The fun begins

 Well you all know I like working with the youngsters, especially their first 5 months, but since Rally is 9 years old and basically a clean slate, I am going back to basics with her. I assume she knows nothing (not true, but a good place to start) . So today, I was able to walk up to her out in the pasture and halter her- so much for being hard to catch!

I took her into the pen to work with her. We have had about an inch and a quarter of rain in less than 24 hours, so it is a bit soggy but a good place to work her where the other two hooligans can't pester her. 

I started with grooming her, she was a bit ticklish on her belly and I didn't insist, that will come with time. I flipped the rope around her back and legs ; she got a bit worried but once again, I didn't expect her to stand like an old broke horse; I let her move around while I stood still and kept flipping the rope, either side of her as well as twirling it like a lariat. When she stood still for that, I got my flag out. Surprisingly, she wasn't very concerned about it!

I spent a fair bit of time with the flag, the next 4 videos show some of it, I also worked a lot of standing in front of her and flipping it from side to side so that it was appearing in one eye and then the other in rapid succession. She fidgeted a bit with that, but I was sure happy with the way she took it all in and thought about stuff. 

I sure do like this mare! When I turned her loose, she didn't walk away, just stayed with me. I gave her some oats and turned her back out with the mares. Good girl, Rally!