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The Challenge | The Trainers and Students | Event Information
Our apologies - the names of half-brother Challenge Students Fareed (bay) and Zameel (gray) were unintentionally switched at the beginning of the Challenge. Unfortunately this has caused much confusion, and for this we sincerely apologize. Sunday, August 8 Now less than a week to go, I am having mixed emotions. I am excited for the event, and I really hope Fareed finds his perfect human match, but I am really going to miss my little buddy. I have been having so much fun with him this summer, and he has turned into such a super horse, I know he'll make someone else as happy as he's made me. Fareed has been riding in a bit for several weeks now, though he (and I, both) still prefer the rope hackamore. We have been working on his canter, which leaves much room for improvement, though he gets the just of it. He will flex at the poll and carry his head on the vertical for short periods of time, but I have not put much effort into maintaining a vertical head set. I believe this comes with true collection, which is more then just head set, but rather mental and physical impulsion. I don't think he is ready for collection, and I don't want to push him just to meet a deadline. Fareed is a curious young horse, who likes to be mentally challenged, and I think he will excel at something that exercises his mind. He is willing to do rail work, but I think he would be easily bored by this, and would rather enjoy time on the trails. With today being our last chance at some trail riding, Fareed and I, along with a friend, are heading down the road to the trails in El Paso, WI for one last outing before the big day. Saturday, July 31 Fareed is turning out to be quite the trail horse! Aside from more arena work and trying to get a good canter, we have been hitting the trails. A couple weekends ago we trailered to the Eau Galle Recreation Area (Spring Valley, WI) to ride the horse trails there. Fareed did great and remained calm and confident the whole ride. Accompanied by another horse/rider Fareed did fine leading the ride, as well as following. He crossed a bridge, rode through water, saw other horses, dogs, and people and trailered like a champ. We had so much fun that we headed to Haycreek (near Red Wing, MN) the next weekend for some more fun on the trails. Again, Fareed did great and got a lot more exposure to the chaos of the campers, other horses, bicycles, kids… He again rode well thru water, over bridges, up and down hills, thru puddles, over branches, and took on every obstacle we could find. He is really going to excel as a trail horse, and continues to make me proud. Sunday, June 20 Fareed and I have finally gotten out to do some more road riding. A couple weeks ago when I took him off the property to go down the road we had an incident with some terrifying cattle! All went well until the neighbors Herefords came running to the corner of their pasture to watch Fareed. This did not go well for him and while I tried to calm him with some lateral flexion (which usually works great) it only made him want to run in tight circles. After realizing I wasn't going to let him bolt, he proceeded to run backwards into a hay field. As soon as I saw an opportunity to dismount, I took it! We then made our way back to the road and I tried to play some games to get his attention on me, and NOT the cattle. This didn't help much, and I ended up working him on the ground the rest of the way home. Aside from this incident, Fareed is behaving wonderfully. We have been finding more opportunities to trailer away from home for our lessons. We took a trip to a friend's barn and rode in their indoor arena last week. I started off by playing with him on the ground getting him used to the new place and then he was completely relaxed in the strange arena. On Saturday (July 3rd) we trailered to another friend's boarding facility and played in their arena before proceeding on a 5 miles outdoor ride. This was really our first time riding in the company of others and I thought he might go better on the road with another horse along, which he did. He was a little on edge at first, but settled right into it and we ended up having a really great ride, despite the heat. He was not bothered by the cars going past, and even stood quietly as a tractor and bailer went by. We also got to tackle another encounter with some cattle! This time when he saw them coming down a hill to gather at their water trough, we just stood back and watched. He looked at them very intently for about 10 minutes before I saw him really relax (and lick his lips/yawn). We rode a little closer and stopped again for a few more minutes until he, again, relaxed. We then rode up next to them to make sure he was confident enough to pass them quietly, and he did GREAT! It was an excellent ride for both of us! There are several local trail rides in July, so I'm hoping to get him to a couple. We are also going to be working on our canter (which we have barely just started), and I'd like to get him started in a snaffle, and work on some vertical flexion. Up until now we have just been riding in our rope hackamore. He does great with this and is very responsive, but I understand that most people don't ride in this and I'd like to have him comfortable carrying a bit for whoever gets to adopt this sweetheart Sunday, June 20 I really love this little horse! Fareed and I are having so much fun together and he continues to make me proud. The other day I turned him loose in the arena, just for fun, to see if he might still listen to me if we played at "liberty" and I was totally surprised with how well he DID! I was not expecting it, but he was doing yields, sideways, circles, yo-yo…all because he wanted to! I really felt like he was my partner, and this is what we are striving for! Aside from this, we having been doing some more desensitizing, though everything I present him with he is unfazed by. We have finally started venturing out of the arena and have been finding obstacles in the yard to challenge him. Sometimes he questions them at first, but with patience and allowing him to build confidence through his natural curiosity, he accepts these challenges and doesn't question them a second time. Today we had our first outing riding down the road. For the most part it was uneventful, though he was a bit high headed and looky at times. He never overreacted, and I'm sure with more rides he'll become a great trail horse. Fareed has also mastered the dreaded trailer loading obstacle. We only have a little old 2 horse BP, so it's a bit more challenging to get a horse to WANT to go in there, but he is to the point where I stand outside the doors and point and he walks right in. He also stands quietly while I close the doors, and does not rush out when I open them again. Now we just need to go somewhere! His riding is going well and he is very light and responsive to my aids (rein, seat, leg). We are riding in a Parelli rope hackamore and he listens very well to it. The snaffle will come later, but I am finding (at least with him) that this hackamore works very well at controlling him and keeping him supple. We haven't yet started to canter, but he is doing great at walk/trot. Fareed is welcoming any/all visitors or potential adopters to come and meet him. I'm sure he will steal your hearts and whoever gets to become his next human-partner will have a great riding companion. Still no pictures yet. If I ever get my film in to be developed...we still haven't gone digital. Friday, June 4 Fareed is continuing to learn things under saddle. We are working on moving the forehand and hindquarters, backing, stopping, following my focus and riding to it, standing, etc. All these basics will help us in communicating as partners, and he is doing very well. He is very sensitive to my aids, which is great, though it also leads to him overcompensating a bit and having more trouble staying straight when moving forward. I am very pleased with how he is progressing and really enjoy working with such a nice horse. Tuesday, May 25 I’d like to start off this blog by saying that I am thrilled to be a part of the Trainer’s Challenge this year. I’m so excited to see what Fareed and I can accomplish in our time together, and I know I’m going to have a blast with him this summer Fareed arrived in early May and has since settled into his new, temporary home. After about a week of living with another training horse, he was introduced to the rest of our herd, most of which are also Arabians. Calypso, the boss, made his position known, and Fareed seems to stick close to our mare, Ebony, who is very kind but with some authority. I have also caught him playing with our Paint gelding, Beau. Since Fareed’s arrival I’ve quickly learned what a sweet, gentle horse he is. He is a very sensitive horse and this has made him a quick study because he wants so badly to understand what I am asking of him. When I’m teaching him something, once it clicks with him, he really retains it. Thus far, we’ve been doing a lot of ground work. He has learned the Parelli 7-games, some of which he is better at than others. For those unfamiliar with these they are:
We have also done some desensitizing and he thought nothing of me waving a plastic bag all over his body. He is working on trailer loading and has come to understand how to go in when I point, but we still haven’t shut the doors and gone anywhere. He readily accepted the saddle and rider on his back and was not bothered by either. We have only had a few short rides in the arena, but he is progressing well and, again, is learning things fast. He is responsive and willing, and has not shown me much of a spooky side. He has also learned how to walk up to a mounting block and stand quietly for me to get on. > Back to the Trainers and Students
About Beth Ash: I have had a passion for horses since I was a little girl. Fortunately, when I was 10, my family moved to the country and I was finally able to have them. Eighteen years later, I haven’t been without them and my passion has only grown stronger. After high school graduation I jumped right into the working world, but found no real satisfaction in the number of jobs I held, so in 2005 I made the life changing decision to return to school and pursue a dream. I enrolled in the equine program at UW-River Falls where I spent the next four-and-a-half years balancing my studies, full time work, and sharing responsibilities on a small hobby farm. I have finally obtained my BS in Animal Science with an emphasis in equine management/training and I am now in the beginning stages of realizing my dream of becoming a horse trainer. Horses are not just a hobby of mine, they are my life, and I strive to get the most out of my relationship with them. I have taken a more natural approach with my training, as I want the horse to be my partner and not my servant. My goal is to teach my student to be respectful, trusting and willing and I am a firm believer in the importance of a good foundation of ground work. Control in the saddle begins with control on the ground, and with good timing, preparation, rewards, and a lot of patience the possibilities are endless on what a person can accomplish with their equine partner.
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On Sunday (July 4th) we again loaded up, along with another mare, Rosie, to go to the local horse show. We were not there to enter any classes but just to observe and get used to the commotion of a show. It was raining when we arrived, so he and Rosie stood in the trailer for about 15 minutes before unloading. We then saddled both horses and rode around the grounds a bit before standing by the arena to watch. Fareed, again, did GREAT! He was not at all bothered by this new place, and remained relaxed despite all that was going on, including the rain. He put Rosie to shame, as she was much more nervous/impatient (and she is 15 years his senior).