WOODY
I have played with him a handful of times since my last update. Mostly our sessions have consisted of working our way towards long line driving. I have gotten more and more back in zones 4/5, and he is pretty consistent in stopping when I stop, and slowing and speeding up when I do. I have also been sending him over a couple of jumps at a walk and trot, and he doesn't even think about not jumping it. Pretty cool stuff! I guess all I needed was to fix that go button and keep giving him opportunities to practice letting go of those thoughts easily (mainly the thought of not wanting to go).
I have also ridden him a couple times casually just hanging out in the pasture bareback. I had forgotten what a wonderful bareback he has, and it was definitely fun to get on and hang out. Those couple of times I did ride him I rode him in his halter in the pasture, and then work in the bridle has definitely transferred over to the halter! He didn't question what we were gonna do, and was easy to turn and go and stop. We did some little tasks like going to retrieve the flag from the barn, checking the round pen caps, and we also herded Charlotte up the hill to Mom. It was fun to just get on and go, and it really shows how much Woody has improved in that I would always have to play with him before I felt he was ready to ride. Now I feel fine just hopping on and going.
CHARLOTTE
I have played with Charlotte a bit recently, and she has been doing well! Mainly I have been riding her bareback on a couple of trail rides, but one day I worked with her on some Finesse concepts. I tried some of the stuff Terrie talked about in our lesson with Woody on her, and it actually felt really cool. We worked on the soft feel at the walk and trot, holding the feel and contact around turns and bends, and then gently releasing back into a loose rein. One thing I noticed with her is that she wouldn't keep the "go-ey"ness in whatever gait she was in when I asked her for bends or when I released her into a long rein or when I brought her up with contact. We spent some time working on her not being so ready to quit on me, and we got some REALLY good feeling stuff several times! I have also been on the mission of figuring out her sitting trot while bareback, and I recently have really felt like I've really figured out how to sit and ride it softly, yet actively.
TEDDY
I have been working with Teddy with a couple things. Mainly I have been working with his haltering. He still gets a bit worried when I approach him with hit, so I have spent a bit of time out there with it in my hand just concerning myself with rubbing on him and spending time with him. This has definitely helped and he has become increasingly easier to halter. I have also been realizing that he is MUCH more sensitive than, say, a horse like Charlotte. Therefore, he doesn't need to be yelled at, and when I do yell at him he gets very worried. So we have been practicing doing thing softer and more calm. That doesn't mean he shouldn't be able to handle me waving the flag around, but I don't need to do so much to get the message across to him.
Along with my horse work, I have gone out to Joy's farm with Terrie since I last updated. I played with three of the "big babies" (her 7 PMU draft horses). I helped out with Montana, Tristan, and Ella, along with helping a bit with all the others. I kept teaching them how to yield to pressure, disengage the hindquarters, back up off pressure, and come forward off of pressure. They are, in general, more polite than they were, but they still have a ways to go. It was fun, though, as always, and I enjoyed my time out there.
I tried taking Christmas pictures yesterday, which was difficult because I didn't have a photographer, it was FREEZING, and the horses were filthy dirty. Will have to have to have retakes considering this is the only one that turned out. Haha
~Eden
No comments:
Post a Comment