4th December, 2012 Medium reining

Today it was time to see whether Jessica the new starting pony had done any latent learning over the weekend. I was interested to know whether she would revert to flight mode when the long reins were introduced again or whether she would continue to work as quietly and calmly as we had ended the last session.I am pleased to report that she started off just as we finished. I kept the reins at a medium length so that she couldn't wrap herself up in them or take off as easily and then worked along the fence-line to begin with. At each end we stopped before turning and then gradually worked up to narrow figures of eight. Next we did three circuits of the paddock in both directions before changing the subject altogether. We took her along the lane to see some traffic and a bit of village life. Although she her respiration rate and adrenalin went up to begin with, she calmed down after just one circuit of the green and was relaxed after that. I wonder how much of this relates to a horse's instinctive need to recce any new area which we thwart by keeping control of them.