Pedicure Time

I went into work early today so was therefore allowed to leave early and managed to get home in time to have an hour of sunlight! So I get a pocket full of treats, toss some hay to the horses and meander over to Kallie with my trimming gear. She doesn’t try to walk off at all; she is just instantly looking for treats. So of course she got a few treats and I then proceeded to rub her all over and boy was the white hair flying! She is shedding like mad!

Once I knew she was calm and comfortable I squeezed the chestnut on her from left leg, she easily picked up the foot. Her bars looked great; all I really had to do was trim back to the white line a bit and level out her heels. She didn’t try to walk off on my but she was trying to pull away her front foot a fair bit. So I would just wait it out and as soon as she stopped trying to get it away I would let her put it down, turn and smile at her, rub her neck and offer a treat. As I trimmed both front feet the tugging got less and less as I was sure to be passively persistent.

Next it was onto the back feet and I had forgotten that the last time I had to get Anna to help counter balance Kallie as she wanted to shift all of her weight into the foot that I wanted to pick up. But I was confident and patient and eventually got just what I wanted. It was almost as if she was trying to test me, but in the end I won and she followed me around for a bit licking and chewing and looking for treats.

Second Ride

Today was a bit windy and snow would fall from the sky in short bursts but I was determined to get out and work more with Kallie, the footing in the paddock was perfect and it wasn’t -20°C out so that was certainly a bonus. So off I went, easily haltered Kallie and we began to play our games, she had a bit of go in her at first and wanted to trot towards everything, I let her because she was easily following my direction.

We did some Figure 8’s and Circling, at the trot for awhile, then we played Touch It and tested her Porcupine and Driving Game. She was a bit sticky for the backing up but started to get better as we went along. She passed all of the pre-ride checks, the only thing I didn’t get her to do was jump over a barrel. She even stood quietly and calmly when I swung the rope over her head.

So I got up and stood in the stirrup three times, keeping my eye on her eye, rubbing her all over (well where I could reach anyways) and then eventually sitting in the saddle. She started licking and chewing almost right away. This time I actually asked her to move her feet so I smiled with all four cheeks, didn’t get a response. So then I squeezed with my legs, still nothing. Then I clucked and she too a few steps forward, as soon as she started to move all pressure came off her and I started rubbing her neck. We did this a few times and in a short period of time she was yawning and relaxing even more.


My good girl.


Relaxed

She then began to get curious and wanted to turn her nose to sniff my boot, but you could tell she was a bit worried (she probably got kicked in the nose any other time she had tried to do so). I just sat there relaxed rubbing her and giving her the occasional treat until she was finally comfortable enough to sniff both my boots.

I decided to end it there, she was nice and relaxed and even curious I didn’t want to push things!


Riding off into the sunset.

Friday The 13th Was A Good Day

Another good play session with Blue, we started off with some regular Friendly Game and then stepped it up a notch to some Extreme Friendly Game. He was must better then I had anticipated, seeing as when I first got him you couldn’t even walk by his stall with anything that resembled a whip or stick without him leaping to the far corner and cowering. But I guess all my work with the carrot stick and my body language has really paid off. I was able to slap the ground really hard and make a “whipping” noise and then swing the savvy string over his back. I walked around him and did this and he kept his feet still. Very impressed I was!

We then did some Weaving Pattern around the barrels and practiced some more with out Figure-8’s and yet again they were even better then last time. I was even able to get him to trot a few times around. Being very happy with my boy that is where we ended it.

Sabre Toothed Trailer

Today we decided that we should introduce the ponies to the trailer. So after Anna had played with Lexi and gotten her on the trailer for the first time I went to get Blue. I could tell he was a bit nervous as soon as he say the trailer and that is probably for good reason. Pretty much every time he gets into a trailer he is moving to a new home. He isn’t too bad when his friends are coming with him but they were all staying in the field.

We played a lot around the trailer, I wasn’t focusing on it at all, Blue on the other hand was quite focused on it. So eventually I played the Touch it game with him, sent him to it and he eagerly sniffed it and began pawing it right away. Pawing is something Blue does a lot, he does it when he is out in the field playing with the other horses, or he will do it when he comes to the barrel, or the log, or anything that he can get his feet on he is doing it.

I would take him away from the trailer and then send him back, he put his front feet on and then quickly backed off. So I sent him away again, this time when he came up to it he was pawing at it so vigorously (one foot on the ramp the other pawing) that he slipped and bumped his nose on the trailer ramp. Soon I had a horse bleeding from his gums. Poor fella knocked his face on the ramp. He wasn’t too concerned about the blood he was smearing on his lips and allowed me to rub some snow in his mouth to clean him up a bit.

Of course I felt horrible, so just sent him to the trailer one more time, had him put his front feet on it then got him to back away and we went back to the field. I didn’t want him to associate standing on the ramp with getting bumped in the face!

Truck And Trailer Arrives Home

Very exciting!! The truck and trailer that Anna had purchased arrived home safe and sound! A new truck and new trailer can only mean one thing . . . Anna and I will FINALLY be able to go to shows and clinics this year and not have to rely on unreliable people for trailering! We won’t be restricted anymore!


Tada!!

Practice Audition

Today was a very good play session with Blue, we worked on the compulsories for the new Level Auditions for the Level 1-2 Online. A few things were sticky, but over all I think we should be able to film it no problem. Anna took a few videos today just so I could go back and see where I might have been blocking Blue or asking him to do the wrong thing. It was very helpful! Blue was really good overall and easily performed the tasks asked, he did get a bit sticky with the walk to trot then back up part but over all was a good boy. We also got to practice a fair bit on our Figure-8’s it had been awhile since we had done them and he was a bit rusty at first but by the end of the session he was starting to understand.

I went back out later and played with him some more and he was getting the Figure-8 pattern even more. His biggest pitfall is that when he comes to the barrel he wants to paw at it, knock it down, roll it around or try to stand on it! That makes it a wee bit difficult to get him to go AROUND the barrels!!

Games With Blue

Nothing too exciting today, we just went through the Seven Games and I tried to challenge myself and Blue with new obstacles and challenges while practicing for out Level 1 Audition/Assessment. We just need to wait for the new information to come out on the 9th!!