Since starting "school" he's been doing great! I've rode him a
few times last week and all is well. He has a walk, running walk, trot, rack, and
canter/gallop. He's not fit enough yet to sustain gaiting for more than a few strides, but they are
definitely in there. It's such fun to have a gaited horse in the barn again!
Beau has ridden in the arena with the dogs, as well as out in the back forty. He is super quiet and steady, with only a few spooks while getting used to Rizzo jumping in and out of the tall grass. His spooks are basically just lifting all four feet slightly off the ground, placing them back in the same spots, and taking a good hard look. Once he realized that the sound of the bells on collars were his dog friends he was just fine.
He's an absolute love, and has been really affectionate. It's a rare thing to find a mind this quiet with such an honest and eager-to-please temperament. He's a little green since he hasn't had much training, but honestly I think this works in his favor because he's very sound. He really thrives on positive reinforcement, as most horses do, and a well timed cookie or word of praise goes a long way for him. So far he's a little unsure about what I'm asking of him, but his confidence increases every day as he realizes I'm actually quite friendly and happy to explain anything he doesn't understand.
Beau has ridden in the arena with the dogs, as well as out in the back forty. He is super quiet and steady, with only a few spooks while getting used to Rizzo jumping in and out of the tall grass. His spooks are basically just lifting all four feet slightly off the ground, placing them back in the same spots, and taking a good hard look. Once he realized that the sound of the bells on collars were his dog friends he was just fine.
He's an absolute love, and has been really affectionate. It's a rare thing to find a mind this quiet with such an honest and eager-to-please temperament. He's a little green since he hasn't had much training, but honestly I think this works in his favor because he's very sound. He really thrives on positive reinforcement, as most horses do, and a well timed cookie or word of praise goes a long way for him. So far he's a little unsure about what I'm asking of him, but his confidence increases every day as he realizes I'm actually quite friendly and happy to explain anything he doesn't understand.
After a month here with regular exercise in tack that fits him well I suspect he'll be gaiting all around the back forty as well as in the arena! It's important for all horses that their tack fits, but especially important for gaited horses. Physically they can't gait correctly unless their back is lifted with core muscling engaged, so it is crucial to ensure they can lift their topline without hitting pressure points from a saddle.
It's going to be such fun to see him progress over the next few weeks!
No comments:
Post a Comment