Been so busy! Too busy with training (me AND Phoenix) to post properly.
So, everything's going well. I'm in hock to the trainer for almost $300 but that's OK. He keeps doing two hour session but telling me to only bill him for one hour and I can't seem to get comfortable with that... so I'm paying for the 2 hours.
Phoenix is doing very, very well. Today we introduced him to a tarp and a small "jump" of sorts... it was really just a log that was about a foot off the ground. Trying to get him to do just about everything with the saddle on to get him used to it to the point that he's completely relaxed. He's doing fairly well with that but still a little sketchy about that first time in the session where the saddle goes up and over his back. He settles down with minimal fritzing out though (we're talking he runs like 5 steps and then stops to think it over; he's done that 2 days in a row)
Oh wait! I need to back up and talk about barrels. So, Jim, our trainer has two empty barrels. A couple days ago, he placed them about a foot and a half apart and played a version of the squeeze game with P and the barrels. P went right through, after some initial hesitation to check things out, like a pro.
The next day, Jim slid the barrels (on their sides) together and though I think the idea was to get P to hop over them, P was like, "nahh dude. Not happening. But, I know they'll split so I'm just gonna push right through them." And he did. Multiple times. And all was right in the world.
So that's how things are progressing. Jim's alternating things like the barrels with getting P to maintain gait and we're practicing with direct pressure, rhythmic pressure and I forget what the other one's called. It's basically all different ways to tell P to do the same things; the idea being that he needs to give to all different types of pressure if he's asked and it needs to not be a big deal.
P is doing very, very well and I'm not doing too badly myself. I'm learning scads and P is actually starting to show a little respect as opposed to his previous bossiness. Hah! The little booger tried to barrel right past me today to get out of the arena. I don't think so! Right back in he went and then, back out again... backwards. For now, until he can be a little more respectful, he'll be backing in or out any gates we go through. I find it fascinating how much power and discipline there is in that one simple movement. On a more positive note, we've got, giving the hindquarters DOWN. Go us!
OK, the tarp. No wait. First the jumpy-hop log: so there's the log sitting in its little braces. Jim's got P on the line and he asks P to go over the log. P obliges. No jumping (too short to warrant a jump from Mister way-too-smart-for-his-britches P) but he goes over nicely. Jim asks P to change direction and wait for the ask to do it again and P's having none of it. He knows what to do and he REALLY wants to step back over the log. They argue. P gives in and waits to be asked. Goes over nicely, changes direction again and sneaks himself back over that log before Jim can stop him. Apparently, P really, really likes going over this dopey little log. Jim makes him go back and do it again without the anticipating and P does fine (albeit with a little fuss). Jim decides to move on to something else.. and P was having none of it. As Jim asked him to walk on to the next task P went as far out as he could get on his lead, neck all stretched out at an awkward angle just so he could go over that log one last time. We all had a good laugh and P was VERY pleased with himself. The licking, chewing and blinking were impressive.
The tarp: apparently most horses get a little scared of the tarp. Not so, Phoenix the wonder horse. Jim walked him toward it and when he got close, gave P the chance to examine it, which of course, he did. As he was checking it out, I leaned over to Roberta (one of Jim's other students who comes to watch our lessons) and said, "I'll bet you a dollar that within the next ten seconds he picks it up (the tarp) and tosses it around." Roberta looked at me like I'd lost my mind... and Phoenix picked the tarp up, waved it around, set it back down and then walked over it like he'd been doing it his whole life. Go Phoenix! Such a good boy!
Lots more but it's bed time and then tomorrow I get to work with my boy before "school." I am having so much fun! I think Phoenix is too and that makes it even better.
We're going slow because we're basically doing a colt start on an adult horse and sometimes that translates to P needing a little more convincing than he might have 5 or 6 years ago but the end result is gonna be me being confident and proficient (which I'm not as of yet) and also a calm, collected, responsive, super smart, hardy little horse. Eventually, we are going to kick some serious ass.
