First Play Session of 2009

That's crazy to think that its actually 2009. And it's even crazier to think I have to go back to school on Monday. During this break, Woody and I have improved so much in that he wants to be with me more (comes to the gate almost every time), seems more willing, revealed even more his true Horsenality (been VERY LBE), and we have had several Sideways sessions and has improved. Just imagine the improvement we will have later this year when I'm homeschoooled!
Anyways, yesterday I went out and met him at the gate with carrots and headed up the hill together with Charlotte. Mom hasn't been out lately with Charlotte and gave me permission to play with her today, so I put her and Wood in the round pen while I went to get my stuff. I came back, put Woody's halter on easily and brought him outside the round pen to wait his turn. I went back in the round pen to Charlotte and tried to halter her, to which she turned around and walked off. I said "how interesting" and started playing the catching game. It didn't take her long to follow me around, so I presented the halter again and, again, she walked off. We kept doing this until I was able to rub her all over with the halter and scratch her neck with it (her itchy spot). Then I put it around her neck and she accepted it fine. I gave her a piece of a cookie and let her sit for a minute. Then, we did some point to point with barrels and cones with treats at a coupleof them which was fun for both of us. I asked her next to put her front feet on the pedestal, and after a while of trying I was happy with the two feet up but left after a couple seconds.
She did pretty well all in all and I think she had a good time playing and incorporating the cookies that she loves.
While I was having this session I would periodically look at Woody standing by the gate messing with all my equipment. It was really funny because I would hear a commotion and I looked over and he had pulled the 22' line off the fence and was chewing on it. He was also having a ball trying to get the 45' lone off the top rung of the round pen gate and was pulling on the clip trying to bring it down. He was definitely entertaining me not to mention himself. I brought him in and did a bit On Line to warm him up and then took the line off and spent the rest of the time playing at Liberty. My dad came over to watch, so it was fun putting on a mini performance for him. He was so energenic and expressive it was really fun playing with him. We did some circles at the trot and then when he began to come closer to me as he usually does while circling I asked for a downward transition to the walk. He usually thinks it means turn around but this time he stopped and asked a question and I sent him off a bit and he walked! He had some trouble staying out there and acted like he didn't know if he was right, so he keot coming in to me, but I kept sending him out gently. Finally he gave me 2 circles of being connected but not coming in, so I rewarded him and brought him in and gave him a cookie. We then did some Stick to me which was awesome at the walk and at the trot he would pin his ears and act like he was going to bite me (flashback to Sassy), so I used the stick to block him and protect my space and he stopped trying to nip but still had his ears back. How interesting. We did a bit of Stick to me jumping, stopping, backing up and Squeeze Game (#7) jumping also. We worked on him canter too in the circle game and it keeps getting easier and easier to have him pick it up (only had to smooch and didn't have to use stick barely at all). He still can't hold it for more than a couple strides, but its still improvement. We di a couple other things too, like doing change direction in the circle which was really fun because he would turn and look at me with his face lit up and then wheel around and take off the other direction with a buck. It is SOOOO fun playing at Liberty and I am so excited at how much we have progressed together.
Things to work on: look up on the Savvy Forum about nipping for LBE and how I can prevent it kindly and keep working on that canter!
~Eden