You spin me round / patience

Take your pick from the song title, both eminently suitable for tonight!!

Back to school for a little more work on Bailarina's lunging today.

Started wonderfully as she gave a full on neigh as she saw me walking down the path...I always shout hello back lol! I caught her and led her in round the back way so we would be heading towards the lorry park...and walked her straight in there and up to my box with no fuss whatsoever...Bally is AMAZING! Her spirit and outlook on life and work is such a joy to experience...I'm a lucky girl!

I wasn't going to do any more than that tonight, that's saved for tomorrow ;-)

On the lunging front we were just going to work on voice commands and precision today, not actually *working* her on the lunge, so it was a simple rope halter and 1 line job.
Down the car park and towards the school making a point of walking over the drain covers and making as much noise about it as possible lol.......then as we got to the school gate she tensed, stuck her head in the air giraffe style and shot through the gate at speed...oh dear!

I stopped her, calmly walked up and soothed her, asked for a few steps backward and some head lowering, then walked straight back out the school, calm halt, step back, walk a few steps forward and back then towards the gate. I halted her right in the gateway and then asked a for slow steps in...and got them.

Bally was still quite tense and scooty though, every little noise had her jumping so every time she moved I just calmly placed her back and continued talking to her quietly. Didn't take long before she relaxed and gave me some licking and chewing so we could sensibly move on.

I revisited some work we last did a while ago, walking the perimeter of the school, changing the rein, working with her to the fence and me to the fence all the while keeping everything steady and relaxed. Once we'd got this we repeated in trot...she had one almighty lets forget our manners whoohoo moment and I just stopped her and went back to the backwards / forwards / standing still routine until I had her full attention and totally back on side.

Lunging time! Did some desensitisation with the lunge whip, wanting movement away from me touching her body (but not a scoot) and a lifting of each leg from a touch on the leg..all good, then just standing still whilst I ran it over her back - she did move off at this but I kept it on and repeated my slow and stop verbal commands until she did, then immediately lifted the whip and praised to let her know she'd done well.

Then I lunged her for five minutes each rein...with no fuss whatsoever, no running off, no napping towards the gate just nice steady walk, halt and trot work on my voice commands. Good relaxed head and neck, nice regular strides, able to increase or decrease the circle with the whip...as if she'd been doing it for years, what a superstar!!!!!

She halted on the button every time and not a hint of turning in...Bally is now lunging better than several other well established, much older and more experienced horses on the yard...a pat on the back for the pair of us I think *grin*

A couple more easy baby sessions then the same with her proper working gear on and I'll start to introduce the second rein to give her something new to think about (the all important outside rein contact...very grown up!!)

With her being so tense and jumpy when we started in the school today could have been a complete right off, but patience really won the day :-)