The weather is fantastic. We’re actually sweating (while doing precious little) in the month of March. Today’s temperature is expected to once again go over 20 degrees C.
I’ve taken Z and Z to the arena to work at liberty. This is an interesting “trick”! I lead Zeloso to the upper barn, place him in a stall and fetch Zelador. I leave Zelador in the arena and retrieve Zeloso from the stall. On the way back to the lower barn I put Zelador in a stall and lead Zeloso home. There’s a bit of “calling” going on.
I put up the low jump along the wall and the two love flying over it as they travel around me at liberty. Zelador dreamed up a new move. He puts his front feet on the tall pedestal and becomes a statue as his brother jumps the jump beside the pedestal.
After a bit of free longeing the boys are quite happy to stand quietly on their pedestals (Zelador on the northern one and Zeloso on the southern one). I work briefly with each horse and the other stands politely…as long as the activity I’m doing is not really exciting!
One morning after the liberty work Bill joined me and we tacked them up. Just as we were starting, Ciara came and we decided that she’d get the northeast stall in the upper barn ready for teaching Zelador to sit from a standing position. I did a short ride on Zelador, took him back to the lower barn to remove his tack and get his halter and lead line, then went to the “sit stall”. Ciara had about four bags of shavings (still in their bags) in a corner with another three or four bags opened with their shavings draped over the bags. This is our first session in this stall and our fifth session on sit from the stand. Zelador is on the brink of figuring out to lower his hind end onto the pile of shavings. Ciara and I have been practicing in Zelador’s stall in the lower barn, but realized we needed a spot where we could leave the stall set up for the exercise. This eliminates having to relocate MANY bags of shavings every time we work with him.
Zelador figured out early on that when he backed into the shavings and stayed still he was handsomely rewarded. In fact, when Ciara and I stop to discuss how things are progressing and try to figure out if we should move the shavings a little Zelador will seize the opportunity (our lack of focus on him) to back into the shavings and get another reward!
We’ll try to get some photos at our next session. We’re doing this once every week or two.
As I was leading a triumphant Zelador from the “sit stall” I mentioned to Ciara that this was Zelador’s third trip to the upper barn/arena in less than two hours.
What a nice horse!!!!!
