Shiloh in Video Clips

After sharing several videos of Piper in my previous post, today it is Shiloh’s turn.

Shiloh is such a pleasure. Of course, he is a real horse and I am a real rider. We have our share of less than stellar moments together. Nevertheless, I very much enjoy him.

See what we’ve been doing lately in this post’s series of video clips.

Please note- My Pivo recording device wasn’t working well during one of my rides so you might have to wait a second until Shiloh and I come into camera view. 🙂

We can foxtrot over a ground pole now! This is exciting to me because we started off a few years ago not being able to walk over even one ground pole without risking life and limb. For us, it is a Napoleon Dynamite “Things are getting pretty serious” moment.

Next you can see how delightfully calm Shiloh is about crossing over my new trail bridge. It was a none issue for Shiloh from day one.

Interestingly, though, our one point of miss-communication regarding the obstacle is when I try to ask him to stop with all four hooves on the bridge. Going over the bridge? No problem. Stopping on the bridge with two front hooves? Easy. But all fours? We have yet to master it. Per Barbra Schulte’s advice, I need to improve my clarity in communicating to Shiloh what I am asking.

Similarly, I have plenty of work to do with the rope gate obstacle. I need to better convey to Shiloh what I want him to do during each phase. Traditionally, folks open and close gates from horseback when working cattle. Ideally, you keep your horse neat and tidy in his movements. That way, you don’t accidentally let out any of the cows. Opening and closing a rope gate obstacle is supposed to simulate that scenario. Here, I’m afraid Shiloh and I would have lost the entire herd!

It’s always fun to foxtrot. If the Pivo doesn’t track me properly, at least I can hear the cadence of Shiloh’s hoof beats even with a lawn mower running in the background. Despite the lack of a visual, I can still identify how consistent we are in the gait.

Coming off of our Winter break, I find that maintaining his foxtrot takes some concentration. Ditto for encouraging him to stretch towards the rein contact and open his back. When he gets tired or tense, he sometimes reverts to the dreaded pace.

I wrote about those issues in last year’s post Ride The Horse Underneath You. Each year, Shiloh gets a little better at coming back into form after Winter break. Yet it is still a gradual process.

While we have mostly been working at home, Shiloh and I had our first off-the-property ride recently. We trailered over to the nearby boarding barn. This was our first riding trip without Bear’s company. Shiloh was insecure with the arrangement. He called out while traveling in the trailer and announced his presence loudly when we arrived to the barn.

We were the only ones working in the outdoor that day. Other horses were in the barn, nearby pastures and the indoor arena. Shiloh kept wondering where everyone was. He was clearly nervous. I wish I was enough for him to feel completely secure away from home, but alas, that is not the case yet.

Nevertheless, he stood still for mounting. He never spooked, balked, jigged or got “broncy.” Just before I dismounted, I snapped a photo of him in his fly mask (a larger design to fit over a bridle for use during riding). Those silly ears make me smile.

I’ll close with this video clip taken on Memorial Day as we worked with the flag. It’s my personal, quiet tribute to fallen soldiers and the service animals that died with them. I retain my country’s freedoms, including that of being able to enjoy my horses, because of such sacrifices.