Today I began by doing some stick to me to get connected with Kai. After practicing a little he rocked his weight forwards and backwards mirroring me. Then we did some more changes of direction at the trot and walk. I then gave him a grooming and picked his feet and checked for bot flies. I only found a couple even after inspecting every leg twice.
I then set up two cones and a few poles before mounting up. I asked him for lots of lateral flexion to improve the time it took for him to soften. Then we did the bending exercise around the cones and trotted over the poles. We also did the serpentine exercise between the cones and poles.
Then we played the corner game until Kai no longer predicted if we were going to stop in the corner or keep going. Kai also was impatient, waiting in the corners. He would wait for a few seconds and then turn around ready to walk forward again. It was as if he was saying ''okay that's long enough, lets go this way!"
When he finally trotted into the corner without any noodling to the right or left and waited in the corner, I immediately jumped off and began to groom him. As I was massaging him with my rubber curry, Kai began to yawn repeatedly. I think he has finished processing and released tension about the corner game.
When I was done massaging him I hosed him off and brought him back inside to roll. I waited for some time on line and decided that taking the line off would prompt him to roll sooner. Instead he got disconnected and trotted off to the other end of the arena before trotting right back and connecting again.
We played with liberty circles and stick to me and mirroring. Then I sat down to make a rope halter for someone while Kai explored the arena in great detail. Interesting how even though I always let him inspect everything before starting our session he still needed to nose everything again. Kai would walk away and come back to check in with me repeatedly. After a while he finally rolled. Then I let him wander around a little longer. He was at the other end of the arena when I stood up and called to him. Kai looked over and turned around connecting again. He was quickly walking over to me. I stepped back with more energy and he broke into a trot. I was so pleased! I gave him some cookies before heading back to the paddock.
I then set up two cones and a few poles before mounting up. I asked him for lots of lateral flexion to improve the time it took for him to soften. Then we did the bending exercise around the cones and trotted over the poles. We also did the serpentine exercise between the cones and poles.
Then we played the corner game until Kai no longer predicted if we were going to stop in the corner or keep going. Kai also was impatient, waiting in the corners. He would wait for a few seconds and then turn around ready to walk forward again. It was as if he was saying ''okay that's long enough, lets go this way!"
When he finally trotted into the corner without any noodling to the right or left and waited in the corner, I immediately jumped off and began to groom him. As I was massaging him with my rubber curry, Kai began to yawn repeatedly. I think he has finished processing and released tension about the corner game.
When I was done massaging him I hosed him off and brought him back inside to roll. I waited for some time on line and decided that taking the line off would prompt him to roll sooner. Instead he got disconnected and trotted off to the other end of the arena before trotting right back and connecting again.
We played with liberty circles and stick to me and mirroring. Then I sat down to make a rope halter for someone while Kai explored the arena in great detail. Interesting how even though I always let him inspect everything before starting our session he still needed to nose everything again. Kai would walk away and come back to check in with me repeatedly. After a while he finally rolled. Then I let him wander around a little longer. He was at the other end of the arena when I stood up and called to him. Kai looked over and turned around connecting again. He was quickly walking over to me. I stepped back with more energy and he broke into a trot. I was so pleased! I gave him some cookies before heading back to the paddock.
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