A New Adventure

 Day 1

Meet my new cat, Fairy Floss.

Yesterday when I brought her home, I put her in the cat guest room.  Kevin and I both thought she would hide, as we were told she was a shy cat, but she didn’t.  We watched her for an hour; exploring every nook and cranny.  She did start to get crabby and tried to swipe Kevin.  At that point, we decided she was tired, and we left her so she could nap.

Oh, I guess I should go back to the very beginning.  I tragically lost Thunder, but I won’t get into that.  Let me just say that the cat who was supposed to live weeks after he was diagnosed with a fast moving, stage 4 kidney disease lived for just over 7 months.  My heart is completely broken.  He was my best buddy for more than 17 years, and I don’t expect to ever have a 

relationship with a cat that is as special as the one we had.  There is a huge hole in my heart.

I decided that the best way to fill it was to get another cat–one that needed someone to take care of her.  Thunder gave so much to me that I wanted to give it back to a needy cat as a tribute to him.

I was watching a cat on the Cleveland Animal Protective League website for a long time.  No one was adopting her–in spite of her singular beauty.  A couple weeks ago, they featured her on their Facebook website, and I found out why.  She was recovering from a bad case of Dermatitis.  Fairy Floss had a problem that no one wanted to take on.

Dermatitis isn’t fatal–but a condition to manage–and it can be difficult.  She needed me.  I needed someone to help with my emptiness.  She was also older–6 years old–and they said she was a little shy.  No one wanted her.  

When I went into the cat room at the APL, they asked if I was interested in a particular cat.  When I told the woman I wanted to see Fairy Floss, she seemed very enthusiastic.  She brought me to the cage, and the first thing I saw was a warning on it saying she could be sassy.  Well, I can deal with a little snarkiness in cats, so that didn’t bother me. I opened the cage and gave her some pets.  She seemed receptive until I rubbed under her chin, and she smacked me.  I tried again, and she repeated the smack.  That is when I noticed her chin was red and probably sore.  She was just telling me.

I took the card from her cage and started to leave the room.  Another employee saw me and asked if I needed help.  I told her I had decided to adopt Fairy Floss, and she seemed very surprised and happy.  I then went up front to talk customer service.  The gentleman opened her file and read me a long list of items.  She was surrendered back on February 2.  Her family had a baby, and she didn’t handle it well.  Apparently she became depressed and started having litter box problems.  She also had ear mites, blood in her urine and was so difficult that they had to put her on medication to calm her down for further diagnostics.  They couldn’t find the cause of her bad urine but did give her an antibiotic shot.  She also had the dermatitis–itchy skin.

She did find a home, but they returned her when her new owners realized they couldn’t afford to help her with her problems.  So after about a month, she was back in the cage–and it sounds like her dermatitis was much worse.  They gave her antibiotic shots and put her on steroids.  She improved, but no one was adopting her.  

When Thunder passed away, I was so distraught–not necessarily the best time to make big decisions.  I found myself sitting in the customer service area listening to all of poor Fairy Floss’ problems.  She was definitely a project cat–she needed me.  Was I making a mistake?  Maybe, but she needed me.

I told them I would take her, and that is when I was informed that there would be no fee.  She qualified for a special program.  Not only that, but they would pay $250.00 towards her vet bill.  

They took away my carrier to get her for me, but the man soon came back because he couldn’t figure out how to work it.  I went back there to get her.  They didn’t take her out of her cage like they did when Kevin got his cat.  Instead they told me to.  Okay, I am going to reach into a cage and pull out an unknown snarky cat.  I took a deep breath and did it.  She just melted in my arms.  They took my picture with her, and I loaded her into her carrier.  I started blathering about how I just lost my cat to kidney disease and he was only supposed to live weeks, but he lived 7 months and I just wanted to help a cat who needed someone.  I looked up and there was about 5 people there standing around, watching me without saying a word.  Then I said that Fairy Floss meant Cotton Candy, and I hoped that she was sweet and not named that in an ironic way.  They still stared.  Were they happy she was getting a home or did they think I was nuts for taking this on?  I’ll never know.  I just walked out saying, “I just got a cat.”

I brought her home and put her in the guest room.  I thought she would hide, but she explored and finally decided to take a nap.  I let her rest the rest of the day and just peeked in now and then.  Later in the evening, I decided to watch a DVD with her.  She was sleeping on a chair by the window, and I just let her be.  After a long while, she walked up to me, meowed, bowed and laid down next to me.  As I petted her, she started to purr.  She decided that she is my friend.

The next day, she acted like we’ve known each other forever.  

The rest is history.  She has turned into a wonderful companion.  I couldn’t ask for a sweeter cat–the name Fairy Floss is so appropriate.  She is as sweet as cotton candy.

I took her to my vet, and she was so well behaved.  I opted to get some blood work done that should show us what she is allergic to, and then we will work up a management plan.  

I unexpectedly hit the jackpot with Fairy Floss.

We are Getting Closer

We are Getting Closer

I have been very busy with Trifecta lately.  One thing that we have been doing a lot of is going for walks in the park.  There have been a few mishaps, but they have been my fault.  One day, I tripped on his leg and fell to my knees.  I wrenched my shoulder on the lead rope and skinned both knees.  A few weeks later, after my knees healed up, Tri stepped on my foot while crossing the river.  I fell on only one knee that time, but I did skin it up pretty badly.

Both times I fell, Trifecta just stood there and watched me.  After the second fall, I realized that I wasn't insisting that he stay away from me--it was his closeness that caused me to fall.  After that, I added that to our training.  With the help of clicker training, he started to understand what I wanted in the first lesson.  He still tends to crowd a little on the river, but at least I am very aware of my feet when we are crossing.

One day, he really impressed me.  We were walking along, and he stopped to look across the river.  Something really caught his attention. I looked and didn't see a thing.  He started to move on, but I insisted that we continue looking to satisfy my curiosity.  On the opposite side of the river, there is a lot of dense foliage.  As I stared at it, I was finally able to make out the partial outlines of what appeared to be a brown dog.  Since there was no one around--and there isn't even a trail over there--I decided it must have been a coyote.

I just loved the fact that he was alerted that something was there, observed without fear and just decided on his own that it was no big deal.  He truly has a good head on his shoulder.

The spooks have been few and far between.  We spend a lot of time along a fence on the trail.  Immediately on the other side of the fence is the paved all purpose trail and the road.  He is getting exposed to all sorts of traffic, bikes, pedestrians, dog walkers and motorcycles.  He did spook one day at a person riding an electric scooter--but that was forgivable.  Those scooters really look weird because the rider is moving while standing still.

Another day, he spooked at a motorcycle, but it was one of those odd situations.  (This has happened with Dante and Cole, too.)  We ride very close to the airport, and when there is a plane coming over, we can't hear anything else.  Well, a loud motorcycle was coming our way, and we didn't know it.  When the plane passed by--suddenly there was a roaring motorcycle!  He spun around me, but settled down right away.  What is cool is that he didn't try to pull away at all.  It was evident he wanted to stay with me--but at the same time he didn't crowd me as some young horses will.  He is such a good boy.

There is one part of the trail that confuses him a little.  The trail is still next to the all purpose trail and the street, but our trail is lower than they are.  He sees the cars, bikes and pedestrians above him.  It just causes him to worry.  Each time we go there, he gets better.  I allow him to stand and look at things.

When Ellen and Kevin are walking with us on the trail, he gets so excited to be with his friends!  Sometimes I have trouble keeping him ahead of them.  If we follow them, he wants to cuddle and play.  This is just the kind of problems you have to deal with when you have a horse that loves people--and he loves people.

Other lessons we are adding to his training include standing at the mounting block while I walk up it and lean on his back.  That is going well.  I have also just started introducing a bit.

At first, I just held a bit in front of him and when he put it in his mouth, I clicked and treated him.  We did that over and over.  Then, I put it on a bridle, clicked him for bridling and took it off.  When he was good with that, I left it on and tossed treats in his feed dish.  I would leave him bridled for the time that I was saddling up Cole for his ride.  I did that a number of times.

Finally, one day I bridled him, placed a halter over top of it, led him around and did a little lounging.  He fussed a little, but he didn't keep it up long.

The next training session, I did the same but added the driving reins.  I have been driving him in a sidepull hackamore.  This time, I drove him with the halter.  Towards the end of the session, we switched the reins to his bridle.  At first, he fussed about--but it only lasted about 30 seconds.  We did some walks and whoas.  I started to click him for good behavior--just as I did when I was first teaching him to drive.  For the most part, I have faded off the clicking during driving unless he does something exceptional.  Since we were doing something very new, I added it back in.  

He needed to learn to turn, so we turned and clicked about 4 times in each direction.  When he seemed to understand what I wanted, I did a zigzag followed by a halt and ended for the day.  It was a great first session driving with a bit.

I've not been doing anything fast, but we are still rapidly approaching the big day.  I will not hurry.  I have no deadline.  When he is ready, I will know it--and then wait a few more sessions to be sure...

Trifecta Moves on to the Next Phase

 Trifecta Moves on to the Next Phase

As you can see in the photo, Trifecta now wears a saddle.  It was the easiest thing with the help of clicker training.  He decided that saddling is a fun game.

Ellen had an old saddle with a girth--I added Cole's old plaid saddle blanket.  It is my favorite one, but we used it so much that it has several rips and it was time to retire it.  His whole ensemble is perfect for touching, biting and chewing.

I kept him in his stall for the first saddling.  He was already familiar with the feel of a saddle pad, but I reviewed it with him just the same.  I flopped it on a few times.  He didn't care in the least.

I then brought the saddle to him.  First I showed it to him.  It only took 2 seconds before he started to nibble it.  He also sniffed it all over.  As I gently set it on his back, I clicked and treated.  I lifted it up and put it down a number of times--clicking each time.  He didn't care at all--he just wanted his treats.  I tried hooking the girth up.  Since I was unfamiliar with the whole set up, it took a while of me fumbling around, but he didn't mind.  Finally I got it hooked up.  I clicked him for his good behavior.  Since I have been ground driving him with a surcingle, it was a familiar feeling for him.

Then, I was time to go on a walk about.  He acted like he wore a saddle every day of his life.  We then did a little lounging at a walk and trot so he could get the feel of that, too--no problem.  Trifecta didn't let me down.  This is how I expected this lesson to go from the beginning.  With his good attitude and the help of clicker, I couldn't imagine it going wrong.

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.

Improving My Mount

Improving My Mount

Some of you may recall that I broke my wrist a year and a half ago.  After the operation to add 2 plates and 10 screws and several months of physical therapy, it healed up beautifully.  It never hurts and works as good as ever.

Since I had a weight limit on it long after the splint was removed, whenever I rode, I had to mount with a mounting block.  I was really worried that I would have trouble mounting from the ground, but I was still able to do it.  It just wasn't as easy as it was in the past. 

A lot of people frown on mounting from the ground--as it puts pressure on the back--and I get it.  Mounting using a mounting block makes more sense--it is easier and better for the horse--but what if you are out on the trail with nothing you can use for a mounting block?  I feel it is an important skill for a trail rider.  Since I am the only one in my group of riders that can do it, I am able to help everyone when they drop something--I can pick it up.  It happens fairly often.  

It seems that I have been struggling to mount lately, and I was thinking that maybe it was time to give up.  I have been using my hand on Cole's withers way too much to pull myself up.  What happened to my spring?  Has age caught up with me?  What to do?

I started to experiment.  At first, I thought if I increased my hops before hopping up, I would strengthen my ankle and be able to mount lighter.  That didn't seem to help that much.  After 4 or 5 hops, my ankle would be too tired to give me a good hop.  

Then, one day by accident, I sunk down too low on my last hop--and flew up into the air and landed lightly in the saddle.  Now what did I just do?

The next day, I bent my knee before I hopped, and it happened again.  That is when I realized my mistake all along was thinking I could hop up from my ankle.  Duh...I needed to use my whole leg.  My ankles might not be that strong, but with all this riding, my legs sure are.  It seemed like a miracle.   Maybe my body forgot about it when I was only using a mounting block during my wrist recuperation--or maybe I used to have much springier ankles in the past.  I am not sure.

I told Ellen about it.  She needs to use a mounting block, or I will hole her stirrup on the other side when she mounts from the ground.  She is a much better mounter than she thinks because I barely feel a tug on the stirrup when she mounts.  Well, she tried it that day when she mounted after leading Dante across the ford--and she said it was much easier.  She also used it when she used the mounting block, and she said it helped her then, too.

I told Kevin all about it.  He never noticed my mounting was getting bad.  He never noticed my extra hopping.  He was clueless.  Then next time we rode together, he came over to watch--and I completely flubbed up and caused the saddle to slip!  I must have over thought it.  

Since then, I have continued to improve.  So if you are mounting from the ground or a mounting block, bend your knee a bit and use that to help push off.  It is a lovely feeling to fly up into the saddle like I did back when I was a teenager...

Continuing with Baby Driver

 Continuing with Baby Driver

Why didn't anyone tell me that ground driving was so fun?  Now that we got through the initial introduction to it, he seldom has any big misbehaviors.  In fact, he had one really bad day where he tried everything in his bad horse arsenal, and I just patiently worked through it and ended on a good note.  Well, that was it.  He has been super ever since.  (This is something that has happened in other parts of his training, too.  He has a really bad day right before he gets really good.)

I really enjoy ground driving, and Trifecta seems to, also.  When we are walking, he gives me such a lovely, free flowing, forward walk.  He is usually very attentive to me, too.  His mind seldom wanders away like it used to when we were lounging.  We sometimes have troubles in the indoor arena with him wanting to visit the horses in the stalls along the perimeter of it.  He usually does better in the outdoor arena. The only real trouble I have out there is that he can be distracted by the horses in the turnout areas--but the distraction usually doesn't last that long.

We walk all sorts of figures.  I have to coordinate myself to switch sides when we switch directions--he pays very close attention to where my body is.  

Lately, we have added in some trotting.  That is more challenging, of course, but mostly for me.  I have to be quicker on my feet to stay in the correct position.  He doesn't have a really fast trot when we are working, and that is an advantage for me.  Just the same, when we trot, we do very few straight lines.  Instead, we do circles, half circles, serpentines and figure eights.  We also do walk, whoa, walk trot transitions.  It is just so fun.  I feel like I am riding because these are all things I would be doing if I was riding him.

I am driving him with a surcingle and a side pull hackamore, and it is working very well.  Eventually, I will switch to a bit, but there is no hurry.  Riding is still a long way in the future, so the saddle and bridle can wait for a while.  

He is just learning so much from this.  He is getting used to having a girth around his belly--and standing still while I put it on.  (Clicker training is very useful for that.)  He is learning how reins work, extending out his attention span, working with distractions, standing still when we attach the reins, standing still when he gets tangled in the reins, standing still when we untangle him from the reins and having me work with him from behind which is very similar to working with me above him. 

This has been so worthwhile!

I am teaching Cole to ground drive next winter...

Tri-zilla

Tri-zilla

I took Trifecta out to the outdoor arena for a driving session. Ellen thought she would give me some extra challenges by setting up some poles and cones.  I led him around a bit, and we practiced a little on the poles.  When he first saw them, he got really excited and jumped up in the air.  I brought him over, and he immediately trotted over them.  He remembered all our pole sessions from earlier in the year.

I affixed the long reins and drove him around the perimeter for a bit.  He did very well.  When we got to the poles, he willingly walked across them, but when he got to the last one, he reached down to look at it--and then tried to pick it up.  The next time, he was satisfied with just pushing it around with his nose.  

We then tried the cones.  I wanted to weave in and out of them.  When he got to the first cone, he wanted to sniff it.  I let him, but then he picked it up and flopped it down on the ground.  Sigh.  Ellen fixed it, and we tried again.  We were able to do some weaving, but he kept grabbing at the cones--trying--and often succeeding in knocking them down.

As I glanced at the carnage, that is when Ellen called him Tri-zilla.

The rest of the session was even more challenging.  He kept trying to back up.  Sometimes, he stopped and refused to go forward, and for a while we were stuck at the gate.  That is when I realized I had been going at least a half hour, and I probably pushed him beyond his limit. I insisted that he drive nicely for a few minutes before quitting, and then we did.

The interesting thing is that the same thing happened to us when we were training in the indoor arena.  He had a few really good sessions--and then he had a troublesome session.  The following session there was perfect, and he has been consistently good ever since.  Maybe this is his learning pattern.  I will know the next time I try to drive him in the outdoor arena.

Our next goal, now that the weather has gotten so warm, is to start working on the street and the hill.

 My camera lens was smudged--and I ended up with some strange and kinda cool results.

Baby Driver

Baby Driver

Ellen, Kevin and I just watched the movie "Baby Driver."  Kevin and I had already seen it, but we thought Ellen would like it, too.  She did.

Anyway, I have my own "Baby Driver."  I have been ground driving Trifecta a couple times a week in the indoor arena, and he keeps getting better. Kevin and Ellen have also driven him.  I decided it was time to take him out to the large outdoor arena.

The outdoor arena at the stables where we keep our horses is very large, and there is lots of space for a baby to get in trouble.  There are 2 turnout areas close by, too, and on this day there were horses out in both.  I knew that could add distractions, but I have been trying to work him with distractions to teach him to pay attention to me.

I started out by lounging him a little inside, and he seemed like he was in a good mood for learning, so we took him out. He did tell me that he wanted to be turned out to play with the other horses, but I was able to lead him by without any big tantrums.  It is so nice that he is improving with that.

Once we got into the big arena, Ellen closed the gate and we hooked him up.  At first, I let him follow Ellen around to help him out, but soon Ellen stepped away and we were on our own.  He did really well.  In fact, the only difficulty I had was keeping him from going to see Ellen.  Trifecta really likes his people...

I didn't drive him long because I just wanted to leave the whole experience positive, so we unhooked him and turned him out to play for a while.  

I was just thrilled about how well he did.

I didn't drive him for a few more days.  We were in the indoor arena because it was a rainy day.  I was asking for figure eights and serpentines--and he was doing really well.  After about 15 minutes, Ellen and I both had the same idea at the same time--I should just drive him out the door.  So I did.

We have a very small loop that I drove him around and then we went over to the big arena again.  He was wonderful.  At no time did he get worried, rebellious, confused or unwilling.  He really seemed to be enjoying himself, too.

I love my "Baby Driver."