This week I have been taking Blu for walks because it is major meltdown time outside. Everything is turning to yucky, slippery, mucky mess. Blu would not have good footing in the pasture, I don't want to mosh up his path in the arena so it dries all choppy, and the lawn is OFF LIMITS. Also, Blu and I could use some walks. I am going to really just focus on our relationship building for a while until we have footing again.
I have been going to the neighbor's drive and walking through puddles and working on his road confidence. This morning, we were taking thresholds one at a time. When he froze up and started pawing, I got him going on a consistent circle so he could move his feet. Yesterday, he was walking with his butt in the road (like a haunches in) because he was looking in the ditch. So, I played with him in the ditch. On my walk with Maggie, Blu walked straight in the walking area outside the white line.
He was willing through all puddles except at the end of our walk. I used reverse psychology and pushed him around the puddle several times. When I did not push him around the puddle, he gladly went through it.
On our walk, we encountered and maneuvered a giant log. Blu did not hesitate to go over it. At first, he put a foot on it and began to walk over it. He shifted gears and jumped smoothly over it with no problem.
I never felt any particular connectedness on our walks so far. I have felt rather blah about them. I feel like this afternoon's was the best, but Blu and I have some building to do, that's for sure. More to come!
Natural Horsewoman Out
Natural horsemanship is a way of being with the horse, not a discipline of riding. It is much more than riding in itself. It is the human adapting to the ways of the prey animal to form a trusting relationship with a prey animal. There are so many resources out there, and this blog is my journey with horses as I set out on this conquest of knowledge.
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About Me
- HorsesNaturally
- I am a young horsewoman with a million things on my mind. I have been a student of the horse all my life. As a little girl, I had a desire to understand horses on deeper levels. I believed that there was no such thing as a bad horse, and I believed that all horses were beautiful. One might say that I was a naive child, but I guess I don't have an excuse anymore, because I still believe all of that, and Parelli Natural Horsemanship is helping expand on this perspective.
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