Cookie Therapy

Yes, Cookie Therapy, otherwise known a bribery.... haha!!

So far, it's working.  Whenever I go to catch Cash, or do anything with him now, I go armed with a pocket stuffed full of treats.  Thank God for the 50lb bag of horse cookies that only costs $10... otherwise I'd go broke doing this.  He still won't let me step up to his shoulder to put the rope over his neck to catch him.  So bizare.  He is getting turned out with a turnout halter and I can walk up to him, give him cookies, and grab the halter without much fuss--then I move to his shoulder and put the rope over his neck and then clip it to the halter.  I still don't know that I could catch him without the halter on.  It's just so bizare.  I need to get the vet out to check his teeth, I have a sneaking suspision that might be causing some issues.

That said, I actually rode Cash TWO DAYS IN A ROW.  [basks in heavenly glow from above]

The first ride, on Friday, lasted a whole of 5 minutes before the baby started crying and I had to cut my ride short to go attend to her.  We didn't really get anywhere except walking a bit and trotting about 3 circles. Ha! Oh well, at least I got in the saddle.

Yesterday the ride was only about 10, 15 minutes at the most as we spent most of the day doing Church activities and by the time I got to the barn it was almost 5 so I didn't have much daylight left.  I worked with Shadow and then by the time I got to Cash the sun was setting, a quick lunge (and more cookie therapy in the scary end of the arena--which, works really well by the way!), I hopped on him.  By now it was quite dark so all we did was walk, we focused on going forward, bending, turning off the outside aids, moving laterally off the inside leg (his baby leg yeild is definitely lacking in the hind end department, but the idea is there!), going on the contact and then doing a stretchy free walk.

And boy, can this horse stretch!!!

Is there such a thing as too much stretch? He practically plants his nose in the dirt.  I don't want to tell him no because I don't ever want to hinder a horse's desire to stretch, but my word, I worry that he is going to trip over his own nose.

Otherwise, he felt great.  He's regained his soundness after pulling his shoes and he just feels so fluid and smooth under saddle.  Now, I can't wait for Daylight Savings Time to get here so that I can have more daylight and hopefully be able to spend more time at the barn, horray!

Then, with Shadow, as I mentioned above, I worked with him yesterday.  We got all the boards removed from the cart as they were insecure and would bounce around making the most horrid rattling noise which was quite unnerving to the pony.  Today we had him pull the cart around without the boards and what a difference, he was much more relaxed and what clanging there was, he walked through it with only minimal tension. Good pony!! The cart is still a work in progress, I can't wait till all the little things get fixed on it so that we can actually get in it.  In the mean time, just leading him around in it is going to be the best for him, he needs to be 100% relaxed with it before I even think of getting into the driver's seat. Can't wait!