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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsMaizie learns to lunge
No, not lounge. Lunge. Basic groundwork. I finally was able to start turning the girls out last week. After a marathon work week, I started 6 days off on Sunday and started them both off to work. Remember, she lived "out" from birth to almost 8 years old. I'm the first person to make her do "stuff" other than stand for farrier and vet.
Today was day 3.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)I love watching basic groundwork.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)who is working harder!
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)She's shaping up very nicely.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)She really was starting at ground zero. When she first came here, she wouldn't let me touch her for days. Now she is all over me. It helps to be the one who brings food (when there isn't any all around you)!
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)I'm spoiled having a round pen. It's so much harder to start correctly without one. Bravo!
Ginger (the redhead I acquired about the same time as you) heads off to her first event June 6. We've come to re-name her Gidget (the girl who tried everything!) because she's just such a willing horse.
In 5 months she's had to learn some basic dressage, cross country and stadium jumping to 2'11" and has handled it all like a champ. NOT your typical redheaded mare - for non-horse folks, redhead mares are akin in temperament to Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man - feisty and combative!
I'll post some video of her competition.
This is fun! I've never thought of posting a horse's progress on DU before (and I've been here 10 years). Maybe some can learn how intensive the process is....
Good luck magical thyme!
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)but I am green with envy over your indoor!
I thought of coughing up some bucks to get a round pen (and they're on sale at the local tractor supply), but I knew of too many horror stories around arabians getting hung up in them.
And then I thought of building one using privacy fencing, which could be very useful, but then realized that meant digging post holes and a bucketload of work. So maybe, someday...
Love the name Gidget. Sounds like she's making great progress and must be fun to work with. Funny thing about the redhead reputation. Between us we have 2 smart, level-headed redheads. In the meantime, my feisty, combative "redhead" is Dahli, the black/mahogany-bay. Go figure.
You definitely should post some videos. I wish I'd gotten more of Dahli, but I would have needed somebody manning the camera while I chased her all over hell. Her first year, she invariable bolted full steam ahead, ripped the line right through my poor hands (practically ripped gloves right off my hands), ran through the electric fencing. It's a miracle she survived
Anyway, I've noticed online that a number of western trainers have posted training videos, at least on ground training, but not so many eastern. So we need to rectify that situation
Kali
(54,990 posts)that I would love to have your "lack of grass"
we worked cattle on Saturday and the dust was unbelievable in short order
my truck's windshield by the end of the day - no rain or moisture, that is all dry dust settled on the glass
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)It took about 6 weeks longer than usual for our grass to come in this year. Usually I have plenty by early to mid April and keep them in because it's still too soggy here.
I can't take that much dryness. I love to visit deserts, but couldn't live in one year round. I'd shrivel up like a little raisin.
And frankly couldn't afford to feed my horses. I get local hay cheap and they live on my pasture during the summer with just a little hay when I bring them in at night...
Rhiannon12866
(203,027 posts)I remember watching friends working with horses like this when I was a kid. Very smart horse and quite beautiful, too...
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)She is very smart and willing ... you can see her thinking things through when she's trying to figure out what I'm asking for.
Too smart, lol, I have to block the barn doors with big rocks because when they were stuck inside this spring she learned how to slide them open! Couldn't get them far enough to get out, but enough to get in trouble.