Free Running

 This week I took Rory out to the arena for a little playtime and longeing practice.  I put his bridle on and found I had to let the cheeks down to the next hole on both sides as the bit was too tight.  I expect some of it is the winter fuzz that he's growing, but some is probably growth.  His coat is getting very dense and longer as he prepares for the colder weather.  Those "in the know" are predicting a normal temperatures with more snow than normal winter for this area.  The normal temperatures are colder than the last few winters have been and my other horse has grown more coat this year than in the past few, which leads me to believe we will have a colder winter.  Rory is still too young to be growing the "just right" amount of winter coat yet - I find the young horses just grow yak coats indiscriminately for the first few years.

I also had to loosen the nose on his nylon halter.  It was fine without the bridle underneath, but needed a little extra room once I had his bridle on.

When we got out to the arena I let Rory off the lead and he had fun tearing around, and up and down with very little encouragement from me.  I stood and took pictures and enjoyed the show.  I did ask him to change directions once and after that he changed several times on his own.

After he'd had his rip around Rory was content to come back to me and I did a little liberty leading, halting, backing up, and swinging his haunches away.  With the carrot rewards Rory was happy to comply, though he did walk away briefly the first time I tried the swing the haunches exercise. 

Walking back to me after the run

Longeing was next and Rory readily went out on the circle and stayed out.  I let him go a little bit further out on a slightly larger circle today and he was willing to stay out that far.  Without my asking he did break into a trot going left once, but came back to walk when I asked him for walk.  He had that little bounce in the trot step right at the beginning that told me he was thinking about cantering, but settled when I said "eeeasyyy".  I was quite pleased and he got pats and carrots and "good boy"s for his efforts.  We also worked a bit on the right hand circle and he was equally willing to stay out.  I asked for a few transitions and then we finished up with some trot in hand.  I thought he might be a little up from his gallop earlier, but he stayed at the trot and with me.

Totyo whinnied regularly while Rory was out of the paddock, but Rory didn't answer him today.  After our arena work I gave him a quick brush before putting his rainsheet back on and returning him to his paddock.  Both of the darts I'd put in the blanket's neck had come out - I'll need heavier thread to redo them.

Rory has settled into his new home quite well.  He's getting fed with Totyo morning and night and is nicely respectful when the person comes with the grain buckets.  The boys play quite a lot, and all three horses share their shelter and hay bale without arguements.  Rory does always whinny when he sees me taking my other horse to or from his paddock, but only when it's the brat, never when I have another horse.  The brat just ignores Rory.