Groundwork with Jess, Daisy, Laid Down Freedom and Curly

Clockwise: Jess on Saturay's ride, Daisy before groundwork Tuesday, laying Freedom down, riding Curly yesterday, & laying Freedom down again

 

Today was a good day :) I didn't ride but I did work with all the horses. First I worked with Jess. I worked her on the lunge line in the round pen first. She did really well with it. I just got her to go left and right and got her to turn while facing me which she didn't do when free lunging last evening. After she seemed to have the general idea what I wanted her to do I decided to add the commands walk and trot. I also clucked and kissed first and then said WALK and TROT. I was also using body language as well as the whip to get the WALK and TROT commands across to her. She did really good and by the time I was finished she was walking and trotting both ways on voice commands and body language :) I stopped her, turned away from her and she came to me and touched me. I walked around and she followed me. We went out the gate to go into the area between the areana and the barn and I got her to walk and trot and she followed quite well!! :) I praised her for doing so well then let her stay where she was while I cleaned out her stall and the others stalls.

 

Then I brought Daisy in from the meadow and worked her in the round pen. She did so awesome. She walked and trotted for me and then when she was ready I turned away and she came to me. Daisy followed me to the gate, I opened the gate, she walked thru and stopped while I closed the gate. Then she followed me, at liberty, to the barn where I brushed her then put her out in the meadow. Loved on her and praised her for doing so well.

 

I had been thinking of working with Freedom on laying him down. So I decided to do that this evening. I did it the exact same way as I did Daisy and Freedom did wonderful. He laid down in under 15 minutes. Once he laid down I praised him and took some pictures with my camera. Being the first time and everything I was so impressed! :) :)

 

After I worked with Freedom I laid down Curly too :) It was a great evening..busy with the horses but that was a good thing. Not sure if I will ride tomorrow because it might rain...we shall see!