Obstacles (originally posted 8/1018)

I brought Avalon home mid-May. Since I debated creating this blog for months, I will have to provide a summary of our experiences between then and now. One way to measure progress is by obstacles overcome. 

The first obstacle I ran into with Avalon was her response to pressure. Pressure equals running forward. Cue to stop? Run. Cue to turn in? Run. Cue to back up? Run! The second obstacle  was very similar. Every time I asked her to change direction my sassy lil filly threw a fit. The tantrum ranged from a head toss (see photo above) to rearing or even charging me with her shoulder. Both of these obstacles resolved themselves with time and consistency - an irreplaceable staple in every baby horse's diet. 

As soon as she got to the barn, I started teaching Avalon the ABC's of natural horsemanship. Parelli calls it the seven games, Clinton calls it the fundamentals, other trainers call them by other names. Basically, I asked Avalon to 1) think instead of react, 2) yield to direct and indirect pressure, and 3) allow me to direct her feet. She is not a fan of pressure. In fact, she would return the pressure (opposition reflex) until we were leaning on each other with our whole weight. If one of us moved, the other would topple over like in a children's comic. 

Many of the issues that initially concerned me faded after the first month. Avalon's general demeanor shifted from a high energy horse that ran through pressure to the kind of horse that would typically be referred to as "lazy" or "dull." To be clear, she is not either of those things! She is a left-brain introvert. Parelli-speak which means she is a horse that prefers to think rather than react. An intelligent, dominant horse that prefers to lead, rather than be led. A challenge, but I love a challenge. 

This leads into our next obstacle:

I have put a few rides on Avalon in the last month. She doesn't mind a human on her back, but she does not appreciate being told what to do. All of the correct buttons are there. She will back up, turn, and yield the hindquarters. Our obstacle at the moment is "go." 

Like all other young horses, Avalon didn't understand leg and seat pressure. I added a voice cue and a tap with the stick to teach her to move forward. She understands what it means now, but will only move a few feet before stopping. Part of her resistance is due to her personality, but part is also due to a lack of leadership on my part. I lack the confidence in the saddle that I have on the ground. It's an obstacle, but soon we will overcome it and move on to the next.