The feet:
I picked out all four of Gambler's feet today. He kicked a little, but did much better than he has for the last few weeks. I think my theory that he will improve with this farrier is correct. The problem is that when Gambler really puts up a fight I am not strong enough to hold on to his foot. I make up for it by being persistent - no matter how many times he gets away I'm going to keep picking it back up. But what he really needs is someone who won't let go when he puts up a fuss. That way he'll learn there is no point.
Riding:
I rode Gambler again today. It was only for a little while, but it was longer than last time. My goals for next time are to mount from his off side and to ride him for a little longer. Sometime soon Mom will switch from leading him to longeing him. After that I'll start to add rider cues to the cues he's getting from the ground.
At Liberty:
We didn't do anything at liberty today. I did practice the stick-to-me game with the rope though.
I saw Julie Goodnight use that method of leading and lunging, it worked great. I might use it for Beautiful. Is your mom a horse woman?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that the method has worked before. I know a friend who used it with her gelding, so I thought I'd give it a try. My mom has loved horses since she was a little girl. I guess it runs in the family!
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