Nice and Easy

Really lovely day yesterday Bally had the wind up her in the morning and was having a whale of a time following me and the wheelbarrow then scooting off at high speed a snorting and a leaping. Gi had brought the dogs down and she seemed to find their presence quite provocative - a good excuse for a headshake and a hoolie!!
It's been good having rain over the last week, the fields needed it so desperately, but that wonderful sleek babe you saw in the photos last week has been replaced by the dreadlocked bog pony :-o

Brought her in and brushed her off then tacked up for a walk out / long line. I did take her back out down the lane where we had the car incident and she was hesitant and wary (understandably) and wanted me to lead her all the way down that part of the lane for security. I don't have a problem with that.

Rather than come off onto the bridleway I took her down another extremely quiet little lane and unhitched the lines so she could exercise her brain as well as her body and she was super - one of the houses down there is a bit spooky at the best of times, but it's now adorned with scaffolding so doubly scary. B had a look and gave it a fairly wide berth, but walked right on past it without a hint of a start or attempt to turn...brill!

We then joined the bridleway at the end and longlined all the way back by the side of the stream with me asking her to leg yield from side to side by changing my body and the rope positioning, she's picking that up really well.
One eek whassat anchors on moment when a bird few out in front her but again, no attempts at turning or running which is such a big improvement from when we first started this. Her confidence has blossomed and she really seems to enjoy going out and about taking the lead.

She still had a sticky moment at the corner of the hayfield onto the path between the fields though but this is now down to walking a very wobbly line as she evades to the side and I catch her and push her on instead of frantic circles and planting :-)

Gave her some treat stretches and a brush off once we got into her stable and wandered out with her hay and dinner with the intention of having a quick loading refresher. We passed Dawn's box with the ramp down on the yard and B made a beeline for it!! Ok says I, on you go and blow me down she did - gave the ramp a sniff and walked herself onto it! I backed her straight off and then we went around to the car park only to find someone had parked right across the back of my lorry so I could use it anyway grrrr...ah well at least we had a bit of a practise and a very good one at that!