Riding Project.......

With the warm weather quickly on the rise I have finally had time to ride, which I have really wanted to do! Even if it was for fifteen minutes at least it would give her some practice with the aides of a mounted rider. I haven't worked with her in a while I always like to start the warm-up with some lunging and then I will get on her and ride at only a walk. I work her up to it, instead of doing everything all at once. You have to work your horse up to it and do little bits at a time. She is good about moving off of the leg and off of pressure. Right leg moving to the right, left leg moving to the left. I have mastered with her walking when I cluck to her and squeeze with both legs. She is good about turning from left to right, she is good about reversing and changing directions as well as changing leads and side-passing. The only thing that I need to correct with her big time is STOPPING, and stopping from tossing the head. If I get for her a martingale that should stop her from tossing her head. The next step in my training process would be bit training her. I only use as of the time that I am riding her a halter and connectable reins. Which seem to work fine, but for the future after getting her used to all of the other good stuff it will be time to start introducing her to the bit. I plan on riding her every single day for at least fifteen minutes to practice with her the aides that a mounted rider would do. Right now I am only practicing certain things with her in the arena, I have not taken her out in the field or out on the trails yet. I am hoping to take her to the Gettysburg Battlefield trails either this summer or next summer. Wish me luck! I look forward to experiencing some new things with her and learning along with her. I look forward to accomplishing many of my goals with her for the 2014 year.

A special evening..........

Now that the cold weather has pretty much subdued I figured that it would be a perfect time to spent some time with my gal and ride her for a bit. I always, always start with some groundwork especially if I haven't ridden or worked with her in a month. Even if she seems like she is completley sound and normal I don't like to take my chances. I always lean towards the safe side and see what she is like when I do groundowork with her first and then I determine weather I can ride her or not. If she seems full of herself I try to stay clear of getting on her back. Miss. Betty Boo is the kind of horse that if I overload her with too much stuff she shuts down and does not want to have anything to do with me. That's why I have to be careful how much and how fast I accomplish my goals with her.

Yesterday and tonight I decided to work with her for at least an hour both nights. I did of course some groundwork with her first. I lunged her in both directions like I normally do. Then I do the Porcipine Game, and the Yo-Yo game. I desensitize her with an old feed bag and wave it around her both sides both times. I try to make the bag as big and scary as possible I also try to let her know that If I am around I will not let anything hurt her, EVER! I rub it on her stomach her face the most vaulernablee parts of her body. I walk her over, back her up, cover her with it and have her walk around the arena with the tarp/feed bag/ empty plastic grocerey bag tied around all parts of her body. If she does well within my hour of groundwork with her If I have enough time I will get on her back, I also have to keep in mind that my horse is letting me on her back out of "trust", riding a horse is something that they allow you to do out of trust.