Liberty

Today was a great day for me and Garbo. We really achieved a lot with our liberty - in a big paddock. I realised that he does not like to be too far from me at liberty if I am asking him to do something. Fine if he can just do his own thing and graze.

We started with circle online on the hill (we were in the hill paddock).

No - hang on - back up - I missed a bit. I did some more desensitising with the plastic bag, then with the umbrella like in the Savvy Club DVD - except I didn't have another person so I had to hold the rope (22ft) and the umbrella.

He smelled it first and would have been okay except it's one of those automatic opening ones and I had forgotten it was, and had released the button and just as Garbo was smelling it it opened. I had to laugh! He snorted and backed up very fast about 5 ft. So then I closed it and opened it again and he snorted again and jumped away sideways.

I started walking away opening and closing it - he was pretty good -looking all pretty and cresty as they do when something is a little scary/interesting.

But you know what the funniest thing was? There was two non-Parelli horses 5 paddocks away and they were freaking out!!! Running around- eyes on sticks....

I hid behind the hedge so they couldn't see us do the rest. Basically after a few minutes he was pretty crusiy but I didn't try walking towards him with it. I stuck it on the ground open and the first time he sniffed it, the line moved it at the same time and he snorted again.

Once he was grazing I closed it for the day and left it on the ground - at the end of our hill therapy and liberty he just walked right next to it no problem.

So - back to the hill therapy - we missed a few days. He finds it hard to walk down the hill, so trots. I tend to do some travelling circles during the hill therapy but I walk in a large circle so that Garbo can make some bigger circles (sounds like a need the 45ft line doesn't it)! Means he can go in some straight lines up and down hill as well.

Then I took the line off and the circle game was a bit of a disaster - he ran off to the gate and changed direction. I tried backing more to Zone 5 so I didn't block Zone 1 unconsciously. That seemed to work. Then I decided that was a bit hard for him (he was about 45 feet or more away from me mostly) so I changed it and did some stick to me - he loves that game! We did it all round the paddock and a couple of changes of direction too.

I then asked for some circles again and he went to the outside of the paddock again and did a few gallops and bucks, when I asked him in (interesting) and then cantered/galloped in to me - slid to a stop and stood there all puffed and kind of trembling. A sure sign of a little bit of unconfidence still. We stood for ages and I let him graze.

Right at the end I asked for a circle around me and I managed to get a lovely canter circle about 12 ft away from me - that was the best he has done at liberty so we ended it there.

Once back at the stables we tried backing into the stall again but he still is unconfident - think I need an in between challenge for him. We backed into the wash bay and had a bath back to front for a change. Might set up some hay bales tomorrow while everyone is still away and slowly make them closer together.

Then I went to see Maraschino and gave him some dinner and introduced him to the bot knife - poor thing was covered in bot eggs. I don't have that problem with Garbo because the poos are picked up. Then I brushed him and led him and Scribble to their new paddock (new grass so they will be happy).