Step Forward

Finally a nice day, and I decided to have a session with Chance as it has been far too long and I want to try to work with the horses more. Hopefully that will be a reality and not just a hope!

Chance was in a frisky mood at first, playing with Lexi and Dessi so we played the catching game first, he quickly let me catch him. Halter went on and off to the round pen we went. I started with lots of friendly game with the rope as I had big plans for said rope later on. I had the 12’ rope on his halter as well as a second 12’ rope that I tossed over his back, and then would just lay it on his back, letting it rest there or dangle. After lots of Friendly Game we then went through the rest of our games with the rope just laying across his back.

Then I took the rope and hooked it onto itself and slowly tightened it to simulate cinching up him. He got a little tense at first but was soon licking and chewing. We then played the games with the rope cinch around his belly. He was really calm and quiet, there was just one part where I think he felt a bit trapped and did two tiny little bounces (no where near the bucking and rearing I’ve seen him do) then promptly stopped, licked and chewed and let out a huge sigh.

I then put a saddle pad on, with the cinch over the pad and slowly tightened it again and we played out games. He was doing really good with all that, okay if I were to tug on the cinch and make it tighter, and even okay if he stepped on the long part of the rope which was on the ground and had it tighten on his own. He would use his brain and just back off the rope rather then panic.

So we ended it there, he was such a good boy!!