Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Day 22

I thought I better get this written before I forget. Yesterday was a good day with Ceasar. He came up to me like He should be, even though I had the halter in my hand. The first time was when the farrier was here to trim his feet. He did good with that.
Later on when I worked with him, He came right up to me and I rubbed on him and brushed him then put the halter on him. I moved him around a bit just slow work with him. We went through our exercises. He is getting much softer so that I can have a good float in the line when I ask for disengagement  or whatever. I checked out his girth area, he is touchy there even with my hand. I got the lariat out and flanked him out with that. I can get it real tight on his girth, flank and belly he just will follow me around. I am getting so I can lead him from those three areas. However, I really would like him to shift his weight towards me more. I drove him forward and he would just turn towards me and stop if I stopped and then I would release. I did get him to move forward with it on his belly and really put all my weight into it then he humped up 4x, not really big bucks, but kicking back with both barrells. He stopped and I released. Did it again and he humped 2x, then again and 1x and again and he didn't hump up at all. So I stopped there with the flanking out. Then I put the saddle on him and he moved a couple times, but that could be because he thought I was moving. Once I got him cinched up, I did alot of soft disengaging and moving his shoulders, slow and easy. Then gradually asked him to move forward and off from me at a walk. He did begin to take off, I shut him down and kept on asking. He settled down after not too long a time. When I could get him to move off at a walk in both directions and then move up to a trot or canter and back, and it was smoother, then I let him rest. he needs lots of reassuring rests between the steps once I get what I am after. Then I got on him and he moved off better than ever. Offered to trot for me and even got him up into a canter in the left lead. That was great. I finished the last few minutes just working on softness. He is getting real soft and balanced. For him that is key. He needs to learn to move balanced and round because he has always moved out of balance and hollowed out, which is clearly noticeable in his neck and musculature. So I am asking him to use muscles that have not been really worked. Thus this is taking some time. But he will turn out to be a good horse, I am sure.

No comments: