Calypso and Onyx Progress

Working On: Transitions from halt to walk and back. Turning, adding speed, and moving off the leg. Standing. Leading.

Performance: Getting good at the walk, not a rusher or a star gazer (like some think her conformation suggests). She attempted to trot for half a second (in retrospect, I believe I was actually getting a half second of gaiting- yay!), but did not feel balanced enough so she went back to a brisk walk. Her transition was seemless, I wouldn't have noticed had it not being for her passing objects by faster (and after feeling her trot afterwards, that was not a walk-trot transition!). Ever since she's had her last lesson she's developed the habit of head tossing because she'd rather walk than stand still. I've mostly nipped it. I tried going against my normal "ways" and trying someone else's technique of being a bit more heavy handed and demanding and then rewarding her with a light aid, but that method doesn't work for either of our learning styles and almost put us back a step. Thus, I went back to "my way" and she's doing quite nicely. Towards the end she was standing still for longer periods of time, so that's progress. I think it is clear she is comfortable with how things are going. She is in need of work for standing for mounting, but at least she no longer spooks at the mounting block, just impatience. I've trained standing in greenies before, but that method too requires a heavier hand which just would not work for her style of learning. She is very good at turning, and I think she will be ready to learn the makings of a side pass soon (within 5-7 lessons). I don't think it will be hard to encourage her rack, she's already able to out-walk a jog. She's back nicely as well, her leading from the ground is perfect, so I've decided on a routine.

1. Take out of pasture and put into stall (so she gets all her poops out, this barn is strict about poo management)
2. Groom (mostly picking out hooves unless I feel like having a girl-girl-bonding-grooming session)
3. Leave for a few minutes while taking equipment down to arena (there's also a policy on putting tack away, and she's left in her stall to, as mentioned, get the poos out).
4. Take out of stall and down to arena
5. Longe for 2-10 minutes each side if needed ((right now I'm training her to know the work come, so we usually spend two minutes each side, we're also working on not going faster than a walk on the longe.))

Order and use of depends on what's up:
6. Get on
7. Designated lesson
8. Untack (if I'm in a rope halter and bareback like I sometimes am, this is basically skipped, lol)
9. Put longeline on and practice leading (I use the longeline to give her plenty of room behind me to decide to follow)
10. After satisfied, take off longeline and practice leading.
11. Turn out.

Yes, there is a cool down process (although the whole thing is cooling down since all we really do is walk. xD)

Next time: We're working on standing under saddle, a bit more work on transitions, and maybe some poles for variety.

Things to remember: A horse stops one hoof at a time, focus on each hoof.

Additional: Debbie feels that Calypso is looking much more relaxed and agrees that she's rounding nicely. she keeps hinting at me about using a saddle. I'm not 100% sure why, but I have some theories. Perhaps she doesn't think Calypso can handle a saddle ( though I repeated say I've had one on her and have left her with it on and no problem). Or maybe she thinks I can't handle her faster than a walk. I'm not bothered considering that I've done it before. Just two-three lessons ago another horse dropped his rider over a jump and spooked again at that and another jump being knocked down (by him, of course). He proceeded to gallop around and since I had plenty (for me) of time to think I decide to stay on her and see what happened. She was a calm onlooker until he, headed right for us, knocked over a cross rail he had jumped and spooked yet again. She balked and reared, tried to spin about, but I didn't let her. I believe she crow-hopped (which feels a lot different bareback), and then she proceeded a speedy back. Calmed her down, wasn't thrown, and that was that. So I'm assured I can handle the trot. ^.~

Maybe not a posting trot, but otherwise fine. x3 I am still debating if I'll use the saddle for her first canter. The chance of her trantioning into a gallop out of excitement or what have you makes stirrups seem like a plus. However, she won't even be advancing past a walk until we both feel that she responds properly and quickly to the halt and halt-halt. So with that theory, I really don't think it will be a concern.

She is not at all a star gazer under saddle, no matter how she moves at liberty. I am confident I can change that under muscling with proper work!
****************************************************
Onyx is doing nicely, although he seems to be assassinating his boots! Over. and OVER. and OOOOVER again. xD He is soooo much happier here. BOY I can tell you the difference an extra 16 hours makes for this horse... and his boots.

Horse= the heels have been able to be trimmed back, getting rid of toe, better strides, happier disposition
Boots= *asplode*

I found out just how bored C and O got at Doc's during "bad weather." Calypso so so "spacey" because she had to spend her time in that disgusting stall. To cope, she developed a way of seclusion. She just inverted into her own little world I suppose. She's much more alert now though, and reasonable.

Onyx took to stall kicking to express his angst. D= At least he didn't crib, right?