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...

On with weekly posts...

Training with Mezza ground to a standstill last September as I moved our horses and then underwent two surgeries.

Now, aside from the weather and occasional schedule flexing, Dawn trailers Mezza out once a week so we can work together. It is a great experience for her to trailer on a regular basis, and over the past month she has trailered without Luna, her dam, on board.

We are currently working on her long-lining and ground driving, while testing out various saddles on her. She is growing, but still fits in a semi-quarter. These two photos were taken in March, courtesy of Dawn Dooley.

 I was really proud of her this past Sunday, as it was fairly windy, and she didn't get it a thought! Dawn and I froze, but Mezza still has most of her winter coat and seemed to enjoy the session much better than the week before, when it was warm and she got itchy and she wanted to roll with the saddle on!