got off, went back, got back on - decided to go into the arena, she didn't want to (she wanted to go out, where she would have blocked again ....) and did 20 minutes work there.
all in all, about an hour on her.
i can't bring myself to get after her with the stick too much though, as given that she's stressing anyway, i don't think that would help. she needs to work out for herself that she can go out and she'll enjoy it - i think she probably does know that, but can't quite bring herself to believe it, if you see what i mean?
and another photo (still not of a horse, though ... the sorted out back yard, what was all allotment that we couldn't keep on top of, from the upstairs window).
2 comments:
Back yard looks great.
Molly is still obviously having some confidence issues. If you encourage her with the stick in the arena, so she knows it is just an encouragement, perhaps you can use it on the hack.
Work her with it from the ground so she learns to respect that it means "forward" and she is conditioned to it as just another aid. Might help.
"i can't bring myself to get after her with the stick too much though, as given that she's stressing anyway, i don't think that would help."
Claire it's quite possible that it would help a great deal. At the moment you are leaving it to her choice what she does, and horses find that kind of responsibility VERY stressful. If you were to use a stick it would make it clear what she should do and actually REMOVE a source of stress from her.
C
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