Today I had my first Parelli session with my lease horse Bailey.
I started the session by grooming her in the arena. At first Bailey was calling to the other horses but soon settled and started to enjoy being groomed. She even let her eyelids and lips droop a little. After I finished grooming we did some stick to me in zone two on the rail. She was polite but I could see in her eyes that she wasn't connected yet.
Next, we went back to the middle of the arena and did some porcupine on her nose. It was pretty good for the first time I asked her.
I started testing Bailey's confidence with the rope by tossing it over her back. At first she went introverted and looked frozen, so I retreated and she softened her eyes again. She was much more relaxed on the second attempt. It took her a second to realize that all I wanted was for her to relax.
After that, she was relaxed even though I let the tail of the rope get longer and swung it a little faster. Then I moved on to the carrot stick. I picked it up and let Bailey nose it up and down. Next I placed it on her withers and stepped back to let her bend over and and touch it. After that I touched her all over her body with the stick. Then I let go of the string and touched her all over with it. Next I started swinging it over her head and dragging it on the ground and everything else I could think of. I was so pleased with her.
The last thing I decided to do was circling game. It had started to rain really hard on the roof of the arena and Bailey wanted to move her feet. Since she doesn't know circling game yet I started off by lounging her. I noticed her send was really good. When she settled a bit I stopped moving my feet and allowed her to walk behind me. Bailey stopped and looked at me, so I turned and sent her again. She walked around me for one whole circle! That's something I struggled with when playing with Brandy.
Her disengage was perfect, but at the bring back part Bailey assumed that I wanted her to go the other way. She stopped and started to walk the other way, so I disengaged her HQ and invited her to come to me.
When I was taking her down the ramp from the arena, she walked down slowly and carefully and didn't even think about rushing. I don't think our first ground work session with her could have gone any better. Before saying good-bye to her, I put a little piece of apple in her feed bin.
I started the session by grooming her in the arena. At first Bailey was calling to the other horses but soon settled and started to enjoy being groomed. She even let her eyelids and lips droop a little. After I finished grooming we did some stick to me in zone two on the rail. She was polite but I could see in her eyes that she wasn't connected yet.
Next, we went back to the middle of the arena and did some porcupine on her nose. It was pretty good for the first time I asked her.
I started testing Bailey's confidence with the rope by tossing it over her back. At first she went introverted and looked frozen, so I retreated and she softened her eyes again. She was much more relaxed on the second attempt. It took her a second to realize that all I wanted was for her to relax.
After that, she was relaxed even though I let the tail of the rope get longer and swung it a little faster. Then I moved on to the carrot stick. I picked it up and let Bailey nose it up and down. Next I placed it on her withers and stepped back to let her bend over and and touch it. After that I touched her all over her body with the stick. Then I let go of the string and touched her all over with it. Next I started swinging it over her head and dragging it on the ground and everything else I could think of. I was so pleased with her.
The last thing I decided to do was circling game. It had started to rain really hard on the roof of the arena and Bailey wanted to move her feet. Since she doesn't know circling game yet I started off by lounging her. I noticed her send was really good. When she settled a bit I stopped moving my feet and allowed her to walk behind me. Bailey stopped and looked at me, so I turned and sent her again. She walked around me for one whole circle! That's something I struggled with when playing with Brandy.
Her disengage was perfect, but at the bring back part Bailey assumed that I wanted her to go the other way. She stopped and started to walk the other way, so I disengaged her HQ and invited her to come to me.
When I was taking her down the ramp from the arena, she walked down slowly and carefully and didn't even think about rushing. I don't think our first ground work session with her could have gone any better. Before saying good-bye to her, I put a little piece of apple in her feed bin.