There’s a new addition to our arena wall: eight (8.5” x 11”) colourful, rectangular posters with tricks and games on them. Several years ago I thought, “I’d like a list of things the horses can do and things I hope to teach them on the arena wall. The list will be right where I can see it so when I get a creative moment it is ‘in my face’ and I have no excuses for not being able to remember things I want to do.”
The thought evolved into posters. Each one has a word in BIG letters in the middle with related games, tricks, liberty stuff printed around it. For example: one of them is “DREAMS”. This poster includes: carriage driving, riding bareback and bridleless, teaching Z and Z to walk side by side at liberty and teaching Z and Z to step up and turn on their rotating top pedestals simultaneously.
The posters will also be a motivator when I work with other people’s horses and a reminder of those simple games we played five years ago when I first started thinking of things to do with Zelador and Zeloso.
A few days ago I was thinking about how many horses I’ve taught the carrot and cone game to. The number is approaching three dozen. A New Year’s Resolution could be: contact my friends and double that carrot/cone number in 2013. Another goal could be to triple the school of equine painters. Currently (since the beginning of December 2012) seventeen horses have worked with me to create masterpieces!
