Saturday, November 7, 2009

Day 25

So, based on the method I learned in the first Parelli DVD, which I finally got around to watching yesterday, it took me an hour to get Brie out of her stall. But I felt good, because I did it! And without getting kicked or angry at her.
Basically I sat in her stall for a while, she came up to me, smelled me, touched her nose against my hands and I pet her. I never made eye contact with her, because this is what predators do and we don't want to come off as predators to a prey animal. I went and got her halter and she immediately ran into the corner of her stall. So first I stood outside with her halter, then I stepped inside and stood there, then I started walking around her stall with the halter. She got curious and came up to me, and I rubbed the halter on one side before she shoved herself in the corner again and I couldn't get her. I kept walking back and forth, then started swinging the halter back and forth as I walked. She looked at the halter as it swung and kind of reached her nose out to it. So I took the lead rope and started swinging it at her. I swung it around her legs, on her back, her butt, her tail, her neck, until I got close enough to pet her with the other hand. I held the rope around her neck and then rubbed the halter on her. She finally put her head down and I put her halter on.
I was so proud of myself!
The other thing I worked on was mounting while she stood still. I took her away from the mounting block today to do this and she stayed pretty still.
I rode her in the outdoor arena. Ray finally moved in today, so he watched. He worked with Nina more, because he'll be training her for the next month.
I went over the super long sound board outside and Brie didn't get scared she'd fall off of it because now they leveled the sand with the board.
Then we practiced cantering! I was so happy with Brie, she got it at the first signal in both directions! She didn't mess around halfway gaiting/halfway cantering. I can't wait to try again tomorrow to make sure it wasn't a fluke.
New goal:
Be able to mount on the mounting block by the end of November.

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