People Who Don't Love Horses Are Just Crazy!

My two beautiful boys!
This statement is so true. I mean, I don't understand how people can't love how they look, or how they SMELL, or how they move. Those people who don't love them are just crazy. I had a great day today with ALL the horses. I started with Teddy and haltered him (he is SO easy to catch now) I put the 22-foot line on him for the first time and practiced leading and following me. He is so good he left slack in the line so it was like he was walking, trotting, stopping, and backing up with me at Liberty. I then worked on teaching him how to send off. I put feel in the rope the direction is wanted him to go, and then I would support with the flag at his shoulder area. He would just walk off away from me and stay connected so nicely, I was really pleased with him. Once we had that going well I started sending him places. I sent him to the cone (we were doing short range at first) and had him touch it. Then the other cone. Then the ball and the tarp, etc. He did really well at catching on to the game. He was a little wary of the tarp at first, so I picked it up and dragged it and shook it all around walking away from him. He eventually got curious so he would walk closer, and when I stopped he came and stepped on it. He walked across it and he was fine with it. When I sent him to the ball he went over to it, and started pushing it around. It was so cute and definitely an improvement from the last time I introduced it when he ran away from it. I unhooked the line from him and we walked and trotted back to the barn with him following me at Liberty. Good session for Teddy Boy.
I haltered Woody next and played with sending him over the log and us walking over it, and then backing him up to the log after he went over it. We then went to the other log and played with putting specific feet over the log. He put just one over it, then the front two, then backed up so none were over it, then walked over it completely. It caused him to really focus on what I was asking and stay present so he know what foot I wanted over it. We then did some walking circles on the hill for a bit, and he did a nice change of direction on the circle, too. We went over to another, less steep hill and worked on trotting circles and keeping his body away from me, next. Lastly, we went to an even-ground place and worked on our canter transitions. He was really snotty about them at first, kicking up and putting his head down. But, after he did a couple transitions, it got smoother and he stopped protesting. We did that both ways, and then went back to the barn. I grabbed my helmet, 12 foot rope, made reins, and headed out to the log to hop on him. He pulled right up and I got on and we were off. I mainly just wanted to go up and down the hills at a walk (I figured that would build more muscle than using momentum to get up them), and he did well. We went under the tree and relaxed for a bit, then went back to the barn. His halter-riding is so good. He didn't push out against me at all. This is because I got him with me on the ground and got his thought easy to shape and maneuver, then on his back it was the same thing. **when there is a physical brace or objection, it is because there is a mental block**
I then decided to exercise Charlotte some, so I haltered her, saddled her up, and circled her a bit to get her with me. I tightened her girth and hopped on. She stood still, and when I asked her to leave the barn, there wasn't a hint of objection like there was last time we rode. She trotted away from the barn really nicely, and I wondered what would happen if I asked for a canter, and she gave me a beautiful one! It was really great! After that, we pretty much spent the rest of our ride cantering all around the pasture. We would occasionally stop for a break and she would sometimes get a little bit of a cookie. She loved it and we were both having fun. She was fairly light for riding in her halter, too! I was really pleased with our ride.
I was talking to Mom about how she seemed really eager to canter, and she thinks its because of her new saddle and how it fits a whole lot better than her old one. This could very possibly be true, but whatever it is, I am loving her new found awesome canter!
~Eden