Progress

Wednesday ended up being a short session out at the barn.  I was only out there for an hour as I was pretty tired from not sleeping well the previous night.  I felt the baby kick for the first time and was too excited to fall back to sleep!

Boomer had been moved to a different pasture at some point in the previous 24 hours and I could tell he was a little hyper alert about where the other horses were.  All of the pastures had been rotated and he could now see a different group that he couldn't see before and a pasture that had been occupied near him was now empty.  The frequent changes in pastures will hopefully be good for him to learn to relax and trust his surroundings.  

I took Boomer to the hitching post and draped his rope over the rail.  He was nervous at first so I went ahead and started working on 'head down' right away.  That seemed to calm him down and help his nerves.  After we did 'head down' about 5-6 times he stopped looking around in the distance.  I finished grooming him and decided to keep working on the dragging lead rope issue.  I decided to take a different, safer, approach and led him while reinforcing with click/treats.  I let the rope drag along side, behind me and when he looked relaxed or looked away from the rope, I would c/t.  It didn't take long for him to relax and walk along next to me like a good boy!  I did this on both sides and leading from his right side he was more inclined to bow away from the rope and watch it.  I like this tactic better than turning him out with the lead attached because I have more control over the situation AND for the positive reinforcement.  It seems like it was much more effective than my previous plan as well.  

I also worked on c/t for forward pressure while at the hitching post.  This is a little harder behavior to work on as he almost always gives to forward pressure.  The only time he doesn't is if he pulls back.  So, I wrapped the lead around the post and pulled on it slightly to create tension and he would hold steady for a few seconds, then step forward.  It is hard to create a replica situation of him pulling back without him actually being tied and pulling back.  Another situation that is hard to replicate, but I would like to work on is when he steps on his lead rope, he usually panics and flings his head up and steps backwards sending the lead rope flying- usually towards me.  I would really like him to calmly realize his foot his on the rope and just step off of it.  Again, not sure how to teach that.  Though, I think the giving to pressure is a good start.  I think I will get my rope Be-Good halter out and start training with that since it has more precise pressure points.  

Overall, I think the training session went well.  No excitement, but definite positive progress.  So, we seem right on track!  

Roping... Boomer's way!

No, we didn't learn to rope cows!  

Boomer is, however, in roping boot camp.  Since his minor escape followed by eye rolling and trumpet snorting at the dragging lead rope I have decided to work on this little 'fear'.  So, everyday he is going out into the small paddock (maybe 100x200) with his halter and lead attached.  When he walks calmly or stands relaxed he gets a carrot bite.  Tuesday was the first day of the experiment and he did pretty well.  Mostly he just stood still- he didn't want to make the rope move.  He would sometimes walk to trot, but he was more focused on the rope than anything else while he was moving.  He discovered quickly that moving in a circle around the rope made the rope hold still.  No panic moments or anything too exciting.  We spent about 15 minutes working on this and it seemed like a good start.  

Before the great lead rope experiment, I worked on standing nicely and a little clicker-ing for 'head down'.  

I decided to put him out on the hitching post instead of the cross ties.  I just draped his rope over the rail and got started grooming.  I would stop occasionally and work on him lowering his head for a click/treat.  He seemed to catch on quickly.  It didn't take long for him to lower his head to the ground for the c/t.  I'm not sure he quite saw the point, but he did it for the carrots.  When I was grooming him he kept trying to reach down and graze.  I just gently put him back where I wanted and went back to grooming.  I had to readjust him 6-8 times before he held still, but after that he was a gentleman.  Unfortunately, I still don't trust him to stand tied or stay in the cross ties, so I feel a bit like a babysitter.  I have to have all of my gear with me before we get started and I can't walk off and leave him.  

Though, in full disclosure, I think that much of this is my fear more than his behavior.  He hasn't pulled back in almost a year and he has only had 2 'girthy/cross tie' episodes ever.  

My Be-Good halter is in the trailer and I am thinking of getting that out and starting to actually tie him at the hitching post.  However, I want to focus on ground tying/standing nicely first.  So, most of the time I want to have him 'loose' and be able to get him to understand the concept of wanting to stand nicely.  I also want to work a lot more on giving to pressure.  Then hopefully being tied will not feel as much like a trap to him.  

Goals

I like being able to look back at past posts and see if I met my goals.  I decided that I needed some firm goals for this winter while I am pregnant.  Boomer clearly has some issues that I have been focusing on lately.  I think that in the past, I was able to overlook some of these issues because I had 'real training' to work on.  Now that riding is less of a priority and I am more sensitive to my fears and safety, a number of issues have come up.  I am taking them as wonderful training opportunities.  

Groundwork Goals:

1.  Get over fear of lead rope dragging

2.  Learn head-down plus 'stay' command

3.  Work on giving to downward and forward pressure on lead rope

4.  Work on standing nicely untied/ground tied

5.  Stand nicely while tied

6.  Become relaxed in cross tie area while unhooked/ground tied

7.  Stand quietly while hooked in cross ties
8.  Accept saddle and girth calmly while untied and tied

Overall, my biggest goal is to be able to trust Boomer.  The things I like least about him are how reactive he is and how nervous he can be.  I hope with trust, work, and age he can become a less reactive horse.  

I'm not sure how you measure success with some of these goals, but I think that markers of success will become more clear as time progresses.  

Kaw Valley Farm Tour

Kaw Valley Farm Tour

Just another great thing to love about Lawrence!!!

Lawrence and all of Kansas has a rich history in farming.  Lawrence, being one of the more liberal communities in the state has a strong leaning towards eating locally, organically, and sustainably.  There are a number of restaurants around town that focus on serving foods that are produced locally.  Some of my favorites are Local Burger and 715.  We also have a great Co-Op that sells local produce, meats, and dairy products.  

The local farms around town host an annual Farm Tour each October and these great farms open their doors to visitors and offer samples, tours, and information about their products.  

John and I had a few college friends come up from Oklahoma to join us for the weekend and we were able to visit 6-7 of the 20 farms.  We had other obligations that weekend (like watching OU beat TX) and were unable to visit all of the farms.  

We did get to see a tree farm, Sleep Jean's chocolate factory (best chocolate and caramels EVER), a bison ranch, a vineyard, an apple orchard, and a pumpkin farm!  

It was a super fun weekend and it was really great to see some of the producers of foods we buy and eat!  

Blue Jacket Farm Pictures

I actually got some pictures of the horse at the new barn!

Here is the barn with a cute apple tree in front!  Love the landscaping around the whole property!

Here is Charley off to the left side of the barn, in front of Boomer's pasture.

 Here is Boomer under a shade tree in his pasture.  His buddy is just out of the frame to the right.  

 Hi mom!  I love it here!

 Boomer in the cross ties in the barn.  I don't really like isle cross ties since Boomer tends to pull back.  It makes me nervous, but the cross ties are secured with zip ties, so things would break in case of emergency.  

 Here is Boomer out for a run in the outdoor arena!  Isn't this a great picture?

Here is a clip of Boomer playing in the arena:

 OK mom, done running!

 I just LOVE these next few pictures!!!  

Clicker introduction

Well, I went out Friday afternoon and bought a clicker and a green plush dog frisbee.  I introduced the clicker as we were walking back from the pasture.  I clicked and treated several times in a row so that he associated the click with the treat.  Once we got into the barn aisle, I just stood and held him in the cross tie area.  I showed him the frisbee target and as soon as he sniffed/touched it I C/T (clicked/treat).  I held the clicker in the same hand as the target and had the treat ready in my other hand so that it was an instant reward.  I think he was catching on a little.  He did try sniffing my treat pocket and I said no sharply, paused, then made him back a step.  I am not sure if I could C/T for that, because he already knows 'back' as a command with various cues (verbal and physical).  I am inclined to not c/t for anything that he already knows and is something I consider basic manners.  However, I could be wrong.  Anyhow, I started moving the target around to the side of his body where he would have to turn his head, but not so far he had to take a step.  I also put it up high but that scared him.  He seemed to lose interest easier if the target was not directly in front of him.  After a break for fly spray and grooming I tried again.  He seemed to know right away that touching was getting him treats.  I put the target at nose level between the bars of a stall so that he could easily touch it.  He wasn't very interested and I don't think he quite got that it was still the target if I wasn't holding it.  He did touch it twice, but I'm not sure there was a connection.  I had him target a few more times with me holding it and then called it a day.  

Unfortunately, the day got a little more exciting.  

I dewormed Boomer and had his rope looped over a bridle hook up high.  I went to throw away the dewormer trash and put away my grooming stuff when I head hooves against the concrete, timid at first and then faster.  By the time I got out to see him he was already running towards his field.  Luckily the whole property is fenced and gated.  He didn't go far, just until he found his friend at the fence line-maybe 300 feet.  I think his rope fell, spooked him and he ran/panicked when he saw that the rope was 'chasing' him.  I saw him eyeing the rope as he kind of skittered sideways from it.  So, after I caught him, I got another lead rope and dragged it behind me as I lead him all around the property.  I threw it at his legs and snaked it around.  He was definitely scared at first, kicking at the rope and snorting.  After about 10-15 minutes he was much calmer and ignored me as I flicked the rope all over him, including legs.  So, that was exciting, but I think we ended on a positive note.  I will make a point of dragging a rope more often when I lead him around.  That would have been a great clicker targeting exercise, but we hadn't quite caught on yet, plus he doesn't like treats after being dewormed.  

So, initial experiment was a success.  We have our work cut out for us.  I have a feeling that ground tying and/or standing on a mat are important tools in our future.   

Questions/Hesitations

After owning Boomer for over 2 years, I have really seen his personality develop.  I have a real understanding of his quirks and can compensate and know how to soothe him as needed.  I know what to expect in most situations.  In some ways, this is a good thing.  In other ways, I wonder if it keeps him from 'growing up' by babying him.  Currently, I would say that there are two things about Boomer that I don't like or that I need help with.  First, he pulls back/has a backwards startle response.  He has always pulled back when tied and while this has gotten better over time, the startle response has never been fully erased.  Second, he is extremely sensitive to tightening the girth.  By extreme, I mean that you must be able to fit your entire arm under the girth at first  or he will flip over backwards.  He needs the girth very loose, then to walk around and have it tightened one notch at a time.  If you rush this at any point, he will either buckle at the knees and go down in a panic, or will try to go over backwards.  This coupled with his propensity for pulling back has made for a number of 'exciting' situations in our life together.  

Our new barn has cross ties in the aisle, which are fine for most horses, but for a horse like Boomer, it just gives him an 'open space' to go backwards.  The cross ties are secured with zip ties, but I don't want to get into a situation even with safety precautions in place.  

He and I are both nervous while grooming and tacking up in the cross ties.  After we work, he seems fine and doesn't act nervous.  I'm sure some of the nervous tension comes from me.  But, I know the worst case scenario.  He pulls back, feels restricted, falls down or flips on concrete (potential for injury-high), breaks free, goes running around the property with cross ties flailing (potential for panic AND injury- high), etc.  So, you can see where my nervous tension comes from.  Once I have him tacked up and leave the barn, everything is fine.  He never steps a hoof out of place while I lunge, switch the surcingle for saddle, and ride him.  Back at the barn after we ride, he is fine in the cross ties.  I attribute that to him being tired or more relaxed after we work.  

I have been trying to think of ways to fix the situation or make it easier to cope with.  My first thought was to start having all of my tack and grooming supplies ready and within arms reach before I bring him to the barn.  I can groom and tack him with him untied- just ground tied.  He is usually pretty good about being ground tied, but I wouldn't trust leaving him while i walk off to the tack room.  Then after we work, he can be put in the cross ties like a normal horse.  My goal here is that his experience in the cross ties will only be relaxed and not nervous.  Eventually, he will be relaxed enough to be in the cross ties anytime.  Any thoughts here?  

Any other suggestions?  

I have not ever been a fan of 'trick training' or focusing on groundwork in exclusion to riding.  However, with my pregnancy, I know I will eventually end up 'grounded' and not riding.  So, another thought I have had was doing clicker training.  A few things I would want to work on would be 'head down' and 'stand'.  Does anyone have experience with clicker training?  Could teaching a 'stand' command dampen his flight response in the cross ties or while being tied?  Or does his reactive nature trump any 'tricks' I may teach him?

Any suggestions for books on clicker training or similar training?  Keep in mind, I am not interested in teaching my horse 'dog tricks' like fetch or basketball.  

Thanks in advance, and please pass this question on to anyone you may know who does this kind of training or who may have helpful advice!  The more people I have behind me, the more chance we have for success!

Lunging pics

He could use a little more forward impulsion.  We are working on that.  

Hey mom!  You are planning on sharing that apple, right ???

Sarcoid Treatment

Earlier this year I started a sarcoid treatment for Boomer.  I started the treatment April 1, 2010 and my most current update is 6 months later.  I have been working on this post as I gathered more information.  

Boomer has always had a funny spot on his neck over his jugular behind his left jaw. It was there when I got him. At first I assumed it was a scar. Then I thought it was ring worm. I treated it for ringworm 3 or 4 times with no change. I treated other ring worm spots that healed within days. Obviously, not ringworm. The spot is about the size of a quarter and hairless. The skin is slightly puckered and tough. I had the vet out to look at it when we did spring stuff and he thinks it is a sarcoid. The only way to know for sure is to do a biopsy, which sometimes 'angers' a sarcoid and causes it to spread. So, I decided to treat it as if it were a sarcoid and see what happened.

I had clipped the area a few weeks ago to treat it as if it were ring worm (obviously failed). The medication we are using is XXTERRA. It is basically a counter irritant and causes the body to reject the sarcoid. The spot will get worse before it gets better.

Here is the sarcoid spot July 2009:

Here it is now, before treatment:

After two days of treatment the area around the sarcoid has raised and become hard/swollen. He seemed a little protective of it, but didn't act like it was too painful.

This is after 3 days of treatment:

It has started to develop a small yellow crusty spot in the top left corner.

After 4 days of treatment, I left it alone to do its thing. Here it is after 4 days with XXTERRA, 4 days without:

It has gotten larger and crusty. The edges are starting to peel a little. It seems like it will slough off easily in a few days. Not sure what to expect when that happens. If the Sarcoid is still there or comes back, I will retreat and that should take care of it for good.

Here it is after the sarcoid has started to lift. It has been peeling for about 4-5 days. It is almost ready to fall off.

Unfortunately, I stopped taking pictures after this.  I could see that the sarcoid was still there, you can see in the picture above that there is a small knot of crusty scab within the red area.  That is the original location of the sarcoid.  I treated again, 4 days with XXTERRA then rest.

In addition, with the first treatment a secondary sarcoid appeared a few inches above the first one.  At this point, I got a little frustrated, wondering if I was making things worse.  I went ahead and treated the new sarcoid with the same 4 days then rest treatment.

The following picture is from an endurance ride in May.  We were about 6 weeks out from the first treatment and about 4 weeks out from the second treatment.  One thing that surprised me was how quickly the secondary sarcoid healed but how slowly the original one healed.  You can see in this picture that the old spot is still red and 'angry'.  I had to explain over and over again to people that it is SUPPOSED to look like that.  Boomer did get to be known as 'the sarcoid horse' at the endurance rides this spring.  Nice, huh?

After that, I don't really have many pictures.  Everything started healing well and eventually the red spot got smaller and smaller until it scarred over.  Now that time has passed it is starting to grow hair again.  The secondary spot has full hair cover but it is sort of a swirl of hair, not laying flat.  

Here is the most current picture:

I think that the treatment was successful.  I still have over half of the 1oz jar of XXTERRA left, so even though it was expensive at almost $100 per ounce it was worth it to me.  

I recommend this treatment to anyone with a sarcoid, however I have no idea if it works as well for other types of sarcoids that may be raised like growths or warty.  Also, this treatment may not be very practical if the sarcoid is in a place that will be rubbed by tack.  

New Happenings!

We got Boomer moved to the new barn without incident on Saturday.  He is in a 5-8 acre pasture with a QH gelding named Jack.  He and Jack are getting along like they have been buddies forever.  I was happy to find that Boomer doesn't have a bite mark on him yet.  He will be with Jack for a few weeks and then they will go out together with the other 2-3 geldings.  One of the geldings is going to a show next weekend for breed approval and the owners want to make sure he doesn't end up with bite marks right before the show.  So, after his return, they will all go out as a group.  

John and I went out to visit him on Sunday afternoon and he seemed to be fitting in just fine.

I went out on Monday morning and he was pretty nervous in the cross ties and I was afraid he would try to pull back, but I just groomed and tacked him quickly and then took him out to lunge in the outdoor arena.  I ended up lunging him for about 40 minutes until he really started to calm down and relax.  The arena was on a side of the property he can't see from his pasture and shares a side with a mare and 5 month old filly.  So, he was a little excited at first.  After he really calmed down and started to get tired, I put my old Crosby saddle on him and walked him around for about 15 minutes.  The Crosby is still tight across the withers, but it is all I have and I think it is fine for walking only.  I noticed that I am really tense in the saddle.  Boomer didn't do anything to make me nervous, but I just couldn't let go of my tension.  I don't know if that is just something I will have to live with for now, or if it will get better, or worse.  Just part of the changes, I guess.  After we were done riding/working, I put him back in the cross ties and he was MUCH more relaxed.  He stood there with a leg cocked and waited patiently as I puttered around, organizing my tack.  

I am very happy with the new facility and I really think Boomer and I will both be so happy there!  Did I mention it takes less than 10 minutes to drive there?  Yup, I'm pretty thrilled with it!  

I'll take pictures tomorrow, I swear!