Man today was productive! I'm tired now though. After breakfast I rode Bill horse and she was quite full of beans when I was lunging her so I was feeling a bit chicken! Still I rode her and she was very good. The activity was nice because it meant I didn't have to work so hard to keep her going. I did trot poles on her and she was perfect, walking over them first and then trotting. Her turning and forwardness is improving so much. We managed our first full lap of canter on the left lead and I got two strides on the right lead which is much weaker and was a lot more like leaping before she broke and popped up onto the left. She is very weak on tat canter lead. Then the farriers arrived, 45 minutes early so I didn't get another crack at the right lead, and everything got shod.
I have had huge issues with Bill and her back feet and farriers. She is fine for me to handle her back feet now, but I used to have to pick them up with a rope so I didn't get to close to those flying feet. Then she nearly took the farriers block off and so she never gets her back feet done. They stay nice anyway, and sometimes I give them a wee file. Anyway a little while ago I took her over to the cattle yards and roped up her back legs (one at a time) and just let her go ballistic and fight herself. I know thats not the sort of thing you admit to on the internets, but a drastic measure was needed. So today I picked up her feet and then the farrier took them off me and she was really really good. He didn't nail that tightly and said they may not last but hey thats progress. She is really growing up.
Then after work I lunged Rascal and she was good enough and so I rode her too. She is unfit and weak but work will sort her out. I can't wait to do more. So many horses to ride! I'm going pretty easy on Kate until her saddle arrives, and Connie will be turned out after a few more hunts probably and I'll just give her the occasional light ride to keep her ticking over. I'm looking forward to doing some clinics especially with Kate. And Rascal. And Bill. And Connie. Ha
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You gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. ;-) I broke Izzy of pulling back when tied up by tying her with a rope halter and letting her go for it. She figured that one out quickly. (She pulled back because she was mad, not scared. Def don't go that route with a scared horse.)
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine keeping up with four horses. You're incredible.
Sometimes you just have to do things as tough as the horse pushes your way. IF it wasn't that bad you wouldn't have needed those measures but it sounds like it worked and that's what counts.
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