Baby Steps

 I thought I might ride Pedro the other day, but then I couldn't find his breastcollar and his britchen was a pain to put on. Have I mentioned how I hate Conway buckles? I need to buy some snaps to make it easier.

So we Just went for a walk. Isn't he handsome?

 He was stumbling a lot part way through our walk, and he's seemed a little footsore since then. I'm not sure if it's the grass making him sore, or what. I took him off pasture and now he seems improved. He was even loping around a little bit yesterday.

We also worked on giving to the bit. That is the area where he needs the most improvement. Often when asked to go one direction, he belligerently goes in the other direction. But this time he was very light and responsive. I was impressed! I don't know if he was just carrying on from our last lesson, which was so long ago I don't even remember it, or if his mouth is more comfortable now, so it makes it easier to do the right thing.

Luc is shedding and you can see his brand better now. The symbols are so small. I wonder if they use a smaller branding iron on foals.

We had a nice walk last night, exploring in the trees behind the house, fixing fence together, and then hanging out on the road hoping a car would go by (to see if it scared him). He got to eat a lot of dusty road grass.

No cars ever came, but he did meet the neighbor's mailbox and cable box. He was worried about the strange objects, but apparently curiosity won out, because he marched right up and touched them without being asked.

 
When he noticed the neighbor horses, he just stared and stared. Maybe their white appaloosa butts had him confused.

We finished off with some circle work back in the pasture. He was jazzed up at first, but soon remenbered it's about paying attention and making direction and speed changes nicely when asked, NOT trotting in endless circles, staring off at his buddies. I was very happy with our time together.

Baby steps. A little exploratory walk with a horse or standing on the ground asking a donkey for miniscule responses to the bit, then larger ones... It's little, but it's cumulative, and makes the big stuff easier. I think Luc is coming along amazingly well, and if course I think Pedro poops stars and farts rainbows, he's so perfect.

Now I better get outside and continue this horsey love story in realtime. See ya!