Today the boys and I tried to beat the rain and play at the barn. They have been begging to play with Buddy. It has been a couple months since they have played so I relented finally today.
Caught Buddy and he was ALL the way out at the back of the field. We saddled him up and then headed to the little barn to get Duck and get her saddled up.
Buddy enjoyed his grazing time and Duck of course just wanted to graze while getting groomed and saddled. Buddy is a LBI/LBE pony with a pony attitude! He doesn't want to do anything for anybody! Poor Christian was struggling with his grazing just to get him up TO where Duck was. 2 steps, head in the grass. Wiggle the rope, head up 2 steps and repeat. It is a challenge for Christian to manage the rope and the stick so he just had the rope.
Aricin led Buddy back to the arena and he got the idea real quick of wiggling. Then Buddy just followed along with a look on his face like "these kids are too smart, darn!"
Back at the round pen I set up a figure 8. I demonstrated with Duck how to do it and then told Christian to give it a go. Buddy just stood there when I asked Christian to back him up. Christian then pitched a tantrum by jumping up and down (which wiggled the rope) and imagine this, Buddy backed up!
I helped him through one figure 8. Then he wanted to ride. I tied the lead rope up but next time I am going to try a savvy string. The lead rope is WAY too long to tie as reins on Buddy because he is so small. Buddy has a habit of just going and doing whatever he wants. I had Christian practice lateral flexion before he headed off. Buddy has an ingrained habit of pulling on pressure, both on the ground and in the saddle. He will just pull on whatever pressure to get to grass etc. Christian's steady pressure wasn't enough to get through to Buddy and he got frustrated and quit. Buddy even did a crow hop when asked to move forward. Aricin went for a go and just ambled a bit. Plan for next time to use more driving game to support the steady pressure to see if we can't get through to him.
After the boys rode I put Buddy up and had left Duck in the round corral all saddled and loose. For a minute I thought she was going to roll when I left but she didn't. She took my carrot stick for a ride in her mouth! When I came back to get her she was on the opposite side of the corral eating grass.
I called her and she came right to me! I know a small thing, but it is big to me. And a year ago Duck would have and did just keep eating and ignoring me. So I put on her hackamore and we headed to the big arena.
I decided after reviewing the corners pattern to introduce that to Duck. She got it real quick especially since there is grass in the corners and she loves to eat! We circled left the corner, straight left the corner, sideways out of the corner, trotted to the next corner etc. Today Duck was offering to canter and kept breaking into it except this time she was bucking as well. So I kept slowing her down to the walk and trot. Upon Carol Coppinger's advice to combine the corners with the cloverleaf we tried that.
Unfortunately Duck wasn't enjoying herself too much. When I got to the gate, Duck took her neck and with a decided push, popped the gate open and proceeded to back out of the gate! Apparently in her opinion I didn't give her enough grazing time!
So after a tap on zone 4 and we were back in and I went straight to the cloverleaf. We got some good turns and then combined again with corners. Of course Duck's favorite part was eating in the corners.
I was done riding when I went to the close end of the arena and there was a small piece of tarp on the ground. Maybe another Parelli student at the barn put it there? It was layed out all flat which Duck didn't have a problem with. I had checked that before I rode by having her step on it etc. By the time we got done though it was really windy and it started to move. Duck of course spooked, which then I got off to deal with the green plastic monster.
I dragged it and her behind me all over the arena and got her to the point I could touch her with it while crumpled up and not flapping on both sides. Right side was harder to get to touch her with. I even got it to where I could put it around her front legs. This was a much needed session and I need many more like this to help build her confidence with plastic flappy things (see birthday trail ride post for more background). She doesn't have a problem stepping on/over them while they are flat on the ground but anything beyond that she is still unconfident. I took the piece of plastic and put it in my locker to use again.
So much to play with! I wish I had more time!
Here are some things I would like to focus on:
1. Zone 5 driving with 1 rein. We are starting to get it in zone 4, kind of!
2. Circling transitions and change of direction (I have been avoiding the circle game pretty much for a year to try and get other things better and her less impulsive about it)
3. Friendly game with bikes/tarps other odd obstacles
4. Build playground and get a pedestal
5. Play on 45ft line (I am thinking I need a left handed line so may need to sell current one)
6. Trailer confidence (which I have been slacking on lately)
7. Thresholds around the property
Not a big list huh? And that doesn't include all the stuff I want to do to get more into level 3 concepts!
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