Bebe Breakthough and a few other updates

Ugh. It is so windy. Yes, I know that Kansas is indeed the wrong state to live in if you hate the wind. I still gripe about it though.

It has been a fast paced last few weeks around here. We currently have three horses in for training, I am working with three of our rescues (getting them ready to adopt out), and we have had no less than several family obligations and emergencies arise. Thus, my whole resolve of posting a blog a week was shot to hell.

Eh. Rules were made to be broken, right?

Bebe is doing very well. She's three years old. When she came in she was a bit spoiled and a lot head strong. We had only done a little bit of work with her when she rubbed her head on the side of her shelter and tore the tin siding, exposing a jagged edge, and like all horses was accident prone enough to get cut on it. She was off of work for a few days. When we began again it was with a different tactic in mind.

See, up to this point I had treated her like any other green filly that comes in. Problem is, Bebe is not just any other filly. Besides, she has pretty darned good ground manners (aside from being a little pushy) and her ground work was really done well. She had even been ridden by a friend of her owner around a small paddock.

When I started her, I explored what she knew, which was quite a lot actually, and then I began to test the edges of her comfort zone. That is when things began to get a little hairy. She doesn't like for me to push her at all. Or ask her for a different direction. Or ask her to walk the rail instead of the middle of the round pen. She bobs her head and sulks. She drags her feet, stirring up dust, moping around the edge of the round pen at a mosey. Or, if she feels like it, she pouts and flounces. Lol. She sure does have a lot of personality. I love it.

So after having her here for 4 weeks now I have developed a different strategy just for Bebe; a step two. I don't react to her behavior. I sit and quietly ask until she does it. If she pouts or sulks she gets to trot or do circles. It seems to be working. Since I have started disciplining her for bad behavior through work she has really begun to blossom. The first few days were a trial but this morning was really nice. She did everything I asked and we barely had any behavior at all.

I think we've had a breakthrough.

Jethro the Fox Trotter is doing very well and responding nicely to his training. He is learning to "frame up" and carry himself in a more efficient way as well as learning to respect space and distance. Buster the solid black paint gelding is doing well also. It took his owners three days to get him into a trailer to come here, so we have made trailer training a priority. So far it is going very well. He's a smart cookie.

I will try to post more as soon as I can! Have a wonderful Labor Day!