Dee has picked up a new "trick". Really, she's just stretching, but the ladies at the barn get a kick out of it, because it looks like she's bowing and showing off. It's very cute! One of these times I'll try to get some video or photo documentation of her new skill.
I'm currently looking into affordable summertime housing solutions for her. Ideally, I want board I can afford AND someone I can take lessons with all in one place. This is because while I would still like to ship out to nancy and stephie, realistically, I can't do that as often as I'd like, and I need someone on-site for support.
She's been just lovely lately to work with. She's 100 times more respectful, and she's really started using herself under saddle. Now I just need to get myself fixed so I can RIDE! I'm itching to get on, but I know that curling up into the fetal position in the saddle because of back pain will not be conducive to a good ride! She leaves for Steph's in about 10 days, so she'll be getting lots of work with a person on her, but for now, I'm pleased with the ground work. She very happily goes forward, backward and sideways now!
Showing posts with label ground work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ground work. Show all posts
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Dude Looks Like a Lady
Apparently, my little lady has some... ahem... gender issues. Yesterday, as Bettina was putting the cavesson on her, Dee began hardening the left side of her jaw and leaning into us. I had always just thought it was annoying, but apparently it's a bit more than that. For some reason, my mare is displaying teasing behavior normally seen in stallions. It's a bit strange, but there you have it. Now, instead of just pushing her away, she gets reprimanded for that sort of behavior. We don't need her getting any bright ideas and deciding to mount someone!
Other than that, she's been doing pretty well. We've been doing lots and lots of lunging and groundwork with Bettina, getting her to find her own balance, stay out of our space, and cease being a wild thing while working. It's going well. Unfortunately, I've not been faring so well. I'm dying to get on her, but have had one set back after another. 1st, I found out that the terrible back pain and leg pain I've been having will likely only be fixed by surgery. Next, I spent the past few days sidelined with a kidney stone. Thankfully, she's still been working on the lunge and has been getting some serious learning in. Her aggressiveness in hand has been greatly diminished due to dealing with it head-on in the ground work, and she's finally learned that her stall only belongs to her when a person is not present. When we go in, it's ours.
Another good thing about her groundwork? Her back is starting to come up! She's becoming rounder! A cute by-product of this? When I curry her belly, she takes the opportunity to stretch her back out. On the cross-ties, she doesn't get a great stretch in, so yesterday I groomed her in her stall. She walked her little front feet out so far that her knees were only an inch or two above the ground. It was very cute.
Other than that, she's been doing pretty well. We've been doing lots and lots of lunging and groundwork with Bettina, getting her to find her own balance, stay out of our space, and cease being a wild thing while working. It's going well. Unfortunately, I've not been faring so well. I'm dying to get on her, but have had one set back after another. 1st, I found out that the terrible back pain and leg pain I've been having will likely only be fixed by surgery. Next, I spent the past few days sidelined with a kidney stone. Thankfully, she's still been working on the lunge and has been getting some serious learning in. Her aggressiveness in hand has been greatly diminished due to dealing with it head-on in the ground work, and she's finally learned that her stall only belongs to her when a person is not present. When we go in, it's ours.
Another good thing about her groundwork? Her back is starting to come up! She's becoming rounder! A cute by-product of this? When I curry her belly, she takes the opportunity to stretch her back out. On the cross-ties, she doesn't get a great stretch in, so yesterday I groomed her in her stall. She walked her little front feet out so far that her knees were only an inch or two above the ground. It was very cute.
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