Running With the Little Dog

Today Fason and I went to the arena to work a little.  We started with lunging.  Fason and Forrest the new border collie have developed quite the friendship.  Forrest likes to dart in and out of the arena, and then race as fast as he can past Fason when he's on the lunge line.  When Fason is loose in the arena, epic games of chase ensue!  Mostly the horse chases the dog....  Today I captured some of their fun!

Of course, it's too much to ask a horse NOT to play with the cavorting dog, so I also got to watch a little of this:

Once everyone had settled down and Fason had found his focus, I sure had to mop the drool off my chin as I watched his extended trot, noticing how uphill and balanced he is (another perk to having a ten year old horse just off the track).

Fason's gaits are so springy, fluid, and natural.  I really have not done much schooling with him so far, which means this is all raw talent, good nutrition, and lots of playing with his friends as they all go running up and down the hill in the paddocks.

I also incorporate a lot of obstacle work into lunging so that the horse has to think and not just run in circles, so Fason had to deal with the tires and the poles in his circle.

Fason hopped over them, and then went over them in his big floaty trot in what I'm dubbing a "hover trot" since he looks like he's levitating when he does this over obstacles.

The poles are no problem, he has figured out how those work.  He's fine walking, trotting, and cantering over them on the lunge line or free in the round pen, and he's doing well going over them under saddle too.

 
Fason is really doing well with his lifestyle overhaul.  There are lots of little things that he insists I'm doing wrong, though.  The mounting block is a challenge for him, since a jockey would be tossed aboard as the horse walks or jogs by.  Fason is very sure that I should be hopping aboard as he walks or trots by me when I'm standing on the block.   As a result, we spend a lot of time with him walking in progressively smaller and smaller circles until he stops and stands quietly.  Then I pat the saddle and tug on the stirrups, which starts him walking again because he's sure he should be at least walking when I mount.  This sweet guy keeps giving me these looks as if to say, "Kim, I've been doing this my whole life and you're doing it wrong!"  When he finally stopped and let me mount and held still while I did it, of course I lavished praise on him and he quizzically looked at me over his shoulder saying, "I mean, I CAN stand still, even if it is the wrong way to do it, if that's what makes you happy?"

I got some very nice trotting from him, really starting to swing a bit, especially when he and Forrest are racing, one on each side of the arena fence.  His walk is huge and swinging, and he is really starting to relax and develop his stride.  I stupidly overestimated his comfort level because he is just so good about everything.  I had the thought that we should go out and ride around the field in this ground covering walk.

It would have been fine except I asked him for too much too fast with opening the gate.  All my horses are gate trained or in the process of being gate trained, so that I can open and close the arena gate while I'm mounted and go in and out.  Poor Fason stood quietly by the gate, but when I leaned over, grabbed it, and lifted I totally surprised him and he jumped into the air, spun around, and gave a little kick at the gate.  Fortunately I had one hand on his neck while I'd been reaching for the gate with the other hand, and I went with him instead of getting dumped.  We took the next fifteen minutes to redevelop that quiet relaxed and rhythmic walk, stopping near the gate each time we went by so I could lean over a little and wave my hand so Fason could figure out I meant no harm.  I surely spent a huge amount of time apologizing to him, too.  Fortunately he's a very forgiving soul and is still willing to work with me.