Slate & Rowdy have settled in nicely here & have figured out the feeding routine. Though, it's safe to say they are nearly attached at the hip!
Right off the bat, both Slate & Rowdy have curious dispositions & are much more interested in me when I'm in the pen than Krimson, Sonny, & Drifter were. If they can remain this 'personable' while still being a bit sensitive & responsive under saddle (rather than a bit dull as Krimson was), they'll be a ton of fun to start.
Because of their curious nature that I wanted to continue to foster, I have remained in their pen this week working on Desensitizing to the Lead Rope, Yielding the Hindquarters, Yielding the Forequarters, & a bit of backing before we venture to the round pen.
When I initially began Desensitizing to the Lead Rope, Slate did want to leave & pull the lead rope out of my hands. However, once he figured out what I was asking, it didn't take long for him to stand still. Once he did, he gave me several big yawns & releases. Yielding the Hindquarters Stage 1 went well with no issues. Yielding the Forequarters required a bit more time spent. At first, he didn't have much interest in moving out of my space & I had to bump him a fair bit to cause him to move & not just toss his head up to avoid the pressure. He also had a tendency to want to walk forward or move his hindquarters. By the end of the session, he was giving me three decent steps.
Next week, we'll move to the round pen & continue moving through the groundwork exercises.
Next week's update will be posted on Friday.
I do my best to get these updates posted in a timely manner, but it's not uncommon for me to be outside until after dark, depending on the weather, my schedule, & who gets worked when so updates will sometimes be posted quite late in the evening. Don't be alarmed if you don't see your update right away. In rare cases, I may have to push them until the next morning, but I'll reach out & let you know if so.