Mezza work continues....

I've been lax in my updates, but Dawn has been faithfully trailering Mezza to the Equestrian Center nearly every Sunday since early spring so that we can work together.

We practice our groundwork, trailer loading (working on backing out of the trailer), long lining, ground driving, water crossing.....yikes, lots of stuff!

Here are several pics showing highlights of this spring and summer. I am so proud of her!

I am looking forward to working on ponying her off of her dam, Luna, in the near future and continuing with her ground driving work so that we can drive her out of the round pen and eventually along the path around the Equestrian Center. She is starting to grow her withers up, and get some more height, but at 3 years and 3 months there is still plenty of time to practice while she continues to grow and get ready for riding! : )

Long lining

getting used to water

Dawn and Mezza practice in the trailer

Polly helping with part of desensitizing Mezza for sitting on her

The other side...

From above...

Mezza work continues

Today Mezza and I skipped around and practiced on a number of different things. I'd wanted to get her back in the long lines, and for that I still want the round pen until she's more comfortable in them.

So, we started by practicing our stalking, turns, and in-hand in the round pen, then walked down and tacked up indoors, where she is relaxed while tied, as long as she has a companion. I need to practice walking away around the corner. I don't leave her alone yet.

After grooming, saddling and putting on her front boots (more for practice than needed protection) we headed into the indoor arena and walked and trotted close circles over poles, then worked on more desensitization with the rope hitting the saddle before switching out the halter for the side pull and longing over the poles using a longer line at walk and trot. That is coming along nicely.

We finished up with that and headed all the way back up to the round pen, where we spent time desensitizing her butt and legs to me flopping the ropes around before sending her out on the long lines. She is getting the feel and doesn't mind them, and is picking up the turning!  I'm so proud of her!!

Mezza and the stall

Working on entering and backing out of a stall as an aid in learning to step down from higher up and follow through with the hind feet.


Today was really busy out at the barn, with no turnout or round pens open. My initial idea of introducing the long lines got trashed quickly, as I wanted a round pen for that introduction. Since I didn't think Mezza had been out much that weekend, I decided that I would practice with her first with some in-hand work in her pen, and, if her focus was good, I'd then work on in-hand work and desensitization in the outdoor arena where there were already two other horses at work. She needs to get used to working around other horses if we are to show her in either showmanship or at halter, and she has been getting better about refocusing when she gets diverted.

The time went well. She never got jumpy, she simply paused from time to time to watch someone go by on horseback, or check out a horse in long lines. As for the desensitization, that work is progressing along with the dressage whip, which she is tolerating around her ears now, though she still doesn't like it.

Not so sure about this flippy wavy thing!

Hmmm, this really is not quite so bad!

What is even better is that we finished the day by working again with her in the stall, where she had to step up to get in and step down to get out. We worked on that a bit, and when she was stepping out and not hopping I took her to a stall with almost no step up and worked on the backing out.

Hopping out with the hinds initially

Mezza finally walking out nicely

Stepping out with the hinds!

Backing out was not as easy as I thought!  After I'd introduced her to this stall, and moved her around inside of it, I practiced walking her in and stopping her with just her front feet in, and then backing her out from that point. That went smoothly, so I brought her all the way in, with her back feet just in. It was not nearly as easy to back her straight!  I ended up staying at her front, and correcting (overcorrecting it seemed) each step backwards. She also scared herself once by stepping sideways right within the entrance of the doorway and hitting the door's edge. Backing straight really matters!

Possibly next time I work it, I will try for one step back, then bring her forward, then ask for two steps back, then bring her forward and really get more confidence into her backing. It will make all the difference in the world for a trailer!

Backing out of the stall is scary!

A little more...

Yeah!!!

"Mezza" work

May 10 started with a fair amount of practice on older "stuff" including our turns in-hand, rating at walk and trot in a short circle over ground poles, and longing on a longer line over ground poles.

Mezza in hand, practicing the walk and whoa from the off side.

Practicing one form of the back from the off side.

 

Longeing tacked up over ground poles.

The link to the longeing video: Longeing Mezza indoors over ground poles

Desensitizing to the dressage whip

We did a lot of work with desensitization with the dressage whip, which has a small piece of white plastic back left on the end of it. Mezza did NOT like it tickling her ears, and wasn't too keen on having rubbed along her neck, especially when she saw it out of her other side! We practiced this for a while, and she calmed down, but will need it repeated for some time yet. Unfortunately in the video, we are far enough away that it is really hard to see the dressage whip at all!
I need to make sure I'm much closer to the camera for that!

The thing I wished to have gotten photos of was when I took her back into the barn where the stalls are. We practiced entering and leaving one of the stalls which has a good 6-inch step up into the stall. I'm trying to mimic stepping up into a trailer, since she had so much trouble stepping out of it last time we practiced. My friend, Jerry, suggested checking the stalls to see if one had a step up, and yea, I found it.

She stepped right in, and then I let her briefly explore the stall before moving her around in it, asking for her to turn her front away in a circle, then her hind, etc.  Then I asked her to step out and she started to then hesitated. I stood outside the stall as she explored the edge with her muzzle and gingerly with her front feet. She finally hunkered down close to the floor, and extended one front foot--slid it out over the edge and let it extend to the floor. I thought she would end up on her belly! She didn't. As soon as the foot found the barn floor she brought the second foot, and did a small hop out with her rears. I was proud of her, and she was obviously feeling good about it. I rubbed her, and then took her back in. She came out much better the second time, but still with a bit of a hop. The third time she wasn't sure she wanted to go IN to the stall. So, we did a bit of pressure and release. Coming out, no problem. Ditto for 4th time. We went in and out of the stall about 5 or 6 times, with her finally just stepping in and out with me.

The I gave her a break and took her up to the front of the barn for about 10 minutes before we came back for a "review" which she passed with flying colors! I'll need to repeat this for awhile. Then I plan to work on backing her out of several of the stalls, beginning with one that has almost no step up.

In the end I learned not to leave my camera and tripod set up in the indoor arena without supervision--even if it is on the opposite side of a fence!  One of the youngsters turned out in the arena was curious enough to put her head through the fence and tried chewing on my camera! LOL, it survived, but has teeth marks!  A good lesson to me.

Watching and learning

Lightning

Today I watched as Ben worked with Lightning. Many of these things I am learning to do with Mezza.
Captured with camera are giving/flexing work with the head, and a lot of desensitization work with tying and throwing/spinning ropes.

Next time I'll get the camera out faster, as I missed a lot of the asking for the turns on fores and hinds!

Scout

Today Scout got a walk, grooming treatment, followed by Sore No More and icing (no, not the kind on the cake!)  He gave me quite the look, but did well with the ice and water in a bag!

His inflammation is mostly gone, although the lower back is still sore. We need to start working a little more, even if it's on the straight as in ground driving, or just walking and trotting, as you notice he's lost most of his rump muscles!