Tuesdays are training days

Wow what a fabulous day today...
Lynn came over with Danny (her Dunn about 14hh)  and Blue (mini 11hh)- the objective with them was to start to P programme and eventually get Danny into the stream.
First I wanted to do float training with Gypsy- soooo I took her into the roundpen to go through 7 games and a bit of one on one...driving and generally getting her to concentrate on that driving.....Gypsy is used to going on the float but comes out really fast so the objective was to get her to stay in the float relaxed and carefree.
It didn't take long and she was moseying on in lovely and calm and I can now step her out one step at a time..with me standing outside the float...Yippee I will continue this until we go out and then I will be able to load her on my own.  She was wonderful.
Then we took blue into the roundpen and did 7 games- with plenty of backing and bringing forward, and getting him to stand still beside us...then off we went down to the stream with Danny and Blue...Blue went straight into the water but Danny was very unsure, so we did the 7 games and then driving and yoyoing back and forth- up and down the ford toward the stream- being careful to keep him away from the yummy grass on the banks....after some time he put his front feet in the water...then another little while went by and he founf himself standing with all fours in the water...no stress - he was soooo calm- it really was a sight for sore eyes....each tuesday we will continue to take him down there until he is sooo used water that he won't think of it as scarey at all.
Lynn & I  were absolutely delighted with the progress- can't wait until next week

sargeant, Nakita & Shanae

Well it was pretty exciting- Nakita & Shanae finally get to ride Sargeant....When Megan came on Wednesday last week the girls wanted to watch what she was doing with Sarg...Today they went straight out into the paddock- walk , trot & Canter - Megan put him through his paces and then Nakita and Shanae had their first ride on him.

The dogs Mae & Koda - and Nakita & Shanae had a fabulous time while Sargeant was being ridden around the paddock

Sarg and Megan

He looks pretty good don't you think

Go Nakita- lookin GOOD

Shanae is doing really well too- Sarg loooks as though he's enjoy'n you on his back, and that's what we want- lots of fun

And then it's off to the stream to cool off

Nakita, Shanae & Gypsy

Today Nakita (7) and Shanae (6) had lessons with Gypsy.
First of all Gypsy and Me taught Nakita & Shanae how to put the rope halter on NICELY...Nakita could tip gypsy's head softley towards her by asking her head down to her level and put her arm over the top of her head with the long part of her halter then slipped the front over her nose- Gypsy stayed like that while Nakita tied the correct knot comfortably- Wahoo well done Nakita.  Shanae found this a bit harder to do but will practise a little more and try again next time.  Both girls brushed and groomed Gypsy touching her everywhere without any resistance at all.  While we groomed her we used many different lessons such as the porcupine game to move her head -then the driving game to move her back end -the yoyo game (Back & Forth) when going in and out. I put the western saddle on and she didn't move at all while I did this.
Gypsy is wonderful with children- she loves them and is very patient...We then walked quietly down to the roundpen Nakita leading Gypsy and walking just beside her with a loose leadrope- but aware that she could direct her front end simply by running her hand down the rope a little and bringing it towards her if she needed to. (Luckily we didn't need to.)
Once in the roundpen- both Nakita and Shanae did a lot of groundwork with her- just walking today- over poles and disengaging the back end learning how to drive her when they are walking in different directions- turning her in circles, backing her up and bringing her forward- doing figure 8s around the mounting block and road cone....Once they were really good at that they learnt how to hop on properly...They walked Gypsy over to the mounting block ....By Gosh she is a good horse- there was no jumping around or moving off- she stood exactly where she was meant to be- They took the mane & the rein (as their anchor) put one foot in the stirrup looked her in the eye and stood 3 times leaning over the saddle then once they felt Gypsy was completely ok they swung their leg up & over.  I had the leadrope on and they weren't allowed to use the reins- just hold them very loosely- they were learning to look where they wanted her to go, so they had specific places to look around the round pen and then just tell her to walkon - and she did- without fail she went to where they were looking- around the mounting block- over poles to the yellow canna lily as a marker through the fence- a figure 8 around the roadcone and mounting block etc etc..they had to disengage the hind quarters which they both did brilliantly and once they could show me that they were able to do that and to stop her with a relaxed seat and "whoa- I took the leadrope off and much to their delight they were able to ride without me and the leadrope attached and use the reins...They loved it and Gypsy was just a dream she did everything they wanted her to....Once we finished she was allowed some willow from the tree and then Nakita and Shanae both walked her back to the stall for me to take the saddle off - give her a wash and then take her back to have her halter taken off properly- again she lowered her head to let them take off the halter- then we made up hers and Sarg & Louka's feed and both girls gave it to them.  I felt so please with the girls they really listened to what they were being taught and just to show them how things feel to a horse we put a leadrope onto the front of their t shirts so that they could relate to the difference between what the horse is feeling when they yank on the reins and when they are able to go smoothly through the different phases and use the same methods as they were using when they were on the horse....They really got what was being taught then..be considerate & respectful  to your horse and they will be the same to you. When we had finished they took a leadrope home with them to practise with the leadrope until they can get it working smoothly through their hand...I think the yoyo game teaches this so easily- they really got it when they saw the horse relate to their open hand...Gypsy hates tense and tort ropes...so it was pretty obvious to them to release then continue with an open hand - same with backing up- they only need to walk towards her and she walks backwards in a straight line...They did SSSSOOOOOOOOO well- I was really proud of them...Hopefully once they learn this with her they will be able to transfer it to Sarg next- and he may be a little harder for them to practise on but once they know how it's meant to be done it should be easier with him too.

A Lot Has Happenned Over the Feastive Season

Gosh I can't believe I haven't had a chance to put any more down since 30th November 2009- Well here goes- I hope I can remember it all.  Noa did go off to Amanda's to be trained and sent on to a new home from there. He was gelded the day after arrival as he took an extreme interest in all the mares at her place...He jumped over a 6 foot gate and a few fences until Amanda chased him into Sarg's paddock- where Sarg jumped on him and held him by the neck while he continued to sit on him until Amanda put the halter on him-  She said he was then as quiet as a lamb once the halter was on and didn't have a scratch on him- he cleared all those gates and fences easily. It just goes to show as quiet as a kaimanawa horse can be there is still the "WILD" instinct in there.
Sargeant went along at the same time to Amanda to be started under saddle, and he didn't like being there at first-.he bucked the rider off on more than one occassion but then once he had settled in he was being ridden up very steep hills and straight down again without any problem- he is so sure footed and very very clever. He also thought he was KING PIN and was busy bossing all other horses around in the paddocks...so they put him in with a huge gelding who was a gentle giant and Sarg continued to boss him around as well, but he did feel much more settled.  He had two and a half weeks at Amanda's and then we brought him home again for  Christmas & New Year much to his delight.
I think initially when he went away he thought he was going back into a different herd and his reactions were those of a wild horse- there were a lot of mares in season and young colts, geldings etc and it brought back all the pecking order process in a major way....Noa was the same....I couldn't believe the normally quiet horses were reacting this way BUT that survival instinct is still there, and I am really glad about that- I would hate to think they would be dragged away from their natural environment and l,ose everything they have learnt with their bands up there on the ranges.
Once Noa was gelded and allowed to just grow for a while - he is happily grazing now with a lot of other geldings.

Sargeant is back to his normal self with his little herd of Gypsy and Louka and is being ridden daily by Megan.  He has a fabulous canter and doesn't seem to find anything hard- he learns so quickly- and he finds it exciting to get out and about- He is scared of absolutely nothing, nothing seems to phase him at all. He is going through the creek, up through the pines, over all the hills, steep and sloping, through the bush- I am thrilled with his temperament and progress.  He stands still to be saddled up- doesn't move off until asked- I think for Sarg this is such a new challenge and adventure he just thrives on it.

I have kept Louka and he has now been gelded. I just couldn't bare to send him off too...I kept remembering how scared he was when he arrived, so decided to keep him here where he felt safe...I knew Noa would fit in anywhere as long as there were other horses around, BUT Louka pulled too hard at my heartstrings- I have to be sensible as I can't keep them all BUT 3 makes a very good herd size here at my place, and Dennis agreed.  Louka trusts me and gets a lot of attention from family and friends and is getting used to having people around. Gypsy looks after him too, and he is picking up his behavioural traits from her, and as she is just wonderful I think he will be great as he grows.  He is only 2 and already has longer legs than Sarg, so I think he will grow to at least 14hh.  His colour fascinates me- it changes almost on a daily basis- but he is beautiful, at present more chestnut than dunn- still has choc brown legs with 4 white socks and the sickle shaped blaze on his head. We are walking him out now with Gypsy and Sarg and he is very settled....moves off pressure really well...ties up well and we have shampooed him and had the hose on him which he doesn't seem to mind. Drenching isn't an issue so we will just gently continue to teach him things- so handy having the roundpen,

Noa & Louka getting ready for their future

Above- Louka being tied up for the first time

On Thursday Noa and Louka are going to Amanda's for their future training. Del and I have been preparing them for their trip in the horse truck.  We have been tying them up every day - this was so easy as they have already been taught to move away from pressure. We thought ( again there's that human thought- not theirs) that they might find it a bit stressful if we took Noa away from Louka or visa versa when we took them to the roundpen...We decided to tie Louka up while we took Noa down first....No problem Noa mosied on down as though he had done this every day of his life, and Louka stood tied  while I took photos and Del walked Noa over the poles. Honestly these horses feel as though they have already been through all this- they calmly went into the roundpen- calmly walking over to take a look at the poles, roadcones, mounting block etc..Walking them down the driveway no fuss or bother .The above photo is of Noa going into the roundpen for the first time...

above: Noa walking over the poles for the first time

We never cease to be amazed at what they do so easily.   Sometimes we joke about how well trained they are already- hahaha maybe someone dropped them off  to be mustered with the kai's. It has so far just been so incredibly easy - they seem to already know what to do. Noa is sooooo laid back and Louka has a contagiously cheeky little character it makes it a pleasure to do anything with them.

above: Noa going back after his little escapade in the roundpen

above: Louka's turn at last-

he has waited so patiently tied in the yards until we had finished with Noa

 Louka taking a look before entering the roundpen 

 Yay I'm in here -now let me take a look around Now that feels better -

OOoooooh that feels marvellous

OOOps looks like I have to get back to work










 

 

Look I can even do what you

want without the halter and leadrope.

                                        

above: Back to the yards and then feed and out to the paddock. Yipee


Noa and Louka are now very healthy well adjusted to a caring human environment. I want to see them go on to do great things- they are very special- I really don't want to let them go but I have to be realistic - I can't keep them all and I have to devote my time to Sargeant and Gypsy and get back to riding for a while.

 

From beginning to now. Arobridge Kaimanawa's

Arobridge Sargeant June 2007

Sargeants' first time over the tarpaulin & through the gate-what a star!!!

Arobridge Sargeant Kaimanawa Show Pukekohe 1 March 2009

Arobridge Sargeant A & P Show Clevedon 15 Nov 2009
We were very proud- Hannah & Sargeant won a 2nd and a 3rd ribbon

In June 2007 Arobridge Sargeant arrived- He was a tiny colt about 18months - 2 years old...He was looking oh so scraggy and felt so very alone. Today he is a well loved beautiful little pony - 4 years old and due to start his riding career.

Arobridge Cinnebar-June 2007

 Del introducing herself to Arobridge Cinnebar

Cinnebar's first time over the tarpaulin & through the gate- WOOHOO!!!!

Arobridge Cinnebar and Lauren-Crystal A & P Show Clevedon 15 November 2009

Lauren-Crystal and Cinnebar won a 2nd ribbon- what stars!!!!!

The day after Sargeant arrived Dennis & I were at Mystery Creek & Marilyn  from KWHWT phoned to see if we would take just one more beautiful little chestnut colt. NOW!!!!   We agreed and thankfully Del Nixon was on hand to greet him and welcome Arobridge Cinnebar to the property and to reunite him with Sargeant.

We couldn't believe it. Del and I had decided to get ONE kaimanawa to see how we would deal with a "WILD PONY"  let alone 2.    I was to feed, care and look after their wellbeing and Del was to do the training, and so our journey began...

We decided that no human baggage was to be put upon these horses, and that they needed to make choices themselves- after all they all manage to survive without our imput in the Argo Valley, and around the vast central plateau in the North Island of NZ.

We did not want to put them out onto lush green grass, as they had just been used to tussock as their mainstay diet...We knew we would have to contain them in a yard until they were able to get used the idea that WE would provide the food and water - but their job was to stay behind a fence...This was a very easy thing to convince them of- as they knew where their bread was buttered in no time at all.- We introduced them to the paddock with grass in approximately 2 weeks- when they would come running to the feed bin- we put tarpaulins on the ground between gateways- road cones in various places around the paddock...Had washing flapping on a clothesline beside them...The bobcat, truck,cars, bikes, pushchairs and digger would go up and down the driveway right beside them without them batting an eye.....Their whole purpose in life was to survive- not to worry about all the things humans do.  Once they accepted that we were friends not foe- nothing seemed to faze them.  We had their halters put on by an expert...thankyou David Marshall- David also did things like teaching them to lift their feet for the farrier- Sargeant was an expert right from the start with this- Cinnebar took a bit longer to gain that trust...He was a bit more instinctual or less trusting than Sargeant- their naturesare very different- so we had already decided to do things at their pace- NOT OURS- and it worked a treat- they taught us many things along the way....One of which was - don't worry about the things they get wrong- use it as a lesson to them and ourselves BUT praise them profusely for what they get right....These horses really do want to please.....They are very very quick to learn- and they really want to do it right- so NO PRESSURE was the means to get there quicker...We liked them to work things out for themselves.   When we first put them through a gate we would have a tarpaulin right in the gateway and their food the other side- In the wild they would have had to go through all sorts of things to achieve extra tussock or grass...in the winter when it's buried in snow they would have to be true survivors to even get their daily rations- not to mention the terraine they had to get through to actually eat in the first place....so what was a little obstacle that we put in their way- it was a non event - over they went- we figured that was a human- "eeeek they can't do that they'll get a fright"- No they didn't - we would have. They had to work out where their water came from- it was in a arrel not flowing along a river...it certainly didn't take them long- so we applied that to everything they learnt....What clever little ponies they do everything pretty calmly- they work things out without much fuss and bother....They love children and that is obvious right from the start.

Del now has Cinney  (aka Orange)  and I have Sarg- we love them to bits- they are very easy care and such loveable little horses with very big hearts...they always give their very best.

Both our boys are being prepared for riding under saddle now- can't wait and neither can they.- we'll keep you posted.

We have since had 5 more Kaimanawa's who we have handled the same way- always taking in to account their needs and that is not necessarily not needs and we always enjoy their different characteristics.

 Introducing them to the ball

Hawkeye and Radar came to Arobridge from the 2008 muster and are now in Tauranga in a loving home enjoying the family they have gone to.

Arobridge Hawkeye

 Arobridge Radar O'Reilly

Desert Rose (aka "Milly) went to Del as a tiny little girl from the 2008 muster.

                       We took her to the Kaimanawa show at Pukekohe 1st March 2009.
This is Milly (below)as she is today- quite a little lady- very rich chestnut- Milly is looking for her future home and family. She is a very easy girl to handle- she floats,can be covered, easy to worm, has had feet trimmed and really tries to please

And this year Noa & Louka came to Arobridge from the 2009 Muster. These two chaps are just lovely inquisitive sensible colts.

I don't know if it's the fact that we have learnt so much more about starting these great little ponies or if it's just that they get more intelligent or calmer every year, but these two have been exceptionally calm.

There was no issue putting Noa's leadrope on - but it took a little bit more trust on Louka's part to let us put his on.I would swear Noa already knew what brushing felt like- He really LOVES it- he has had his feet trimmed -They are quite funny in the rain- they go into the half round calf shed to shelter- They both have to bend down to get in there- and step over a bit of wood at the same time. With both of them in there there isn't a lot of room to spare- but they manage going in and out without any fuss or bother- what a couple of characters they have turned out to be...

They have been filmed for the NZ Conservation week almost as soon as they arrived...then they were filmed again for the abc news- "Landline"  which was quite something - it's quite a lot to expect from 2 little "wild horses" but they performed like the little stars they are and it all went without a hitch...We hadn't had much time to work with them at that time of  the year - Wet, windy, frosty, muddy weather - we introduced them to all sorts in a very short space of time, and it all went without a hitch.

On 6th June 2009 Noa (Bay) & Louka (closest) arrived

Hannah giving Louka his first cuddles- From that moment on he wasn't afraid of us humans

Arobridge Louka (left)  Arobridge Noa (Right)

Sargeant -Cinnabar-Noa -Louka & Gypsy

Finally I have managed to load the videos!!!!! Yeeeha- check out the link to flickr & let me know what you think. thankyou

Cinney is very scepticle of everything- he waits for Sarg to check everything out before he attempts anything..But he was great by the time we'd all finished playing. He tends to either spook at things- but drops at the same time and then stops until he is comfortable with it..If Sarg is there Sarg becomes his shield.


Gypsy is a very independant girl- a bit aloof until she KNOWS you LOVE her and then she melts into you. I adore her and I think she's starting to adore me too now...she always really liked me but there is more now....not quite the partnership yet but we are working on it....I am not riding her out until I and she knows that we are truely partners. I am following the tasks in the parelli savvy passbook and ticking off what we are able to do- Gypsy is wonderful she can and does do everything I ask her to, but I am still a little bit behind, so am working on my skills.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12752280@N03/4074038737

Noa is very like Sarg- as in calm-loves to dance to music- doesn't have the contagious cheeky personality like Sarg, he is dropdead gorgeous-excellent conformation and loves to be looked at and fussed over..Louka took a very long time to trust- he has the brave streak like Sargeant and really trusts me- he is fun loving and likes to play fun things and is now at the stage where he annoys the heck out of Noa being 6months younger. He is going to be bigger than Noa I think- he's all legs at the moment- now that he has started to grow he is growing at a very fast pace...His coat now that it's coming through is lovely- not quite a dunn -a bit darker - has chestnut lights through his mane & tail- white socks with a dark chocolate bay on the hockslight underbelly and then this dark dunn colour on top....sounds funny but looks amazing....He really will be lovely- so I hope he doesn't change too much as he grows.
Now Sarg- he IS a real dude..loves to have fun, is soooo very tolerant and very calm about things he's learning....He is also a very brave horse...he seems to watch for a while to sum up the situation then he will go straight up and investigate - if I'm not worried he isn't- I feel as though I KNOW this little horse so well..and I do really...he teaches me sooo much...I think I can read him better than any other horse...he seems a mixture of Joey and Max- but with his own little personality..He is look'n great at the moment too.