Trying New Things

Everything is great. Recent events have led to an unexpected silver lining of feeling very positive about the opportunity to draw a line under that hard stuff and embracing the change. I know the universe does what it will and I'm not owed a thing, but it still feels like good things HAVE to be on the horizon :)

Since my last update, I audited another straightness training clinic, which was fun. This time it was under saddle and practicing some of the groundwork exercises. The groundwork and under saddle work was interesting, but a lot more aligned with basic dressage exercises I'm already familiar with that help improve different weaknesses. I didn't find it quite as useful for myself as the previous one I went to that mostly evaluated different horses at a standstill. The predictions based simply on the picture presented, considering conformation, musculature, and posture were kind of mind blowing to me, after coming at it from a more rider/handler 'in motion' perspective.

While there, at an unrelated event, I bumped into a few old riding buddies I've been terrible about keeping in touch with, and we discussed a coach we all really enjoyed. Turns out she recently retired from her real job and is open to resuming visits here once a month.  I'll sign up for that! A groundwork or in hand trail clinic or two would be a fun thing for the boys this year. Of course if I ever ditch toodling around in the bareback pad for a proper saddle and a plan Sophie could attend group dressage lessons too.

Ready to get out and about! Sorry for the low quality photos - bringing the camera is the next step to getting back to a blogging routine.

Objectively the timing for baby horses was good and I've loved every minute of them, but them turning two years old feels like a milestone. It's really making me happy to think I can start doing a bit more with them. Planning for a riding future seems like an actual long term goal now rather than a far, far away sometime in the future type thing.

I've been gradually expanding the cob boy's educational boundaries. It's been a few years since the last time and I do feel like I'm approaching things differently. We'll see where that gets me. I'm at a weird stage of old school calm and practical getting it done, mixed with being a lot more aware of the value of choice and positive reinforcement. There's something to be said for the breed too. They're so much different than the typical quarter horse I grew up with. Generally much quicker thinking and engaged. Often the trick is to get them to try a little less hard ;) You don't need to build any softness or responsiveness or wake anyone up around here.

Reggie/Tradey is now surprisingly good to longe or long line walk/trot. There are of course little moments that come with being a Baby Horse doing the thing for the second or third time ever, but I think even with another session or two he'll be solid.

 He's proving very easy, he's one that's just naturally both confident in himself and also tuned in to his people and happy to be given a job. How lucky did I get with that? A: Not lucky at all probably because I think his breeder knows what she's about as far as making sporty, ammy friendly cobs.

Just wanders off and happy in his own company. This is not far away, but as far as Sophie and Buck are concerned it's a moon landing ;)

Tradey's 'brother' Buck is currently going through a Wild Dolphin phase. It's actually hilarious because he absolutely has to vocalize a 'WHEEE!' and then you know the leaping dolphin routine is up next. I've inadvertently created a funny quirk when I'm leading or handling him and he desperately wants to play - he knows my bubble is for safe grown up pony behavior, and his little built in warning system gets things nipped in the bud. So I just hear a lot of quiet 'whee' and tiny squeals under his breath, like almost inaudible while he walks along seemingly quietly. I just love him. He's different to Tradey for sure but he's absolutely fantastic in his own right. I think he just needs a little longer for his brain to fully install before we try learning too many new things :)

WHEEE. Currently his favored way to move quickly is by leaping place to place like a frog/dolphin. I'm trying to reassure myself this is not his permanent interpretive version of canter :D

Obviously I have at least a year or two before we're even thinking of having grown up pony expectations of them. So, they have very short sessions with the emphasis on having a job and learning things being fun, just setting the foundation for a ridden pony life. The absolutely wonderful thing about having them at home is that 5 minutes here and there is what they need and it's also exactly what I can easily do....there's none of the feeling like I should put time in since I drove all the way to the barn (or didn't put any time in because I didn't have enough).

Baby Buck for tax, since I'm well aware I shorted you on media this week.

Sophie's new thing to try is of course a saddle. I'll update that next...we're still in a trial period with a kind of out of the box solution and I don't want to jump the gun declaring anything.