day 50

You would think that I would be riding these horses by now. I have put 5 rides on Star, but the last one told me that he really wasn't ready for it. Today, I didn't even saddle Star. I took him out and played with him at the pond. I got him to rest on the beach which was really good. To do it though I had to work him and then let him rest on the beach. Then we found a puddle, that he jumped at and that became a challenge obstacle to get him to cross. That was in the driveway. So we spent some time working on this toget him to go across and at least get his feet wet. His aversion to water reminds me of the cats that inhabit the barn where he stays. Then we went to the road where there is a ditch and worked on him crossing that. It took some patient persuasion but he went back and forth across it. Then we came back to the barn and he was done.
Robbie got to play at liberty with me, my choice, not his. I wanted to see just how much of a connection I have with him. I had him trotting and walking around me without me moving. I even got him to stop and face me when he stopped. Then I put the saddle on him and the bridle and drove him around. I wanted to work the transitions up to a canter and back down and stop. He did pretty good in both directions. I was looking for him to stay  on his track too. He does pretty good going to the right, but the left needs some work. I want him to stay bent/shaped toward the inside and not drift in or out so I really have to work the reins a little bit to steer him. I would like him bent with slack in the rein. He is getting better, even getting vertically soft. He is a real nice mover. I got in the stirrup with him a couple times and really moved around on him to see what he would do. I also flexed him with the bit.
I sure would like to be riding both of these guys but we gotta get over that hump of controlling their feet from the saddle before we actually start going forward too much. So maybe next week we will be able to start riding. We both have to be ready for this.