We're still taking things cautiously with BB. You'll recall that although she is seven, she is probably about 4 in terms of experience. A little long reining before ridden work in the school helps to take the edge off, especially as she has had no turn out before an early session this morning. It also helps to assess how she is feeling. She is truly lovely to work with.
Kathryn on board and on the lead rein to begin with. BB has sheepskin on the sides of her Dually because she had a little nick on her cheek. She did look as if she had sideburns though!
Riding solo and making use of the stop box, a little safe place I like to create where a horse can be asked to halt, relax, and then do simple things like turn on the forehand. You'll note she has her bridle on for the first time but the reins are attached to the Dually.
Having a field opposite a farm is proving useful to Jackie. We were able to take a good look at their tractor on the way across to their manège. This is also a great place to work with Copper and so avoid his constant quest to find grass.
He hasn't met coloured poles before...
...nor worked through an L-shape.
Just like yesterday, Copper thought that he might prefer to do his own thing, paying more attention to the horses in the fields next door than to the work in hand. A bit of untidy looking rein flapping and feet moving got him going in the right direction physically and mentally.
It's quite a hard lesson for horses that are well loved to realise that they sometimes have to give up their free time and do what we want them to do. I don't think they are naughty at all - there is no moral element to their behaviour - but they do have to learn to accept direction - forwards must mean forwards. Where a horse is afraid it is different and it is important to know the difference between the two.
Henrietta never ceases to amaze me. Having allowed me to encircle her fetlock with the feather duster at the weekend, she allowed me to pick each of her front feet up today.
