So Awesome!

Yesterday, we went to train the fillies in the morning, because we had to be at the fair at 10:00. When we got there Coffie was laying down. When we walked out to the pasture Frosty layed down. So, we decided that we would forgo our plans of teaching lunging and see if they would let us pet them while they were laying down. So, I walked a few steps toward her and then walked a way, walked a little closer and then walked away. I kept repeating this cycle until I was able to let her smell my hand, and then walked away, came back and petted her face more, walked away, came back and sat by her head and rubbed her. When I was walking towards her I made sure to watch for signs of her tensing up. If she had thrown her head up, I would have retreated immediately. The reason I was always retreating was because horses are most vulnerable when they are laying down. If I am always retreating I do not seem like a predator.

Aleythia tried to go up to Coffie, but she got up when she was 20 feet away. Toffy layed down and she was able to go up to her. Ya know those paintings of cowboys taking a nap against their horses. They've got the hat over their face and their ankles crossed... We were able to do that. When Aleythia was sitting next to Toffy we heard the train coming and I told Aleythia that she had better get up before the train got here, because we didn't know what the fillies would do. When we saw the train Aleythia got up and when they blew the horn Toffy got up stood there for a second and then all the fillies ran to the horses on the other side of the fence.

Today, we trimmed Toffy's and Frosty's feet. They did pretty good. We had the trial with Frosty, and we figured out that we had to take the hoof knife and tap it against the bottom of their feet. The sound the hoof knife made was like the sound of the clippers, so when we clipped their feet we had very little trouble. We didn't just clip it all off the first time we picked up the foot, we would clip a little off and then let them rest their foot. Clip a little more and let them rest. The filing was pretty easy to do too.

I also rode Santana and Misstack, and Aleythia rode Ana. With Santana I worked on being able to sit his trot, which is akin to using a jackhammer. I figured out that one of the reasons I lose my balance so  often is because I anticipate the turn, so I lean into it and Santana doesn't turn right away so he isn't there to support my turn so I lose my balance. Otherwise I just need to practice siting his trot more often.

Never underestimate the power of standing still 

With Misstack I taught her how to flex at the poll, and did some walk, trot transitions. I also did some backing up and she is getting better. I had her flex while she was moving too, and after every transition. So if I asked her to halt I wouldn't let go of the reign pressure until she flexed her poll. When I asked her to back up I would keep asking her to back up until she dropped her head and I got a couple nice backwards steps with a lowered head.

And Aleythia rode Ana. She was trying to get Ana to do a working walk, and I think she was doing it.

This used to be the only way she would stand still. If you were moving on her back she stood still.. If not she would be off in less than three seconds.