One Day, Two Sessions

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Morning

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Early Sunday morning, I slipped out to the barn for a few minutes before church. I was pressed for time. The air was already hot and sticky. We walked into the round pen, perfectly in sync. Two steps, stop, back a step, stop, one step. She matches me step-for-step, even through gates. In the round pen I groomed her for a little while. She was so relaxed that I jumped on her back a couple times - just for kicks. True to her behavior so far, Avalon accepts a human on her back in a halter and loose lead rope.  

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Evening

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When I returned to the barn around six o'clock, all the horses were in the back pasture. Avalon didn't give me any trouble leaving them, even trotting beside me back to the barn. She did become a little agitated when I tied her up. However, I was still able to tie her like a "big girl".

Avalon is increasingly responsive in the round pen. I don't like to round pen horses by chasing them around, I prefer to be able to direct their movements with subtle body language. In the past, Ava has preferred to run around with her head in the air. If I ask her to change direction, I have to race in front of the "drive line" (the point of the shoulder). She will sneak past me instead of turning around if she can get away with it. 

But this evening, she was more interested in hanging out with me in the middle of the pen than galloping around the outside. I only had to take a few steps to redirect her.