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Post by fantasykiger on May 5, 2008 11:47:16 GMT -5
In my never ending quest to find just the right communication tools to make riding Fantasy a pleasant experience everytime and gain back years of lost confidence, I have tried a number of trainers methods and found that repitition, such as doing the same thing (one que one action) over and over again, can in the end leave you with an angry Kiger. You can almost watch it go from an action they do not understand to, is this what your asking? doing it correctly once and getting the release, then repeat, possibly make a mistake and give you the wrong response, then go back to doing it correctly and repeat correct response 3 or 4 more times. You continue to ask, they contintue to respond correctly, after about the 7th time the tail starts to swish back and forth they are slightly irritated to why you are still pestering them. Now they start anticipating and making the move before you even ask, they get quicker and more frustrated eventually shutting down and you have come no where near the 50 times the trainer said you need to repeat this to solidfy this in your horses brain...  Now maybe you misunderstood the trainer and really he meant 50 times in a week not in one lesson. Possibly he just never worked with a Kiger Mustang. Maybe it is just my horse that works this way. But if I recall I have heard that other owners have the same experience with their Kigers. Once they have completed the task correctly a few times you need to move on to something new. Not to say that the next day you can not go back over what you did the day before. If I try to go in the with the plan to do alot of repititions of one thing such as, let go in and do 20 perfect, go forward 8 steps stop and back 5. While I could probably get my horse to do it in the end she would have her ears pinned back, her tail swishing and not look forward to entering the arena the next day. I bring this up because I recently purchased another trainers DVD and he mentions repetitions, while he states you only ask for 5 to 7 correct responses and then move over to the other side of the horse. In the same breath he says you need to this 100's of times. I suppose there are some horses where 100's of times applies and in his DVD he has to cover all horses but in my opinion that does not apply to the Kiger Mustang. So what do you guys think? and what has been your experience? |
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Post by canadiankigers on May 5, 2008 15:46:39 GMT -5
Tiffany:
When I read your post I could not help laughing!!! You have no idea how many times Kizzy has gotten bored with me. It seems like I cannot keep up with her some days. She is just a sponge always wanting to know more.
I have researched untold numbers of trainers here in Ontario and it all comes down to the same thing. The old "A horse is a horse" mentality. They just don't know how to wrap their minds around the fact that Kigers are different.
I didn't want to go out of Ontario, but if I am going to find a trainer that can handle this type of mind set, it looks like I am going to have to either go out west or into the US. No disrespect to our Ontario trainers, but they just can't get past that mental definition of what a horse is or should be.
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Post by nrly on May 5, 2008 17:16:16 GMT -5
we are still trying to give Stormy things to think about everyday, as far as trainers go I listen to what they say, allot are alike, but then I do what I felt was best for her, a bit of this one and maybe a bit of that one, but then I do what I do, a friend taught her how to stand at the mounting block so I can mount, which I have to refresh her at it ever so often since i am not riding as often as I should for her to remember or get it automatic., and I do 3 times, and she is good to go. So for me the rep is a few times and then move on to something else. Does this help you. Also when she is right she is rewarded with pelletts only when she is doing it right.
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Post by stlkigers on May 5, 2008 22:45:21 GMT -5
I have to say that the one thing I have heard about Kigers from TONS of people with them is that they get bored easily...And you have to keep their mind engaged....or they get into all sorts of mischief (good or bad)...
This colt I have now and the last colt my Kiger mare had are both definitely like this...it's old hat after 2 times...
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Post by fantasykiger on May 6, 2008 12:12:30 GMT -5
Well the trainer wrote me back when I asked him much the same question and he thinks maybe I am not being consistant with my ques, is why Fantasy gets frustrated with repitition. Heavens knows I am not perfect but I know that is not completely it. She gets bored and she is at heart a lazy mare. I do like alot things about the trainer (by the way is Ryan Gingerich) and the way he works with troubled horses, trouble is he needs to work with a Kiger Mustang to understand my troubles....LOL ;D
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Post by nrly on May 6, 2008 16:41:09 GMT -5
thst is so true Tiffany, if I did not own a Kiger I would not have a clue, I too would have lumped them in that horse mentality pile. This breed is so different, and we are all in a new frontier here, John Lyons has worked with Kigers, have you asked him.
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Post by stlkigers on May 6, 2008 22:55:59 GMT -5
. I do like alot things about the trainer (by the way is Ryan Gingerich) and the way he works with troubled horses, trouble is he needs to work with a Kiger Mustang to understand my troubles....LOL ;D Ah Tiffany..... Ryan eh? I could solve that...He's 20 minutes from me...and about 10 minutes from 2 of my Kiger geldings I sold! Hehehe.....As close as we live, I have never seen him do anything around here....Seems like he travels alot...I would love to see him in person, I enjoy most of what I see him do on RFD though.... Angela |
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Post by fantasykiger on May 7, 2008 11:19:16 GMT -5
He does travel alot or so it seems for his show and expos. I do imagine he has to come home sometime....LOL as he only has new programing every other month. But he spends at least 4 days with each horse he visits to work with. His show is entertaining when he gets the real problem horses for sure.
So Angela I think maybe you should drop a Kiger Mustang off at his door step....LOL ;D
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Post by canadiankigers on May 7, 2008 13:06:00 GMT -5
Boy, would I love to be there to see the look on his face when he comes out to do chores and finds a Kiger tied to his porch. LOL!!!! Oh to be a fly on the wall. Hee hee hee. Do you think he might have room for one more Canadian Kiger?  ?? LOL!!!! |
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Post by nrly on May 7, 2008 16:36:36 GMT -5
way to funny, but I agree my luck though he has fly predators, and I be the one they get. for real that would be wonderful to have him work with one and show it on his show.
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Post by angelsdream on May 12, 2008 11:21:27 GMT -5
Yes I do see Mav gets bored with me. Im the one he's teaching most of the time.  |
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Post by lwood92 on May 16, 2008 9:28:02 GMT -5
Tiffany,
I do not envy your quest for the right training tools for the Kigers. I am reminded by this discussion how blessed I am to be working with Michelle and Eric. They really know how to work with Kigers and the horses respond really wonderfully to them.
It has been really wonderful for me to learn how to work with the Kigers and then carry that over to the other breeds I work with. It still amazes me to see the differences between the breeds.
I think one thing that really helps in training a Kiger is to give them a focus. For instance, set up some sort of obstacle and use that obstacle to work on whatever you are training your horse to do (hindquarter, sideways, etc.). Then they have something to focus on, not just you making them do something over and over again.
Just my two cents, good luck with your training.
Lynn
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Post by fantasykiger on May 16, 2008 14:18:10 GMT -5
Thanks for any and all advice when it comes to training.
Although I am begining to think the majority of my issues with Fantasy are ones individual to just her being Fantasy. Her daughter Wickee definately has some typical Kiger characteristics and antics that I see over and over again with all my 1/2 Kigers or hear about from other Kiger owners...yet thankfully she is no where near as difficult as her dam Fantasy. She is actually very nice to work with, quick and smart. That could be because Fantasy taught me so much of what not to do, I did not make the same mistakes bringing up Wickee as I did when I first had Fantasy. I am just assuming and typing while I am thinking....LOL
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Post by DianneC on May 17, 2008 10:33:43 GMT -5
One thing I noticed about Smoke was that he responded so well to praise. When he did something hard I'd give a "wahoo!" and make a fuss while we stood for a minute so he could soak on what he'd done. If he knew he had a favorite thing at the end of the lesson he would be better about working on what I wanted to work on. His favorite thing was running cones. The other thing I noticed is that he would really think about any new thing he had learned (I think he did the mental version that night in his stall) and would want to show off how well he could do it the next time. If I didn't give him the chance to do that he would get frustrated.
But the best was to have my trainer ride Chinny while I rode Smoke. Talk about showing off! Smoke wouldn't put a foot wrong, and was the lightest and softest, almost like he was saying Nanny nanny Mom's riding ME! What a personality.
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Post by fantasykiger on May 17, 2008 14:29:58 GMT -5
Oh that is to funny...Dianne ;D Smoke sounds like a true character indeed.
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?? LOL!!!!
