Keep on riding

Got another chance to mess with my horses today. I needed to trim Raven's feet. Boy, that is a tough job. I had to take about four breaks. Not that it takes a long time, but that it is hard to bend over like that and rasp, and nip, and dig with the hoof knife and then have it all flat and even and balanced. I think I am having Eric, my farrier for Jake do her next time. Then I wanted to work with Jake for an hour or so. I did some ground work on a 22' line had him walking and trotting on a circle while I stood in the center. I had him doing some leg yields and balanced turns on center. Then i took the line off and did the circle at liberty with him. He stays with me pretty good, although one time he decided to leave me. That I squashed by making him run faster for a few laps. Should be able to do that with unruly kids who want to disobey. Make 'em get busy doing something then when they start to straighten up let them have a rest. I Know a man who runs a boys home out west who does this kind of thing with the boys who would rather spend their energy acting up. So he makes 'em spend their energy until they wish they could stop. I think this sort of thing would solve the ADHD problem real fast. Anyway, back to Jake. I then started doing exercises that will lead to more liberty work. Then I hooked him up to do some ground driving with him. We did this for about 5 minutes. He did pretty good but got a little confused because I was asking him for some leg yields. I was having trouble being precise in my asking for forward rather than leg yields. But he will get better. I noticed that he was also real soft and collected up while I was driving him. I felt this under saddle too. I had him really trotting and tried some cantering, but he has the wierdest canter. It's like he doesn't know what to do with his feet while cantering. Now he does canter without me on his back and it is not too bad if I am going down the road. At any rate I was really after being buttery soft at the trot and walk. He is. Then I put him up.
I had to get my round pen back up today too, as I have a horse coming this week hopefully, and I will need it. I gotta get a place set up for a more permanent round pen.
Gotta go.  The woman of the house has got my attention.