Honey Bun Day 18-Monday 9/7/15

I did GW with her around the barn to see how she would be. We had to start out with Lungeing and after a few direction changes and some sending exercises she began to pay better attention to me. I did backing and circling. She did fine at all of the exercises. At first she wanted to eat grass, but that changed straight away. I also did some serious desensitizing. She needs it. She can be sort of jumpy. So I got the flag out and the plastic bag and my noise bag and did as much as I could to make her move. She moved a little but was pretty quiet. Something moved in the woods and she spooked forward a step then stopped. That's a good sign.
Then I saddled her and we went to the arena. After bridle bending her I went to get on and she wouldn't stand still so I just made her do bridle bending with more energy and disengaged the HQ and back up a few times from each side. Then she stood nice while I got on. I wanted to work on one rein stops a bunch as well as diagonals at the walk and trot. Since she had a hard time standing still while I flexed her I decided to go on and walk forward. She offered a trot and 10 minutes later we stopped. She started to get the hang of the diagonal exercise. The purpose there is to help her follow her nose wherever the rein directs her. She is supposed to stay on whatever track and gait I put her. She was beginning to get it at the trot. I let her rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, I flexed her and worked on YH from a standstill. Then we did the diagonals in a canter. It was hot and the footing is kinda deep, as well as the arena not being real big. It was kinda hard to do it. But We made some good progress. She cantered more than she has with me. The corners on the diagonal come up fast at a canter so it seems like 8-10 strides and she has to turn. It might be less than that. But we stuck with it. I gave her a good rest with her nose in a corner. Then I got off and did some touch and rub exercises. Which is flexing the her with the rein and using my thumb on her flank where the spur/heel would touch and ask her to move her hip over. She was real good at this since I have been doing it somewhat already. Then I got in the saddle and did YH from a standstill and then worked on YH and stop from a walk, trot. What this is asking her to move forward several steps then picking up a rein, bending her head and using your heel to push her Hq over and stopping. She did this pretty good. When I tried it from a stop she took a lot of persuasion to get her to go into a trot. It was hot and she was sweaty as was I. But I pushed her through it so we could practice this a few times. I wanted her to get real soft. She is getting better. I need to take her out of the arena next time and that might get her moving a little better.