On our ride this weekend, after we crossed the first ditch and my daughter lost her reins and I had to get off and get them for her and remount, Mr. Dude thought that he should get to crop some spring grass. For the first time in months, I popped him with the tail end of the reins (plain nylon - no poppers!) and told him "No!" He was so freaking surprised that he was head up and behaving himself walking down the trail before he even thought about what I had done. LOL. I never did canter -- I wasn't feeling too well. When we turned for home he started doing his happy/rodeo buck the way he does when he starts off to canter. I think he realized he wasn't going to get to run and he wanted to! I'm trying to get up the nerve to carry my crop and, when he does the happy buck, to pop him once with it so he will quit freaking doing that!! I mean, he doesn't buck hard, but its not very good manners and I don't want him to do it at Ms. Dee's!
Oh, that's my plan. Since E doesn't cre for front end showing this year, I'm going to work on taking Dude with us to Ms. Dee's and start taking barrel and pole lessons myself. Won't that be a hoot?!
First, I have to work on trailer loading with Dude some more.
Tuesday Pictures
3 weeks ago
3 comments:
4H&H said: Sounds fun! (the barrels and poles, not necessarily the trailer loading)
I think Dude realized "hey! Mom doesn't tolerate misbehavior!," but knows you won't abuse him.
4H&H, Thanks. Dude will actually get in the trailer, but he won't stay in. He backs out so fast it scares me. I want to get him used to it so he won't hurt himself. I need to get off my lazy behind and work with him. It helps to have a goal -- like by Saturday he has to be able to load. I won't hardly work without some deadline or goal.
4H&H replied: At what point does he back out? Could you stop him with one foot in the trailer, make him stand for a few seconds and then back him out? Maybe if you can do that, you can increase the time standing still and then progress to two feet, then three, then four and he might learn to wait before backing out on cue.
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