Hello one and all.
Seems Like a long time ago I last wrote here on the Uni.
Shilo has now been with Henrik and team for 4 weeks, so, 2 weeks to go and he's coming home again.
I have been on visits about 6 times in the past 4 weeks and have also been there when Henrik and the team have been training in the round pen.
I have lots to tell so this might be a long message!
Shilo settled in well with the flock, and it is clear that as far as rank goes, he's near the bottom, well, he is very young.
There have been a few scrapes where Shilo has been put in his place by the other horses and that is to be expected.
Now, the behavior Shilo demonstrated before he was sent up to Henrik ( bolting ) was not displayed to Henrik until Shilo had been there for 3 weeks, and I was there when he did ( thankfully) because I could then see how Henrik and the others reacted.
Henrik wanted to weigh Shilo, so he was introduced to the horse weigh machine.
He sniffed and so on and then walked on with his two front legs, so then Henrik pressed Shilo to come up with all 4 legs, and Shilo didn't want to do that., Henrik tried the usual tricks but Shilo really was objecting...then he bolted., this happened 4-5 times until Henrik won the 'fight' , and I write that because at the end it was a fight and test of strength.
Henrik was happy that it had happened, because he could then find out a lot about Shilo, and Henriks take on it is that somewhere along the line , Shilo has found out that he can run and that he can't be held on to, that Shilo does what he does, because he can. ( with me !!) by the way he weighs in at 420 kilos.
Right then, stage two. Where I have also been present.
Shilo was in the round pen with Maianne, one of the team, she was longing Shilo on two lines. Walk forward and stop. Walk forward and stop, turn, over and over again which Shilo did very well, then walk, trot, walk. Stop, walk turn, walk, trot and so on, also very good for about 7 minutes, then something happened.
Some other horses were being led into the barn, Shilo lost focus, and then at every trot signal, he bolted. Shilo had a surcingle on and the lines were then changed, she moved the lines into the lowest ring on the surcingle each side, and then asked Shilo to walk, he did, then trot- he TRIED to bolt but as he did the trainer leant back, let go of ONE line and used all of her weight on the other line forcing Shilo's neck around and down ( like one reign stop only from the ground).
Surprise in Shilo's face..... Then taking the lines up again asked for walk and then trot- same reaction, same technique and he was stopped dead in his tracks... Shilo tried 2 more times and then ' gave up' . He walked and trotted in the 2 lines without problems.
Let me just add that there was a lot of water in the round pen due to heavy weather and the trainer was at one point ' surfing ' as Shilo dragged her. So, one wet through trainer, but a happy victorious one as Shilo had learned that he could not run from the line.
Henrik and the team are at a point now where Shilo is still on 2 lines learning steering, walk, trot,back and stop. Hopefully in the next few days there will come a rider on his back.
I will also point out that all of Shilo's training is without a bit.
Shilo seems to test each person as to how much he can get away with, and as Henriks team use the same technique he is finding out very quickly that it's really not worth it as he ends up doing whatever it is anyway- because he must not ' win' in a battle of strength.
Shilo is still 'my' Shilo, same horse but much more trusting , I hope at the end of this I can live up to the task in hand, I have my doubts some days ... I'm going to have to man up, as my softly softly approach just doesn't cut it- however, I have had some nice feedback about the groundwork I have accomplished with Shilo .
I am fast approaching getting Shilo home again, and I am filled with a kind of worry unfortunately, I just hope that when it comes to my training at the ranch that I don't make a pigs ear out of it.
I'll keep you posted.
Best regards from Dionne.
Hi Dionne,
so glad to hear from you and Shilo ! Henrik and his team sound really great, it must feel good for you and Shilo to get help that works.
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Will you take "courses" with the team before taking Shilo home ? To learn to do things like them ?
I recognize both feeling and situation, Dionne!
It is great to hear that they are having good progress with Shilo, so fingers crossed all will work out great for you when he comes home.
He is likely to want to test you when he does, to see if you are the same to him as before or if he needs to re-evaluate his take on you. So I hope you have the chance to work through some of those issues at Henrik's.
Hello Dionne
I am most happy that you were able to witness a breakthrough for Shilo at the trainers. This will probably give rise to many thoughts that you might have when he is back in your hands again. Suggestion, Do NOT RUSH getting him back to your world. He is learning so many things at Henrik`s because of the environment that you might have difficulty duplicating at your place. I am thinking of how you described the herd setting and where you thought his ranking would be toward the bottom. The way that I look at that is it`s a blessing for training, because he is constantly learning new ways of how to cope with unfamiliar situations and come out of that finding out that HE could survive.
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Some horses are much harder to train than others and since you did not have him from the time that he was baby, that part of his background is unknown All that I can say is that no two horses will accept and learn exactly the same way. That is exactly why professional trainers get paid [BECAUSE OF THEIR EXPERIENCE with different behavior situations.. Some are very much better than others.
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Speaking of trainers, I came across a young lady that trains out of Lewistown, Idaho named Michell Mulligan. She takes a Mustang named Reno that three other trainers could not get the saddle on and gives the U-TUBE audience a step by step look at how a very tough horse can be gentled into a very manageable riding horse with some time, grit and patience. What is so interesting about her presentation is that you are able to watch every step of the training process. If your curious. the piece is entitled "RENO`S FIRST RIDE". From there, you can direct yourself to each of the step by step training sessions. He is a wild-ass bolting tornado when she fist encounters him. This might remind you of some of your times with Mr. Shilo.
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At any rate, so glad to hear the GOOD NEWS about Shilo.
All the best,
Bud
P S. ` sorry; wrong name on the trainer...It`s Nichole Mulligan...She does, what I think, is a nice job of sequencing the training steps. Watch how ready Reno is to make his escape from the clutches of his training routine. He is a BOLTER from the very first step into the round pen. He would be a handfull for any trainer, let alone for a woman. Her timing and movement with the horse is over the top, great.
Thanks
Bud
Hi Lucie, Kikki and Bud.
Lucie- yes, I hope to spend 2-3 days at the ranch before Shilo comes home to learn more about my horse, I have mixed emotions right now because I keep doubting myself, which is getting me down. I'm usually the type who just gets on with it, but I feel that I'm stepping once again into the unknown , I just hope this feeling goes away soon as I hate it.
Kikki- yes, I am fully expecting to be tested by Shilo, ( see above ) it's my physical strength I'm a bit worried about too, Shilo is 420 kilos and I am 46 kilos....but I'm kind of relying on my mind over matter abilities!!!
Bud - I have been thinking about the first few days of getting Shilo home, Henrik says that horses have very good memories and that he will know that he is ' home' again with his own flock. Here at home I believe that he is number 2 in rank out of 4, I am wondering how he will make the transition from being 0 to nearly boss, will this change his behavior again? , also, how long do you advise me to wait before starting on a daily training schedule ? I'm thinking that I should start with longing on two lines until feel that I have control there, I would like to do this 2 times a day, and start as soon as possible , I don't have a surcingle but will definitely buy one before he gets home as I can see the benefits of training with one. ( much better than using my saddel for the job) I don't want Shilo to think that I'm not going to back him, so I'm kind of thinking that I also need to sit up on him at an early stage too.
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My head is spinning with questions, and thoughts, yes the environment here is so very different to Henriks ranch , I'm really not sure about the time Shilo will need to settle back in again.
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Any thoughts about the above greatly appreciated.
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I will look at the video you suggested Bud tonight , it might just give me my ' fire' back which I lost somewhere.
Best regards
Dionne.
good morning Dionne, My first thought would be to leave
shilo at Henrik`s for a longer time to see if the ground training could transition into riding on a smooth basis. I know that there is money involved, but I feel this approach might smooth the waters for YOU. It would also mean that everything that Shilo is experiencing at Henrik`s would be more hard-wired into his routine thinking. My hope would be that YOU could be part of the training at Henrik`s which would bolster YOUR feelings of trepidation when Shilo does return. Shilo`s transition back to your farm would, hopefully, be easier for all. My assumption here is that Shilo is getting worked on a daily basis so he can feel secure and confident that he does NOT have to take matters of his training into the emotional, and reactive behavior direction.[TRUST] Training of horses becomes much easier and more effective if we can direct the horses in a daily sequenced approach to their learning. All things being equal, when the training is well thought out, horses will start out a step or two ahead of where they left off the day before after a night`s rest. Their individual focus on the learning process becomes more enhanced. [RITUALISTIC HABITUATION]
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.The video of Nichole Mulligan`s daily process with the mustang Reno, speaks to the above training thoughts. It will probably take you some time to get through all of the videos because she takes the viewer through the complete process of training a tough, hard-wired, horse. Anyway, I would think that she has much to offer a person who might be interested in helping horses learn. I look at her videos as time well spent.
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I don`t know if what I have written you helps at this time, or if you can manage keeping Shilo at Henrik`s any longer than originally planed, but maybe someone else on the forum has a different suggestion or two.
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All the best my friend. You have done a GOOD thing for Shilo.
Bud
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Hi Bud.
Thanks for your comments.
I've been on a visit to Shilo today, and he is not coming home as planned- so it's quite a coincidence that you wrote about that.
Henrik and the team will not let him come home until I can ride him in walk and trot , and feel confident enough to continue alone at home.
I'm actually very happy that they took that decision for me, and I'm super happy that I was very honest with them from the very start, so they know all about me and Shilo and our journey so far together.
Yes, he is worked on a daily basis, and there is a massive improvement in him already.
Henrik is ringing to me next week because their rider ( called berider in Danish - what's it called in English I don't know ??) but anyway, the person who rides the horses after initial training, she is booked to ride Shilo next week, and after she has done this for a few days will I be called to come and train with Shilo under Henriks watchful eye.
They will not allow Shilo home under any circumstances at the minute, because he is not ready, maybe in two or three weeks time -maybe !!
So, I did right by choosing Henrik and the mustang ranch, and I'm so very very grateful to Henrik that he would help me , and also that all of the people there are so very professional and super good with all of the horses.
You should just see my Shilo going through the paces with the double longing lines, wow! Looks just like when Monty does it on the videos, and Shilo is so very quick to learn- I'm so proud of him.
I've been advised to build a round pen here at home, which I will start on at the weekend, I only have a normal outside training area.
So all is well, and I'm looking forward to seeing Shilo and the 'rider' next week.
Best wishes from Dionne
P.s. Bud, I have started watching the videos on YouTube , she is very good and also really good to explain what she is doing and why.
Thanks for the tip.
Dionne.
Hi Dionne, I am smiling from ear to ear for you.. Yes, Yes,Yes, you are GOOD hands with Henrik. You use the word CONFIDENCE when describing both you and Shilo and riding. That, my friend, opens the door to a riding relationship. I am very happy for you two.
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About Nichole`s videos; I hope you have been able to bounce around and see the first of her training videos [on the ground] because that`s where the good stuff is located. As you have probably have notice, the Reno`s first ride title, takes the viewer to the riding sequence and not where the training first begins. I have watched her video three times now and have to say that she very METHODICALLY touches all of the bases of what I believe a young horse has to have in his background to become a solid riding horse.
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.All my best
Bud
That is great news, Dionne! I was going to echo what Bud said about letting Shilo stay for as long as necessary adn I am super happy to hear that Henrik is way ahead of us all in that matter. Absolutely wonderful that he won't let go of Shilo until you two are working unit!
That was my big mistake with my horse, I think. He was ready to come home, but I would've needed more time at the trainer's place to build up more confidence so I could have continued what she started in a much better way. As it was, I found I had to work up to the point where I could start working him with more energy to create more forward motion. It took too long and he had time to slip back in old habits; to challenge me and up the ante to the point where I couldn't get the upper hand anymore.
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It's hard work rectifying this, so in response to your question on how to begin when he gets home is: right where you left off at Henrik's! I'm not saying you should try things you don't feel confident about, but hopefully, when you get Shilo home, you have enough confidence to continue what *you* have learned there.
Either way, I am thinking that Henrik will have several good advice for you to rely on before you leave! :)