Training update for Red and Evil Poneh

I have been getting regular emails from the horse trainer on how the horses are doing with training.  I'm finding this great not just because I am a control freak and nosy, but because this way I also get to "see" how thay are responding to being pressured.  So far her assesment is exactly what I expected they would be like.  But I find this so much better than coming back a month later to pick them up and just getting "she didn't like this, but got over it".  I like details.

I've gotten my trainer's permission to share her email snippets of their training progress, so I will just get you all caught up...

Trainer's Day 3 report:

I worked with your babies today. Since they got out last night, and got into a burr patch (knocked rail down) there was a lot of ground tying and patience work for them. Narra got to work on being in the barn because she decided to jump out of the stall, likely just due to being herd bound. I did some sacking out with both horses who were at first a little twitchy but calmed pretty quickly! I worked on the lunge with both as well and used the cues walk and whoa. Both horses were quite attentive (especially Red). Narra was doing a lot of testing today so we worked a lot on getting over that. Just by keeping her attention on me and then making a HUGE fuss so she realized I'm not so bad. She was pretty cuddly after all of this!
Tomorrow I will be taking them both for a walk with a saddle and bridle (with halter over top), and work again on lunging.
As for the escaping, they met me at the barn door this morning and were VERY excited. Red was confused... Narra wanted to play with EVERYONE! Both horses were uninjured and happy. As for Narra jumping out of the stall, she is ok after that as well. I don't think you have to worry about her being game for jumping or not.
Both horses have also been eating and drinking well.

And that is why I call her Evil Poneh.

Because I know it was her who knocked it down, and promptly led Red astray. And yup, when I went out to visit with the Chiro that day, there was a bunch of poop in the hay shed. Where she had likely spent the night.

I was embarrased.

But EP is soaking up all the attention, everyone thinks she is just adorable, especially her hair cut!

Trainer's Day 5 report:

...was relatively stress free for the horses. We went for a walk down the road with a bridle and saddle on. Both horses seemed like they didn't care at all. Narra did not like to idea of having to listen to the bit at ALL. But got used to it.

I had let her wear a bridle a few times, but just low stress stuff, while grooming, etc... Red had never worn one before. His bit arrived in the mail just days before he went to the barn.

I got brave and sat on both of your horses bareback yesterday and today. In the pasture yesterday we just fiddled around and did some circles. Both seemed to like the attention except Narra was mad that she wasn't allowed to eat. Hah. I rode both horses back to the paddoc after their lesson today Again both were good but you can tell Narra just wants to do what she wants. Getting better though. Oh...rode them bareback by the way. I did not get on them with a saddle on. I like to do those separate. Now that they know both I will be getting on with a saddle in the next few days once their steering and breaks are a bit better.

Red had been sat on before, EP never. But I was not expecting the sitting to be the problem with her!

Today was long reining day. Narra was not a happy girl about that. She tried to fight and I let her tire herself out and just kept her facing straight. About an hour later she finally felt that it was better worth it to just walk up the driveway. And she was good. Although she is herdbound she did not trot home. Her steering and breaks improved a lot! I put her in a stall and she did not try to jump out this time. She pawed a bit but I ignored her and she stopped. She was cuddly afterwards.

Are we seeing a pattern here? lol "We did this... Narra was not happy.  We did that... Narra was not happy"
.

Then there was Red. His steering and breaks were quite decent to begin with. I walked him on the long reins and he even got to trot a bit. He stopped to the command of whoa with a little bit of pressure on the reins. He was happy and listening. This is good, I will be able to progress a little faster with him and he should be good to go for you by the end of the month! I will likely be backing him within the next couple days

This is what I was expecting of him after working with him. I knew he would need a few days to begin to trust her, then he would try very hard for her. Evil Poneh would try very hard to still do what she wanted.

I mentioned to her I was glad I had apparently gotten her over one her (more amusing) bad habits; when she cannot get her way, she throws herself on the ground and rolls like a toddler having a tantrum. This habit developed after I convinced her that kicking at me when she does not get her way, was a Very Bad Idea!

She went "huh, at one point I thought she was going to roll, then I thought: Nah, that was silly"

Narra may need some more time for her rebellious attitude to subside. I knopw why you call her evil pony now haha. I expected this though. I have been letting her realize a lot that it is better worth her time to and energy to listen. I have a feeling that she will be one of those horses where it will just click with her one day and then she will be quite a good pony!



Red is quite the catch I would say! Very good boy. Narra is just a classic pony!