Yeehaa Figure 8

yep well I watched the first two patterns on the Online Patterns DVD (yes, they arrived - I now have 4 pizza boxes!)... each savvy (online, liberty, freestyle and finesse) comes in a pizza box. In each is a DVD, a pattern booklet, and a large colour book.

So - armed with Touch This and Figure 8 patterns I got the boys in. Well - I opened the gate and they just continued eating.... eventually Garbo came out - he couldn't resist seeing if I had a carrot for him.

I took their covers off (Maraschino came over as well and hung out in his yard, and Garbo's, and snuk a bite of Garbo's Likit!)... and gave Garbo a quick groom... I had already got the barrels out of the hay shed, and put out some cones, and got the green swiss ball out...

I tried on Garbo's bareback pad after he checked it out.... he agreed - very good quality!


We started with touch it with Garbo - and here's me thinking he had forgotten this game we started so long ago (oh - btw - 12 ft line today)... and touched the barrels, the wheelbarrow, the cover hanging on the rail, his new bareback pad, the cones (that was harder as it was ground level), he offered the fence post, and the green ball. He did really well and seemed to be really interested in where we were going to go next. I didn't get the tarp out as it was a tad windy. Mental note to self to get some rocks. Then we went into the play paddock and touched the tire and the jump stands, and went via up and over the clay hill, with some back down the clay hill.

The main challenge for me was keeping him at 12 ft away - he likes stick to me game so much he reverts to that quite often! We had a bit of a communication problem at one point - I was trying to drive Zone 2 away from me and he turned Zone 5 towards me. hmmmmm how interesting - wonder what I was doing? Coz that could turn into liberty backwards towards me....

Then we tried figure 8 round the two barrels.... oh - I had them on their side while I was grooming Garbo and the wind blew them and they started rolling - in opposite directions... the boys weren't too phased and I think were quite amused watching me run after them. Maraschino went into the safety of his yard to watch.

Ok - so Figure 8 and Garbo.... he got one side pretty well and the change of direction but when he got to the outside of the 2nd barrel he stopped and lifted up his foot, over and over, towards the barrel. He did this at the same spot each time... and itwas like he was saying "I don't want to come back to you (he was leaning on the rope a bit too), because you are just going to send me out again.."... well - yes....

So we went and did a bit more touch this... and sideways round the barrel...

Then came back and tried again - this time I backed up on the draw and it worked!!!!! We got about 5 figure 8's in a row - even a bit of trot - yay - I am so happy.

I have posted this piccy of Garbo because his last hoof trim Jools said he had a little bit of white line seperation and I should watch his weight - but I actually think he looks pretty good - what do you think?


So then I put Garbo away in his yard to sunbathe and relax, while I took maraschino out to play touch it... he is sooooo sensitive it's amazing - I put the carrot stick down after a while - he is still so wary of it - he shaked in his boots... I really am at a loss about that, might email the faculty... and we touched the wheelbarrow, the green ball, the cover, Garbo's bareback pad (but no don't eat it Maraschino)... the cones, back to the barrels..... he loved it. I gave him a big rest at each one. With the slightest pressure I got him to move forwards, backwards and sideways. He's a clever horse. Garbo just watched.

Here are some piccys and a video of Maraschino eating Garbo's Likit!


oh and then he backed into his stall.... BIG step...