Assisted Boot Camp

I have three major goals to reach by the end of the year. 

1) Assaloosa will go FORWARD with a whisper of my leg. He will go forward into a faster gait and go more forward within those gaits. We had a glimpse of this when I first arrived I at new barn but need real obedience. 

2) Safety while riding with other horses in the arena. We didn't get a chance to share the arena much with other horses because lessons occured in an arena packed with jumps. Jumps on both rails, jumps on the diagonal, jumps on the ends of the arena, jumps on the quarter lines. Not the safest configuration for baby horse riding alone let alone with other critters. 

3) TRAIL RIDE!!!! We have miles of gravel roads just outside the barn door and I am dying to get out there. Trail riding is the best cure for arena boredom and a safer way to condition baby legs. 

I was starting to feel like these things wouldn't happen until boot camp occured. As I shared earlier I was supported into action by BO and my eventer friend. Enough was enough and I had two rides with a ground person encouraging forward with a whip and voice. Step two was event friend bringing her horses out. She brought her dead calm grey the first day. We practiced following and walk and trot to make arena time fun. Then we worked on passing his new friend and leading the way. We went back and forth Dickie in front then Carson in front and made it a game. There was also some liberal spotted butt kicking. 

Ride #2 w my friend was a week later with her spunkier bay TB Frankie. Frankie is level headed but a but a little spookier and energetic. After the ride w grey horse I kicked it into high gear and had been riding with purpose so he was already a different horse. I decided to be on and riding when she arrived and instructed her to be loud and disruptive as the trailer pulled up. He's seen a trailer before so it wasn't like it was his first expirience. I want him to get used to things that might occur while we are in a clinic or show. He was very intersted in Frankie and asked if we could please go say "Hi" but didn't completely blow me off. We went about our buisness while she rode big brown horse and practiced passing, following, and being left behind. Then WE WENT ON A TRAIL RIDE!!! We just walked right out that arena door and went down the road. Dickie likes to follow and dawdle a bit but isn't spooky and seemed very happy to get out on the road. 

So now I have achieved all three goals (more about goal #1 soon) so everything else between now and Jan 1 is gravy. I never thought I would get this far so fast and I can't thank my wonderful assistants enough. Thanks Frankie and Carson and my human friends of course. 

This scenery is why I can't wait ot hit the road. 

Mom let's go see where this leads. 

This was from one of our trail hand walks and he's trying to eat the reins because he can. 

Bre's awesome lessee getting led on road.