Sunday March 1, 2009

Selma came out to help Ashley with Tequila. Tequila’s been coming along nicely. She accepts new obstacles quickly without much reaction. However, there are times when she feels she’s had enough and will let you know she’s done.
Ashley got on Tequila bareback with a rope halter bridle while Selma had additional control with a lead line. Horses that are new to having a rider on their backs don’t have the balance they need right away. They walk very slowly and it looks almost as if they are drunk because they aren’t exactly sure how to handle someone on their backs. Someone once put it to me this way – imagine if you are trying to hold a tall flag pole in the air and walk around with it – and that is what the horse feels like. Today was the day of some quiet leading while Tequila was getting used to Ashley’s weight and learning how to balance. They did turns and walking straight as well as walking over the mattress with Ashley on board.

Ashley even used the rope halter/bridle to stop her, back her and turn her head. She put some “leg” on her to get her to move forward as well. Tequila handled it all very calmly and they decided that was enough with the riding. Now…..onto the trailer!!!
Tequila has been loading on and off the stock trailer with ease. Ashley and Darlene decided to start loading her into the big enclosed trailer. Darlene (as well as many of us) feel it’s better to get your horse used to loading in any kind of trailer in case there is an emergency and they don’t have a choice but to get into someone else’s trailer.
Tequila at first hops right in, and THEN decides that she really didn’t mean to load. She would put one of her front feet into the trailer and then decide that she didn’t want to be there and back up very quickly. She ended up being loaded a couple of times and Selma figured she’d had enough at that point.

Darlene came out later in the afternoon and worked with Tequila – picking up all of her feet and touching her all over her body. Tequila used to flinch every time you touched her, and now she’s much more comfortable with it. Though she still flinches at certain points on her body – she’s MUCH MUCH better. Darlene decided to work on the trailer again. But before she loaded her, she had Tequila step up on a heavy plastic pallet and walk over a wooden “bridge”. Tequila demonstrated absolutely no qualms about those obstacles. It was like they weren’t even there. Good Girl!!

Darlene and Tequila had some “words” about the loading. It seems like she loads great at the beginning and then fights it, but eventually gives in and loads up again. She’ll be a pro before long.