Gabe has graduated!  He took his first steps outside of the stall today and as can be seen from the pictures the change in environment really didn't phase him at all.  He is also dog-proof thanks to the golden child and my faithful companion (the black and white dog "Flaco") that are constantly testing his limits. :)  Flaco, was sure the adventure this morning was going to lead to a trail ride, which is why he was staying so close by!  He was very confused when the ride ended just a short time later.

Gabe was clearly very proud of himself as he marched up and down the aisle.  Such a ham!

Guapo is doing fabulous!!! This morning he chewed and exhaled deeply while I was on his back.  The moment I have been waiting for the last couple of weeks!  Because of his initial reaction to being backed we brought him into the close and comfortable environment of the stall.  He is the first horse that I have had to back in a stall for training and it has been a great place for him to take his first steps.  Thank you Sharon for the suggestion and instruction!  I swear I am learning more than Guapo is!

The small, closed environment has given him time to think about and come to terms with the whole riding thing.  I think he is starting to come to the conclusion that I am not going to come down on his head for every movement or attempted effort.  He was even interested in what was going on around him today instead of travelling so far away inside of himself. 

He is also starting to show some personality and even offered to play today!  With his new-found confidence he is starting to push some boundaries as well (e.g., nipping me to get me to move along when I stopped to talk to a friend). But, in pushing them I am able to set them so it is all good news! 

I promise to post pictures soon, but the video capacity escapes me.

Guapo has kindly asked for his training process to slow down and I am happy to oblige.

He is an absolute gentleman and has a clear desire to be in my pocket and to trust me, but he demonstrates a lack of familiarity with our species as a whole.  For example, it took him four weeks before he rested a hind leg while being groomed rather than standing at attention.  If a whip is brought out as a tool (not as a weapon), he shuts down.  In fact, I think his easy acceptance of the lunging, the surcingle, the ground driving, and the saddle, were all carried out in a mode of apparent tonic immobility rather than true trust.

He does not trust that a human's response will be kind or measured.  He needs time.  So, although he has carried me on his back, I am bringing it all back to the ground level basics.  This sounds like an apology even to my own ears, but it is not really.  I just wanted to explain why the posts would not continue as previously entered.  The fundamentals of his training will shape the rest of his life, and athough it is tempting to rush it to get results or to get over excited about wanting to ride him (he is going to be a blast!), it is not what seems right for him at this time.

Some part of me does feel apologetic, I suppose.  The common refrain for those who do not want to adopt rescues is that "they come with baggage."  And I always defend against that notion.  But I suppose some will.  How could they not?  Rescues have histories, and horses, in particular, have memories that seem to extend generations.  Partnering with such a past, however, and creating a new (previously unimaginable) future for the horse brings with it rewards that are equally unimaginable in scope for those who have the patience and kindness of heart.  My 20+ year relationship with my horse is proof and point.

There is no question in my mind that Gabe is going to make an incredible riding horse.  He has that quality of desire the brilliant ones always do.  He cares what his human thinks.  He wants to get it right.  Now, he just needs to see the reverse is true.

Sorry to have been MIA! Where to begin, this week has brought so much!  I don't have a round pen, so I began by teaching Gabe how to lunge.  He had clearly never been lunged before so it took time for him to understand his job was to stay out on the circle, even when something scared him or he got tired.  He proved himself to be amazingly in-tune with my flickers of inattention and would turn in and spin at that very mili-second! J  With each day, though, he is more and more willing to stay out where he belongs.

As a next step, I started with a surcingle.  Tightening the cinch made him wary, but he accepted it well overall.  I played "bridle" in his stall during the hot afternoons and within a couple of days he had quickly accepted the foreign object in his mouth.  He had done the usual chewing and shaking at the beginning indicating he'd probably never had a bit in his mouth before.  But always a gentleman, he was willing to let me put it on and take it off  dozens of times.  I did some ground driving to get him used to steering and stopping and responding to the bit.  That took some time getting used to, but often even saddle horses have trouble moving out on their own ahead of the person holding the reins.  I actually think he would make a fabulous carriage horse, but unfortunately I do not have a harness sized to fit him.

I began to wonder if he'd been ridden, maybe in a hackamore, but ridden none the less.  I put a saddle on, lunged him, snapped the stirrups, let them bounce around.  No reaction.  No butt tucking, no bucking, no running from the saddle on the lunge line.  He was present and listening, aware, but didn't seem afraid.  A few days of that and shaking the saddle and putting weight in the stirrups, and leaning over his back, and still nothing.  It was time.  After all, maybe it would be a non-event, maybe he had been a saddle horse.

Based on my relationship with Gabe I wanted to be at his head for his first time.  My wonderful husband was game to be first up and Sharon was also at his head.  Guapo knew Sharon and I well and trusted us, so I figured that was the best arrangement to start.  J. leaned into the saddle and Guapo stood still.  Listening to what was going on back there, but not overly concerned.  J. slowly got onto the saddle, carefully ensuring not to touch his rump with his leg as it swung over and sat quietly and softly into the seat.  Nothing.  We all started joking that we were making a big ordeal out of the process and Guapo was probably wondering what all the fuss was about.

We were wrong.  We asked him to take a step forward and Guapo expressed himself for the first time in an explosion of incredible grace and power.  Sharon and I didn't stand a chance containing it.  J. sailed equally as gracefully off into the dirt, Guapo ran to the corner of the arena and turned toward us.  His head low.  No victory lap, no malice, just a look of concern and "whoa, what just happened!?"  I caught him easily, he put his nose into my chest, and I assured him that what he had done was not going to be reprimanded.  Honest expressions of fear would always be met with patience and understanding.  J. came over to assure him of the same and we brought him back to the block.  J. is a trooper!!  It took a few tries, but we did finally get a step before he would lose it completely.  One step at a time.

So, Guapo has shouted loud and clear that he has never been ridden!  J. is sound and healthy (albeit a little sore!) as is Guapo.  For me, the training moment was a beautiful one.  Gabe clearly thought he was going to "get it good" for his actions.  The trust that was built in the moment I rubbed his neck, the softening of his eye, the whites returning back beneath his eyelid, that is what this is all about for me.  Guapo is an "introvert" of the strongest variety and has only shown me glimpses of his true personality.  It seems he fears even making a mistake.  I look forward to him learning each day that his personality is very much wanted in the equation, even if it is an expression of fear.   Only when he comes out of his shell will he truly begin to enjoy the companionship he already seems to seek.

We have had several sessions since that day and he now understands that I am not a lion on his back about to sink my teeth into his neck.  He is still very concerned about my weight shifting or how he is going to carry me through a turn,  but each day he makes significant strides.  I would be remiss if I did not thank Sharon (shown in picture with the golden child) and J. heartily for all of their patience and help in getting Guapo through these important challenges.

I am working on posting video soon so you can see him move, he is truly beautiful!