Ferriana and the Surcingle

Ferriana is coming along really well.  This horse is brilliant, and she doesn't suffer fools.  I present something new to her and she usually figures it out in the first session.  If she doesn't totally understand it in that first session, I swear she goes back to her paddock and thinks on it all night, then she's mastered it by the next morning when I try it again.

She's now mannerly for handling and leading, she stands tied nicely in the round pen, and she no longer is concerned watching other horses being ridden.  I can clean all of her hooves and brush her everywhere.  She lunges well both with a line and at liberty over obstacles and jumps.  We have begun working with the saddle pad and surcingle, and she has taken every new thing in stride!  The first time I introduced the saddle pad she did give it the side-eye, but once she realized that touching it with her nose would earn her a cookie she was all over that maneuver.  She let me place the pad on her back and remove it from both sides,  then add the surcingle and girth with nothing more than a cursory tap with her nose to get the cookies to which she was entitled.  Only one buck with the tack on and she settled right into her regular routine working in the round pen.  She does like to know what is expected, it gives her security and peace of mind knowing what comes next.  That way adding one new thing isn't a big deal, because she knows all the other things we will do in a session.

I was especially proud of her today, because I had Note turned out in the paddock adjacent to the round pen (he still thinks he's a stallion despite being gelded three years ago at age six).  Ferriana was incredible, particularly considering she was so herd-bound when she arrived here.  She ignored Note completely, even when he was running around like an idiot screaming because he couldn't see her through the solid wall of the round pen. Ferriana just glanced at him once or twice, then looked at me as if to ask, "Is he ok?  Are you going to do something about him?"  I responded, "Nope, he'll quit when he realizes no one is paying any attention." 

Ferriana believed me and followed instructions to focus on our work for the day and ignore the petulant pseudo-stallion on the other side of the wall.  When Note realized no one cared, he gave it up and grazed for a while instead.  Ferriana worked both on the lunge line and off it, all the while ignoring Note.  She also jumped through a bounce several times that I had set up using poles, barrels, and a row of tires. 

I love how smart she is, and how FAST she figures out new things I ask of her.  As a dominant mare I could see how she might be trouble if she wasn't interested in the job or didn't trust the human asking it of her, but we have come to an agreement that working with me is infinitely more fun if she tries to cooperate.  We haven't had any big arguments, which is good because I could see her having quite a temper.  Since I don't fight with horses and she is eager to do new things because it's fun and she trusts me, I'm predicting she'll be quick to put under saddle.  Since she's eight I can get her going over fences as soon as she's mentally ready, we won't have to wait for her to finish physically maturing.  This super well bred, intelligent, athletic mare is going to have so much fun!