Tonight we started out with our "go touch it" game.  He touched a ball, some barrels and the pedestal with his nose.  He had to touch what I "sent" him too.   We squeezed between the pedestal and some barrels. We played the half circle game (with my back on the fence). We tried to combine that with sidepassing.  It takes a horse with some impulsion for this to work well.  His impulsion isn't quite up there enough yet in the short time we played the half circle game. I…

Lucky Star is  willing. We practiced the mounting block game where the horse has to stand perfectly still besides the mounting block.  They like to stand with their nose pointed at you instead of their back being available.  It takes a little while for them to realize what your goal is.  When ever the horse comes to the mounting block in the correct manner, they get a lot of rubbing and petting. Pine Dell Farm has  got a mounting block for a handicapped individual and then another riser on top of the mounting…

Here's what I love about Lucky Star: His confidence His calmness - which relates to confidence His left brain - which is really #1 and #2 His impulsion - on the low side.  I love a horse that would rather stop than bolt.  It's easy to speed a horse up, but if they bolt out of the blue, that makes me a grumpy (terrified) horse woman.  Ok, maybe this is all connect to #1, #2, and #3 above. He is playful, but not too much.  His brain isn't going 100…

I asked her, "What am I supposed to do with a helium balloon?  Bite it or ignore it?" She told me it had been a prop in the despooking clinic last week.  "Despooking, I said?  You mean this is supposed to be scary?  Oh come on.  Let's do something exciting!" "Smile", she sez! The trailer ride was still exciting. Especially on the way home when I got my halter hooked on something and I couldn't move. when my mom opened the door to the trailer, she knew right away I…

Dear Tony and Jenny  Vaught I've heard that you get to ride me and get me ready for my new Mom to ride.  Well, bring it on! Mom told me today that one of the rules before anyone would ride me is: "Someone has to bounce a ball off my back" I've just got to tell you, "That was nothing!"  I liked the ball.  I liked following the ball. When I caught it, I tried to eat it.  My mom and I followed the ball for quite a while before…