OK, I've been busy but Rose is getting worked and has been making tons of progress, I just have been to swamped to write about it. I have however been taking pics of our progress so I can catch you all up. So start at the bottom and scroll up, sorry for the picture quality. As you can see I've gradually been adding equipment and dangley/clanky bits one thing at a time as I introduce new concepts too her. First the saddle sans fittings, then just with the girth, adding stirrups and side reins, etc... Thanks to Debbie for loaning us her wide saddle.

I've been bitting her in a stall, first with the side reins to the halter and then to the bit. In the round pen I've continued to reinforce her verbal commands and am now using the lunge line and whip to get her started on some basic steering. I'm just using one line to the halter and essentially ground driving her with it, at a walk and trot. Next we will add a second line to the halter for double lunging and once she is totally accepting of the side reins I can move to using the bit for ground driving.

She's very good about grooming and I can pick up and hold all four feet, I can't yet stretch out the hinds. She is still a little flinchy to touch on her legs, particularly when I groom one from the opposite side, almost like she can't figure out how I'm reaching it and it makes her a bit nervous. She's not at all kicky though. I won't get someone up on her back until all the flinchy is gone. So that's holding us back a little but in general she's making good progress. She stands tied and is now living with no halter on, I have no problems catching her and she gets turned out in the large arena to run around but will always come to the gate as soon as I want to bring her in. She's definitely forming a bond, which is good, but she really needs her own person. Any takers?












OK, I've been busy. Rose is getting worked and has been making tons of progress, I just have been to swamped to write about it. I have however been taking pics of our progress so I can catch you all up.