Sunday, February 6, 2011

Successful Lunging Sesion!

Today I did some things I didn't do with Daisy before..I had a tarp, a pom-pom, and an umbrella that were all new to her..well I had done something with the tarp a while back (http://musingsofacowgirl.blogspot.com/2010/11/mondays-lunging-and-groundwork.html). Anyway first I got the tarp out and that she didn't care a whit about...she stood perfectly still as I put it on her back (didn't open it the whole way because it is a tad muddy in her corral there and didn't want the tarp all muddy) and the neat thing was..she didnt mind in the least ;)
 So then I waved the pompom all over and around her and all she wanted to do was eat it..LOL. So I stuck it between her ears and she didn't mind it but she wasn't to impressed she couldn't see it I think :D Since none of the other stuff I did seemed to bother her which is great I got the umbrella out (sorry the picture quality isn't the best..took it with my camera on my phone).
Well she didn't seem to mind the umbrella, not near to the extent that Navajo and Curly did..They both had to blow their noses and such before they could accept it. Daisy was very level headed about it and was like ok :D Before I opened it I rubbed it all over her then opened it and let her sniff it and such. I then put it beside her face on both sides and although she didn't really like that she accpeted it. Then I put it over her head and at first she was not happy about it but she accpted that too. It was so awesome because that is the fartherest I have ever gotten with an umbrella with a horse. Then I put it on the ground and as you can see by the picture she played with it! Well she also killed it because I am not sure what she did with it but it wouldn't close after she was done with it..LOL. Oh well that is the reason I got the stuff I did at the dollar tree (hehe). Well that was all for that..Since everything I showed to Daisy she didn't care about I decided to lunge her.

I don't know if I really said anything or not but Daisy really had a habit of pulling when I lunged her especially when going right. I mean it never failed and it was to the point I hated to lunge her at a canter because of it. Well the last time I lunged her I had put the chain over her nose so that she couldn't pull and she really was getting better by the time I had quit. I was thinking before I lunged her today that if she does really well at a trot we will try this at a canter. Well I trotted her both ways and she really lowered her head and stretched down and didn't pull very much..not near like she had. So I was like ok lets move to a place where we can canter. We moved and I trotted her first and she was doing really well. Then since I knew going right was the worst I decided we would go left first. She did almost perfectly..no pulling at all at a canter. I was so impressed. I had a feeling we would have somewhat of a fight going to the right but I didn't know how it was going to go. First I started her at a trot and she did well then I asked for a canter and she cantered all right but she had a certain spot she ALWAYS EVERY SINGLE TIME (till I got smart) stopped and turned. I tried to get her to canter and she did a few times but not without stopping and turning. I was getting a bit frustrated and I finally was like wait if I make her go to the left and turn her right where she likes to turn on her own and maker her go to the right then. So this is what I did. I trotted her to the left, turned her at the spot where she liked to turn on her own and asked her to go right. I left her trot to the right one time in a full circle then as soon as she had passed the place she always turned (I asked her to keep going and amazingly she did) I asked for a canter and SUCCESS!!! She cantered in one full circle but right as she got to the place she liked to turn while she was cantering I asked her to turn. I was like you like to turn on your own there so fine I will ask you to turn there and this way you will still obey me :D I got her to trot to the left turned again at the trouble spot and cantered her and as soon as she completed that full circle at a canter without turning or breaking into a trot I said WHOA and let her come to me..That was her reward for doing exactly what I wanted. I was SO HAPPY and felt like I had gotten somewhere with her!! It is such an awesoem feeling to say the least. It was nice and almost decent to ride today but not really anyplace to go and I KNEW this was something we needed to work on!! I hope to keep working on groundwork till this snow goes away ;) Hope you have an awesome weekend!

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