Ava scared me half to death a couple of days ago when I arrived at the barn to find her laying down. My immediate instinct was to imagine that she was dying (the same thing happened over the summer when I caught her napping). But I had nothing to worry about. It was a warm day and she was just resting. I managed to get some pretty cute pictures before she got up.
 |
| Do you have treats? |
 |
| That awkward sitting-like-a-dog moment. |
 |
| See mom? I'm fine! |
I've had a few thirty-forty degree days in the last week, so I've been working on Avalon's warm up. My goal is just to successfully warm her up without bolting, bucking, etc. This is more difficult than usual since she isn't in regular work. The session usually starts with Avalon bolting over and over and over while I attempt to keep her to a high-stepping giraffe-style trot. After a few steps she bolts into a canter or gallop and I when I ask her to stop I'm treated to a series of firework rears, bucks, and kicks. The trick is to sustain the trot for as long as possible, because once she trots in a few circles she calms down. Then we end the session with a quiet walk, head low and emotions calm. Basically, the closest we've come to a warm up is a cool down! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I love the awkward quirky babies that want to run like crazy. My theory is that her bucking has a lot to do with being off balance. We'll be starting pole work this spring to build those muscles!
 |
| She follows me to the gate like she loves me, but I know she's only after treats. :P |
No comments:
Post a Comment