Yearling Adventures

It's probably about time to resurrect this blog. Things with Zoey didn't quite pan out like I had originally planned. I started her during her 3yo year and got pregnant... so she sat. And sat. And sat. And then I started nursing school. So she sat some more. And then I figured... what the hell, you might as well do something productive. So then she got pregnant. And then she sat some more.

Here we are now... spring of her 7 year old year. I'm not sure how she's seven! On the plus side, if I ever get around to riding her she should be super sound! Her baby, Sophie, turns a year old in two days. She is such a sweet yearling. Reminds me so much of Zoey. The plan is to show her this fall in the LL and in-hand trail. I think it would be nice to start blogging about her progress. I don't really have anyone to tell all the small details of her training sessions and it helps me to talk things out! 

I have been trying to keep her training sessions short and interesting. Sophie is SO much like her mother. She is super smart, which could be a positive or a negative! She's been that way ever since she hit the ground. When I halter broke her at a few days old I did two 5 minute sessions and she had it after that. She's been the same way with everything I've asked her to do now. Forcing myself to not ask very much of her has been my biggest obstacle! I knew I didn't want to work her much at all in the round pen... no reason to stress those baby joints.

She preferred to go to the right at first. Going to the left she would stop and turn back to the right. I corrected her once and made her go left and, as soon as I got any sort of try from her, praised her and let her stop. After doing that twice I put her up for the day. The next week when we worked in the round pen she needed one slight reminder and then she was perfect. It's like she needs to be shown the right way and then have time to sit and process it. 

Another example is trotting in hand. I got her to do it one session and then put her up. The next time as soon as I kissed she trotted off. I think she is going to be so cool! She's the type of horse that will really try for you when she knows what you want and she likes you. 

I went out today and she nickered and trotted to me as soon as I walked in her pen. I love that she would leave her friends to come see me... reassures me that she is being worked appropriately vs getting sour and not wanting to leave her buddies to go work! It was SO windy today so I decided to do the round pen first. She was awesome. I clipped a lunge line on her for the first time and asked her to just walk a circle around me. She did really well to the right and, after a little work for her to understand that I didn't just want her to move her hindquarters, did well to the left as well. I walked her over a few poles in the arena, let her watch H ride, and then trotted her twice in hand. She was delightful today!