It seems it has been a while that I have updated. I haven't done much riding all week. I was quite busy. I had a lot of catch up work for the business for some reason so that kept me busy and I also did some horse cleaning. I cleaned the buckets, his grooming tools and that was pretty much it..If it is really nice this week I plan to clean his blanket and also I do plan on cleaning up the hay area and making some room up there for some of my other horse stuff that is in the summer house :)
Anyway about the rides.
Friday: Last evening I was up a bit later than normal..I had gotten off the computer and went out to Navajo. I missed sitting on him (hehe it was only a week or so that I haven't ridden but I am sure you guys know how it is) and so I made that he couldn't go into is stall/barn and rode around in the enclosed area (is like a little corral because there is no grass). Well first of all I had planned just to sit on him but I had put the lead rope around his neck just to make sure he didn't wander all around. Then I thought hey this is the perfect time to see how well he responds to leg cues and neck reining cues and stopping cues since he don't have a halter or bridle on just the lead rope around his neck:) I also figured it would be a bit of a challenge and something that would be just for fun:) Well that is what we did. AND HE DID GREAT! I was a bit amazed but should not have been. He is a smart horse and once he knows what I want usually tries his best. We walked around and I got him turn and move his forquarters by just using the leadrope and leg cues. I didn't get him to move his hindquarters because I wasn't sure how that would work:) I even got him to back up which I didn't really expect him to know what to do but he pleasantly surprised me!! I am really happy. So I loved on him and told him he did a wonderful job!!
Saturday afternoon: Well this afternoon I decided that since he did such a good job last evening with walking around with just the leadrope I would try it again. Navajo again did well but if I plan to do it a lot (it will not be out in the open because he has to learn to listen to me better first..for now it is just for fun) we will need to work on the stopping cue and getting him to listen better to my rein cues..But I think he will get it if we work on it occasionally! Anyway I only rode him for a bit and then I hopped of. I put the lead rope around his neck so that I could use it for a moving forward cue..What my plan was to see how well he would walk beside me without a halter and leadrope so that he would be listening to my body cues! HE DID VERY GOOD I thought for the first time!! What I would do is lean my shoulder front (the one that was close to him) and cluck..and then pull a bit on the leadrope. He would take a step front and then I would move my feet. He got that part. The stopping again is going to need work (I am thinking we are going to need to work on stopping from both the ground and from the saddle) but he did really well toward the end. At first I was a bit stumped on how to get him to turn but then I was like if I see a turn is coming up I will tilt my body a bit toward him and that will mean for him to turn a bit away from me so that we can make the turn. He doesn't quite get that yet but he was beginning to understand a bit what I was asking:) Then we switched sides..His right side is worse than his left side so we will work more on that side:) So that is my rides for now..I think that this part is as or just as important as riding with a bridle..It brakes things up a bit. Tomorrow I plan to ride with a bridle and we will ride out in the field..That is if the weather is nice:) Hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed weekend!!
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