Manners Time

Ok so this morning I was able to work with both, in my traditional way. Too bad I couldn't do this the entire time.

Maverik: Well this morning I worked on backing up from pressure (Clinton Anderson Style) and he picked up in this pretty good. He was crooked and kept trying to take his eyes away from me, so this was a super good exercise for him. I then practiced walk and rub. I put him on the end of the rope facing with 2 eyes, and then walk quickly up to him and rub his nose and muzzle until he relaxes. He wasn't moving his feet backwards when I was done, but still leaned backwards, but I accepted that for his first time. I then lunged him and reversed him a lot for a little bit, he did good as always with that. Then he got tied up and practiced picking up his feet. If I lean down and put my hand on his forearm and say "Pick" he will put his hoof in my other hand. However, his hind legs are still sticky, he'll pick them up but is stiff about bending them for me hehe.

Fallon: Fallon did pretty good this morning. She is so lazy that you'd think I was asking the world to make her move. She can be super fiesty but if your persistent and firm and don't nag at her and expect her to do it, then she will do it without too much fuss. But If I go in to something thinking "I wonder if she'll do this" then she gives me a toddler tantrum about it, and I have to switch to something she knows until I can get my frame of mind in the "She's going to do this, wether she wants to or not" attitude. Then when I return to that exercise she does fine if I have that attitude. I have to make sure that this big filly goes to someone with experience with lazy horses because if not, they will not get along and it would be a bad fit for her. As far as what I did this morning, I backed her, she was NOT keen on this but I was adament she do it. She's like a teenager I swear that can throw toddler tantrums. You know the ones in the supermarket where they throw themselves on the ground kicking and screaming and the only thing you can do is walk away because their past the point of reason. Thats her hehe. She backed up in the end though and moved slow for me, but in her book rather quickly. I had to remind her to keep that hip paralell with me and not show it to me and when we got that figured out we were good. I then lunged her a bit to remind her to keep her nose off the halter when she goes round. But when I got to picking up her feet. WOW. She will pick ALL 4 of them up on cue for me. Proud moment!

I wish I had a flag to practice with and fun stuff to desenitize with so if anyone has any cheap or free idea's that I can use to get them used to stuff please comment and let me know.