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.

Horse Expo Clinics

On February 5, 2016 I went to horse expo and saw two clinics and saw one clinic at horse expo on February 7,2016. Two of the clinics I went to were instructed by Clinton Anderson who is a trainer I have wanted to meet for close to six years and finally got to meet him! The other clinic I attended was instructed by Pat Parelli who unfortunately I didn't get to meet afterward. I have been using both articles and videos from these trainers for research checks and learned more when seeing them in person than through the articles and videos.

Pat Parelli- "How smart is your horse? Read your horse and encourage his inner genius." 2/5/16
(I only got see the last 20 minutes of this clinic)

• push a horse weight is corrected
• focus is willpower(what you want not what the horse wants)
• push around the horse not pull them around it is easier to get your way
• lower energy=slowing/stopping/stop ridding
• sticks help lengthen our body
• become the lead horse
• use your seat more when riding
• give the horse a chance to do the right thing
• goal is to think like a horse to know how they will react/do in a situation

Clinton Anderson-"Trailer loading T&T" 2/5/16

• getting a horse in a trailer requires experience & feel
• horse wants big open space to see everything(prey animal instinct)
• views trailer as death trap on wheels and makes them feel threatened
• make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult
• approach & retreat
• make them think it is their idea
• start easy and soft then get more firm as horse resists
• ask then tell
• problem is usually a result of fear or disrespect
• can be both but very unlikely
• start with working on the fence then move to trailer
• horse will practice what they know(if disrespectful they will not show respect easily)
• leave trailer when they are calm and respectful/minding personal space/thinking
• find starting point then build off of it
• starts off ugly then becomes pretty stuff
• get them on the ramp then back them off and keep repeating but get them to get farther on every time(builds confidence to get on the ramp)
• when backing off get 10-15 feet away to get a release of pressure
• rest in trailer and make them move and run around outside of trailer
• makes them tired and want to rest so they become willing to get into the trailer
• when lunging(running on a line) switch directions to get them on the thinking side of the brain not reactive side
• greatest reward a horse can get is to be left alone
• approach & retreat = getting in trailer
• moving feet = staying in trailer
• do multiple days before closing the ramp/door and riding in trailer
• break it into steps
• most trouble on basic manners not trailer

 Clinton Anderson-"Spooky Horse" 2/7/16

• need to do both desensitize and sensitize
• desensitize = stay
• sensitize = move
• for calm horse needs many things
• take pressure away when spooking teaches they to spook when that pressure is applied
• take away pressure when the horse shows sign of relaxing or stands for 15 seconds
• danger for horse = anything they don't know
• new side = new horse so treat that side different than other side
• do one part til finished then move to next part
• horses learn from release of pressure
• horse holds breath when scared = tight lips
• something new for first time go a little longer

Pat Parelli instructing his clinic.

I finally got to meet Clinton Anderson!

Blog 20: Interview 4 Preparation

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?

• I plan to interview Bridget Powell who is a TIP trainer for Mustang Heritage Foundation.

2.  Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. Your focus should be finding answers to your EQ.

• How do you train a mustang out of dangerous habits such as rearing, pawing, bolting, etc?
• How do you get a mustang to respect you?
• Respect the farrier/vet?
• How do you get a mustang to trust you?
• What type of training techniques do you use?
• How do you get a mustang to not react to everything around them?
• What type of equipment do you like to use?
• What things do you do on the ground to help prepare a mustang to be ridden?
• How do you get a mustang to accept being touched everywhere?
• How do you keep a mustang's attention on you after spooking?
• How do you calm them down?
• How long do you make training sessions and how often?
• How do you end a session on a good note when the mustang is not progressing forward in training?
• Are there any things in particular you like to train a mustang to do besides the basics like leading, riding, tying, etc?
• How do you teach a mustang to accept things in their mouths such as a bit or dewormer tube?
• Does the ranking of a mustang within a herd have any connections to training?
• Is there an order to what you train a mustang to do?
• Is there a difference between training mustangs and the domesticated horse?
• Do mustangs tend to react to training methods the same way?
• Have you had any mustangs that you have not been able to train?

Blog 19:Third Answer

1. EQ 

• What are the best techniques to train a wild horse?

2. Answer #3 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)*

• One technique to train a wild horse is desensitization.

3. 3 details to support the answer

• Helps horses get used to new objects that they will see in their career.
• Boosts confidence.
• Teaches horses what to do when introduced to something new. 

4. The research source(s) to support your details and answer

• Source numbers 15,16,17,36,42, and 46
• Clinics
• Interview numbers 1 and 3
• Mentorship

6. Concluding Sentence

• Desensitization helps horses get to know that what ever you bring in to work with them on is nothing to be scared of, raises their fear bar(makes them confident), and teaches them how to react when meeting a new spooky object.