TKR Merry Go Far is going…
| March 13, 2015 | Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized |
…if not far (yet) at least well!
Check out the latest photo from Amber :).
I just couldn’t help myself from posting on facebook last night so many of you have already seen this photo and commented (don’t feel like you have to repeat yourself!), but I still wanted to share here too.
She’s been at Amber’s just under 2 weeks and I couldn’t be happier with the progress.
“she is so smart! Everything I throw her way, she seems to think for one second and then say “ok, got it! What’s next?!?!” She literally meets me at her gate everyday!“
Yep, that’s the ML that I’ve come to know and love.
Amber’s going to introduce a crupper and renegade hoof boots soon in addition to the gear above. When she comes home the only thing I’ll need to add to the “recipe” of my endurance horse is a couple of years (why isn’t she 5 instead of 3 right now??????) and then some conditioning. I’m envisioning some in hand trail classes, lots of hikes, and maybe even a ride camp or two to check out the sights and sounds in the next year or 2. SO EXCITED.
I would appreciate anyone who skipped over my Feb Link Luv post a couple days ago to take a look at my ML Bucket List I included in it and see if there’s anything else you think might be fun to have ML experience over the next 6 weeks or so. She seems to be enjoying the work and the challenges, and the actual saddle time will be limited, so looking for “the other stuff”.
Thanks for indulging me. I’m so proud of my little girl.
She looks awesome!! I love watching her progress. Can’t wait to see you guys rocking the endurance world in the not so distant future 🙂
It’s great what a horse with a good mind can do in a short space of time.
Other than fixing the ponying annoyances, I’d look at exposing her to barking dogs (that she isn’t too familiar with), mountain bikes, quad bikes/motorbikes, the other thing I have seen spook horses that are not used to them, are small excited children with the high pitched shrieks! Although I’d say the bikes are more likely to be met regularly.
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So exciting, looking so good! 🙂
Good bucket list. Other things I’ve done are:
– Horse agility training day (lots of fun obstacles).
– Dragging something (like a turnout blanket or tarp). Just being cool with the notion of something sliding over the ground next to them, whilst they move calmly next to it. Good in case said blanket malfunctions.
– Hobble-training. Just being cool with the notion of not being able to move their legs. Good in case of gear / fence entanglements.
– Saddlebags (with gear in) and raincoat (tied to saddle and worn by rider), at canter.
– Working whilst harness horse is driven in same area (under saddle you can go out for drive: best to follow the driven horse first, then move to beside the vehicle, then in front when they’re okay. Bumpy dirt roads make lots more vehicle rattles).
– Long-reining/ground-driving obstacles (much harder than with handler at shoulder) including water/puddles, ditches/banks, bridges and places they don’t want to go, etc. Also walking somewhere when they really want to gallop there (like when another horse bolts away from them). Oh, great long-reining exercise is standing there and doing nothing! In different places.
– Exercise ball being bounced off body, etc. Good in case of ball to the horse’s face thrown by members of the general public, I say this because it happened.
– Going out for a ride/walk and tying up in the middle of it and doing nothing (nap/lunch time). The aim is for the horse to relax, preferably snooze.
– Walking/riding through thick bushes that need to be pushed through. Also along the same lines: walking through a curtain or through a tunnel.
– Investigating idle earth-moving equipment or other large machinery. Also portable toilets with banging doors.
– Sprinklers or whatever lawn-watering device is popular.
– Mini horses are the satan. Tethered mini horses are the satan with sharp implements. (Same for dogs on leashes being walked by umbrella-holders or pram-pushers). Also pigs (and here in Australia: emus, goannas and roos).
That does make it look like my poor horses are a bit over-exposed… My poor ponies!
I can’t find the bucket list — do you have leg protection/wrapping? Even if you don’t plan to boot her routinely, it’s a useful thing for pony to be comfy with in case of injury, etc.
I don’t wrap reguarly, but when she had pigeon fever she was also stocking up so ending up having to do standing wraps on her for a couple of days. Went fine :). But I was stressed because we hadn’t done it before! Fortunately it went fine.
Ha, I hadn’t realized/had forgotten she’s already checked that ticky box! Atta pony. 🙂
Casey covered alot of things.. hard to think of anything beyond that.. but ofcourse there is one thing I can think of.. shooting a bow around her and eventually off of her. It’s a requirement for every horse at our place considering the hubby is a horse back archer! I always like the idea of dragging things with a horse. Tarps, tires , logs, anything.. it’s always good to teach them to handle something coming from behind.
Water obstacles or any trail obstacle work like backing through an L shaped obstacle is always good. Maybe some cow work too !There are all kinds of things to expose a youngster too.
I am so excited for you and like you, wishing my baby horse was already of age to start riding!
Wow uou guys have GREAT ideas. I’ll be passing along some of these for sure. Thanks 🙂