Another week of nice progression for Roach! Leading by the Hind Feet went as I expected. A bit of resistance initially, but with some time, he figured out how to give to the pressure. The biggest struggle was his desire to stop & face me instead of backing up from the pressure; I much prefer that over panicking, though.
During his time spent tied up, I also introduced him to the snaffle bit. I tend to start most horses in a rope-nose hackamore, but Roach is a bit stronger than most young horses. I'll be able to help him through any reactive moments better with the snaffle. As is typical, he was pretty busy with his mouth, but after standing for some time, he quieted down. Next week, I'll begin groundwork in the bit so that he can become accustomed to the signals & pressure.
Today, we began saddling again. With the snow, we went back to one of my colt saddles that's a bit easier to throw around in the round pen. No funny business! I did take off the back cinch to see if that would help him. It confirmed that it's the feeling of that back cinch grabbing him that worries him. I'm going to keep it out of the equation before reintroducing it. Hopefully, not having the back cinch for a while will keep the saddle from being something he dreads. I'm also going to start him on a digestive aid. It could be that he's extra sensitive back there due to some gut sensitivity.
Next week's update will be posted on Friday.
Comments