STOCKYARD
HORSE DISCUSSION FORUMS

Western Ranch · 15-05-2007, 11:00 AM

There was a noticeable big change in Hamid today, a real breakthrough. This was the first day he acted like a 'normal' young horse. Erwin was able to ride him; put leg pressure on, take more control with the reins. Hamid is exploring boundaries, like most green horses do. He is leaning into the pressure instead of running from it. He is now listening to the aids and dealing with them instead of being afraid of every move from the rider. Now we can really work with him. He responds well to the stop, makes his transitions with more ease, steers better in the trot. He even did his first step back. This was a good day.

Western Ranch · 16-05-2007, 11:03 AM

Today we had a visitor watching and it was very windy. Hamid responded by being a bit jumpy. He didn't want to take the bridle like before. So that was a little set back. After a great ride yesterday your expectations are up. And then it's always a disappointment taking a step back. But Hamid surprised us again. As soon as Erwin was in the saddle he was relaxed. He is actually getting very responsive to the aids. He showed us that he has lots of movement, elevation and 'swung'. He also showed us he remembered the back up lesson. After about 20 minutes Erwin dismounted without me holding Hamid for the first time. He also got on again from the ground by himself. Hamid stood perfectly still. When we first mount a young horse we use a mounting block. This way he can see you above him before sitting on his back, you can safely apply pressure in the stirrup and it is easier to get on. For the horse it is a lot more comfortable and better to keep his balance. If he's used to this we mount from the ground. Another step taken by Hamid.

Western Ranch · 17-05-2007, 03:13 PM

It feels like Hamid is another horse. He was so shy in the beginning but now he is just the most lovely horse. The training of a 'wild' horse takes a lot longer then a handled horse but when these horses give themselfs it is compleet. We have the confidence that his new owner will enjoy this very intelligent young man. Hamid is not a horse for a beginner, but he will make a lovely mount for an experienced, confident and gentle person. We hope he finds a loving home after we are ready with his training.

Western Ranch · 18-05-2007, 10:25 AM

Hamid is promoted! We started in the round yard and Hamid behaved very well. So it was time for him to explore the arena. He had been there before to check it out, just walking on a lead rope without a rider. Erwin got on him by himself and Hamid was eager to go. Erwin stopped him and first let him stand for a while. In the meantime I put some cones in the arena. After a few sessions in the round yard it gets to small to practice steering. It's harder to get enough impulsion to go through the bends and corners with forward motion. So we like to go to the next level of steering in the arena. Because of the bigger area (25 by 45 metre) the horse will be more forward by itself. We only start riding in the arena when a horse has a certain level of steering and stopping on him so it is safe to ride. Hamid is now ready for the next step.

Western Ranch · 19-05-2007, 11:23 AM

I'm not needed anymore. Erwin can get on Hamid and ride without me being there. Until we find it is fairly safe to ride a horse we are always there with 2 people. Just in case. Today was the second day in the arena. Erwin did a lot of trotting and steering with Hamid. This is the part our two dogs love. They run along the outside of the arena to try and catch up. Hamid wasn't fussed at all about them being there. What a difference to when we first got him! After the ride I loaded Hamid in the float. A lot of horses, like Hamid, don't like pressure from behind. They just lean into it. So I applied pressure on the halter and asked him to come forward. When he takes a step let go of the pressure. Let him stand for a bit and praise him. Then apply pressure again for the next step. Hamid backed up a couple of times, we just ask again. With Hamid it is just a matter of patience. He wants to get on but he is just not sure of himself yet. After about 15 min. he felt confident and walked all the way up. When in the float he got his reward; hay. Maybe the float isn't so scary after all!

Western Ranch · 21-05-2007, 11:55 AM

Since he was born, Hamid has lived with a herd of horses. At our place he is by himself. This was good in the beginning of his training because he couldn't hide behind other horses. He had to deal with us all by himself. But lately we see that he feels pretty lonely. We decided to put him in with our herd. Winchester the leader of geldings gave Hamid 2 nice big bite marks on his shoulder. Regardless Hamid looks a lot happier and is enjoying his day off in his new herd.

Western Ranch · 21-05-2007, 11:59 AM

Today we just repeated what we did the last couple of days; steering, transitions, bending, back up etc. We do this to build a good foundation before we introduce new steps. After a day of rest it is also good to check what Hamid still remembers and if there is something he forgot. In general horses are very smart, you can leave them and pick up where you stopped. When training young horse we prefer to work with them for about 6 consecutive weeks. After that they can have a spell. When you pick up work after a couple of months it only takes about 2 days and they are right at the point where you left off.

Western Ranch · 22-05-2007, 02:30 PM

When I wanted to bridle Hamid today he turned around and walked out of the stables. He stood there and waited for me to take him back. He was slowly getting better with putting the bridle on. That's why we gave him some more freedom (no halter, no tying) to see if he could handle that. Apparently he's not ready yet so we will be focusing on it again starting from tomorrow. In the arena he did a nice job. Walking, trotting, backing up and steering went well. We also did his first turns on the front and hind quarters. It seems that he won't have a problem with these things as he's listening very well to all the cues. I think he's up for a canter tomorrow.

Western Ranch · 23-05-2007, 01:49 PM

I set two goals for today; work on accepting the bridle and a canter. We started with the bridle. I decided to use a halter with the buckles done up for training him. He's perfect with the halter now and it's so easy to get him out of the paddock. So with both the buckles done up (on the last hole) I first put it on his nose and held the neck strap also on his nose. Then I went up in a few steps going forward and back from his nose, between his eyes and ears, to over his ears. After a while he accepted the halter, so I took the bridle and tried that. He took it without hassle so we went to saddling and riding. We'll continue this routing before we bridle him the next days. In the arena he was doing all well so we went to our second goal, the canter. I have to say it feels just amazing when you ask a horse like this for his first canter and he just cruises along in a canter without a worry on his mind. Well done Hamid!

Western Ranch · 24-05-2007, 09:49 AM

Hamid is a Quarab. In Australia Quarabs are registered with the Arabian Horse Society. They state: A Quarab Horse is one derived exclusively from horses of Arabian and Quarter Horse breeding or Arabian, Quarter Horse and Paint breeding where the proportion of Arabian blood shall be not less than 12.5% . The mature height shall be a minimum of 14hh. In America they have a United Quarab Registry which was developed in 1989 to promote the Quarter Horse-Arabian crossbred horse. The Quarab's body type may resemble more the stock-horse type with muscular forearm and gaskin and well-rounded hip, or the Arabian type with long, well-arched neck, long barrel, and level croup. The head usually shows refinement, large eyes, wide forehead, and slight to extreme dish in the face, depending on the ratio of Arabian to Quarter Horse blood. The Quarab is suited to many events: roping, reining, dressage, trail riding, driving, endurance, etc.

STOCKYARD HORSE DISCUSSION FORUMS

STOCKYARD
HORSE DISCUSSION FORUMS