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Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on September 4, 2012 at 11:19am

I didn't get out to see Cooper the last few days in August as I was not feeling well.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on August 29, 2012 at 3:24pm

Aug 28 2012 Today was our 5th Anniversary together. I got Cooper Aug 28 2007. I didn't tack him up, only rope halter and wee went outdoors and played first with the 12' rope walking around doing falling leaf, travelling circles and squeeze. Then we went over to a couple of plastic jump things that my spouse set up and did some figure 8's, circling and change of directions. Then we switched to the 22' rope and tried the figure 8's at a farther distance. At first Cooper gave me a hard time about yielding his hindquarters and making the change to go around the other loop. Then after a few turns he didn't want to go very far out, he kept coming back in close to me, coming over sideways a few times and almost knocking me over. I then did some yo-yo very slowly back and forth, one time he started to go out on a circle before I asked and I stopped him and he looked at me like WHAT you stop me for Mom!! I just watched a Horsenalities video on you tube and now watching circling a LBI which I think Cooper is, and LBE tendencies too. He was limping a bit when trotting to the left, he just had his feet trimmed today but has never been sore after a trim before. So we stopped for the evening and I let him graze while we waited for another boarder to finish and walk back to the barn together.

Not going to the barn tonight, Wednesday, hope the time off will help his feet and he won't sore on Thursday.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on August 28, 2012 at 12:55pm

Saturday August 25 2012

Taped the Level 1 Online Audition, and submitted it on Aug 26 2012. Did a little online playing first before and after doing this, so about 30 minutes total.
A friend that I took riding lessons with came and rode Cooper for about an hour, 5:15 to 6:15 at a walk, jog, posting trot. He really tested her at the beginning and wouldn't lower his head. A few times he lowered and by the end he was getting relaxed finally.
Hosed him down after and gave him his treats. 

Monday August 27 2012

We walked around the outdoor arena doing falling leaf, travelling circles and squeeze game with the 12' rope and rope halter for about 15 minutes. I had his PC overreach boots on and the rf was turning so I took them off, they have never done this before.
117th ride. I then got on and rode for about 20 minutes. I walked him around doing some giving to the bit and lowering his head with the head down cue. Then we set up 4 cones and did circles around them changing directions through the middle of circle. We worked on trying to keep his shoulders up and bending his rib cage around my leg, like a lesson we had with Paulette at Five Star, at a walk and a trot. Every time we went past Al sitting on the stool Cooper would try to go sideways towards him, pushing his outside shoulder out that way. We started to get better near the end so finished up, it was getting dark anyway.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on August 24, 2012 at 11:41am

The weather has sure done a number on their mane and tail, also their feet!! Cooper lost a huge chunk out of one toe and now his hoof is crooked, but it's growing in.  Farrier is coming again next week I hope around Aug 28. Oh wow! That will be our 5th anniversary since I got him in 2007.

Sounds like you are progressing well with your lessons. I have to teach Al to watch for things like that with me, not breathing, too stiff, putting my legs too far forward, etc. 

Last night I tacked Cooper all up and by then it was already getting darker outside so we did some circles, falling leaf pattern, touch it and some squeeze all around the indoor. When we got to the back door Cooper walked right out on his own and started to go sideways down the outside wall of the arena so I went with him. It was like he wanted to go out, not sure if I should have let him have his own way, but I did. Then I took him for a walk and went over to a trailer that was parked in front of the house and let him sniff it and stayed there for a bit doing that. I smacked the ground and did helicopters over his head with the carrot stick and string and he was fine with it. Then we walked back inside and along the way I had him going sideways which he did wonderfully. He snorted a few times but nothing real spooky.

We played some more indoors with the 12' rope and rope halter before doing some giving to the bit with the bridle. He was moving around me with his head bent in very nicely and softly, then I would ask for a hindquarter yield and do it again on the other side. 

Then I rode him at a walk doing the softening of the nose with the bridle and working on Lyons Riding Lesson 9 - Getting The Horse to Walk Off while carrying the Rider using the Bridle. He is getting softer and so am I with my hands. We rode for about 15 minutes, he was starting to get cranky, oops, putting human emotions to my horsey :)

A friend might come up this weekend to ride him. Her horse has had to retire due to Navicular and I said she could ride Cooper. Maybe she will start going and putting some extra work on him since I really don't work him very hard at all. I am a softy with him and I am sure he will test her, as he does with any stranger who has ridden him.

Heading back out to see him tonight, maybe my friend will come too, not sure yet.

Comment by Shirley on August 22, 2012 at 6:42pm

What a fun time with Cooper!

That hot dry air did quite a job on their mane and tail.

Our lesson today was very satisfying for us. I know I'm progressing some when Cash starts testing me some.
Today he acted a little stubborn about sometimes about moving forward. One time he got sassy and did a little twisty thing with his body like a baby buck and when that didn't scare me, he walked on and acted better. Kim is good at catching me not breathing or holding my breath or getting stiff and falling forward and I'm likeing that so I can be more aware and catch things and correct them faster so my body can relearn at a cellular level.

Enjoy hearing what you are working on. Celebrate your progress!!!! Recall those good moments over and over.

 

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on August 22, 2012 at 8:37am

I did stretches on him first and painted all his hooves, he was very lazy and seemed to be a little grumpy with his ears back most of the time in the aisle. Then we walked outside with 12' rope and halter and went around the edge of outdoor arena doing squeeze game, circles, falling leaf at walk and trot. He got a little spooky in one corner and tossed his head and tried to take off but I stopped him with a shake of the rope. We trotted over some poles and he tripped a few times before he finally started to lift his feet and pay attention to where he was going.
I then did a little giving to the bit, hip shoulder shoulder and was getting dizzy doing the circling.
It's getting dark so early now so I decided to go inside to ride and the kid next door was riding around on his loud motor bike making a heck of a racket.

114th ride, I've been watching the dvd's that come with the John Lyons Riding Manual and we did some giving/softening of the bit and hips over at a walk, Lesson 9 from the book for about 20 minutes and he was starting to get lighter. I never really did these under saddle, just the ground work exercises and I could feel it getting better so I will be trying to do the lesson exercises in order for awhile. We could have done more but someone was waiting to use the arena to lunge and didn't want anyone in there.
After I took him into the wash stall and shampooed and conditioned his tail as he's been rubbing again and it felt like steel wool. I also cold hosed his bump again, the swelling is gone but there is a lump remaining which I hope goes down more.

Comment by Shirley on August 20, 2012 at 1:04pm

Great! Good news all around.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on August 20, 2012 at 10:00am

Friday Aug 17 2012

The swelling has gone completely but there is a lump and it will likely stay there as he has a little one from when he was kicked as a yearling. We did a little bit of work Friday night with the 12' rope and halter. Then I put the bridle and bit on and did some giving to the bit before riding. I got on and we rode around at a walk for about 10 minutes and by then it was getting dark and the bugs were out so I got off and followed another boarder around to go inside.
I wasn't well on Saturday so didn't get out to see him.

Sunday Aug 19 2012

On Sunday we went out late, it was after 8 p.m. so we played in the indoor arena. I did falling leaf pattern to the back of the arena where it's scary for him and he did really well not spooking. He was a little tense but when I asked him to move forward and touch something he did it the first time I asked. I squeezed him between me and the walls, mostly near the scary door areas and he did very well still. Then I did some giving to the bit with the bridle and bit. I got on and we walked all around the edge of the arena. He spooked once when a horse snorted when we went past the dark door of the other barn, but it was a little spook and we continued on as if nothing had happened. We then tried to jog and do a circle in one corner and he was going really fast and not listening so we did some serpentine's at a walk and then at a trot. After that we tried again and he was going much slower and moving well off my leg and reins. We did some figure 8's in the middle of the arena and then did some large circles in both directions. We also did some roll backs along the far wall, he is very good when turning into the wall from the right but the left needs work.
We had a really good night and after I cold hosed his chest for a few minutes. I think he likes that now.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on August 15, 2012 at 10:50pm

I have been going up every night to cold hose the hematoma and it is finally starting to shrink. There was a vet there one night for another horse and he took a quick look at Cooper and said we were doing the right thing, so that was good. He just might have a lump though, there is a small one in the same spot from when he got kicked when he was a yearling. I took him out to the indoor arena one night and did a little trotting around on the 22' rope, but not much. We are both getting lazy, soon time for us both to get back to work. We've been getting a bit of rain finally, really needed it anyway. But now the outdoor arena has lots of puddles and is really wet. I hope it dries up some so we can go play outdoors and hopefully get the parelli level 1 audition done.

Comment by Shirley on August 9, 2012 at 4:20am

Good progress! Glad to hear it. Hopefully that will continue and he'll be all better soon.

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