Making progress, forging bonds

It has been raining for a few days. But we had a break in it today and went up. Searched for Wart for a while and eventually found him and Banjo tucked into a section of the paddock that is little traversed by people. He followed for a time but halted at the main group of horses, came a bit further, and that was enough for him. So not to the gate. I just fed him there.

I'd taken the camera up and got one photo of him and one of the main group under the trees, but it started to rain so that was all the photos I took at that time. There were some lovely teeny native iris peeking their heads up from the grass and I would like to get photos of them next time.

Then we went up to get Darcie and Orion. By this time the rain has stopped - it was only a shower. I'd planned to take some photos of them coming up. Had to move a bit fast there since they saw the car and came up before we called them. Got a few. No side-on ones of Darcie since she came straight to me.

Orion and Wart were in the habit of being let out the gate and they would walk themselves over to where they are fed. We did that with Darcie for the first time today. She did a bit of a dog leg but Ellie showed her the food and she went to it.

She was much better about having her feet cleaned out today. A bit wavy with the one I hadn't put the rope on last time, but that was about it. The one that had been the problem last time was fine.

Ellie saddled up Orion and rode him while I trained Darcie. She did lots of trotting and cantering, and reported that she is getting much more confident about cantering.

With Darcie, we did some LFR 1. A bloke went past on a spooky grey while we were doing that. It reminded me I don't want to ride horses that think the world is freaky. The horse is not totally at fault there as they ride it kind of cranked in, in a way that is more suitable IMO for an arena than out on what should be a relaxed ride.

Anyway she is getting really good at LFR 1. Still needs a bit less pressure on the halter at times, but coming along, and the yielding hindquarters and halting is going great guns. She's reading just my body much more now.

At the end of that we did desensitising to rubbing and waving stick. I want her to learn the different between the stick moving while I'm pointing with my arm, and clucking, and when I have a neutral position. It seems to make it easiest for her if I rub with the stick a little before starting with the waving, as it signals a change in what we are doing, from "sensitising" to "desensitising". I think as we do more, she will more clearly read the differences in my body that indicate when the stick is driving and when it's to be ignored.

Then we worked properly at the sending exercise. I didn't really have a suitable fence so I used the side of my car. Started at a distance from it at first. As we'd just done LFR 1, she was easy to get yielding her quarters when asked, so that was a good head start. At first she needed a little tapping or waving behind the drive line as well as the point of the arm, and she also needed a couple of times to be pushed away in the front before going through the gap. I also made sure we did LOTS of rubbing her face with the stick between each try. I wanted to keep it quite low key. There is no issue with her responding!

She progressed really well and we moved closer to the car. She started to do nice arcs towards the car and then through the gap, with a good hindquarter yield at the end, on each side. I was particularly pleased with the way she was giving me that hula hoop space, arcing away and then across instead of just coming into my space as she passed. Also, she was picking up well to move just on the point of the arm. Towards the end of that session the stick really only came into it when I was yielding her quarters, and as an indication, not as a correction - it didn't go anywhere near touching her.

We could have done a bit more, but hubby had to go to work and we had to go home, since Connor (eight years old) was at home.

We took horses and a carrot each into the paddock. I flexed Darcie a few times on each side before taking off the halter. It was effective and I reckon I'll make that a habit. I need to get into the habit of doing more of those.

So that was the progress. Forging bonds means that I am definitely feeling like Darcie and I are forming a working partnership. She is comfortable with me and I am learning to trust her more as I work more with her, reduce her reactiveness, learn her responses, and so on.

And I managed a few more shots with the camera before we left. I hope some turned out OK. I'm about to have a look and I'll upload a few decent ones later on.