Show Practice

Mezza in a borrowed show halter. I didn't take a photo tonight--we used a regular flat halter and her heavy lead with a stud chain to simulate a show halter and show lead with the required chain. She is handling it like a pro!

This evening I met Dawn and her daughter, Jen, and we had a joint practice session with Mezza.

The session lasted about an hour and Jen had a chance to watch Mezza being stalked, walked, turned, backed,  and trotted. Then Jen got a chance to do the in-hand work with Mezza so she could feel how Mezza handled. They did really well together!

Next we put the flat halter on Mezza, along with the stud chain in the "show" position--running beneath the chin. She's had it on once before in her run, while we tried on an actual leather show halter and lead.

Now Mezza needs to get used to the feel and sensation of this. 

We repeated our in-hand exercises with the flat halter and stud chain. She did really well. Jen and I switched so each of us could work Mezza. Even with the lead loose, she was initially high headed in her trot at side with me, and I need to stretch my legs more. She finally relaxed and put her head down, but she still held her ears back. Jen had better luck with her pace, and the head stayed fairly low. Again, the ears are kinda laid back. We aren't sure why, she's not trying to bite, the lead is loose, so that may just take time for her to relax more. She is definitely watching our position though, as she is really good about slowing to a walk or stopping when we do.

The turns on the hinds need further work so that we can keep our hand just on the lead beneath her chin and turn her without her body bending or her moving her back feet before the full turn is completed. This will simply take more time and practice. 

The last thing we worked on was her giving her head downward to pressure on the lead with the stud chain. She does this pretty well in a rope halter, but wasn't so good at it in the flat halter and chain. She started giving, and I got a really good release finally. I need to practice this daily so the release becomes automatic. Dawn and Jen seem pleased at how she's doing, and I think she is coming along well! It will be a lot of fun to watch/show her in halter and showmanship. I'm sure we'll learn a lot as we do.

More Mezza...

Mezza after backing out of the stall. "Whatever..."

Today I was out late, so Dawn got to watch most of the session with Miss Mezza. Mezza got stalked, then we worked on in-hand turns (fores, hinds), walking, trotting at side, backing with me facing her, backing with me at her side (backing with her).

After our "warm up" I went and got the infamous spray bottle, and we practiced with that. She still moves off initially, but is standing after a short while. I need to do this every few days now that the weather is warm.

After that I took Mezza into the barn and we first went into the stall with the higher step up and practiced stepping out front first. She bounced out the first time, walked out the second. Then we went to our second stall, with barely any step up and practiced backing out. Soooo much easier this time. We completed 3 nice backs in about 10 minutes!  Her confidence is really coming!

Show halters go especially well with a nice bit of hay.

I returned her to her pen, thinking we were done. However, the grand finale of the evening was trying on a show halter with plenty of bling!  She acted like it belonged on her--well, I guess one will, very soon. The next show is the 3rd week of June and we're planning to enter her in halter and showmanship. Much to do yet before then, but it's coming along. :)

Mezza and the obstacles

Today Mezza and I worked on several things in addition to our regular walking, stopping, turning and backing etc. ...
We practiced her walk and trot in-hand at side, and her right "eye" side is doing so much better!

We also tacked up and played in the field with the obstacles, which she really did enjoy!  There is more work to be done on keeping her out of my space when she's unsure of something. But we had a good time and she now has several new objects to add to her list of "friendly" things.

I wish I had video of her rolling with my saddle on! LOL-- I asked her to turn and take her circle in the sand the other direction and she gave a good bounce, did an uncoordinated turn on the hinds and her feet slid right out from beneath her!  Tom had just groomed the sand in the area, and it was really loose--when she went down, instead of getting up she decided it felt so good she'd roll over--I could only laugh (and ask her to get up before she continued to roll with the saddle).