Meet WallE he is a 2.5 Year Old Gelding that was Bred by us here at Meadow Brook Stables he is by our Herd Sire Cruz (A Tru QT Cruzn To Win) and is by a now retired mare Rosie (Colored Her Fabulously) and is proudly owned by Jasmine Harris. He has come back to us for be Started Under Saddle. His owner has done extensive Groundwork with him since he left here as a Weanling continuing along with the Foal Development Program and has gone through a lot of the Pre-Saddle Training with him. We hope to show you some of his first rides and his progress through the months he is with us.
A great start is the beginning of a great horse!
Video Descriptions
Session 1 – Yielding (13:58)
Working through some sticky spot to get some soft, relaxed and repeatable yields.
Session 2 – Focus Circles (9:40)
Helping WallE stay focused in a new environment and getting him out and moving his feet. Working through some “stupid/silly” or “non productive” energy.
Session 2 – Tacking & Drive Circles (20:24)
Showing how we tack a horse, what we look for, what we expect. Then getting out and moving his feet. See if he has any negative responses or a reaction to the saddle. While working on his focus and balance at all three gaits.
Session 3 – Circling (11:13)
Working on having WallE stay soft and relaxed on the circle, be responsible and maintain gait and not break gait when he feels like it, but when he is asked for it.
Session 3 – Bridling (4:33)
Bridling for the first time (please note his owner has spent time with him to get him accepting of the bridle before coming to us).
Session 3 – Lateral Flexion (16:22)
Working on having him be soft, not lean on the rein pressure and be more relaxed giving to the pressure (quiet mouth), and not moving his feet.
Session 4 – Lateral Flexion (18:48)
Working on advancing his LF, having him stay soft, give to the pressure without having to move his feet (eliminate the wrong answer) and have him put in the effort to follow the feel and not lag or brace.
Session 4 – Vertical Flexion (21:52)
WallE has a hard time with figuring out the Vertical Flexion. So we need to work through it to help him get the concept of following the feel and focusing on me (he gets distracted and wants to focus on the Environmental Pressure, and get tight and braced and ignore the pressure on the bridle).
Session 6 – Flexion (12:07)
Getting WallE to follow a feel both Laterally and Vertically on the ground to prep him for undersaddle Flexion.
Session 6 – Mounting Prep (11:20)
Going through the steps for desensitization to the movements and sounds of the saddle, working on both the left side and the right side. Flapping the stirrups, swinging the stirrups, putting weight in the stirrups with your hands, thumping on the saddle, touching him all over, rocking the saddle, jumping beside him, jumping beside him with weight in the stirrup with your hands etc.
Session 8 – First Ride (10:59)
WallE’s first ride! Starting with some Lateral Flexion before moving his feet (safety first), get them used to moving around on their backs (shifting in the saddle, swinging your legs, rubbing them on different spots). Getting him to guide around, work on getting him to move forward (how to troubleshoot locked feet), and working on his basic responsibilities.
Session 9 – Second Ride (13:45)
Working on introducing his responsibilities undersaddle, still needs to focus on me and not the environment, and stay soft on the reins. Helping him follow a feel from the saddle as compared to the ground. Setting him up for success by asking him to do things that he knows how to do on the ground. Sticking to straight line and big circles to start.
Session 11 – Focus Under Saddle (11:41)
Working on having WallE focus on me and not the Environmental Pressures, looking for him to find relaxation within the exercise and with me. Walle chomps on the bit a lot when he is unsure about something or unfocused.
Session 11 – Focus Under Saddle Continued (10:44)
Working on having WallE focus on me and not the Environmental Pressures, looking for him to find relaxation within the exercise and with me. Walle chomps on the bit a lot when he is unsure about something or unfocused.
Session 12 – Guiding Under Saddle (11:36)
Get their Focus before moving onto harder exercises. Getting WallE to pay attention to the “path” I put him on and asking him to stay on it, the path can change (for turning or changes of direction) and he needs to pay attention to these changes and not zone out and run into my legs.
Session 14 – Guiding & Focus (18:58)
Looking for him to Relax within the Exercise (have stillness and relaxation in his mouth) while jogging around, working on his responsibilities (maintaining gait) on the circle while riding around.
Session 14 – Lope Work (7:49)
Setting him up for success for the lope departure. Riding through a “spook” and the importance of a one rein stop or bending to a stop. Keeping them working after you regain control.
Session 16 – Focus Work While Riding (11:36)
WallE is really focusing on Environmental Pressures and doesn’t like the noise of cars driving by on the wet road, so I need to work on keeping his focus, giving him a hard task to work on to pull his focus away from the Environment onto me instead. Move his feet around in a controlled manner.
Session 16 – Focus & Softness (10:55)
Working on staying soft in the bridle, working on Lateral Flexion and Vertical Flexion at the jog. Looking to have him stay soft and light, giving to the pressure, not bracing and staying tight.
Session 21 – Right Bending – Guiding (10:38)
Working on having WallE “stay between the lines” and not drifting or ignoring the pressure and pushing through it.
Session 21 – Left Bending – Guiding (14:55)
Working on having him focus on the shift in my seat for guiding around and moving off my leg, and not having to rely on the rein for guiding. Staying focused on me and not the environment so he can stay light to the cues.
Session 22 – Softness In The Bridle (15:34)
Working to the Left on proper self carriage, and staying soft to the bridle pressure (not rooting their noses forward, bracing on the reins or being “heavy”), following the feel and giving to the pressure when applied and working on having him hold himself there.
Session 22 – Softness In The Bridle Continued (11:32)
Working to the Right on proper self carriage, and staying soft to the bridle pressure (not rooting their noses forward, bracing on the reins or being “heavy”), following the feel and giving to the pressure when applied and working on having him hold himself there.
Session 23 – Left Lead Lope (15:23)
Working on Lead Departures (left is his weak side) and having him pick up the correct lead, if not balanced in his departure he’ll usually pick up the wrong lead. Helping him come through the center of the ring and not getting lost without the rail. Looking for softness in the bridle (what to do when they lean or brace) and relaxation within the exercise.
Session 23 – Right Lead Lope (9:48)
Working on Lead Departures (right is his stronger side) and having him pick up the correct lead, if not balanced in his departure he’ll usually pick up the wrong lead. Helping him come through the center of the ring and not getting lost without the rail. Looking for softness in the bridle (what to do when they lean or brace) and relaxation within the exercise.
Session 24 – Focus At The Walk (10:51)
WallE had a hard time maintaining focus on me today, so we work at the walk until he is able to maintain his focus and attention on me and not the mares in the field.
Session 24 – Focus At The jog (11:19)
WallE had a hard time maintaining focus on me today, so we work at the jog until he is able to maintain his focus and attention on me and not the mares in the field.
Session 24 – Advancing Lope Work (21:18)
Working on his transitions bringing him up and down from the jog to the lope and having a smoother transition where he can stay calm and relaxed and not rush into the lope or hold too much energy coming down from the lope to the jog.
Session 26 – W/J/L & Back Up (14:05)
Working on maintaining softness and focus in all three gaits, and working on having him stop nicely and back nicely (he wanted to lean on the reins and be heavy and resist the pressure rather than give to it).
Session 26 – W/J/L & Back Up (9:16)
Working on maintaining softness and focus in all three gaits, and working on having him stop nicely and back nicely (he wanted to lean on the reins and be heavy and resist the pressure rather than give to it).
Session 27 – Bending & Guiding (12:28)
Helping WallE be soft and responsive to my legs and seat, and using the reins only as a last resort to help him guide and bend around.
Session 27 – Softness & Focus (14:31)
Asking WallE to keep his focus on me and the task – not getting heavy on the bridle and disconnecting. Working towards proper self carriage and having him follow the feel on the reins and not resist.
Session 34 – Lope Work & Backing (13:52)
Having WallE pick up the lope nicely and maintain it, staying soft and responsive. also troubleshooting when asking for the stop and they don’t stay between the lines and push their body over the boundary lines.
Missing Video
Session 35 – Advancing Lope Work (11:52)
Working on focus, balance, and his responsibilities in the lope.
Session 35 – Advancing Lope Work (7:59)
Working on focus, balance, and his responsibilities in the lope.
Session 36 – Lope Work (13:50)
Each session adding more responsibility and more expectation to keep progressive.
Session 37 – Focus While Loping (13:17)
Lots of Environmental Triggers for him today so working on maintaining his focus and sticking with his responsibilities while in the lope.
Session 37 – Flexion At The Lope (7:30)
Now that we have WallE’s Focus working on having him offer some Flexion while at the Lope.
Session 38 – Lope Transitions Right (12:50)
Working on having more balance through the transition both up and down from the lope.
Session 38 – Lope Transitions Left (10:33)
Working on having more balance through the transition both up and down from the lope.
Session 39 – Responsibilities While Backing (14:30)
Working on WallE being lighter in the back up – not having to rely on the pressure to move his feet but staying commit to the back up until the intention or the cue is released.
Session 39 – Responsibilities While Backing (9:31)
Working on WallE being lighter in the back up – not having to rely on the pressure to move his feet but staying commit to the back up until the intention or the cue is released.
Session 43 – Backing Responsibilities (11:07)
Working on WallE being lighter in the back up – not having to rely on the pressure to move his feet but staying commit to the back up until the intention or the cue is released.
Session 43 – Backing Responsibilities (11:34)
Working on WallE being lighter in the back up – not having to rely on the pressure to move his feet but staying commit to the back up until the intention or the cue is released.
Session 50 – Advancing The Backup (10:32)
Working with having WallE stop correctly and back up correctly, maintaining momentum and lightness to the right.
Session 50 – Advancing The Backup (14:56)
Working with having WallE stop correctly and back up correctly, maintaining momentum and lightness to the left.
Session 51 – Loping Transitions (10:31)
Working with WallE to get both good upward and downward transitions in the lope to the right get ready for Simple Changes.
Session 51 – Loping Transitions (9:11)
Working with WallE to get both good upward and downward transitions in the lope to the left to get ready for Simple Changes.
Session 51 – Introducing Simple Changes (10:36)
Working on getting WallE to transition from lope to jog in the center, and then pick up the lope on the correct lead the opposite direction. He does struggle with his leads when no focused of balanced.
Session 55 – Jog Poles to the Left (14:12)
Working on WallE’s Body Awareness – teaching him to pay attention to his foot falls so that he doesn’t hit a pole or land on a pole while jogging around them to the left.
Session 55 – Jog Poles to the Right (9:55)
Working on WallE’s Body Awareness – teaching him to pay attention to his foot falls so that he doesn’t hit a pole or land on a pole while jogging around them to the right.
Session 60 – Advancing the FQ Yields (13:16)
Working on getting more flow in his FQ Yields, having him move smoothly and fluidly, not drifting or lagging. Also worked on focus as he wants to focus on the mares in the paddock next to the ring.
Session 60 – Advancing the HQ Yields (9:51)
Working on getting more flow in his HQ Yields, having him move smoothly and fluidly, not drifting or lagging. Also worked on focus as he wants to focus on the mares in the paddock next to the ring.
Session 63 – Reviewing the Yields (11:36)
Working on his softness and response to pressure through the yields, expecting more of him as he advances.
Final Session – Review (12:34)
A review of what WallE has worked on over the past month with us.