Goals Revisited

I posted about goals for Q and goals for Griffin in November.

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To revisit Q's goals:

This winter I strive to remedy a myriad of small issues she has that I've grown tired of:

• slight, yet noticeable one-sidedness with nigh on everything Working on it.
• fidgeting when tied in the barn (she's great outside or just standing freely in an enclosure) With the help of, oh, a quarter bag of peppermint treats, I got her to stand in the ghetto cross ties (a tight space, gasp!) with very minimal issue. GOOD GIRL. Great step in the right direction.
• acceptance of me holding up her hind feet for extended periods of time Did a beautiful job during her trim the other night. I was so proud of her.
• standing 100% (not 60%) of the time when mounting Working on it.
• acceptance of clipping hair on her legs (need to prevent scratches) Legs shaved. Patience, calm, and zero issues. WIN.

And skills/exercises I strive to work toward with her (in combination with the above) are:

• more at liberty work to get her attention on me - she's responsive, yet extremely distracted during any liberty session we've ever had; I'd like to figure out how to best get her mind on me and off her friends I'm working on my loudness/softness of body gestures. Definite strides have been made. We've got halts. We've got relatively consistent inside turns. A huge difference. She, like Griffin, is learning the difference between my requests for them to come to me or remain where they are. Both are to the point (bigger difference for Griffin) that they wait to see if I want them to walk to me or remain where they stand. The level of attention they give me is wonderful.
• progressing through the 101 Dressage Exercises book We're doing this.
• lateral movements In progress...
• suppleness In progress...

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And to revisit Griffin's goals:

On the lunge/at liberty/Fauxssoa:
1. Promptness with transitions and turns Definitely better! His trot-canter transition is wonderful now. The canter-trot is far from perfection, but it is SO much improved! His walk-trot, trot-walk transitions exist now! Readily at the ends of workouts, haha. Very happy with this change. And his turns are so much more prompt and reliable. Not so much rushing and angst involved. He's accepted that they are a part of his job and does them willingly. I'm very satisfied with his progress for this category.
2. Establishing a steady and even pace that is not rushed for each gait He is SO much better at the trot and canter. SO much better. Yay consistent work that leads to steady improvement!
3. Understanding voice commands for changes in gait and stopping Definite improvement, but still needs further practice.
4. Properly using body (engaging hind end/lifting back) through gaits So much better. I wish every night that I 1. had someone to film, 2. had enough light to film! Doing things in the dim and dark and poorly-lit makes video IMPOSSIBLE. Perhaps I can coax some out of visitors who play horse with me very soon...

Beginning foundations for:
1. Lateral movement Hardly touched. Needs further work.
2. Giving to pressure on the bit in an acceptable way (e.g., not throwing head up, throwing head down, or going into a frustrated bucking fit) So much better. The gadgetry experiments have taught Griffin that pitching a fit over pressure on the bit isn't acceptable and won't solve it. Instead he's learned to deal with it in new, acceptable ways. His work in the side reins this past week is  BEAUTIFUL. He is moving SO well. I am able to push him forward into the contact and its just gorgeous. But you'll all just have to take my word for it because...yeah...videos...I no haz.
3. Bowing/lying down Shoved on the back burner

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Goals for both weren't initially given a timeline, but Andrea has inspired me with her monthly goals and re-caps, and thus, I'm revisiting goals and seeing where the horses are now. I should have done this ages ago, as this kind of accountability keeps me far more motivated than I would have been otherwise!

Overall, both horses have made great progress with things so far. I'm pleased.

Now, for the next month? In addition to furthering things listed above, let's try...

Q

• Calmness on the ground and in the barn
• Dressage exercises to continue work on suppleness and equality to the left and right
• Lateral work
• Continued work with side reins
• Increasing her attention on me when doing at liberty/lunge work
• And, a bonus for those days I'm bored of complete structure: some experimentation with bareback/bridless

Griffin

• Continued work with side reins
• Walk & trot consistency under saddle
• Walk/trot poles both during lunging and under saddle