Gypsy's Turn

Gypsy wasn't all that keen on working with me today. Yarrow and Indy came up to me first (Yarrow is often the first to say hello... too bad he's not mine!) and Gypsy walked away. So I walked up behind her, she didn't move away, I scratched her on her back and she turned and checked me out -- probably looking for treats! When I approached her with the halter she tried to turn and walk away, but Jake blocked her! I have a team working on my side! So she stood - defeated as I put the halter on. Then just spent some time rubbing her all over until she got a "smile" on her face. Then we left the pasture and I started on some of the Parelli games with her.

She's good with the Carrot stick all over, so long as I'm not swinging the savvy string. When I swing the savvy string, to her it means move. So she circled around me while I was swinging the string over her back and stopped when she stopped. I started swinging it again, she started moving again, she stopped, I stopped. We continued this for a while, and eventually she stood still. Then I did it all again on the other side. Same pattern, but it took less time.

We moved on to porcupine game. She's been in a Parelli clinic with me before, so this was "old news" for her; more or less a reintroduction. Phase 2 on the chest, phase 3 on the jaw to start (followed quickly be phase 2 then 1) to get the front yield. And phase 2 for a hind-end yield. Some phase 1, but not consistently... probably more to do with my timing than her sensitivity.

I skipped the driving game (more of an oversight... not planned) because she started crowding me, so I started refreshing her memory of the yoyo game. Her first response was to phase 2 (yippee!). But after the 2nd yoyo she started pawing the ground as if to say "enough... move on!"

I introduced her next to my new bareback pad (it came in yesterday! Amazingly quick!). She didn't like the looks of that too much so we did LOTS of "friendly game" with the bareback pad, approach and retreat and getting her to approach and put her nose on it. When she was relaxed enough for me to put it on her, we went for a ride!

It was the perfect day for a ride and we trotted up and down the road a few times while I practiced turning slowing and backing up with just my body. Not great, but the backing up was awesome! She really was paying attention! There were definitely times she wanted to go somewhere I didn't, so I bumped her a few times with the halter and she changed direction. When she was trotting, she didn't listen to anything except the halter. But it was surprisingly less contact than I usually have with the bridle. All in all, an awesome day. I almost forgot how much I love riding her!