I had thought about riding yesterday however the rain was with us again! I messed with the horses anyway -- putting Sofia out on the hay field/pasture with Rusty, Kacee, and Prince, and after trimming the two, put Bo and Soli together in the larger of the winter paddocks. I checked on them often as this was a first, turning Soli out with someone other than Sofia.
Instead of stepping back and letting the horses gallop through gates and onto the pasture, I took them one by one and released them after they were showing me some signs of attending to what I asked. Prince was the hardest to get some sign of 'settled and attending' with lots of little rears instead of backing up and finally a moment of head 1/2 inch lowered and eye a teensy bit softer.
When I released him in the field he offered the most delightful display of excess energy I've ever seen, including bursting into airs above the ground several times after he'd started munching! Prince would be a good candidate for the sort of training that leaves most of the horse's natural life intact, as he's so light and eager to respond and also so careful around people.
I wish I'd had it on camera. What athleticism combined with pure exuberance!
No comments:
Post a Comment