Hello again! It has been a minute since I posted horse training related content. I can't fit a year and half into one blog post and do this fantastic mare any justice, so I'll take it one piece at a time.
November
When I first arrived home from Oregon in November of 2020 I was excited to put all my new tools and experiences to test on my personal horse. I was surprised by how much I needed to adjust back to working with Ava after spending so much time with seasoned, kid-safe horses.
Can I take a moment to mention how lovely this mare is? I personally think her colors are best in the fall months. Maybe it is the way she contrasts the fall leaves.
In Oregon, we used shims to help saddles fit better, so I tried out some different pads and shims on my personal saddles. After a month or so I gave up on this. I don't have a saddle pad that can have shims inserted, so as the saddle moved around they would move and even fall off.
I asked the horsewomen at CPYR how they would handle Avalon's reactivity at the trot. She would be calm at the walk, but as soon as she picked up speed, she would become increasingly spooky, emotional, and reactive. They suggested more trotting - so we spent a lot of time on that in November.
I have so many pictures of this curious horse eating my tack.
I brought out the horse ball for a while. She enjoys it, but it takes FOREVER to inflate, so I don't use it often.
All the kitten pictures. Avalon is not a fan of dogs. She either "spooks" at them or tries to attack them. On the other hand, she loves cats. Not only will she let them climb all over her, she will groom and nuzzle them. I even heard her nicker to them once.
We had a lot of fun in November. We ran around the outdoor arena together at liberty, even on spooky windy days. We also practiced dragging poles around beside us. Most importantly, we spent a lot of time just hanging out together and getting scratches.
December
December and January were fairly uneventful since I had no indoor arena to work in and Wisconsin winters do not make for good horse training weather. I still found time to hang out and visit when the weather permitted.
January
I couldn't find any good photos, but my favorite thing in the whole world is when Avalon stands at the gate and watches as my car drives away. I don't think I've ever felt more loved. This mare is honest and straight-forward about her feelings. You never have to wonder where you stand with her. So when she makes it clear that she wants to spend time with me, it's the best feeling.
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