OUR FIRST RIDE!

DAY 14-15 – FIRST RIDE: With the Christmas Holiday, snow on the ground, guests in the house and the joyful chaos that happens this time of year training for ALL the horses as slowed down! Still we squeezed in some groundwork with Nike in the round pen and around our little home arena/ trail course. She continues to improve he her work ethic and her ability to retain the lessons covered. She is, in my opinion, learning quicker now. As the expectations increase little fits of sass happen but quickly pass because of the speed of the correction and the quickness of release/reward. In short she is figuring it out. She then got loved on by a seven year old girl. Great way to end the day.

            We braved the cold the next day (there was still some snow on the ground) and headed over to Pioneer Park Arena about 15 minutes from our place. We took over some temporary fence posts and marking ropes to divide the small arena in about half. We did about 30-40 minutes of ground work reviewing the previous day’s lesson and making sure she was focused and thinking. There was LOTS happening around her at the park. Disc golf folks, kids on bicycles and Big Wheels, folks walking their dogs and so on. Of course they all came by the small arena to watch. Sigh. Once we were SURE she was focused I mounted up. I have to be the heaviest thing she has had on her back. We did a little bit of lateral flexing and then moved out at the walk. Her gas pedal was sticky at first. Being our first ride together and having less than optimal footing in the arena I took things slow. We simply walked out for a time doing a few large direction changes just to let her know that I would be as gentle as possible but as firm as necessary. Laurie served double duty as photographer and pressure giver when needed. When Nike felt secure and began to loosen up we had some fun. She is VERY bendy and MUCH more slender than Ronan my Foundation Quarter Horse Gelding. Mix these two things together and you have a different sort of ride. We walked, we trotted we did some direction changes, some backing and even some hindquarter yields. Had some nice wins and ended and a great note.

            More snow in the forecast and all local covered arenas are closed so we may have to wait a day or two to work again. Looking forward to continuing her journey! You can see more pictures at: https://www.facebook.com/michael.canfield.96