Quite a few outside complications kept me from not only going to see Rain every day this week but also from logging the days we were able to meet. We didn't introduced anything new until today, mostly just working on catching and some trust/bonding exercises. We did some leading and some more sacking out, and she's getting better and better at all of it! She's almost completely used to me touching her front legs and feet with the stick, and it's becoming a complete non-issue. Back legs are still causing some difficulties, but she's still improving!
Now today, I know I didn't feel like doing anything super strenuous, so instead of introducing something important I just brought in a new toy: a cavaletti. I wanted to give Rain a bit of a workout and help improve her concentration...plus, I was just curious as to how she was going to react! Took me about ten minutes to drag the bloody thing from the indoor to the round pen, but once I got it all set up we had a great session.
The newbies are getting more and more....courageous...and less and less respectful of both humans and other horses every time we come (since no one is doing anything with them at the moment), so they provided an effective distraction that was a quite interesting test of Rain's concentration. We were lunging, and each time she got to the side of the fence where the newbies were either three of them teamed up to try and attack her as she passed, or she stopped to put them in their place...which didn't happen. Those little babies are fearless!
But I was able to get Rain to concentrate pretty well on what I was asking her to do, and was so impressed with her investigation of the cavaletti. The first time she approached it--in both directions--she slowed down, sniffed it, and carefully stepped over it, exaggerating her movements so as to not make contact at all. By the second or third time around, she was confidently trotting over it--at any height--without any hesitation. There were a few times she even launched herself over it, making a full jump and landing in a canter for a few strides. Even though I know I'm probably a total pain in her ass, she's gotta enjoy our sessions at least a little bit...as a mustang you'd think she'd at least somewhat enjoy the exercise, even if not being too thrilled about being asked by a human to do it.
I will say she's not a spooky horse. Every time I introduce something new she doesn't freak out like some of the "trained" horses I've worked with...She may shy away or jump to the side, but after once or twice she'll calm down and cooperate. And her reaction to the cavaletti was just perfect. She calmly investigated and proceeded to step over it. Most other horses would refuse to go even within five feet of it the first time they see it, so I'm very impressed!
Now today, I know I didn't feel like doing anything super strenuous, so instead of introducing something important I just brought in a new toy: a cavaletti. I wanted to give Rain a bit of a workout and help improve her concentration...plus, I was just curious as to how she was going to react! Took me about ten minutes to drag the bloody thing from the indoor to the round pen, but once I got it all set up we had a great session.
The newbies are getting more and more....courageous...and less and less respectful of both humans and other horses every time we come (since no one is doing anything with them at the moment), so they provided an effective distraction that was a quite interesting test of Rain's concentration. We were lunging, and each time she got to the side of the fence where the newbies were either three of them teamed up to try and attack her as she passed, or she stopped to put them in their place...which didn't happen. Those little babies are fearless!
But I was able to get Rain to concentrate pretty well on what I was asking her to do, and was so impressed with her investigation of the cavaletti. The first time she approached it--in both directions--she slowed down, sniffed it, and carefully stepped over it, exaggerating her movements so as to not make contact at all. By the second or third time around, she was confidently trotting over it--at any height--without any hesitation. There were a few times she even launched herself over it, making a full jump and landing in a canter for a few strides. Even though I know I'm probably a total pain in her ass, she's gotta enjoy our sessions at least a little bit...as a mustang you'd think she'd at least somewhat enjoy the exercise, even if not being too thrilled about being asked by a human to do it.
I will say she's not a spooky horse. Every time I introduce something new she doesn't freak out like some of the "trained" horses I've worked with...She may shy away or jump to the side, but after once or twice she'll calm down and cooperate. And her reaction to the cavaletti was just perfect. She calmly investigated and proceeded to step over it. Most other horses would refuse to go even within five feet of it the first time they see it, so I'm very impressed!
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