Session 2

 I upped the game a little today and found something that needs fixing. 

Keep in mind that Rally spent 9 years as a range mare with minimal handling, and her social manners are about self preservation in the herd. 

She is no longer hard to catch, I just walk up to her, let her sniff the halter and put it on her. She leads beautifully. 

The session started with me grooming her with a dandy brush. She wasn't overly fond of it; some sorrel horses are thin skinned and she seems to be really sensitive to touch.  She is also protective of her right side. As I brushed her there, she turned her head and snapped at me. And got TOLD that it was unacceptable behaviour. A simple sharp word and snap the lead rope worked.  Of course I kept grooming her on that side to make sure she got the message. 

Next up was more flag work. This time I upped the pressure by being a bit more vigorous when I flipped it, although still soft when I touched her with it. It's for education, not punishment. 

That was about all I could expect for today so I moved on to using my rope. I like this rope, I use it on foals as it is soft enough to not have sting to it when I am flipping it around them. 

I want her to get comfortable with it coiling around her legs as I go to the next step.

Before I went to rope work on her legs, I tried running my hand down her leg... and she tried to bite me again. Reminded me of how colts play the bite the leg game, so maybe thay is part of a memory for her but she may also at some point had some rough handling from a farrier; who knows. At any rate, you can see how bad her feet are. So it is imperative that she learns to be willing to have her legs and feet handled. 

That was a pretty good spot to end the sessoon! 

The other thing we need to accomplish is trailer loading. My little two horse trailer will be tougher than the big stock trailer she came here in, where she followed her buddy in. She has never been in a barn so to get her used to a smaller space she gets her after work reward of oats in the barn. 

That's not oats...

Will load for oats...

Maybe the barn isn't so bad....

All loaded in and munching oats

I took her halter off in the barn and let her find her own way out. This is a pretty small barn; it's the one I work foals in. 

All in all, it was a good session. I wonder how long it will take for me to be able to touch her below the knees, let alone pick up her back feet?  I like a challenge! 😀