Here are the changes I see...
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Cinnamon's One Month Pictures
Here are Cinnamon's One Month Pictures! She's gaining a lot of confidence and she's more calm and curious in general. She is still very human-attached and has a little bit of separation anxiety, but she isn't barn sour anymore and now she likes to go out for grooming or for exercise. She is getting used to riding and getting better every day!
When contrasted with the "Before" Picture...
I can't wait for her to improve more for the 2 month pictures!
Cinnamon's Supplements
Here are the supplements I've been using. I selected these based on recommendations, nutritional analysis and value. I feed once per day.
I use a general multivitamin, a coat supplement and a hoof supplement because they all have different active ingredients. I mix them with Oat-Mo because it is relatively inexpensive and Cinnamon is a VERY picky eater, but she likes these when they're mixed with Oat-Mo.
I have found that Stateline Tack has the best prices, especially when you get free shipping during one of their sales.
General Multivitamin Supplement: For-A-Flex Pro-Vita
$12.99 for 5lbs or $0.17 per day
I like the idea of feeding a general multivitamin for overall health, immune system and organ function. This is fairly economical and has good nutritional content.
$27.49 for 5lbs or $0.35 per day
I believe this is the supplement that is making the biggest difference in Cinnamon's coat. It is much softer and is beginning to really shine.
Hoof Supplement: Source Focus HF
$19.95 for 3.5lbs or $0.53 per day
This is the most expensive of the supplements and takes the longest to see results. I am going to evaluate at 3 months and reassess whether I want to use this. I probably would not use this on a horse that already has good feet considering the relatively high cost.
I use a general multivitamin, a coat supplement and a hoof supplement because they all have different active ingredients. I mix them with Oat-Mo because it is relatively inexpensive and Cinnamon is a VERY picky eater, but she likes these when they're mixed with Oat-Mo.
I have found that Stateline Tack has the best prices, especially when you get free shipping during one of their sales.
General Multivitamin Supplement: For-A-Flex Pro-Vita
$12.99 for 5lbs or $0.17 per day
I like the idea of feeding a general multivitamin for overall health, immune system and organ function. This is fairly economical and has good nutritional content.
Coat Supplement: Grand Meadows Grand Coat
$27.49 for 5lbs or $0.35 per day
I believe this is the supplement that is making the biggest difference in Cinnamon's coat. It is much softer and is beginning to really shine.
$19.95 for 3.5lbs or $0.53 per day
This is the most expensive of the supplements and takes the longest to see results. I am going to evaluate at 3 months and reassess whether I want to use this. I probably would not use this on a horse that already has good feet considering the relatively high cost.
Training Tips and Best Practices
I'm by no means a horse trainer, these are just the tips and tricks I've picked up that have worked for me with Cinnamon and other horses and animals I've worked with.
1. Never use negative reinforcement. This hopefully is obvious to most people, but negative reinforcement will just not work for a rescued horse (or dog) because they've likely been damaged by abuse in the past. Not only will this not work, but if attempted, this technique will leave you with a nervous animal that cannot absorb any training for the rest of the session. If Cinnamon does something non-desirable, I just ignore it, and wait for a good behavior to positively reinforce.
2. Be generous with positive reinforcement. I use voice, physical touch (a pat on the shoulder) and treats in that order. If Cinnamon does something small that warrants a reward, I tell her "GOOD GIRL!". If she undergoes a somewhat stressful experience like picking up her hooves for the first few times, I give her a treat to reward her (which she considers a pretty big deal). This system has been pretty successful in getting her to learn desired behaviors.
These are Cinnamon's Favorite Treats, In Peppermint
They are only $2.99 a pack and the horses go crazy for them. I also like them because they're nutritionally complete.
3. Less is More. I try to always err on the side of less activity, especially in the beginning. This means for the first couple weeks I only took Cinny out for 10-20 minutes per day. When exercise started, that meant beginning with 10 minutes of walking and trotting. This allows the horse to adapt comfortably and it lessens the chance of the horse getting overwhelmed and having a bad experience, which I think is a big setback. The more positive training sessions, the more the horse enjoys going out, learning, etc.
4. Always End on a Good Note. This is another reason to keep training sessions short and sweet. I try to always end with Cinnamon doing something good, then receiving a big reward and ending the session. I think that horses remember the last few minutes of the training session the most and I think this is the part that "sinks in". I also always end with giving her supplements once she's cooled down and put away, which she looks forward to.
1. Never use negative reinforcement. This hopefully is obvious to most people, but negative reinforcement will just not work for a rescued horse (or dog) because they've likely been damaged by abuse in the past. Not only will this not work, but if attempted, this technique will leave you with a nervous animal that cannot absorb any training for the rest of the session. If Cinnamon does something non-desirable, I just ignore it, and wait for a good behavior to positively reinforce.
2. Be generous with positive reinforcement. I use voice, physical touch (a pat on the shoulder) and treats in that order. If Cinnamon does something small that warrants a reward, I tell her "GOOD GIRL!". If she undergoes a somewhat stressful experience like picking up her hooves for the first few times, I give her a treat to reward her (which she considers a pretty big deal). This system has been pretty successful in getting her to learn desired behaviors.
These are Cinnamon's Favorite Treats, In Peppermint
They are only $2.99 a pack and the horses go crazy for them. I also like them because they're nutritionally complete.
3. Less is More. I try to always err on the side of less activity, especially in the beginning. This means for the first couple weeks I only took Cinny out for 10-20 minutes per day. When exercise started, that meant beginning with 10 minutes of walking and trotting. This allows the horse to adapt comfortably and it lessens the chance of the horse getting overwhelmed and having a bad experience, which I think is a big setback. The more positive training sessions, the more the horse enjoys going out, learning, etc.
4. Always End on a Good Note. This is another reason to keep training sessions short and sweet. I try to always end with Cinnamon doing something good, then receiving a big reward and ending the session. I think that horses remember the last few minutes of the training session the most and I think this is the part that "sinks in". I also always end with giving her supplements once she's cooled down and put away, which she looks forward to.
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