Gia - session 75 - More cantering ... and bucking ...
I decided not to lunge Gia again today. We started out working at the mounting block. She was much less fidgety, both before I got on and after I got on. Her walk felt a bit tight, probably because she didn't get to loosen up on the lunge line. She wasn't really distracted, but she did feel tense. I worked her over the poles at the walk and trot, and used turns as needed to get her attention. I also worked on getting her to soften, especially on the right side. She was doing ok with that, but not as good as she has done on other days.
When she was slightly better, I hopped off to take her up to the round pen for her canter work. She was slightly more prompt after just one or two times asking her to canter from the ground. Once I got on, she still felt tense and tight, and when I asked her to canter from the saddle, she felt slightly more explosive. She definitely bucked a few times, but it wasn't the soft buck from the other day, it was slightly more powerful this time. It still wasn't enough to even remotely unseat me, but she felt pissier about it today. I stopped her abruptly, fussed at her, and kicked her, and then we tried again. There was one more half attempt at a buck, and then she was fine. As soon as I praised her for doing the right thing, she was great! Her next two canters, one in each direction, were perfect! My goal is to get to a point where she doesn't start out bucking before I try it in the arena.
After untacking her, I took her into the grass and turned the clippers on. She never flinched, even as I brought the clippers up to her face. She stood perfectly still and allowed me to clip her entire muzzle with no problems at all! I was tempted to attempt to clip her bridle path, but that is new territory, and partly I didn't want to ruin the moment, and partly things were getting a bit hectic at the barn with the vet arriving for something else, so I would rather try something new like that when things are more "normal" at the barn. There is always next time. To end our session today, I finally finished pulling her mane to a desirable length. It will be about a month before I will need to trim it up again. I pulled it in the barn cross ties, and she was very good for the whole thing!
When she was slightly better, I hopped off to take her up to the round pen for her canter work. She was slightly more prompt after just one or two times asking her to canter from the ground. Once I got on, she still felt tense and tight, and when I asked her to canter from the saddle, she felt slightly more explosive. She definitely bucked a few times, but it wasn't the soft buck from the other day, it was slightly more powerful this time. It still wasn't enough to even remotely unseat me, but she felt pissier about it today. I stopped her abruptly, fussed at her, and kicked her, and then we tried again. There was one more half attempt at a buck, and then she was fine. As soon as I praised her for doing the right thing, she was great! Her next two canters, one in each direction, were perfect! My goal is to get to a point where she doesn't start out bucking before I try it in the arena.
After untacking her, I took her into the grass and turned the clippers on. She never flinched, even as I brought the clippers up to her face. She stood perfectly still and allowed me to clip her entire muzzle with no problems at all! I was tempted to attempt to clip her bridle path, but that is new territory, and partly I didn't want to ruin the moment, and partly things were getting a bit hectic at the barn with the vet arriving for something else, so I would rather try something new like that when things are more "normal" at the barn. There is always next time. To end our session today, I finally finished pulling her mane to a desirable length. It will be about a month before I will need to trim it up again. I pulled it in the barn cross ties, and she was very good for the whole thing!
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