Sunni's lesson

I was up at the ranch on Tuesday for the horse lesson for Quad, Sunni, and Gigondas.  Sunni has made a LOT of progress since August.  He's much more relaxed and trusting.  It's good to see him trust another human! Maia is very calm and patient with all the horses and Sunni really responds to it.  I remember one time a farrier came out to trim their feet.  He did tried to trim Sunni's feet, got the front ones done, and started to work on the back ones, but Sunni kept moving off.  He got very confrontation with him and started barking commands.  Sunni's response was to rev up his anxiety level...you get the picture.  It was a nightmare.  Needless to say, after that, I switched farriers.  I LOVE Solomon, who speaks quietly to the horses and who has a very calm demeanor.  What a difference!  Anyway, Sunni now stands quietly at the tie rack, doesn't pull back, cocks his back leg, and just chills.  Phew!  I think, on his part, that some of his new-found behavior is just maturity.  Mikey, am I right? He responds very well to Maia, doesn't freak out, so she's going to restart him on his saddle training.  My cousin started him on his saddle training a year ago, but then she went up one day BY HERSELF, saddled him, started texting on her phone, and he crow hopped and she landed on the round pen railings.  Oops!  That was the end of his training with my cousin...back to square one.  Maia is taking it a lot SLOWER with him this time.  She's told me, "There's a difference between an agressive and a fearful horse.  I'd much work with an agressive horse.  At least then, you know what you're dealing with."  Unfortunately, Sunni is a fearful horse...therefore you never REALLY know what he's going to do.  We are hoping that all her desensitizing (and my work, too) is helping him get over his fears, but who knows?  So, my question to my horse friends is this?  Do fearful horses EVER get over their FEAR?????   Here he is during his Tuesday lesson and having a nice roll in the dirt.  See the difference between his "before" (muddy) pic and after his brushing?  I have a friend coming up with me this morning to help groom and walk ALL the horses.  Whoo, whoo!!!

Yesterday's lessons~Sunni

Two horses had their lesson yesterday~Sunni and Quad. Quad gets an hour because my trainer is getting him ready to ride. So, she put one of my western saddles on him and the stirrups went flip, flop, giddy-up on his sides! He was fine with that and she even put one leg in the stirrup and put her weight on it...but that was it. I'm glad she's taking her time with him...no sense to rush things and have him blow up, right? She comes out to the ranch every Tuesday and either works Sunni/Quad or the two mustangs and Quad. Quad gets worked every week. Gigondas wouldn't allow her to catch her and she asked me, "How much time do you want me to TRY to catch her?" Apparently she's still upset over the fly spray and now refuses to let me or anybody else catch her...sigh...any ideas/suggestions? I took my chair and just sat in her corral yesterday and got the "Here's my butt" in my face, so I moved it and she just moved away...sigh...back to square one with her. Quad and Sunni got sweet feed and she got none, so she can think about that (in her pea brain...)The farrier is coming soon and I'm going to HAVE to get a halter on her and regain her trust...any ideas/suggestions? On a happier note, Sunni did really well with his lesson yesterday. He tied, he accepted the fly spray, he lunged both sides very easily, he didn't flinch when the lead rope was thrown over his back...he accepted the saddle pad without drama...what a good boy! I'm going to work him today (it sprinkled up there yesterday and it has already RAINED here in the desert!!!)

Sunni's lesson

Sunni also had a lesson last Tuesday and Maia worked a lot with desensitizing him. He's fearful. He is not agressive, but his fearfulness is cause for concern. I've worked with him, throwing a rope over his back, but if somebody new does it, it's back to square one. He was good with the fly spray and with picking up all 4 of his feet. While he trusts me, he doesn't trust others and especially not men. He was from a PMU ranch up in Michigan and was rescued by United Pegasus when he was a yearling, so I don't know his background. We are hoping that with continued desensitizing, he will calm down, but he wouldn't be a good horse for me to ride with my back problems...I still love him anyway and enjoy working with him as best I can, but he does need somebody else to work him, and Maia is very patient and relaxed with him.

Sunni's lesson

Sunni had a great lesson yesterday with the trainer. Good thing I worked him the previous day and let him run in the arena. He was too tired to be frisky! She is going to work with him on tying and she was able to lift all 4 of his big ole' feet! YEAH! Sunni has always worked better with women than men. He's always been a bit distrustful of men, especially my previous farrier, who he really disliked. I should have listened to Sunni and never had that guy back. I'm so glad that he now has a farrier who is gentle, patient, and who sings to him!