Hmm...
Its been a while since I posted, I've forgotten where we're up to... ..
I bought the new Patterns program, haven't managed to look very closely at it yet, but from what I've seen, I think its going to be a fantastic tool.
Sante and I are busy preparing for the 7 day charity horseride we've got coming up. I feel slightly under prepared ... I haven't done as much trailer loading as I'd like, the last few times i've put sante on, he's walked straight on, but i haven't shut the door & taken him for a short drive yet.. so, I really have to start working on that.
The last few weekends (except the one just gone) every time I've walked into the paddock, Sante has been lying down. He's let me come up to him and give him treats / hugs / scratches. We are just having so much time hanging out.
The weekend just gone by, was lots of fun. It poured down raining, the whole time, the weather was ROTTEN! It gave us a chance to work on simple stuff - bridling with his head down, bowing, and simple liberty stuff in a small enclosure.
Over the last few weeks I've been playing around with Spanish Walk - getting sante to extend his foot forward when I tap him on the front of the leg. Well, last weekend I got tricky! before I tapped him on the leg, I lifted my own leg - As for a "Stick to me" task - It only took him a couple of goes, and wouldn't you know it - every time I lifted my left leg, he lifted his left foreleg, and so on... it was so cool, to think we are getting so subtle in our communication.
For the first time since I've owned Sante, he ran up to me in the paddock. When I first got him, I always had to come to him, he never ran way, but I had to come to him, over the months, he would always walk towards me when I got a certain distance away from me, and then more recently, he has started approaching me from the other side of the paddock, and on Saturday - He ran to me.
It was awesome - trotted up to me, said hello, got a treat, and then took off with the rest of the mob (the weather was just rotten and the mob were all stirred up, running around etc). I laughed and casually walked after him, when i got within a certain distance, he saw me, and the look on his face was like "Oh! Its you! HI!" And he came up to me again!! He's such a character!
But the highlight of our weekend was on Sunday. Due to the rotten weather on Saturday, i was concerned that his Zilco defender rug wasn't enough, it had been raining for 3 days straight, and when i got him out, he was wet. SO on Saturday evening, i put an old fleece rug on him, one of the front chest straps was broken, and one of the leg straps was busted as well, but I figured for one night,it would be ok, and i just wanted a little extra insulation.
When i walked into the paddock on Sunday, he saw me, but didn't come up to me. I thought it was odd, considering we'd had such a lovely lazy Saturday - but stayed way from him and just watched him, he was moving slowly and carefully, and it wasn't until he took a few full steps that i realized something was wrong.
There was something caught up in his zilco rug, dragging behind him.
I was very careful not to panic or get alarmed. I figured that if i stressed out about it, he would as well. So i casually walked up to him, talking to him as I did - He watched me as I approached, and I made sure i had his permission the whole time. I got to him, and realized his fleece rug had broken completely, I don't know how or what but it had come off, from UNDER his zilco, and become tangled in the leg straps, and was now dragging in the mud behind him.
And my boy, couldn't have cared less. He was so chilled out about it, I couldn't beleive it! I spent a few minutes saying Hi and giving him rubs, and THEN i went to his HQ and untangled the rug. It took all my strength not to march up to him and head straight for the rug, but I'm so glad I waited, he turned around, looked at me, sniffed the rug, gave me a look that said "FINALLY!!!" and ran off!!!!!!!!
Thats gratitude!!!!!!
He ran around like a chook without a head, before finally coming back with his "I'm ready to leave the paddock" look on his face, and we left at liberty!
All of this from the horse who nearly 12 months ago, got a branch caught in his tail, and in his RB reaction, collided with another horse, threw me off, and bolted for home. A horse who has had trouble with anything in zone 5.
Its times like these, I'm so freaking glad I do Parelli.
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