Day Two: Spa Day & Training Begins

Miss Polly post Spa Day, sporting a new haircut and some new kicks!

The first week or two of working with a new horse is all about getting to know them, finding out their likes and dislikes, their quirks and preferences. No matter what horse I begin training, they come to my farm and on the very first day, we do Spa Day. While some of this is certainly aesthetic and a by product of my obsessive cleaning habits, more of it is about getting to know the horse, and putting hands on every body part through several hours of primping.

Think about it, if I spend a few hours scrubbing every part of her body, scrunching my hands all up in her tail, trimming her mane, snipping a bridle path, asking her to stand with me and tolerate this new nonsense, I can learn a lot. Is she sensitive to the touch? Is she good about letting me pick up her feet? Is she crabby about certain parts of her body? Does she think about kicking or biting? Is she familiar with clippers or mane pulling? All of this is vital information going forward, as it changes how I behave around her, and what I focus on training wise on the ground. Good news: she was a perfect angel and has no weird or snarky habits on the grooming front!

Grabbing a snack while drying in the sun.

So, yesterday, Polly started out with getting her mane and tail dreadlocks drenched in show sheen, and summarily picked apart until I was able to brush both without ripping it all out. She actually has lovely thick and good quality hair, which is nice. I always brush both of them out before washing, because it makes it significantly easier to get the soap all up in there when you bathe them. After much soaping and some conditioner for the tail, I let her graze and dry off in the sun. And then her tail got banged and I lopped off half her mane, braiding it over on the correct side as well. 

If you think it's all a bit much, here is my theory: when we want to be perceived as professional and reputable, we go out of our way to dress like it, so why should a horse be any different? My goal with Polly is to make her as marketable and appealing as possible to riders who are interested in a true sport horse, and if I can make her look the part, I would be remiss not to take advantage of that. She needs to be perceived as a beautiful riding horse, and so therefore, she will follow the beauty routines that all my show horses get. 

Polly working on the lunge line. 

We also had my farrier extraordinaire come out yesterday to trim all four of her feet, and tack on some new front shoes. She has good quality feet, but they are typical to her breed, in that they are quite flat and she was a bit ouchy walking on anything other than the softest grass. Therefore, in order to keep her comfortable as she enters the work force, we pre-emptively put some front shoes on her. 

Today I decided that I should see what she does when I bring out the tack, as a lot of horses off the racetrack get immediately worried, sweaty and tense when you re-introduce work to their schedule. Polly was certainly interested in what was happening, but was not overly worried at all. I put a saddle and bridle on her, and threw a rope halter over the top so that I could lunge her without messing with her bit at all. 

We hand walked down through the field to the arena, and I started working with her on the lunge, which is clearly a new idea to her. However, what I like about this mare is that despite the fact that I'm introducing a whole bunch of new things to her, she always makes an effort to figure out what I'm asking, and what I want. The Thoroughbred breed is excellent at two things: understanding the idea of having a job, and having a great work ethic. You just can't beat a good Thoroughbred mare, they'll try forever for you!

I'm not totally determined to make my horses perfect on the lunge line, but I do think it's a handy skill to have in your pocket. It's just another way to work on ground manners, and to make sure you have a horse who is listening to you before you get in the tack. Does she understand a leading hand? Will she move her shoulders and hindquarters separately away from you? When she is all alone in the arena away from the other horses, does she lose her cool and panic? 

Thankfully, the answers to these questions were all positive. While she didn't immediately understand what I was asking, her interest in figuring out the right answers made my job a lot easier. She has a great work ethic, and after discovering that it was simple to walk both ways on a circle, she completely relaxed. I only walked today, although she trotted a little on her own. With young or green horses, I never stifle their urge for forward motion (unless it's a bolting forward motion) because a lot of them find it calming to move a little bit. Instead, I offer an alternative route for their energy, whether it is moving laterally or transitions or whatever. When they don't feel boxed in and constrained, they are more likely to relax on their own terms, and be more fulfilled by the experience!