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Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on June 12, 2012 at 9:18am

Monday June 11 2012

99th ride using the rope hackamore again. When we got to the barn there was a farrier there doing a horse in front of Cooper's stall. I took him out and went to the other side of the barn which was new for Cooper. He was very jumpy and spooking at everything. There was a nice breeze when we first got there, it was sprinkling rain lightly outside. I was going to go to the outdoor arena but the threat of more rain stopped me. We did ground work all around the arena with the 22' rope on. He jumped a few times but overall he was actually very good on the ground. I walked him in and out of the back arena door then sent him out. I sent him part way into the feed room which he did willingly. It was getting very muggy inside so I didn't ask for anything strenuous, just walk and trot.

I had the stick with the bag on the end and tossed it in the air a few times which didn't bother Cooper at all. Al got the tarp out and Cooper went right up to it and tried to eat it. He was pawing at it and walking all over it. Another boarder came in with her horse, a thoroughbred, and let her smell and step on the tarp. She was scared at first but got very brave and sniffed it then walked on it, what a good girl she was.

I got on and rode around for about 20 minutes, mostly at a walk and tried some trot. There were 4 of us inside, 2 riding and 1 doing ground work, so I had to watch where I was going a lot, so as not to bump into anyone or get in there way as they were really moving and I was poking along :) 

I could feel Cooper jumping a lot under me, he was tense, maybe I was too and he was feeling it. The rain was hitting the roof and it was very loud in spots and he jumped sideways a few times. The person doing ground work was going in and out of the back arena door and disappearing for a bit at times, then when she came back he would jump, he has to get used to that. We did a lot of walk and finally started to walk to the back of the arena by the scary doors. I would tip his eye in and have him move to the outside with the inside rein when we went around the corners. We tried some square corners and he did very well doing it with the rope hackamore. Then I did some turn on the haunches and he went right around in a circle, wow, maybe a reining horse in the making LOL 

We then tried some trot, sometimes following one of the other horses when they trotted by us but then I would slow to a walk when we got near the back of the arena. I didn't want to have to deal with a sideways jump while trotting. All through the approximately 20 minutes that we were riding he was jumpy and spooking at things, shadows, others coming in and out of doors. When I got off my legs were sore, I was tensing up even though I was also trying to relax my legs and wrap them around him. He started yawning and falling asleep when I got off, he must have been so happy the night was over. I hosed him off a little and took him outside to eat some grass in the drizzling rain.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on June 10, 2012 at 12:32am

Friday, June 8 2012

97th ride using the rope hackamore tonight. Cooper is getting much better walking out the back arena door out to the outdoor arena. I did some falling leaf around the edge of the arena then got on. Right from the start Cooper was very relaxed. We walked all around the arena then did some trot. The ground was very hard and Cooper was a little off on his left front foot when doing left circles. We did sideways while riding for the firs time and he did it perfectly. I think that I was tensing up on that left side with my prosthetic and it might have been pinching because when I took the saddle off he had a wet spot right where my leg would have been.

Saturday, June 9 2012

98th ride with the rope hackamore. We got to the barn late and I quickly tacked up and went outdoors to be with other riders. Cooper did great walking out the back arena door again. We walked all around the edge of the arena stopping here and there letting him eat some grass. There was a new horse in the arena and they asked that I not do any circles with Cooper. Again Cooper was very relaxed and I felt very comfortable in the saddle. We did some walking then some trot. The ground was freshly harrowed and very nice to ride tonight. We were only out about 15 minutes then the other rider was done and leaving so I decided to follow her back inside while riding. Cooper was great, I was able to keep him calm with the rope hackamore with a few bumps. Al was also holding the lead part just in case but I did most of the steering. We then rode indoors for another 10 minutes. We rode at a walk down by the scary doors at the far end of the arena and he remained calm. When he would raise his head to look at things I would bump and look to where we were going and he would calm down and continue on. I did some trot around the arena, some circles and had him move sideways off the rein and my leg. Then I changed directions and completely forgot about it being new to him on the other side. He spooked and went sideways at the top end of the arena where he is usually calm. He went sideways and I stayed in the saddle.

These last 2 nights have been wonderful rides with him.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on June 6, 2012 at 9:49am

Tuesday June 5 2012, 96th ride.

We got to the barn late again, around 8 and I didn't think I was going to ride. Another boarder persuaded me to tack up and groom fast so we could get outside and enjoy the weather. I don't think I ever got ready that fast. We were outside in about 20 minutes. Cooper did very well going past parked cars and didn't even snort at the riding tractor that was parked in the driveway. He did get a little nervous when the other boarders horse started spooking at things. I did about 10 minutes of ground work, walking around some of the edges and in the middle of the arena. The ground was mushy from the rain but kind of cushiony too.  There was a lesson going on in the drier end but we managed to work around them. 
Cooper stood quietly while I mounted, with help from my spouse. He has to hold my knee in on the left with the prosthetic leg and then push my right leg over as the cantle is too high. Cooper is such a good boy with me dragging my leg over his butt.

We sat and relaxed for a few seconds before walking off. The tractor drove by us and he didn't budge, just stood quietly. All through the ride the tractor was running in the paddocks cleaning things up and everyone did fine. I followed one of the other boarders at a walk and her horse spooked and Cooper followed but we were under control and I kept his feet moving. A bunny jumped out of the side and sat there most of the night, eating and watching us.
We did a lot of walking to begin, around jumps, over a pole a few times and into the corners. I stayed in the top 3/4 of the arena as the end had water in it from the rain. We then did some jogging and he did very well, when he would speed up I would put pressure on the reins and when I felt him slow I released. I stopped several times, trying to remember to breathe out, relax and say whoa before pulling on the rein, but forgot a few times and just pulled when I said whoa. We did some circles using the outside supporting rein and inside rein up. Several times he would run out with the outside shoulder and the supporting rein wasn't working, I guess I am not using enough pressure. I do try to use my leg also. We practiced some turn on the haunches. He is getting very good going to the left, I ask a few times then he will go all the way around. We also practiced some of the square corner exercise, walk straight then lift both reins up towards the inside shoulder and have him move over then continue walking. After a few of these he started to move right over when I just started to lift the rein.

When I was thinking about getting off Cooper spooked again when a bird flew out of the dark door, a spook in place and he stood still then we continued walking on with lots of praise from me.
We had a very good night.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on June 5, 2012 at 9:03am

Monday June 4 2012

I tacked Cooper all up and by the time we were ready it had started to rain and was making a big noise on the roof and spooking Cooper. So I put the side reins on very loose and regular lunged him walk, trot and a little canter for 15 minutes in each direction. Then I did some giving to the bit all around the arena. We went in and out the feed room and the back arena door. We were working on the calm down cue, lowering his head. I did about half an hour of that and by then the rain had stopped but I was too tired, hot and shaky to ride. 

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