Justa Short Blurb

I've been way too busy to blog much as of late but wanted to write up a quick short blurb on all the horses! It'll be quick too because my butt is freezing so I'd love to get to bed beneath some WARM covers! Haha.

Feb 23
Chickadee
Was pretty good throughout all her games though we did not approach the Circling Game extensions as her Circling game was a little rough. I was getting a little attitude (swished tail, ears pinned, attempting to change direction) on her right side and she wouldn't continue her circle. We did end the game on a relatively good note and left further improvement for next session. I'm thinking too her attitude could be due a bit to her being RB (wanting to control the situation so as to ensure her survival) and also to her being in heat? Not sure yet. Our Sideways game too was a little rough, like she does not quite fully understand it yet, so we'll keep plugging away at it and I'll try to be even clearer with her. Chicka was pretty good with the Friendly game with the tarp except over her back she was a little RB with it. She was walking over the larger orange tarp fairly well though. Our Figure-8 and Weave patterns were great!! No saddle work today though as I felt she wasn't quite ready today.

Link
Did really well! All his games were great, including his Yo-Yo all the way to the end of the 22' line! Still needs a little work though at getting the Yo-Yo lighter but that will come with time. We worked at the full length of the 22' at the Circling game as well as the Weave and Figure-8 patterns. Time to add in some additional patterns and to try to add in the Weave and Figure-8 at the end of the 22' line and at the trot!

Sonny
The over-sized toddler is doing amazing under the tutelage of his new buddy R.W. The two are taking it slow however Sonny becomes more and more LB with each session thanks to R.W.'s patience and natural ability to communicate with him. Can't wait to see the two of them progress even further!


Feb 24
Chickadee
Our Circling game today was very successful, with 2 laps completed in either direction at the jog. Since that had been our weak point yesterday, we ended that game on a good note. The Sideways game was still a little rough though I think I am picking up how to communicate to her what I want more effectively. The key with her seems to be to have my stick up and moving rhythmically from hip to shoulder, hip to shoulder - back and forth and increasing my phases. This seems to keep her straightest and stepping over nicer. We played a bit with the tarps; she was much better about having the small tarp over her back today. She also walked up and down the long ends of the large tarp with very little hesitation (and no further direction on my part!). Her Porcupine was fabulous all over - Phase 2 at most everywhere! Her Yo-Yo was the same, Phase 2 and extremely light. Of course her patterns were great, as always!

Link
No work today! He was alright at most of his games but we just could not seem to progress past the Circling game. As calm and patient as I was he just kept trying to change direction on me and to take off in a RB explosion. We ended the session on a sour note but oh well - next time! I've been doing just light light work with him in the arena because first his left knee swelled up and then drained (blood) on me (a few times over the past couple of weeks) and now, as of today, his left knee has as well. I'm not sure what he's doing to cause his knees to fill with blood (on and off) but it's not causing him to be lame and it seems to be causing only very very minimal discomfort. Either way though, the day off today will likely do him good anyways (and I especially do not want him exploding as he does with those knees in the shape they are in!).

Sonny
Came in a lot more LB for R.W. today and never once became R.B. (despite Link's exploding continuously within pretty close range of him)!!!

Feb 25
Chickadee
Did very well today, especially for working alone with me in the arena. When I first brought her in she was quite skittish, spooking violently at the slightest sound or movement. As I started playing with her though she did start to relax - the key was just to keep her mind busy! All her games were pretty good and fairly light (Phase 1 or 2 for the most part). We did not do any Circling game expansions though as I really wanted to cement our Circling game (alone) foundation. Her Sideways game was MUCH better today! I felt I was much clearer with her this time and we ended up with quite a number of sideways steps in either direction. Her Weave and Figure-8 patterns were great; she was a little RB at the Figure-8 though and so was jogging it but she still completed it nicely (though I had to be quick to be there to direct her through it), even at the jog! I then saddled her up (loose, rope looped over one arm) and had her do the Circling game under the saddle. This allowed me to get her used to the cinch at the trot as well as the saddle moving and also allowed me to tighten her cinch in phases. With no withers that saddle has to be fairly snug or else it moves all over the planet! She seemed a little confused at first but was soon jogging out fairly nicely. After I felt she was comfortable I mounted up and we did our three-part maneuver - little rough but she did it. She seems to be picking up the leg aids a bit yet. Her back-up too was fabulous, I barely have to lift the reins! She seemed a bit confused as to forward aids but did move off eventually. I had to keep her busy though, at first by doing the Figure-8 and Weave under-saddle to keep her thinking and her mind off of the horses outside. Eventually we did two half-laps of the arena in either direction before calling it a day. She did not seem quite comfortable under-saddle (though she allowed me permission to mount up no problem) and so had the tendency to be a bit RB, which manifested itself in her wanting to move her feet constantly. It was difficult to have her relax at a halt and she kept trying to move up into a jog. Some more time in this area though will help her become more relaxed!

Link
No work with the two trouble-making boys, though I did check Link's knees today; they seemed in great shape (maybe the -30C had something to do with it? lol). Tomorrow I should have more time and so will take him out with Chicka (Sonny's just gonna have to wait a bit till R.W. is back to play with him!). It was great to see the two horses greet me at the gate both times I went out there (to pick up, then to return Chickadee), especially Link!!


Koolaid
I have been out to see the grape-coloured kid every day now for the past two weeks. He has a nice-sized (a few inches at least) crescent-shaped laceration to the inside of his right foreleg. He is not all that lame but you can see he is certainly a bit off. The wound was quite deep (I gunked my fingers about in it for awhile the first time to determine the extent of the injury) and still is but seems to be a bit shallower now. It is definitely narrower though now which is great. The cold weather her has really helped I believe (no flies!) - there is plenty of pus and blood as it is as the wound repairs itself but I haven't really had to worry about any major infection. Yesterday though the knee and area was quite blown up so I am hoping that tomorrow when I get out to see it the inflammation and any minor infection will have subsided. He'll be fine but it's a work-in-progress!!