Film Friday: At Liberty!

Because I'm not riding Q until the Woolback arrives (which hasn't even been ordered yet because my bank is being a snot), I've decided to work on other things with her...and Griffin had to be included, too!

This was the first time I'd had them in there. I WISH I'd captured the first few go arounds on camera. Hindsight can be a bitch. Sigh. But you'll have to take my word for it when I say that on the first few rounds they both stopped in unison when I asked them to and stood in the middle with me. It slowly peetered out as they got worked up. So we're back to doing solo sessions - especially with Q - to work on hercommitment to doing what I want her to do. She gets worked up and doesn't want to listen.

I hope to really work with them both at liberty this winter a lot. They're both more than capable when worked one-on-one. This duo thing though... It'll come.

Additionally, ground work like this will hopefully help Q form a better bond with me. She's shown that she can do it, but then as soon as that damn gelding in the field squeals for her, she goes to pieces. Okay, I lied, not to pieces, but her focus definitely flies out the window! More to work on.

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Griffin is getting a lot more work lately. I need to work the belly off him, but I'm not too concerned about it as he's not anywhere near obese, just has a bit of a belly from not doing a ton. I'm more interested in engaging his mind and connecting concepts right now. Getting him to realize that things on the ground can relay to things under saddle. Things like moving off the pressure from the butt of the lunge whip when it is placed in different places along his side. He gives great when you ask him to flex left and right with the bit in. He can't quite figure out how to back up though with the pressure. He still gets super annoyed about the fact that the thing in his mouth is putting pressure on his mouth in funny places. So he tosses his head awhile which makes it hard for short me (as he's getting bigger) to keep pressure in place. He will stop from the same pressure, he just hasn't realized that he should back up if the pressure remains. He's getting there though.

He did VERY well for the trimming of his tootsies last night. I was proud of him. And proud of myself because now that I'm noticing more of how his hoof wants to grow, where the flaring is, etc. I think I'm doing a much better job of trimming him. He licked and chewed so much after each foot yesterday. AND, he was sound walking on the gravel in the driveway after I was done. SCORE.

That's a new thing. Well, I'd never tested it a ton after I've trimmed before, but I am now. I did Q last weekend before a 6.5 mile ride with friends. Backed her toes up more than I usually do - not by much, but I'm timid so it was more for us - and she was sound on gravel. And now Griffin.

In the past, when my old trimmer did Griffin he was sore, sore, sore on gravel. Honestly, the last time he was trimmed by that trimmer he was sore for THREE DAYS. On any non-grassy surface. It was ridiculous. And the trigger for me doing my horses on my own. So the fact that I took off as much as I did on him yesterday (I did trim him significantly, no being timid about it) and he was sound on gravel was huge. His soundness and reaction to each foot being done was the biggest reward ever. I'm sure I'll encounter bumps along the way, but I'm finally starting to feel confident in what I'm doing.

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This will be a weekend full of ski patrol fun as I go to refresh my OEC certification. I'm really excited to see all my winter friends and picnic with them. The weather looks to be perfect, too! Very fall-esque. Time to pull out my jackets!