Odessa is doing really, really well in her first week of driving.
She has been in Amish hands for the last several years and has been driven before but how much is an unknown, so I pretty much took her back to ground zero. Prior to this week we have been working on the long lines with a little bit of side rein work and we focused on being relaxed and quiet. I ground drove her around the farm twice but she was pretty spooky and didn't want to move forward. We also worked on standing! She is getting much, much better at this.
So despite the not so calm farm walk, I decided to hitch her a week or so ago. I headed her and TJ hitched. She was a bit nervous and wanted to wiggle but we got it done and she stood quietly for a few seconds after hitching and TJ walked off at her head with me driving. She seemed fine after a lap around the arena, so TJ unhooked the lead and got on the carriage.
We did 4 very short, no stress sessions like this and she has improved and relaxed more and more each time. TJ asked me if I had drugged on the second session because she stood so quietly.
On the 5th drive, I took her out around the farm. She was actually pretty good and stayed going forward with only a few balks.
TJ was busy yesterday, so I worked her on the long lines with an emphasis on transitions and being quiet.
TJ was busy again (the farm work is overwhelming these days) today so I probably broke every driving rule and hitched her by myself. She didn't move a muscle the whole time. It's amazing to see how much calmer she has become. She stood quietly for a few minutes after I got in and off we walked. We normally walk at least 2 if not 3 times around the arena each direction before we pick up a trot. She was great minus the head tossing from a flash nose band I tried, bad idea. TJ took a few minutes to ride with me while I drove her around the farm again and she was much better the second time. She is still tense, but she walked forward with a lot more confidence.
So Odessa's life is all about relaxing at this stage of the game. She continually reminds me that she has the ability to get very, very up during other everyday tasks (nightly ritual of smashing into stall door and threatening to go over it-I ignore her), so while driving we focus on calm and relaxed and so far so good.
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Erin K. W
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... She definitely expresses her thoughts over things she doesn't want to do, but so far we've been able to work through them rationally. She's learning to trust me and me her. |
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Cara
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... She looks like she is very interested in her task. I can see her thinking.......... Is she the kind of horse who is very good at new things but gets bored and makes her own entertainment when things get ho-hum? |
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