Blog 24: Last Presentation Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

• The fact that I was able to train a wild mustang when I doubted myself before and during the project. This actually help build confidence in myself when facing new challenges as well as working with horses.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation?  Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

• I would give myself a P because I felt like I only did what was asked and nothing extra.

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project? Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

• I would give myself either a P or AE because I enjoyed my project so much that I did extra interviews and went to clinics, as well as went to Monty Roberts training facility, and met two trainers known in other parts of the world as well as the United States.(Pat Parelli and Clinton Anderson) 

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

• The support of my family and friends without them I know I would not have had the best outcome for the project. They were always helping in one way or another.

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project?

• Find a way to incorporate more mentorship hours as I can't over work my horse so maybe spending a little more time watching my mentor working with their horses/client horses.

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

• This project helped me find that I want to do more work with mustangs as well as try to take a stand against the round ups. This project also helped pull me out of my shell and get to talk to people I normally wouldn't and get to make more connections in the equine industry. 

Flag Is Up Farms

I got to go to the Monty Roberts training facility a few weeks ago. While we were there I got to meet Shy Boy and his cousin Skinny as well as people in the process of getting their certification under Monty's training program. We also got to see race horses being worked. I would like to go again and hopefully get to meet him some point in my life.

Entrance to farm

Skinny

Shy Boy

Trainer working on getting certification

Horse graveyard

Yearlings playing in pasture

Driveway of ranch

Horse enjoying the grass

The only way my mom could get a picture of me is with a horse

Extra Interview with Hailey Christansen

One of the girls at our barn went to a clinic taught by Buck Brannaman who I hope to meet some day or attend one of his clinics. So I did an interview about what she learned at the clinic.

1. What type of things did you learn?
1. We worked on feel so when you open your hands low and wide and the horse tips their head so there is slack in the reins you release you give to them. We worked on connecting all 4 feet with ours. So learning when it picked up we could move it. We worked on serpentines tight and wide and learning to turn when the inside leg was up so it could move. We worked on reaching so if you are going in a circle you wait for the foot to step out so it is movable and can do better circles. We worked on backing up soft. We worked on groundwork, on yeilding front quarters and back quarters. So having them cross their legs over the other.
2. What were the purposes of the exercises you did?
1. The purpose was to become one with the horse and connect with them. You are a team, you are not manhandling them you are speaking there language. The first exercise is asking for something and as soon as you give it to me I will give it back to you. Knowing instead of having 2 feet you have 4 and that when each one picks up you can move it smoothly. So you are not trying to counteract and whipping, kicking, and spurring them you are using your energy. So when you want to stop he taught us to sit on our seat bone and to relax and the horse will stop.And when you want to go you sit up.
3. Did you notice a difference in your horses behavior?
1. My horse was the one whinnying and running and going crazy, and looking at everything. And freaking out and at the end of the clinic she was more calm and collected. Then I took her to a different clinic and one of the other gentleman that was running that clinic was like is this the same horse? And I said yes it is, simple things change their minds. She has anxiety, and her anxiety gave me anxiety. So doing the simple exercises and getting a hold of her mind and connecting, when she knows that I know where her feet are and when they are going to pick up, so I can move them she has respect for me and I respect her. We build that trust.
4. Have you notice any behavior changes out on trail or is it only in the arena?
1. Arena is really good. I can get her head and mind really quick. We are still working on precise. To make sure we are doing it right, and not being sloppy, you should start with doing the basics and then slowly work up. A lot of the time we get ahead of ourselves. On the trails, she is doing so much better. She will start to get anxious and I will go straight into the serpentines. I will stay calm and do the soft feel and sit and keep collect, I know where her feet are. If I am there and pulling on her mouth and squeezing the reins she will feel that energy and she is going to go oh no oh no oh no I got to go I got to go. But if I relax and do the serpentines and keep only focusing on her. It is like Buck said, don't focus on anything only focus on your horse. The horse next to you can be bucking and kicking who cares it is your horse. So it has helped me realize that our heart mind and spirit are connected as one. That no matter where you are you will be able to understand each other. So if they get scared you will be like no its ok and vise versa. 
5. Have you been able to pick up what your horse is going to do before they do it easier?
1. Yes, because before it happens you are connected so kind of feel what they are thinking and they know what you are thinking. But you do not want to expect it and act like nothing is happening and then freaking out and scolding them when the behavior you use the energy and put it to use. So you use it as a tool and do something with it instead.

Link to audio:

https://soundcloud.com/kiley-moore/extra-interview

Blog 23: Exit Interview Prep

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

• My essential question is, "What are the best techniques to train a wild horse?" My answers are trust, patience, and respect, pressure and release/advance and retreat, and desensitization. All of these techniques help with a calm, loyal, and dependable horse in the end, but without trust, patience, and respect the other methods will not work.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

• Mentorship, interviews, and independent components.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

• Researching because every horse is different and responds differently as well as every trainer does things differently for every horse. So most of my solid research was done through clinics or interviews.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

• My mentor helped a ton because she has worked with 15 mustangs and some of which were third strikers so she has seen a bit of everything. My other source was my second independent component since the trainer has worked with horses since he was my age and was always willing to teach me something new when I worked with him and which was why I am continue working with him until the end of the year.

Blog 22: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) Include this statement: “I, Kiley Moore, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.

• John Lambert(horse trainer at W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center)

(c) Update your Independent Component 2 Log (which should be under your Senior Project Hours link)
(d) Explain what you completed.    

• I shadowed one of the trainers, John Lambert, at the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center. During training he would explain what he was doing and the purpose behind it.

(e) Defend your work and explain the component's significance and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.   

• Over the 30 hours that I worked with the trainer I was able to learn more about my answer 2 of pressure and release. Even though John has never worked with a wild horse he had become my second mentor in a way as the second independent component is also one of my most valuable resources in researching my project. 

(f)How did the component help you answer your EQ? Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped. 

• This component helped build on my answer two of pressure and release. This also helped me train my Mustang in areas that I was having issues with. The trainer was always willing to help in anyway they could and answered any questions I had. I also got to see the difference in training horses for the show ring versus training for basic trail riding.  I got to see the training preparing for riding and the training after their first ride. I never got to work with the babies but couldn't resist taking pictures of them.

Blog 21: Interview 4 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  

• That everything training is and revolves around the horse accepting what you are training them to do.

2.  How will what I learned affect my final lesson?

• That no matter what technique of training you use works because the horse has learned to accept what you are doing to them and they are not fighting you on it.

https://soundcloud.com/kiley-moore/interview-4

Colt Starting Challenge USA

Colt Starting Challenge USA is a competition where trainers will have two 45 minute sessions to work with a horse the first day and one 45 minute session to train a horse to wear a saddle and to carry a rider. After their training the trainers will ride their horses through a obstacle course. On February 26-27, 2016 the challenge was going to be at the George Ingalls Equestrian Center in Norco. I went on February 26 but could not make it the last day of the challenge. Three of the four trainers where able to ride their horses by the end of the first day and two of the four trainers were able to ride their horses by the end of the first session. The trainers that were competing were  Brian Sherburn, Jose Rodriguez, Mary Rose Anderson, and Russel Beatty.

Some of the things I learned:

• when the horse moves away move with them do not try to get them to stop
• get their feet to move you get into their mind
• don't move forward until they get past what spooks them
• harder to buck off their rider when going in small circles
• release of pressure when they relax shows/teaches them what you want
• straight line is a privilege
• curiosity helps in training(they get to see for themselves something is not a big deal)
• when having issues go back to ground work
• want them to come to you but not run you over
• rushing the horse will cause problems
• don't get confident(don't assume anything they will prove you wrong)
• need to stay relaxed and act as if everything is normal
• stick with it they will eventually stop 
• know when it's enough and to stop

Jose Rodriguez took 2nd in the competition.

Brian Sherburn took 3rd in the competition.

Mary Rose Anderson took 1st in the competition.

Russel Beatty took 4th in the competition.