Back in the summer [Salt Mines], I gave vague hints about a new exercise. All will now be explained. The goal is to hand-walk Rodney around the pasture, for companionship, leading to running/trotting around the pasture, for dual exercise, leading to long walks under saddle, for fitness, leading to galloping heedlessly, um, conditioning work. AContinue reading “Mystery Revealed”
Category Archives: Groundwork
EEEE-ouch!
After two years, we are still learning things about Rodney. The newest revelation: he does NOT like liniment. It’s ironic because we were trying to be nice. Hubby did the same PT/lunging session as last weekend [Vewy, Vewy]. He ended with several runs through a triple cavaletti. Rodney bounced through perfectly the first time andContinue reading “EEEE-ouch!”
Training Types
Enjoy The Rest Previous Horse was best on the first day back. I often gave him the day off before a show. Steady Worker Mathilda improved as the week went along. We only showed once [see comments] but I always arranged dressage lessons so that we worked for several days beforehand. Seesaw Horse If RodneyContinue reading “Training Types”
Inching Foward
Over the weekend, Rodney worked farther with less hysteria. Progress. Not enough to celebrate but enough to keep me from wallowing. IF this works, I’m hoping for a Hellen Keller moment wherein he realizes that he is a big, tough horse who can handle whatever dreadful thing the world asks of him. But we mayContinue reading “Inching Foward”
Why Bother With It?
Been feeling a bit head vs. wall about the blog, the horse, the horse hunt, pretty much everything recently. Not for any sensible reason, just a lack of traction. Whether you believe in judgment day or the eventual entropic heat-death of the universe, asking ‘why bother’ will eventually drown you in your own personal TotalContinue reading “Why Bother With It?”
Change, if not Progress
Day Two of our mysterious activities. Rodney reacted to the previous lesson enough to form an opinion. This time, he was more suspicious beforehand but less jumpy after. He’s learning something. Whether what he is hearing is related to what I am saying remains to be seen. To calmly note how he choses to respond,Continue reading “Change, if not Progress”
Back to the Salt Mines
Rodney and I have gone back to … well, work is overstating the case. I be messing with him. Plus, I have started a new exercise. I use an idea previously floated but not developed combined with an approach that wouldn’t work with 99% of horses but might work with him. If it works, IContinue reading “Back to the Salt Mines”
Virtual Brush Box 