well, OK, a lesson with the big league anyway LOL.
He was great, clicked on pretty well to what Jody was wanting on the ground (uses Andrew McLean's methods) and then I jumped on him and we worked on putting his feet where we wanted them going around the arena (his first time in an arena, all scary stuff you know!)
Jody is lovely, very down to earth, very approachable, and fantastically open minded shown not just in her own training but in accepting what I do too :o)
She'll be back in town in March after Horse of the Year so I'll save up for that, and in the meantime yesterday I thought we'd better do a float session as a reminder ready for today, and decided to change his entire way of loading and get him self loading so I can do him on my own. Pete in the front with an enticing piece of carrot to help get him to leave my side and he was doing it like a pro. This morning was the same, but he had a wee mishap on the way to the lesson, got his bum stuck under the back bar till he freed himself, but was a very worried boy when we arrived wanting to come straight off! Unlucky for him he'd bent the back bar so it took me a minute to get it undone LOL.
Explained to him after the lesson that's why he needs to stand on his own 4 feet properly in the float and it won't happen if he stands nicely in there. A little procrastination but nothing worse than yesterday's practice session and on he went again. Very good wee man.
2 comments:
Well done Smokey!
I am ashamed to say that I have not had a lesson with Jody H and she lives less than 10 minutes drive away :(
Wonder if she would be as open minded with my halter wearing hippy trekking pony, lol
She was using someone with clippers as an example of the desensitizing and when she'd finished I said to her "are you hinting at something?!" She said "NO! well maybe just here and there" LOL Told her I was going for the Friesian look ;o) Thankfully the McLean "method" can be used in all walks of life, I think you and Summer would love it :o)
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