One Month

Tomorrow marks one month of having Cobre'. He is such a fun horse to have and I can't believe how far he has come in this short of time.

I try to go to the barn every day to work with him, but some times the weather just has other plans, like the past two days. Last weekend up until late Tuesday it was simply gorgeous out and felt like spring. Come Wednesday, it was raining like we might have to build an Ark, I'm not even kidding. Thursday, it was warm and pouring and driving into work was fun because a lot of the roads were a bit flooded. By noon, it was in the low 30's and snowing huge flakes which lasted until last night. So I didn't go to the barn either day. Thankfully the barn manager is amazing and I know my horse is going to be cared for no matter what type of weather it is outside. Also having full care is nice too. I love this barn, I truly do! :)

Today when I did get to the barn, he seemed so happy to see me. I cleaned his run and while I did that, he was pushing on his gate trying to get it unlocked. When I finally got his halter out, he spun around and came up to me and pretty much put it on himself. He wanted out so bad.

Bridling him has been a chore, he doesn't like taking a bit. Usually it's the first thing I do is put the bridle on him as soon as we get into the arena. Usually it takes about 5 minutes for him to take it and it's usually after my arm is about half dead. Today he took the bit the first time without even a struggle. Nothing, he just grabbed it and was happy. I was amazed! Brushed him off and tacked him up and took for him a short walk on foot down the road.

We came back and I hopped on. He was great and we went all over the property without any issues. I guess the back 40 really flooded so the barn manager was out there with a tractor, a generator, and was sucking water up and moving it... or so it looked like. Cobre' didn't care one bit and we rode by it a few times. We also got to play in A LOT of puddles. I must have a horse that is well okay with water, and puddles. He didn't care one bit and we walked and largoed through them. He seemed to love the water and mud splashing all over the both of us. Fine by me!

 

We called it break time and back to the arena we went to just hang out. Unbridled him and sat there and ate my lunch. He didn't even care that I plucked his mane either for his DNA test that I have to send out tomorrow. I wasn't sure how he would do if I bridled him again but he did it again without any issues on the first time. YAHOOOOO! So we did that a bunch more and then we went back out on the property and rode around some more. He was doing so wonderful I felt safe and confident in both of us, that I asked him to walk out on the road down to the next barn over from ours. He was a bit hesitant at first but he trusted me enough to calmly walk on and walk back without any issue. I felt like we mad so much progress today. Maybe he just needed to have two days off to get bored enough to do fun things. Either way I am very very proud of him.

No longer scared of the horse eating rabbit

Puddles!

The river is very high.

A horse with PTSD

Cobre' definitely has PTSD when it comes to certain things. The round pen is #1, #2 is the arena (indoor and outdoor). So I've stepped back again and cut those two things out completely. Thankfully it's nice weather now and spring is just around the corner and riding around the property has been a blast for both of us. All last week I worked with him under saddle for about 15-20 minutes tops. I'd tack up and hop on and we would walk just outside in front of the arena, or walk down the drive way and come back. Every day I tried a little something new with him, from going in between the silos, to around the horse runs and pens, and along the out door arena. Just little things, just a calm and relaxed walk on his back. We'd call it a night and like always, end on a good note.

He has gained a lot more confidence in himself and hasn't had a freak out or melt down since taking arena work out. It is nice to see how he is improving and how other people at the barn are seeing his results as well. Just when I can't think I can be anymore proud of him, he does something even more outstanding and I'm just struck with awe and amazement.

Today I tacked up and hopped on and off we went around the property. We even took a walk down the road and back.

 He even calmly walked behind the house where it backs up to the interstate with vehicles zooming by at crazy speeds. At first he wasn't sure that was the best idea, but after a moment of rubbing his neck and tapping him and telling him to walk on, we did it. The highway didn't consume him or I. Thankfully there is a mote and area coverage from where the highway is and the barn grounds, so it's not like we're actually right on it. If that were the case, that would be a huge nope! I got him to largo a bit and man is that fun with him. We called it a day soon afterwards.

 

After out ride, I decided to give him a bath. I was expecting him not to be okay with it, but he acted like he couldn't have cared less.

His post picture bath face I call "I didn't sign up for THIS!"

He looks a lot less like a Yak now. 

I totally adore this boy!

Two Week Mark

Tomorrow will be the two week mark that I have had Cobre'.

First Day

Yesterday

If you would have told me that I would be riding him by himself, I would have laughed at you. In fact the second day I was at the new barn with him, L gave me a paper with all the ride dates on it. I crumpled it up and thought "Not this year! Not with how messed up this guy's head is... maybe next year, yeah next year." That night I grabbed it from my purse, uncumpled it and stuck it to my refrigerator and said "Maybe we'll get one in this year". I'm sticking to that plan. It doesn't have to happen now, or next month, or even until next October but that is my plan.

In the last two weeks he has come SO FAR with himself! I can't even tell you how proud I am of him. This week we've done a good amount of arena riding. Yesterday we started out by our selves but that didn't last long. He went into a spinning, backing panic, and popped up a few times. I laughed and said he was going to put a reining horse to shame with his antics. L yelled to me if I wanted her to come help me get off. I yelled back "NOPE! I'm not getting off! If you grab the lead rope that would be perfect! I'll be fine with whatever he does". So she grabbed the lead rope and we ponied him all over the place again at different speeds. After a while, we were off on our own with L and other horses near by in the arena. By the end of our hour ride by ourselves, he was doing everything I asked him today without any fear or confusion with his insecurities.

Today there was no ponying him, no lead rope, nothing. He did challenge me for about two minutes but after he threw his little spinning, backing, "scare tactic" to get a rider to get off, he gave up. I did have to tell him to GET UP! and WALK! We did everything again at all speeds in all directions the arena with him and his walk, corto, and largo. After an hour of riding him, we called it quits on a good note again. Always end on a good note. :)

I sure do love this little guy! I know he's going to be amazing with trail riding. In the last two weeks he is completely a different horse. I hope to one day do endurance rides with him.

A step back and two steps forward

Tonight was awesome! I am so proud of Cobre!

I tacked him up, took him into the arena, and climbed on. He stood stock still. I asked for him to move forward and his little brain just went "AHHHHH!" and he went into trying to Fino his little heart out. A few spins and some backing up, it was time to call a time out! A change needed to be made and a few steps back with how he thinks and has been "trained".

Most of these Paso Fino's are started way too young, are trained until their brains are fried, and when they "don't get it perfect", they get "taught a lesson" and nothing comes good from that, ever.

Cobre' doesn't Classic Fino (even though he comes from amazing lines). A Classic Fino bred to a Classic Fino doesn't mean your foal is going to have the natural Classic Fino gait. Cobre doesn't have a natural Classic Fino gait. Someone tried and tried to teach him how to be... what I like to call a "dancing, money making, show pony". When he failed at that... he lost all value.

So now the fun comes of trying to figure out what he has been "taught", and unteach it to him, while reteaching him with much more relaxed, undemanding, non abusive and understanding methods. He needs to know he can just be a horse and relax, we aren't going to hurt him.

This evening after his Fino melt down, I got off of him and let him get his wits back together. Linda mentioned trying to pony him. Awesome idea! Only problem is... I don't have another horse to pony him with. So Connie let us use her Hal to pony him around for about 10 minutes to just let him relax and know he can move forward normally without any pressure on him.

 

Linda told me to climb back on if I wanted to, for a second I thought that probably wasn't the best idea. Ponying him around by himself was fine but another part of me said "try it!" you have the help here now, take it. So I climbed back into the saddle. He didn't move.

Hal walked on and so did Cobre' without a care in the world. Ears were alert, not stressed or pinned, he was walking like a normal horse, no dancing, nothing. Calm and relaxed walking. I was on Cloud 9! Becky was nice enough to video it so I could send it to Jenn.

We did a few laps around the arena and called it a night. So proud of him and am so thankful for all the tips, ideas, and help these ladies are giving to me as well for him.


*EDIT*
I forgot to say what the Classic Fino gait is:

Windy Play Day

Our barn had a jumping clinic today.

It was fun to watch other people ride and just spend time with my guy.

Connie and Hal

Also how many times do you hear someone tell you, that you protect the dog from the cat? 

Today I had to do so. 

Poor Deja didn't know what I saved her from. 

Bruiser the cat, hates dogs and is one of the reasons why the barn has a "no dog policy". 

Today was an exception.

Becky was like "Hey! I know that dog!"

Small world.

When Linda and Becky arrived they thought maybe they could ride outside... but it was just way too windy out, worse than yesterday! We then just decided to let all our Pasos out in the outdoor arenas to let them run and play.  Cobre' had Donny, and Monte in with him. On the other side of the fence, there was Cree (the stallion who has never been turned out with other horses before~HE DID FANTASTIC!) and Cole who told Cree he was boss.

 Cree is so beautiful and smart and wasn't looking to be boss. He just wanted to play and run with the other horses. Everyone played, rolled, ran, rolled, ran, stretched and had a good time I would say for about an hour.

Cobre' really liked Cree

I wish I had my good camera with me. I have to start bringing it with me because my camera phone just doesn't cut it at all. Also I hope this wind stops soon. It is horrible!

A walk to the Jordan River

I've been playing with the idea of taking Cobre' down to the river trail and today seemed like a great day to take the boy for a walk. It's in the 60's out, minus the 20mph winds we have. I figured he'd be a bit jumpy/spooky... nope, nothing. He just walked behind me taking it all in. It's much easier to control a horse from the ground than it is to do on their back. I tacked him up and off on our walk we went.

We walked on the sidewalks alongside the soccer fields (they used to be horse trails, stupid City owns them now) until we hit the paved trail.

It was a boring walk.

We got to where the bridge crosses the river and a guy on a bicycle came flying over it, which startled Cobre'. He jumped behind me and snorted.

Goofball!

So after that he wasn't sure of the bridge because "weird moving things come from it!", so we walked over to it. My plan was to just hangout by it and let him eat some grass. Little did I know that there was a crackhead passed out on the bridge.

At first I thought "Oh God... dead body!" but he moved. Cobre' wanted no parts of that guy laying there, nor did I... so we turned around and started back to the barn.

All was well until about 10 minutes away from the barn, walking near the road (on sidewalk by soccer field fence)
a loud ass motorcycle came blowing past us. Didn't even try to slow down, Cobre jumped sideways and put it in reverse and took me about 12 feet back with him. I got his brain back and we continued on back to the barn. I was so mad because the road it a dead end and there are horse signs up and down it.  A few minutes later, the same asshole comes flying towards us again! This time I was well off and away from the road and had both the reins and lead in my hands. The asshole blew past us again, Cobre' tried to bolt, but he could only run in a tight circle around me. After I got his brain back again, he was a nervous wreck and was covered in sweat. It pissed me off so bad, I wish I could have a spike strip with me for when people do that sort of stuff. It's also most like they enjoy watching you or your horse get hurt.

We made it back to the barn, where he calmed down and was praised for being such a good boy.

 

 

He got some cookies too.

I untacked him, and let him roll in the arena and we just hung out.

He dried off and we called it a day.

He tries so hard to be brave and I love this boy to pieces! He is wonderful!


Bonus pictures of a few of the barn cats, who I just love as well!

 

Oh and we can't forgot the silly barn rabbit either! :)

Cobre' has been doing wonderful!  He is so willing and he tries to hard to understand and please. Someone really did him wrong at some point in his life though.

The other day I put a bridle on him, he had no reaction.

Yesterday I put a saddle on him, he didn't care.

Today I let him run around the arena with two other pasos, and a fox trotter. At first I wasn't sure if I'd be able to catch him again... but I had to do it just to see how hard it would be to catch him. After everyone got their horse, he came right up to me like "Okay, here I am, let's exit". I was so proud of him! I refuse to use treats or food in order to catch a horse. That drives me nuts when a horse will only allow it's self to be caught if it gets food.