Chopin turns 3! time to start working... or not! lol

[Belbe]

well, his croup jumped up again so his back looks swayed... plus it got longer! wa the hell? watever happened to my sturdy bullfighter colt? now I have a flashy dancer! He sure looks preety but now I'm not sure I wanna start any ridden work anymore, not even 5 minute sessions... i'll stick to groundwork till he looks stronger.

Anywhoo, and so we beggin. 
I finally got a video camera and a handler but it's HD! so now i'm having a fight with youtube to upload anything! oh well, I'm sendin video stills until I sort things out.

For now we're just improving comunication and i'm re-starting to teach him some horsey manners (the time i spent with the broken arm made him into a brat again). 

[shoveltrash]

what a fantastic set of photos!  he is just GORGEOUS - would love to see the video
3 years is an 'odd' age for an Iberian imho.  my boy was GANGLY at 3, and is only JUST starting to grow out of that stage!

[Belbe]

thank ya! He's such a preety lil devil ain't he? 
you're right, luso's do mature real late but all his brothers (same mother and father) are really compact and sturdy and started doing light work at the age of 3 and where givin kids lessons at the age of 4, even the stallions! Strangely enough, mine is the only one that looks more like a modern dressage horse than a bullfighter and is also the only one with a nasty temper... 

(the weirdest part is, he's been a compact sturdy boy from the day he was born till about 6 months ago, then all of the sudden his whole topline streched...  ...well, at least his neck-withers insertion is improving! he used to have it real low)

[happy-horses]

Thanks for posting these lovelly pics  I would also love to see the vid if poss 

[winnieandben]

  Great pics 

[ChrissieW]

Lovely horse and great pictures - I think the one of you and him frog marching in unison is superb!  

[EmmaB]

What a gorgeous boy!  Video please! 

[ukica]

really is lovely...interested to see more 

[Mandeigh]

ooh he looks fab!   

[Belbe]

haha! thanks!
akay, here goes the video. split in 2 cos youtube crashes the full one.

as u'll see he's preety upset. I had already worked him under the rain and when I finished it stopped raining!!   So I called my cousin to bring the camera but he flipped out when I had him do it all over again (he's alergic to repetitions). Anywhoo, i'm hopeful I'll find a way around that bad temper, I know I will...  

My first priority, apart from his manners, will be to get him to lunge looking at me. I can already get him to do one or 2 steps but only in small circles when he's forced to move slowly. So maybe my priority will be to get him in a zen mood... (i'm doomed)

I'll try to post one with him behaving decently from next sunday's lesson...  

Part I

Chopin 27Dez2009 Part I

Part II

Chopin 27Dez2009 Part II

[issywizz]

Hi Belbe,

Hes a gorgeous boy. 
Just watched the vid, I dont see him as angry,more confused,your body language appears rather 'high' and erratic to me.
Your backing up is good but your driving and manner is not calm enough if you wish him to be more 'zen'.
Also I wouldnt back away from a horse unless I was inviting him to come in, backing away whilst driving is confusing for the horse.
Have a look at some of Klaus' vids,and try and find *your* inner calm/strength. 
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=klaus+hempfling&search_type=&aq=0&oq=klaus+hem
Just my opinion,feel free to ignore. 

[ukica]

i think the space you are working is too big and it would be good if you could corden off a smaller area.

I recently worked with a young horse who wouldn't lunge at all on one side as soon as he was send forwards in trot.  I worked more with him on the lead rein and taught him to go forward and shop from a definite signals and after several days he was lunging nicely in a big open space without any fencing at all. 

Have you had a look at Tellington Jones at all?  Her Horse Behavior and training book has helped me no end. 

[Belbe]

Well, thing is, I've been tending this baby since he was about 8 days old. He attacked his own father at 4 months because he decided he wasn't good enough for his mother and woudn't back off even after getting kicked. His older, much heavier brothers broke his nose and he couldn't care less, and he tramples over everybody if they are in his way. The only creature he behaves more or less decently around is me and my old coach. except ofcourse when I ask him to repeat exercises, LOL! I know I'm miles away from understanding Klaus, but if you hant to compare this horse with any of the ones on his videos, compare with the Breton. I find myself forced to be somewhat agressive in my movements because I'm responding to his as well as he is to mine. I don't have to pretend much with my movements because we've known each other for so long that he reads me like an open book. If I had been nervous he would've been looking around like a madman for the reason of my stress. If I was angry he'd be behaving like tamed miserable puppy. Because I am relaxed, he's talking to me quite loudly and freely: Why are we doing this all over again? u said the class was over!

As Klaus says: "the horse whants to be with me because I expect nothing of him" That is what happened when he left his food to come join me, and that's where I failed when expected him to do it all over again for the camera.


Izzy, i say he's upset because, well, he's one preety loud talker, then he's done this lesson a zillion times, he knows the commands by heart. For those who don't know him, when he's confused he does the spanish walk. U know, like a dog, when he doesn't understand your command he gives you his paw cos it's the exercise he knows best, thinkin "maybe she'll be happy with this one..." When he's upset his whole body says no, his head shakes a lot and he keeps running to the door.

As for the backing away, well, I shouldn't but it's a bad habbit I fell into a long time ago because he used to kick everytime I tried to chase his bum and wouldn't step away because is not afraid of me nor the whip and he interprets this as me giving him space during the exercise and doesn't feel threatened anymore. We sord drive each other. The point is he relaxes. It's one of the many things I ittend to fix now that we've finally come to age and my mare and i have come to full understanding so i can spare more time for him. When I use a lunge line there's no need for this but he looks utterly lifeless and bored when I use it. Probably cos I'm real clumsy with it  

Ukica, I thought of that as well, but he runs over any fence that isn't a brick wall and this is not my yard to build uppon.  . A lunge line works but I'd need a longer whip to keep him away from me as he always likes to circle almost attached to my nose... I'll buy one as soon as I find it

However, My old coach is the most accomplished Klaus fan I know. She used to fix horses like this for a living so I'll be getting her opinion "in the field" as soon as I can and post if you'd like. She's arriving day after tomorow! weeeeeeeeeeeee

[winnieandben]

Thanks for posting the vids, I know nothing about this free work, but interesting to watch.

Only thing I would comment on is that to me (not knowing anything about it!!  )  is that he seems a bit weak in his back, guessing just due to growth spurt, but in the work he is doing it looks to be encouraging him to brace and hollow his back, would like to see him more relaxed and and in a stretching down frame.

Guessing thats the aim, but how do you go about it without a rein contact to work into, genuinely interested to know.
I would like to free school my youngster but she fence jumps so wouldnt stay in our arena 

[issywizz]

See I dont see you as either nervous or angry,just high energy but in a non relaxed way,not sure how to explain? you come across as being exciteable? which is what I see him mirroring?
Maybe its just because you are repeating for the camera? but its seems unstructured and erratic.
Do you have a clear idea in your mind what you want him to do? where you want him to go and how and why you are doing so?
We have a pone that sounds similar,in his case its likely because he was taken from his dam too early-we found him at a sale aged 3 months looking very poor.
When you are backing him you appear relaxed and in control but when you are driving him it seems rushed and disorganised,perhaps its all down to what you mention re you backing off,which I can understand of course,but its the wrong message to be giving,could you not keep the distance between you bigger so you dont need to back off?
How about walking a big circle with him on the lunge?
Personally I think that when they appear 'bored' on the lunge this is when the most useful work can be done as you are working towards losgelessenheit-a bored horse is a relaxed horse and that is when we can work him without stressing the muscles.

BTW tell me to bog off if you like  Im not criticising you because I see anything inherently wrong with what you are doing,just trying to work out a way for you to have him more 'zen' as you mention being your aim in your earlier post.