Miss Abbey likes to back up when she doesn't like something (RBI behavior or LBI). For a while I tied her while grooming, then I thought, I don't want to have to tie her, so I just held the lead rope while grooming, which she mostly enjoys. Sometimes I hit a sensitive spot. She backs. Today, I thought, the heck with that, I'm not moving around you for grooming, you're going to move around ME. So we practiced "back" "step up" and a send-away turn so I could get her exactly where I needed her to reach the spot I needed (I gave her some leeway for the back-end zone). This worked pretty well since she likes grooming and I'm learning her itchy spots, so I reward her with good curry on those when she moves where I want her.
Afterwards, since grooming seemed like the lesson today, I just took her and did some mirroring. I got a big sigh that seemed to say, "Oh, I like you so much better when you're not making me do stuff. By the way, got any horsey treats?"
Just got to know what motivates a horsey partner, as the above video demonstrates!
This is Abbey the Boss Mare, the left brained introvert 11yo BLM Mustang. Russ's girl. She loves everyone. Unless they get between her and her food bowl.
Storm
Storm is a 7yo Arabian. She's a right brain introvert, shy, but incredibly sweet and willing.
Jewel
Jewel is Bennett's paint mare. She is into everything and always busy.
Midnight
We miss the old girl.
"V"
Her name is Vengeance but I call her V. She is Bennett's mare. She is all but untouchable, an extreme right brain extrovert. I'd steal her if I could.
Welcome Entrecarders!
The Horses Took It Over
We're a family of three: me (Deanna), my husband Russell, and my 17-year-old son Brandon. We're also a family of 13: horses Abbey and Storm, cats Otto, Magoo, Fidge and Bella, Sheltie mixes Rascal and Dink, insane pup Bandit, and Senegal parrot Clio (and us).
Originally this blog was meant to be our mini travelogue, and from time to time it still will be. But in August 2009 I bought the horse I've wanted for my ENTIRE life, a BLM mustang named Abbey. Unfortunately (not really) my non-horsey hubby fell in love with her and he told me I'm going to need another horse, he's taking mine. So the last day of 2009, Storm came to live with us. We're training both horses with a mixture of natural horsemanship and clicker training, so this is also the chronicle of that Journey. It's been a little waylaid but we're hoping to be back on track.
Check out my other blogs for info about my jewelry making business, our attempts at eco-conscious living and homesteading. You can find me on Facebook and Twitter, too.
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