You know Sue was the horse that can’t be caught now the horse that mostly can be caught.
Except for today…and a few days in the past.
Sue is still in training with 12 yr old Nichole Copple. Sue lives in a huge pasture with other horses that are in training with Tony and Jenny Vaught. Occasionally Sue has new horse friends that don’t know how wonderful people are and they “don’t like to be caught”. But gradually, these horses learn that people are wonderful and come to or stand to be haltered.
Sue no longer has horse friends that like to run when people come into the pasture. She sez “Drat! It was a lot of fun when the three of them were flying around the training pasture!”
Today, she decided that she didn’t want to be caught. Off she went.
Sue’s daughter, Diva, is in training with Tony Vaught at Pine Dell. Tony got Diva, saddled her up and went out into the training pasture to help Sue understand her role in the “catch me” game. Diva really got into her role! She had her ears back when Sue wouldn’t readily move towards the front of the pasture and the halter person. Then Tony would rub her on the neck. Her ears sprung forward. She was liking it when Tony told her “good job”. Then back to the Sue “catch me” game again and Diva reverted to a cow horse.
Poor Sue…to be rounded up by her own daughter.
Sue gave up her role in the catch me game and was delighted to have the halter put on. Nichole rode.
Nichole, Jenny and I are excited about Sue’s progress.
Sue is cantering longer now before breaking gait. Remember, Sue is about 13 years old and was not cantered under saddle before I got her.
Another thing Sue is doing is getting into the fox trot quicker! You know when Sue gets nervous, she tenses up. This causes the pace. Now she is flat foot walking and then fox trotting a lot earlier. She is relaxing at an early stage and then the gait comes. Nichole spends a lot more time now in the flat foot walk and the fox trot than she does in the pace. This is Way Cool.
Sue’s full sister is a World Grand Champion!