Driving Mr. Cole

Driving Mr. Cole

I was planning to wait until winter to teach Cole to drive, but I decided I couldn't wait that long.  It was his day off, and he said he wanted to do tricks.  I thought he might like to learn a whole new trick--ground driving.

I got Trifecta's equipment out.  Cole wasn't worried at all about the surcingle because he is used to a girth.  He did seem a little puzzled when I hooked up the driving reins, but he stood for it.  I knew it would be easier for Cole to learn it than Trifecta since Cole knows his vocal commands and how reins work very well.

I stepped behind him and asked him to "walk."  He decided to back up.  After a few steps, I repeated the command and he repeated to back up a few steps.  This happened a few times and then noticed an opportunity.  We were getting awfully close to the wall in the arena.  I stepped aside, asked him to "walk" and he stepped into the wall.  He stopped.  I asked him again, and he took a step forward.  I clicked and treated him.  I repeated and he took 2 steps. I clicked and treated.  Next time, it was 5 steps before I clicked.  After that, I just told him how good he was.

After walking around a few laps and just turning in the corners, I decided it was time to turn him away from the wall.  He was a little confused at first and tried to do a side pass.  I asked him again and he got it, so I clicked.  We did it a few times more with clicks--each time I would wait for him to do more steps.

I switched to the other side, and again there was a little confusion.  I watched as Cole did a lovely turn on the haunches.  When that didn't work he just turned and I clicked him--but both his side pass and his turn on the haunches gave me the idea of potential things we can train for in the future.

Before I knew it, we were doing zigzags at a walk.  I didn't ask for the trot at all.  We could save that for another day.  In 15 minutes, he was better than Trifecta was after 2 weeks--but that was only because he already knows the very things I was using ground driving to teach to Trifecta.  It was a lot of fun, and we will be doing it again.  Cole seemed to enjoy it--he loves learning and getting treats.  I really do think it will be a wonderful project for those chilly days next winter.

We Went Down to the River...

We Went Down to the River...

Last summer, I walked Trifecta down to the river and let him play in the water at least a half a dozen times.  We would just walk in the water right along the edge.  He did well with it, but then it got cold and I no longer wanted to get wet.  I was in no hurry to get him in the water in the spring for the same reason.

Finally, the weather was warm enough and the river was low enough to take him down the hill to play in the water. 

Recently, our friend's champion racehorse turned broodmare started a new career at the age of 20.  She became a trail horse. We saw her out on her first day across the river.  I was reminded of Cole's first time.  The day he was willing to cross to the other side, when we turned around to go back home, he was afraid to go back into the water.  I told the Thoroughbred rider about that, and maybe I put a curse on her because when we got back to the river on the way home, we saw her perched on the river bank--refusing to cross.  In the end, someone had to pony her across.  She has been fine ever since, but it was a reminder to me about Cole's first time.  He wasn't comfortable enough in the water to cross that day.  I wanted to make sure Trifecta was.

So that meant that I made multiple trips down to the water.  We gradually went further out until we reached the halfway point. I probably didn't have to do all this.  At no time, did he seem worried about the river.

The day came when I felt we should give it a try.  I didn't tell Ellen--or at least I didn't think that I did.  She said that when I told her I was going to take him down to the river that I did say "cross the river."  That was a Freudian slip!

Anyway, I led him to the river's edge, and instead of letting him meander about, I asked him to step right in.  He paused and then took the step.  I did click him for that.  We continued to walk around and around--getting closer to the center.  I could see that he was very willing so I straightened him out and asked him to go across.  Of course he did--that was no surprise. The surprise was his reaction on the other side. He got so excited!  His head was up--he looked down the trail to the left and down the trail to the right.  He wasn't afraid but I felt like he was going to do the "happy dance" at the end of the lead rope.  He thought it was great fun.

I led him a little way down the trail to where there is a fence on one side of it.  On the other side of the fence, there is the paved all purpose trail and on the other side of that is the street.  We call it "The Fence."  I feel it is a perfect place to expose horses to just about everything they will find on our very busy bridle trails.

We only stayed a few minutes, but in those minutes we saw 4 cars, a bike and a motorcycle.  He just watched with his eyes big and his head way up like a Saddlebred--unafraid but very curious.  It is as if he discovered that there is a big world out there that he had no clue existed.  

We turned back to go home.  There was Ellen on the other side of the river; waiting for us.  Tri crossed like a champ and we went back up the hill.  Trifecta is so funny.  He loves going out in the park so much that he walks incredibly fast on the way out--but then he walks much slower on the way home.  I am glad since the way home is uphill!  

We will keep crossing on foot until it is time to ride.