Saturday, February 8, 2014

Update: first couple of weeks

The weather this week has sucked big time, so I didn't get to work Scottie has much as I wanted.  Last weekend was nice, however, and we got three days of three rides in.  I've been researching programs to bring a horse back into work, mostly eventing schedules, and they recommend lots and lots of walking and some trotting in the beginning to really build the topline.  So that's what we've been doing.

I want to start taking a conformation shot once a month to view her changes in muscling.  Hopefully will get to that this weekend.  I also need to take some video.

We did two days in the arena and worked on turning, marching with purpose, and some poles to get her lifting her feet.  No problems.  On Sunday, I took her around the property- there are LOTS of things to look at: piles of dirt, ducks, baby goats, dogs running, tractors, 4-wheelers, kids, baby horses, cows, fencing material,,, you get the idea.  Scottie looked at a couple of things, but didn't flinch.

One of my friend's horses spooked so badly under saddle that "separation of horse and rider" occurred and I thought "oh man, here we go..." But Scottie just stood and looked at the spooked horse and was fine.  Good girl.

Yesterday, I ran out of time, so I worked her on the lunge line in big circles over the whole arena.  She wanted to tear around, so we worked on "easy": walking and trotting in a relaxed manner on the lunge, so she knows its not only to roar around on.




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