It's Been 2 Weeks....

...and Gypsy is coming along very well.

She walks in her own space, not mine. She's mostly quiet while tied up - and if she isn't, a cluck snaps her butt back where it belongs. She's figuring out that don't step into me, ever is a rule that is always enforced, and firmly. I can saddle her as carelessly as though she was an old lesson horse. No careful approaches, no sneaking the saddle on. I throw the blanket on, and swing the saddle up and over in a high arc. I may or may not have remembered to put the cinch up when I pulled it off the last horse, so she has to deal with the stirrup and maybe the cinch flopping on her off side. If she can't handle a saddle swinging over her back, she's probably going to be seriously not thrilled about my leg doing the same. I don't let the saddle slam into her though. Baby or no, I always set the saddle down easy at the end of that swinging arc.

She stands nicely while I put boots or polos on. When I take her halter off I let it drop - she stands there still while I take my sweet time putting the caveson on, and then the bridle. When I say whoa, she stops. On the lead or on the lunge. A cluck and she steps off with me before the slack comes out of the lead.

And she stands there and lets me clip her bridlepath and muzzle, no fuss. I got my point across the first time.

She's staying put on the circle better when I lunge her, and she's discovered that she does have a motor back there. She still wants to either canter or walk, I want her to stick with a steady middle gait (a trot if I can get it). We'll get there.

I've started putting one siderein on her when I lunge her, always to the inside. One rein gives her more opportunities to escape the pressure - head down and in will do it, but so will head into the circle. Once she's firmly grasped that she should yield to bit pressure, I'll put both reins on.

I don't do much giving at a standstill. A few times just until they get the idea, but for most of her life I'm not going to care where her head is if we're stopped and I'll care a whole bunch about where it is while we're moving. She might as well learn to give in motion now.


She doesn't mind leaning on the snaffle, but today she was giving more and more. The first few times she'd feel the pressure and root into it, or gape her jaw and jerk her head to the outside. The cinch ring doesn't give though, so she's figured out it's pointless.

One rein tied for the first time. Just short enough to keep her looking straight or towards me. I tighten it bit by bit each time. The other is tucked up out of the way but loose enough it does not come into play.

I've also started to pony her, so she can see the whole big wide world. Which in her case, involves a lot of city trails. She has to be solid in traffic, able to ignore a dog hitting the fence 2' away, llamas, gardeners, roofers, tree-trimming crews, people working in their garages (which usually are less than 50' away from the trail) and everything else that comes with riding through suburbia.

Then once we survive the city and make it to the riverbottom, there's a whole new word. The river is a given, have to deal with that. Trails totally enclosed by cane that throw us into darkness are also a new experience for her, as is hearing other people and horses coming and not being able to see them on the thin, twisty trails lined with thick vegetation that reaches well over our heads.

In the river for the first time.

New sights aside, ponying has it's own set of rules for her to learn. Don't fall back, don't go forward, keep your nose to yourself, the horse I'm on hates you and will EAT you if you bite. My boot is not a toy. A flat hand in front of your face means fall back; single track trail. And mind your manners back there - stay out of kicking range but mind your slack, and I don't care if aliens just landed behind you, Do Not Run Up On The Pony Horse!

I pony with a lunge line and a chain on the pony-ee. For me, a loose horse almost always means a horse loose in traffic - not only dangerous for the horse, but an insane amount of liability for me if anyone hits her. I do NOT let go of the horse I'm ponying and I want enough line to play out to keep a hold in case of a major blow-up. That I pony off of something rope broke goes without saying!

Stop and eat the flowers. :) My chain set up - near ring, wrapped around noseband, far ring and back under jaw. If she goes forward it gets her nose, if she lags I can pull under her jaw.