Poco's Training Log #1

I know that Ava was supposed to be doing the posting but I decided that she could do it some other time. She was a little agitated but understood, hopefully. Anyways, I wanted to tell you about Poco and I's work session yesterday.

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I am starting a training log for Poco and hopefully I can keep up with it. This post is a little late but I'll see how much I can remember.

So I started by roundpenning her until she was not so fresh anymore. She did good roundpenning and responds quickly to my ques although she does get a little too quick at times, so we'll need to work on that. I have also noticed that she is not very desensitized to me while I lunge her (she has always been this way); so I also worked on that. After she was relaxing I put on her halter and did some groundwork. We worked on backing, disengaging the hindquarters, yielding the forequarters, flexing (she is not very good at this but is getting better). She is a very responsive horse but also a very alert horse, not always the best combo but I could use it to my advantage.

We then made our way to the arena. I started lunging her on the line and it began fine but then she started leaning. Whenever I would ask for a faster gait she would do this, again, she needs to be desensitized to me more before I should've done this. I did my best to keep her from pulling but at times she would pull me with her. This is my main goal for her, not to pull! We worked on that for a while. I stopped at the best point I could and then went over to a wall and started to work on sending. This ended up being perfect for her. Poco started by walking quickly or even slightly jogging between me and the wall but she soon started to just simply walk by. Then I would move in closer and closer; at times she wouldn't want to pass through but she ended up doing and did great. She ended doing a very good job and just one step closer. I ended our session with desensitizing to a whip, it went well. Then I groomed her off, put her back, and told her she did a job well done.

I didn't work Ava on this day, I surprisingly worked Poco for longer than I had expected to.

All tired and sweaty

Look at that head! She almost never keep her head like this!

Ava stalking Poco

A nice roll