Cloud is relegated to the upper pasture on hay for now while I get the fence hot. She has no worries about just pushing under, and the grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side of the fence. Cloud embodies that maxim perfectly. Big field of green grass, and she goes under to get what is on the other side. So, I don't want her getting hurt, so she is off the fields until I get it fixed, which is in process. Won't hurt her to NOT have grass for a little while...
So, when we started our play session ALL she wanted of course was the grass. How to make myself more interesting or at least to get her respect. So I took Chaco's lead and decided that it was time for a little Join Up game, a la Monty Roberts. Not that she isn't joined up and very friendly, but, she has her own ideas thinks she is the dominate one. She is following Chaco and Tresa around like they are Mom and Dad!
So in the round pen we go and she is not happy as the others are 20 yards away in the next field. So I said well time to go, and she went easily enough. She kept that one ear on me and the other on the herd for quite some time, until she finally started to drop her head, lick and chew, all the signs. So I turned away, which let her stop, however, she was not ready to come to me. It took a good 20 minutes until she started to see what she needed to do in order to stop. 1) Trot with her head down 2) Turn to me and 3) Come on over and follow me.
That accomplished, I brought in the bareback pad for her to investigate, which naturally she stepped on and moved about with her feet. No problem with it flying about and landing on her, all over, head, neck, rump etc. So on with the cinch, not even a twitch! Gently of course, I tighten several times over the course of 5 minutes or so. On the last tightening when I sent her off, she did show a little rolling "buck" hard to even call it that, but a hippity hop, then done, all was ok.
So we slowed down and repeated our lesson from the day before. Move the hind end, move the front end, don't walk over me, lateral flexion...She was really giving softly to the flexion and disengaging beautifully in just a few minutes! When she has these pieces down without a question, then it is time to get on!
I have pictures to post, however, the upload does not seem to be responding! I'll try again later!
No comments:
Post a Comment