I hope you guys get lucky & miss out on the snow & wind back east today!
During TR's first week here, we've been working on Round Penning, Desensitizing to the Lead Rope & Stick & String, Yielding the Hindquarters, Yielding the Forequarters, Flexing, & Lunging Stage 1.
Throughout the week, I've already seen improvement in many areas. Where he was a bit unsure about being caught, he's more willing now. While round penning at the beginning of the week, he was sticky (particularly to the left) & wanted to turn to the outside of the pen frequently. Now, he's much freer while staying relaxed, picks up the lope with just a point & kiss, & turns to the inside of the pen each time. He was a bit worried about the initial desensitizing exercises, but it wasn't long before he was standing while I tossed the lead rope & stick & string all over his body & also slapped the ground beside him with some energy. He showed typical inexperience with Yielding the HQ & FQ, Flexing, & Lunging Stage 1, but quickly came around once he understood what I was asking.
We will have to work on his ability to stand tied quietly, as he was a bit antsy while I worked to pull some of the loose hair off before his photos.
While we're only a week in, I'm quite pleased with how he's doing so far. He wants to get along & be quiet once he understands what's being asked of him. There have been no big red flags as of yet, but we'll get into the meat & potatoes of the groundwork next week.
Next week, we'll begin working on Leading by the Feet & Laying Down. I foresee this being a huge benefit to TR, both physically & mentally. We'll also continue to progress through several other groundwork exercises as we continue to build upon his quietness, softness, & responsiveness.
- Lexy Nuesch
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.
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