Note Goes Back to Work

This week is Note's scheduled return to working life.  He has had several weeks off in a stall, then a small paddock to heal from his gelding surgery, and now he is ready to gently start back into training.  We began this morning by heading to the arena to work on lunging.

Note was very excited to be out of his paddock and headed to do something fun, especially if it involved stomping one of the dogs.  Fortunately the dogs understand about young horses, and they stayed carefully out of range of the flying hooves.  Note walked and trotted to the left, and seemed confused about circling around me to the right, but figured it out relatively quickly.  I didn't work him very hard because he is only just coming back into work from a fairly invasive abdominal surgery, and I want to condition him properly so there is no trouble with the surgical site or muscling as he gradually gets fit. 

Once he had the idea of the voice commands I use for walk, trot, and reverse, I held him on a slightly shorter line and we messed around with some of the obstacles in the arena.  He had no trouble or even hesitation with the bridge, but the poles and tires were puzzling to him.  What was he supposed to do?  Go around them?  Stop in front of them?  Walk between them? Bite them?  Such a conundrum.

The dogs are a big help with this process.  Note watched me and the dogs walk over the poles and tires, back and forth, several times before he decided to try it himself.  He took his time, sniffing them and planning out just where to place his hooves.  When he finally did go over them it was without any fanfare, he just sedately walked over each item and then looked at me to ask what was next? 

I love to end these first training sessions with the horse wanting more, that way they are very interested to see what fun thing I come up with next time.  Note quietly walked with me back to his paddock, ignoring the mares as we passed them, and only gave himself a cursory glance in the mirrored horse trailer as I reached in to grab bug spray.  He is really settling down and transforming into a nice gelding now that he doesn't have testosterone coursing through him demanding his constant attention.  It will of course take more time for him to really adapt to gelding life, but he's off to a great start!