Rory is getting attached to a member of his herd. He was sleeping Sunday afternoon and when he woke up the horse was gone! Poor boy was going up and down the fence whinnying... for her - the foal-less mare! He usually doesn't get worried when he sees her leave.
I went and took him into the arena (all alone) for a little work. Rory was quite good. He did try to bolt a number of times, but I got him stopped fairly easily each time. We walked and jogged over some poles and piles of stuff (poles and jump fillers). The little boxes were a non-issue, but three poles in a stack were. Silly boy. I had him walk through a little gap between the end of a cavaletti and a jumble of jump stuff. At first he didn't want to go, but then he decided it was okay. We did halt, back, swing bum sideways on request practice too.
We finished with some trotting in hand practice. Rory didn't particularly want to trot and tended to break into a canter after a few steps. I figured out that if I jogged along the wall, with him towards the middle of the arena, when I stopped he would swing face first to the wall. It was very effective and we went back and forth several times (yes this means I led him on alternating sides). After a bit of Rory-meet-wall he managed a very creditable trot for half the length of the arena, so we quit there.
The warts on his nose look drier now, and less scabby. I'm hoping that means his body is finally fighting off the virus and they will start to fall off soon.
I went and took him into the arena (all alone) for a little work. Rory was quite good. He did try to bolt a number of times, but I got him stopped fairly easily each time. We walked and jogged over some poles and piles of stuff (poles and jump fillers). The little boxes were a non-issue, but three poles in a stack were. Silly boy. I had him walk through a little gap between the end of a cavaletti and a jumble of jump stuff. At first he didn't want to go, but then he decided it was okay. We did halt, back, swing bum sideways on request practice too.
We finished with some trotting in hand practice. Rory didn't particularly want to trot and tended to break into a canter after a few steps. I figured out that if I jogged along the wall, with him towards the middle of the arena, when I stopped he would swing face first to the wall. It was very effective and we went back and forth several times (yes this means I led him on alternating sides). After a bit of Rory-meet-wall he managed a very creditable trot for half the length of the arena, so we quit there.
The warts on his nose look drier now, and less scabby. I'm hoping that means his body is finally fighting off the virus and they will start to fall off soon.
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