into the air and cantered away. I would never want to stop a green horse from a willing forward momentum, so I let her figure herself out and was startled by what I felt. This powerful yet uphill stride was befitting of one type of horse; a cross country animal.

training journal - day twenty-two


Because Nine didn't show any signs of an unhealthy mindset and she was plenty in shape, I began a similar work regiment as the one I used for the horses we received straight from the race track. Today was our first walk, trot, and canter session. She seemed more content to be ridden in a bit of a harsher and more professional manner, such as the way I would ride a completely trained horse. She performed remarkably well.

training journal - day twenty-three


Nine seems to have the worst luck with animals. Due to the blazing heat of the day, I took Nine riding in the shade of the trails. Just as we were trotting comfortably along a straight-away, a young buck leapt from the bushes, spooking the mare. She quickly cantered to the side and straight towards a small wooden structure. At that moment in time, she had one choice other than to crash into a solid wood obstacle: to jump. As Nine raised her front legs, I too had no choice but to release as best as I could. The jump seemed to happen in slow motion, but I was content to get off as soon as she was calmed down.

training journal - day twenty-four


Nine had a full day off today. She had worked hard the past few days, so I was happy to ride the other horses as she spent the relatively cool day outside with her pasture mates.

training journal - day twenty-five


Today we picked up our work with Nine and set up a gymnastic of simple ground poles. The grid was a bounce to a one stride to another one stride, and as we approached it at an easy trot, I was incredibly grateful that I taught her this while free-jumping. She excitedly took the gymnastic like it was nothing, and I wasn't the least bit annoyed at the playful buck of pride she threw afterwards.

training journal - day twenty-six


Today we tried setting up a few very basic single fences to take Nine over, being that she seemed fully capable to start going over fences. An eighteen inch cross-bar and a twelve inch vertical were the highest fences in the ring. I was anxious as she trotted forwardly toward the cross-bar and eagerly picked up her feet. It was an extremely productive day as well as it gave me a lot of hope for what this horse would one day be capable of.

training journal - day twenty-seven


I set the same gymnastic from two days ago as small fences: in order, twelve inches, sixteen inches and twenty-two inches. Nine was very excited by this new progression and cleared each rail with plenty of room to spare.

training journal - day twenty-eight


Today, the fences were all set at around two feet tall, none with any true width to them. I decided on a simple trotting course for the day's exercises, something not too risky but still would teach her. Nine truly loves to jump. Each fence was taken as if it was three feet high, and she even cantered a small vertical. In my book, that's a huge success.