Today was a very short session for Bailey and I. We had about half an hour of arena time. Bailey was very nervous when I first brought her up. She was racing around on the circle, snorting and waving her tail around, prancing short panicked steps. She was trying to crowd me a lot, so I was very firm about where the boundary of my bubble was.
She also was very quickly changing directions, invading my space in the process. She once reared a little bit and then continued her prancing. I had gotten after her for it twice and she stopped trying. Soon I felt her mind slowly come back and she started to think again. However she still needed to move her feet. I thought we could put her energy to good use and do some medium speed sideways.
She trotted sideways about twelve feet away. I could see that she was putting effort in organizing her feet. After about twenty feet of sideways I brought my energy down and Bailey came to a halt. Bailey had a good lick and chew. Then, unfortunately, Bailey heard a big noise outside and she started to panic again, she started running half circles around me and I knew she lost her head again.
I knew there was no stopping her so I smiled and allowed her to move as much as she needed to. She crowded me very hard one more time and I got after her a little harder. Bailey thought that that was unfair and she bucked around for one full circle. Then she looked at me and I smiled at her.
We did some nice slow circles at the trot. She soon relaxed and was bending to the inside with her head lowered. As she was trotting she licked and chewed a few times.
As she wasn't crowding my anymore I though we would try some proper circling game. She nicely walked four circles in each direction and and then trotted four circles to the left and three to the right.
Next we did some stick to me. We both trotted and then I brought me energy down. Bailey stopped and then she backed up with me in perfect harmony. Next I stood on the mounting block stamping my feet with rhythm waiting for Bailey to relax. We also did some extreme friendly game with the carrot stick. Our arena time ended then but we accomplished so much. I am very happy with this session.
She also was very quickly changing directions, invading my space in the process. She once reared a little bit and then continued her prancing. I had gotten after her for it twice and she stopped trying. Soon I felt her mind slowly come back and she started to think again. However she still needed to move her feet. I thought we could put her energy to good use and do some medium speed sideways.
She trotted sideways about twelve feet away. I could see that she was putting effort in organizing her feet. After about twenty feet of sideways I brought my energy down and Bailey came to a halt. Bailey had a good lick and chew. Then, unfortunately, Bailey heard a big noise outside and she started to panic again, she started running half circles around me and I knew she lost her head again.
I knew there was no stopping her so I smiled and allowed her to move as much as she needed to. She crowded me very hard one more time and I got after her a little harder. Bailey thought that that was unfair and she bucked around for one full circle. Then she looked at me and I smiled at her.
We did some nice slow circles at the trot. She soon relaxed and was bending to the inside with her head lowered. As she was trotting she licked and chewed a few times.
As she wasn't crowding my anymore I though we would try some proper circling game. She nicely walked four circles in each direction and and then trotted four circles to the left and three to the right.
Next we did some stick to me. We both trotted and then I brought me energy down. Bailey stopped and then she backed up with me in perfect harmony. Next I stood on the mounting block stamping my feet with rhythm waiting for Bailey to relax. We also did some extreme friendly game with the carrot stick. Our arena time ended then but we accomplished so much. I am very happy with this session.