Back to work with Rally

 Rally is a big stout mare, about 1200 lbs and 15.1 hh. When she says no, her trick is to turn her head and try to jerk the lead rope away from me. I tried trailer loading again, and she did get away from me, ran back through the gate I had left open and into the foaling pen. So she got worked extensively for about 20 minutes in there. Once she softened and started to pay attention instead of flipping me the bird, we stopped. So I had to go to plan B. One should always have a plan B... or C... 

I found a good strong pallet and had Ted screw a plywood top to it, to use as a training tool to teach her to step on things she would rather not. And I brought up all my blue half barrels to create a bit of a row. 

The 1st day, she would step over the barrels but not on the plywood. So whenever she said no, she got longed with lots of change of direction so that it was work; she wasn't best pleased about that. Then she got to rest, only when she was lined up with the pallet. Refusal to step up got her work, backing up and longing small circles. 

Eventually, she gave me this:

That is where we ended the lesson, with lots of praise. She is a sucker for praise!

Today, the session didn't take as long. Her usual refusals, over the barrels, jump the pallet, etc. etc. So back to work on the longe line, with rest when she was lined up right at the pallet. Two more refusals, two more works, and she finally got it. 

Yay Rally! 

I took this video, it is 3 and a half minutes. 

I was quite pleased with her, as this session was less than half the time of the first one. Side note: I use the verbal cue " come here" when I am a safe distance in front of her; there may come a time when I need her to come to me instead of going past me. Self loading in a trailer is going past, so she needs to learn that too, but for now she needs to just stay with me when I am leading her and not try to blow past me. 

I led her over to the trailer when we were done; she was very suspicious and hesitant about it, and that come here cue came in handy. All we did at the trailer was give her some oats as I want her to be happy about going there. 

It is very different working with a basically free spirit 9 yr old horse instead of a weanling. She has never had to do anything in her life other than be caught and tied up. I am grateful that she at least had that!

I also think she is worried about trailering, as the only time she was trailered it took her away from her comfortable ranch existence where she was pretty much left to her own devices; it possible that she may associate trailers with a total upheaval of her new found happy place with friends. Incidentally, she worked her way into the #2 position in the herd. Velvet isn't too happy about that and has decided she would rather have her own pasture away from the herd. 

She is starting to look and act like an old horse, but she is still much loved ! I am pretty sure she isn't in foal, unfortunately, as her size hasn't changed in the last 2 months and she has no bag; she is 11 months and 2  weeks from her breeding date. 

I have a little road trip today, stay tuned!