Playtime in the spring

Another gorgeous day today so I couldn't let it pass by without playing in the paddocks with the boys because - yay - they have no mud now, YAY. There will be no excuses now!!!!

First I played with Maraschino because Garbo walked off when he saw the halter. Then as soon as I haltered Maraschino he came over of course so I protected mine and Maraschino's space and took Maraschino into the paddock with my cones and laid out the cones for the weave pattern. Yes - I looked at my pattern charts and weave is next for Maraschino.

Well on the near side he is much calmer about the carrot stick and string but on the far side he is very wary. All I need to do is flick the string out of the way behind me and he jumps and says "how high?" Yikes. Think I need to spend like two days desensitizing him! I can walk forwards and backwards slapping the string on the ground now so that's good.

So we did weave at walk and a couple of cones at trot with a rear and a panic. LOL. He is soooooooo sensitive. I don't even touch him with the carrot stick - all that I do is lift it!

Then we did figure 8 - he has that now at walk.

Then I took him to a large pole (fence strainer size) and asked him over it. He lifted one foot and then took it back - did that a few times. I waited till he stopped trying and lifted my carrot stick very slowly and carefully. Finally he went over but not relaxed - kind of trotted over and rushed round the side of me. I bumped him and asked him to turn and face and asked him to go back over the pole the other way. Same thing. This continue with me having to really insist on stopping afterwards and turning and facing that he did a big sigh and a lick. Then I asked him over again and he walked over calmly and turned and faced.

I ended it there.

You know what is really interesting. The last week after these sessions, as soon as I take the halter off, he shakes his head and does a big sigh and a lick and chew. It's like the halter is pressure for him too.

hmmmmmm.

Oh - Coco followed us over to the pole and the cones and looked at what we were doing. During a think break near the pole he went right up to it so I asked him over very very softly but he kinda looked at me and said - nah. He's taking it all in though.

Mind you after they had dinner he headed back into the middle paddock and suddenly saw the cones and trotted a big arc round them and turned and faced them, stared for a while and then went back to grazing.

After Maraschino Garbo was ready to talk so off we headed with the 22ft to test out the weave - first at walk, then at trot but he decided he couldn't do it at trot so I had to tag him to drive him further away from me - he kicked out but carried on. So the walk was great on the 22ft and the trot not so great.

After that I asked for a circle and guess what - he cantered two whole circles while I did nothing!!! I ended it there - short and sweet.

This is Garbo having a groom before our session - check out all the hair!!