I am really starting to understand the Circle Game and so is Enzo(over the past few weeks)! Yeah! I found out I never really was neutral. There were many times that I thought I was helping Enzo by me moving, or me doing too much(trying to help Enzo). Now I send Enzo and LEAVE Enzo alone. What a concept! If Enzo stops out on the circle. I run backwards and draw Enzo to me and then send him out to a NEW direction and go straight back to neutral. Then Enzo will stop again after a few steps. Then I run backwards and change the direction again. I keep doing this as much as we need to. At first I figured, Enzo would never get it. But long and behold Enzo stayed on the circle longer and longer without me having to change direction. Soon I was able to get walk, trot and even canter! All so easily with just a suggestion. How fun and easy this was. We both figured out that all is good when I am in the middle being neutral. Enzo learned, how to keep his mom quiet in the center of the circle. What a cool feeling it has been and how fun that I don't need to do soo much any more(nagging on the circle). Instead of letting Enzo think his way around the circle. In the meantime though, we have broken our change of direction. But that is ok. Sometime you have to break something else before you fix another thing. Now when Enzo wants to stop out on the circle I will run back to change direction. But before I can get Enzo to change direction Enzo realizes that he needs to continue his circle game and takes off in the same direction he was going. So in his mind he is saying. Instead of me changing directions, I understand you want me to stay at the trot. So I will just continue at the trot without changing directions. So for now, I don't make it a big deal that Enzo is blowing off my change of direction, I am taking the fact that Enzo is at least offering to continue on the circle. So from here on out. I will work on getting Enzo calmer out on the circles also. I have noticed that Enzo is not calm while trotting nor cantering on the circle. When Enzo trots it can be a running trot sometimes and the canter is cross firing and kind of crazy. At this point, I have been soo excited that Enzo is staying out on the circle and that he is going multiple laps now. Before I could hardly get Enzo to move nor get him to even stay out! Enzo kept coming into me before. Once, I can get a calm walk, trot, and canter. Then I might experiment with getting the change of direction back. We will see what happens? I am not getting as much time these days to play with Enzo. The weather has turned bad, I live an hour from the barn, and the holidays are taking time as well. But Enzo just turned 17 months old. So time off here and there, while he is so young will be just fine. Keep it natural and create great moments~ Janine and Enzo
Yea Enzo :)
ReplyDeleteWow I didn't know Chrome and Enzo were only two months apart in age. :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like he's definitely figuring it out. I tend to be a nag too I think so I'll have to start paying attention to how much I'm "saying" with my body language. :)
As to your question, I'm not sure if Chrome's sire is considered baroque or sport horse. His name is Hertog Jan v.d. Paddensteeg and you can see pictures of him here http://www.the4-13ranch.com/PAGES/horses/stallions/jan/home.html
I think he looks baroque in some pictures and sport horse in other pictures . . . Chrome's dam is an Arabian though so he's going to always be light boned I think although he will fill out some. Let me know what you think of Jan. There is a video of him on that page too.
OMG, my boy has Brandus in his line as well. Brandus is AWESOME! That is probably why our two horses act so much a like!!! How funny! Yes, Enzo is 17 months old and he is 15 hands. He too is over 800 hundred pounds, but I don't know exactly how much. Since, I have not been using a tape, or anything. Otherwise, Enzo is out of Minste 384. You can google that name with the number and you will find all kinds of things on him. And yes, Brandus is SPORT. Almost all Frisians now a days are sport now. It's sad that www.FHANA.com took out the baroque type. I loved there quiet/draft nature they had before. I am sure Chrome will be plenty of sport for what you plan to do with him later. Especailly, with Arab in him. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteOops, I'm bad about forgetting to go back and check for responses. Thanks for letting me know you replied.
ReplyDeleteCool they're related! Lol! I love Brandus as well. I really liked Tuenis 332. He's one of my favorite stallions. I love the baroque type, so I'm also sad that it's disappearing. I hope fans of the Friesian realize what's happening in time to keep us from completely losing the baroque style.
Awww Enzo has Chrome by half an inch lol. I was worried for a while that Chrome wasn't going to grow (when he was way younger), but I don't think that's anything to worry about now lol. He's filling out nicely too. Breeding heavier horses with Arabs can be such a gamble. I'm glad he got nice qualities from both breeds. I can't wait to one day have a purebred like Enzo although I wouldn't trade Chrome for a million purebreds now. What do you plan to do with Enzo when he's grown? Dressage? Trails?
Yeah Tuenis 332 is super nice as well. I don't know, if I want another frisian after this? Since they did take out the baroque type. That is my favorite. When I went to the last Kuring I was super dissapointed in how sport these horses were. A lot more crazy acting, skinny legs, skinny hooves like a saddle bred and less hair!!! Again very dissapointed and I have no faith in the FHANA group now. I thought their job was keeping the breed the same. I guess not. They changed it to what they liked over the years, or what people liked over the years.
ReplyDeleteIf I can afford Dressage? I might do some? But not high level(just schooling). But more than 100% I'll stay with trail riding. No politics, less stress, less money, and I can wear what I want, LOL.
I with you on the trail riding! For all of the reasons you mentions. I'm going to teach Chrome dressage but will not compete. Competing just isn't my thing.
ReplyDeleteI still would love to have a purebred, but I may yet talk myself out of it, especially if there are no baroque style ones left when I save up the money. Sometimes crossbred horses are easier and hardier than purebreds anyway. :)
On the horse personality quiz I need to reword what I wrote. Fantastyk Voyager didn't make the quiz, she just did it and posted her horses' results. That's where I heard about the quiz. Her horses' results start here http://fantastykvoyage.blogspot.com/2010/11/horse-personality-quiz-1.html The quiz itself is here http://www.horsepersonality.com/horse-person-descript.html Sorry for the confusion. I was really tired when I posted lol. :) I can't wait to see what Enzo gets.
I am sure you can find a back yard breeder that is breeding the baroque style friesians still. Just like the older foundation quarter horses, or older style morgans. I would look for the same if I really wanted another friesian later in life. I forgot to mention in the last email the newer friesians are still beautiful animals! I am just not into there new hyper/sport attitudes. I like the quieter/draft type minds they used to come with. Cool, thanks for the info!! I will try the test!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy Enzo was a goddess also!
ReplyDeleteYeah I like the calmer draft type attitude too. They would have to really mess with the Friesian's breeding to make them ugly if it's even possible. They're still the most gorgeous breed in my opinion. Although I miss the abundant hair lol.
ReplyDeleteI think Goddess must be the common choice for young horses. I wonder if they will stay a Goddess or if they will be something else when they are older. It will be interesting to do it again and see. :)
I think Enzo will stay the same for me. I answered the riding questions basically of what Enzo offers me on the ground so far. And I have rode his mother and Enzo is just like his mother. So I am thinking Enzo will ride the same??? But we will see? It was a fun test!!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI did the same on the riding questions. They may stay the same. We will see. :D
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