How much more amazing can this horse be?

Today I went out to see Faran and work with him some. It was amazing yet again. As you know I have been working with educating him to the round pen and the idea of lunging, and he did pick it up relatively instantly.

He has had about a week to rest up and recover from the hard work out I did just about a week ago, and he was moving much nicer. I'm still waiting for the farrier (this is getting frustrating.) Even though the farrier care is supposed to be included in the cost of board, he isn't coming. I went out there and his front right hoof is chipping up. I am just about to get my own out.

He however wasn't stumbling, and was moving out with some energy and not dragging his back legs and any point I saw.

When I went to catch him, he tried to avoid it for about 5 minutes or so, but I put my hand up at chest level and said halt, and he stood perfectly still for me. So amazingly well behaved.

I let him graze on the grass in the yard about an hour while I slowly desensitized him to the cavesson, the surcingle, the whip, and the noises the equipment makes when moving around. It didn't really seem to bother him a bit.

Today I went out set in mind to try to lunge him in the large arena pen and then if he was moving good and seeming comfortable to then try and drive him.

Let me tell you he did fantastically. Moving to the left he was more comfortable staying on the rail, and he did listen really well, and I even allowed him open up into an rolling lope since the pen was larger.

Moving to the right he was not as secure. He kept wanting to turn around, and he did cut the arena in half, but he did move, he did listen, and he did try.

Therefore I went ahead and decided to do an introductory session on driving, but I was going to keep it fairly short. He needs more work to the right to get comfortable with staying on the rail, so I will start tomorrow in the smaller pen, just at a walk to remind him at liberly, then on the line, then move him into the arena.

Anyway, back to today and what happened.

We warmed up slightly and walked around on the lead. Then I backed off and lunged him and got him up to a trot on the left, then even up to a lope. Then I hooked him up to drive, and even had him at an easy going trot.

He was thinking hard about the lines dropping around his hips and legs, and it was a little confusing when I wanted him to stop, and then tried to move up to the front to unhook him, but all in all he did fabulous!

I rewarded him with a bit of grazing then turned him out without over doing the work out. He needs some confidence building, and so this was the best reward I could possibly give him this time.

I did get a video, but I am having problems with my hosting at the moment. I will post them as soon as possible. Sorry for the delays. I promise they are coming. (And I remember the other ones below are missing too.)

Until later -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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"Workout" on 8/3

100 SPF Broad Spectrum Sunscreen... check... Refill cup... check... 69 cents for refill... check... HD video camera... check... tripod... check... stethoscope... check... timer... check... notebook... check...

Yep, another day of working with *drum roll please* Stonehaven Stables Faran's Phoenix.

His name has been chosen. We think it is perfectly suited for him. Symbolically suits the situation for both he and I, and he is named after one of my favorite equine characters in literature to date - Faran, from the David Eddings books.

Fits him really well in name from his predecessor too - as he is extremely intelligent.

Now that the drama and pomp and circumstance are over and done with, on about what has been going on with Faran of late.

On Sunday we had a really marvelous workout, but it seems that workout, paired with being kept in the round pen, and his lack of conditioning beforehand has caused him to become a little bit sore, which is making him not want to work in the roundpen at a walk/trot. He has done so without too much consternation (I got the bulk of his consternation on "film" this time, but really opened the check valve before it got out of hand).

His issues are not making him limp, or be lame, or anything like that. I'm just noticing a bit of awkwardness and laziness in his movements. He's occassionally dragging his back legs, and seems to trip himself up. I also think it is possible that because he is a large guy (length of body) that this round pen I have worked him in the last 3 days might be a bit small so he is getting "tight". He did still walk and trot for me - really much better yesterday than he did on Monday, which was better (in response to the voice commands quicker) than on Sunday.

He was supposed to be turned out to the pasture in front on Monday night, but that didn't happen for some unknown (to me) reason. So when I got there and asked how he did in the front pasture, the property manager said we would turn him out that night (last night on Tuesday) at dinner.

I took Faran into the round pen, which he wasn't keen on, but did it anyway, and walked him around a couple times in each direction letting him check out everything and where everyone was (regarding the horses loose in the pasture surrounding). I then unhaltered him, and began him at a walk for 10 minutes in one direction, with a short burst of trotting occassionally, and then back to walking. I had decided to change my plan when I saw how he was moving out sluggishly and was dragging his back legs, and they almost seemed weak under him. The only way I can explain what it looked like it felt like is if you were to run a marathon and how your muscles would be so spent you couldn't lift your legs to walk properly. He wasn't limping, favoring anything, or showing any outward signs of injury, just didn't seem in top form, so I did a workout of just warming up, then I walked him out to let him graze on some grass in the yard. He really enjoyed this, and I felt it was a fair reward for the effort he did put forth even though he really didn't want to do it. He honestly could have baulked, bucked, kicked, and fought me all the way, but he only thought about kicking once. He thought better of it with one quick stern "NO!" from me though - which I also was very proud of his reaction and his reaction time.

After he had grazed about an hour, I turned him out to the new pasture. He kind of looked sideways at me, but quickly ambled off to check out the new surroundings. He sniffed every manure pile in the pasture, and the current residents of the pasture looked on warily. When he found a place he liked, he quickly dropped and rolled several times, then hopped back up and walked right back to me, as if to say, "OK, that was fun, now what?" I looped the lead lightly around his neck and walked toward the water trough, and he found the mineral block and licked and chewed it a moment, then went and had a nice long drink. Then he wandered off to the far side of the pasture and walked the fenceline next to the road we walked on Wednesday 7/21 after he came. I watched him moving and he was covering much more ground on his own (which was when I began thinking the pen is just too small and so he gets tense. This is also combined with the way he was trotting when asked - it was almost a trot in place.

I stood there to make sure the other horses didn't come run him off/steal his feed while he ate his grain, and once that was done and I was leaving I saw him drink several times from the trough, eating his two flakes of hay, and grazing some as I drove away. Looks as if at that time the introduction was fairly uneventful - though they were watching intently.

I am going to give him a couple days rest in the pasture where he can roll, eat, graze, relax, rest, stretch, move at his own leisure to let any soreness come out of his muscles. I also will note, the farrier is scheduled, and some of that stumbling could be due to the fact his toes are entirely too long.

Then (probably not before Friday) I am going out with a surcingle, cavesson, long lines, driving lines, and going to begin working him and preparing him to understand rein commands.

I do not think this going to be difficult, as he does very well with voice commands, and does understand control with a halter, and even just a lead rope looped over his neck. I forsee this being another easy transition. Then we will continue with the conditioning and such to make sure that while he gains weight his muscles gain strength, and his endurance improves. Then when his spine isn't so exposed, and he is closer to a body score of 5 or 6, I will put a saddle on him and begin preparing him for weight on his back. I have hopes of this happening in the next 2 months, but only his further recovery will tell when honestly that will happen.

So, then next few days I am going to spend finding all the equipment that has been stored away and get everything ready to go.

Attached I have a short video of our "workout" session on Tuesday. It was 104+ outside, and miserably muggy, but he did what I asked. Instead of a work out, I kept it to just a warm up. 10 minutes in each direction mainly at a walk, with some short bursts of trotting just to elevate the blood flow through his body. I just wanted him to move because I was trying to loosen up what seems to be tight muscles.

Sorry - video has been delayed until I can get it edited to a point it will fit in the maximum 10 minutes allotted. I will link it up here A.S.A.P.

Enjoy!

Until our paths next cross -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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      ) ,"-... --./===--___
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