domino 15

Half way there. Yep! only 15 more sessions with him and he will be solid gold for the owner. Not!!! He came to me quick today. I didn't work with him yesterday because I wasn't feeling too good. I still am not the best, but I can't get too far behind on this guy. As it is it looks like around Nov. 15th when he will be going home. Anyway, I got him saddled no problem and moved him on the lunge line. He moved out freely. Did some transitions of speed and direction then I worked on some leg yields on the rail and slightly off the rail. He did pretty good. Then took him out and worked him out in the yard, the pen is too muddy, worked him a little and flexed him. He likes to throw his head up when I flex him on the left. I am not sure what that is all about, but he is telling me he doesn't like it. So I am working on being real clear and soft and release on the slightest give. He is getting better. Then for 45 min. I rode him around working on lat flexion and transitions. We went down the road without too much hastle. I just used his own energy to make him move. For example, if he wanted to turn to the right towards home I just asked him to keep on turning with real light pressure on the rein and did a 360 and kept going in the original direction. So whichever direction he turned I just overcorrected him and kept moving. We did this for about a half mile down the road. Then a friend stopped to talk to me about the death of his son, which he wants me to do the funeral this week. (he was killed last night while working on his car. He was underneath it and the jack failed, he was 30 years old.) So I got off and chatted with him and his wife and prayed with them. Shawn Pensinger is the man's name, so say a prayer for the family.
It was also good training for Domino to stand patient. After that was done I remounted and we did the same thing back, just trying to get softness laterally and transitions to trot and then walk. We went through some big puddles of water which make for good obstacles. He is learning to trust me. I flexed him when we got back that was it. He did real good. I have noticed that he can be a bit jumpy, but he didn't act like he needed to get back home any time soon and he didnt' whinny as he has before when Raven or Jake did. Otherwise I would put him to work. So it was a good ride ending on a good note.