A New Creative Approach for Me

As in, I’ve never done this before and I made it up as I went along. I saw how things were progressing and decided to try more things to change it up or at times kept going with what I was doing to incorporate stick-to-it-iveness. And at the same time it was like getting 5 birds with one stone.

It sets up like this: Uno here is in for a month while his mom is visiting relatives out of state. He’s a good ‘ol boy, but his training, while ride-able, isn’t remotely high level. More like you can get where you want to go, but it won’t look good.

Mr. Beaudiddly is here to get his training where his new owner can manage her skills with where he’ll be after I turn himover with plenty of manners, handling and obstacles he’ll have to do in his new life of competitive trail. He’s pretty much scared shitless of sticks and strings, ropes and flags and bags.

Well, for various reasons, I attached a rope around one of Beau’s front legs. And I got Uno going with long lines to a snaffle (hope you read the snaffle blog) thru a surcingle and had my short 3’ stick with a grocery bag on it.

My personal herd of Peka, Black Diamond and Bache was loose along with Mr. B.

Therefore, while I was working Uno on bending and softening and stopping and going, carriage and such, I was able to maneuver him so that I could cause Beau to work on his fear issues. Occasionally, he would tear off in such a huff that my herd would get riled up too and tear off. They then had to contend with me on the long lines behind Uno and not get tangled and Uno had to contend with four other loose horses tearing around at a gallop and learn to maintain his composure and still do as I was asking on the lines.

Most of the time Black Diamond was following me with her head over my shoulder or on a stump if she wasn’t running with the rest. What was hilarious was that in the midst of some of the galloping, she would gallop to a stump and get up on it and look over to me wherever I was to see if I was appropriately impressed and if it was treat-worthy. It was!!

All five horses got work on some sort of issue that I was able to either invent in the moment or use because of the moment.

Certainly an effective use of time and place.