Working with Freedom and Goals for Daisy and Freedom

Freedom on his 1st birthday on Thursday

Wednesday evening I worked with Freedom again. I did some research before heading up to the horses and we checking out some things that I could do with Freedom. One of the things that I found was that you can work your yearling in the round pen as long as the round pen is big enough, you have a purpose (aren't just running them in a circle endlessly), and it is short and to the point. So I decided to see what Freedom would do. I roundpenned him for a little bit and he did really well. I did it for maybe 5 or 10 or so minutes..not really long at all..just long enough for him to know what I mean when I tell him to go and also what I mean when I step in front of him and how to change directions. I was very pleased. Since he did so well I let him hang out with Prince a bit (him and Prince aka Mateo aren't together in the meadow anymore)...then I took him back into the round pen and worked with him on laying down. We haven't done this for a little while so he was being a mess. He layed down the first time really wonderfully but got up before I told him. So I layed him down again and he was being a mess about it. So then I asked him to lay down the last time and he threw a real fit. He was like I am not laying down again and you can't tell me otherwise. I did get him to lay down finally and then he laid there for a bit. Once he got up then he followed me around a bit. I want to keep working on the laying down till he really gets it. My main goals for him right now are just laying down, respecting my space,  moving his forquarters and hindquarters, and just generally moving around from the ground alot. He is doing really well so far!

My goals for Daisy this summer are getting better with moving her hindquarters and forquarters from her back, really getting well at stopping and backing with the snaffle and becoming really soft on the bit. We are to a good start so we shall see! :)

Freedom's birthday was on Thursday...for more pictures visit: http://photographyra.blogspot.com/2013/04/happy-1st-birthday-freedom.html