Tips for Trotting in Hand

Boy have we went round and round on this one, well--more like forward and backward.  Since I've brought Journey home in June I've been trying to get her to trot in hand.  Nope! Not gonna'! But I will stick like a mule and perhaps scurry backwards if you tap me with the rope.  O-Kee-Doke-E  my Royal one.

Most of what we have been working on is in hand ground work for the past three or four weeks. Last night for the first time she trotted in hand, and though it was a little bit forward and excitable, to say I was thrilled was the understatement of the year.  Progress!  I love progress!  But for every step forward we find something new that needs fixin'.  All the moving out of my space work has resulted in "the rope makes me want to move my feet."  So now we must work on rope desensitization and try to connect the dots that a rope does not ALWAYS mean move, that it is "I" who's space needs respecting, and the rope is then our friend. So she had the rope thrown at her last night until she could stand still on both sides.  Though her eye didn't look entirely convinced.

While sitting around the campfire last weekend a gentleman asked me "what kind of horse are riding"?  To which I replied half-arabian half-appaloosa.  He laughed out loud, and said, "so you like a horse that's a challenge"?    I guess I do as I never end up with anything else.       I was also encouraged during the campfire by the clinician who came up to tell me that she thinks Journey is going to be a great horse when all is said and done, and that she was observing my riding when I was unaware and that I'm very centered and balanced (I was trotting and cantering Journey out in a field while I was waiting for my turn at the flag).  That is the third clinician to tell me that, so I feel pretty good about my seat and leg position.  Phebes was very good at teaching "balance." Or you'd fall off onto your head. *LOL*

And now I head off to my two long days at work.  BLAH.

~E.G.