Pictures from the weekend

[glenatron]

Dominic was a beautiful, but very afraid, fleabitten grey gelding. Steve was helping him to find an energy level at which he could work comfortably.


Isis is an amazingly sharp and reactive arabian mare, rescued by Karen after a previous owner had neglected her to the point of starvation. She hasn't been ridden in the last year and before that she had only been ridden once or twice so this was a good opportunity for Steve to illustrate some of the techniques he uses when he is introducing a horse that is good on the ground to ridden work, gradually getting her used to him leaning on her, moving around her, swinging his legs around and sliding off. He uses this approach because it is important for the horse not to be surprised the first time someone catches a foot on her getting on or afraid if a rider falls off.

He's not wearing his trademark hat because Isis disapproved of it.


Joe pony discovering that the round pen he was in to do liberty work was not, in fact, purely there for his grazing pleasure. He settled to the idea after only a short period of Joe Rage.


Joe shows his displeasure at having to work while stood on tasty grass by sticking his tongue out at his handlers.


Under Steve's instruction, Joe and Lou were soon working together very nicely in soft, low-energy groundwork.

I don't have any pictures of Othello and I because all the camera batteries I thought I had charged were in fact completely flat and so I only managed to get some after my second training session. Lesson learned.

Today I did some work with Othello to help us consolidate the weekend's work. I am still fumbling and inept, but I have a lot more confidence and he is picking up on that and responding beautifully.