Marehaven Farm
Longmont, CO
Britta
My first ride on Britta
August 09 / 2007 05:11 PM
I just got Britta back
from "baby boot camp," where she learned about
everything up to the point of actually being ridden.
The trainer did a bunch of ground work and round pen
work, ponied her on trails, exposed her to lost of
things, and saddled and bridled her. She also sat on
her a few times, both in the saddle and bareback, to
teach her things like stepping the front end over,
stepping the hindquarters over, walking and stopping,
and bending. So when I went to pick her up, I hopped
on bareback to see what she's like. I was only up
there for about eight minutes, working on some basic
stuff, but she was so good! She feels like a drunken
pony, but she seems to think being ridden is just
another form of the attention she so loves. I'll
probably have her lightly started next summer, when
she's three, and then start doing more with her when
she turns four. But she's going to be a fun one, and
probably bigger than her mom, Belle.
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Britta goes to boot camp and Belle goes swimming
July 12 / 2007 11:01 PM
I took Britta (Belle's
two year old Fjord filly) over to "baby boot camp"
today. I brought Belle along too so that I could go
on a trail ride with the trainer, who has 230+ acres
to ride on plus lots of trail obstacles. I wasn't
sure how Belle would be with water so we gave that a
try. It wasn't just a creek but an actual river, and
Belle just went on through. The water was nearly up
to her belly and I could feel the current pushing her
a little, but she did just fine.
We also walked over big logs and through tall bushes and fields of prickly stuff. She was pretty good with all of that, but she balked at walking through slurpy mud. When we first set out, she was surprised by a boggy area, and after that she was suspicious of dark ground, but only if she was in the lead. She'd follow another horse across.
I also wasn't sure how Belle would be riding away from Britta, but they weren't even calling to each other. Belle can be a little herd bound, but I guess she decided the trainer's horses were her new herd! I'll take her back over there to ride again once the trainer has Britta ready to pony out on trails. The trainer will basically do everything she would do if she was starting Britta under saddle, without actually riding her. She'll get her used to all sorts of things, have her wear a saddle and bridle, haul her places, and pony her on lots of trails. It'll be good for her -- give her something to think about over the winter.
Cathy has llamas specifically because so many of the horses she gets into training have issues with them, but I put Britta in a pen next to them and she said hello to them and went about her business. So I guess that's not going to be an issue!
We also walked over big logs and through tall bushes and fields of prickly stuff. She was pretty good with all of that, but she balked at walking through slurpy mud. When we first set out, she was surprised by a boggy area, and after that she was suspicious of dark ground, but only if she was in the lead. She'd follow another horse across.
I also wasn't sure how Belle would be riding away from Britta, but they weren't even calling to each other. Belle can be a little herd bound, but I guess she decided the trainer's horses were her new herd! I'll take her back over there to ride again once the trainer has Britta ready to pony out on trails. The trainer will basically do everything she would do if she was starting Britta under saddle, without actually riding her. She'll get her used to all sorts of things, have her wear a saddle and bridle, haul her places, and pony her on lots of trails. It'll be good for her -- give her something to think about over the winter.
Cathy has llamas specifically because so many of the horses she gets into training have issues with them, but I put Britta in a pen next to them and she said hello to them and went about her business. So I guess that's not going to be an issue!