"Mini Takeover": first official training session...

Yesterday was a big day, first off it was actually SUNNY!!! Secondly Camryn & I had our first training class together. One of my neighbors boarders sister-in-law does natural horsemanship training. Having seen what a month of classes has done for another boarders gelding, we call it "magical horsemanship" training. Cameron (not my Camryn) has really turned the corner so quickly it's been amazing to watch. Realizing I've allowed Camyrn to lack in the groundwork dept. (aside from our click training) I decided to work on that with Barb. Camryn is a good girl for the most part, not spooky at all, our long lining leaves something to be desired, I knew this was more my body language than Camryn not listening, & in the spring having been on dry lot that grass causes my dear girl to be a huge barger. Green just turns her into a common criminal!!!

First as Camryn's pasture actually had ducks in residence, rather than going back via our property, Cam & I headed over via the woods, she's great when walking down the road. As I enter Danette's drive, her A-hole neighbor sees us, he gets in his truck and heads our way. I didn't give much thought to it at first, he heads down his yard, between his house and Danette's drive. As soon as he's alongside us he doesn't just rev his engine, he adds the blare of his horn!!!! I don't even know the guy and he's trying to get me killed??? Camryn being Camryn doesn't even look in his direction let along spook "goooooood girl Camryn", I can only imagine his disappointment in that :). He then drove to the woods turning to come back and luckily (for me) he got a bit bogged down so didn't get a second pass at us in time. I'm guessing he doesn't like horses &/or their people??? He doesn't actually live there but, is the son of the woman who does.

Anyway, good girl kind of disappeared as we neared the barn & grass surrounded her, the common criminal personality roared to life LOL. Danette walked along with us, as we passed her home barns pasture, her horses of course come a running. Camryn had been pretty intent on figuring a way to barge to the grass, so when they appeared she did spook a bit, regained herself quickly as going for the grass was way more important. We made it back to the boarding barn without major incident, but boy was I tired!!! If I'd doubted we needed to work on manners, that doubt fell by the wayside then LOL.

During the lesson Camryn was a good girl in that she's totally unemotional in regards to our putting "energy" into the rope. Actually, I think Camryn thought it quite amusing!!! Barb was totally as soft as possible but, at firm as necessary. With gurly gurl she got pretty firm a number of time, Camryn was like, "Oh, I think a fly is smacking my butt"! Being unemotional one doesn't need to be firm as Camryn gets to thinking "how can I get this fly to stop stinging my bum?". Rather than some of the other horses loss of brain power at light energy coming there way, Camyrn figures it out pretty quickly. I knew she'd give Barb a bit of flack at first, not acting up in anyway, just choosing to ignore and remain unmoving. Camryn also likes to see just how much a new person knows and test them a tad. So she also figured out that Barb was no slacker in short order. No horses were injured in anyway for those who think what I've just described was abusive.
I did discover as I thought, my body language was blocking Camryn when long lining. So rather than sending her out, I was stopping forward motion. That and my former horse was highly emotional and polar opposite of Camryn. I wasn't emitting enough energy to motivate my girl to actually move her feet. Her backing was good enough but, just that good enough. Kind of "Ok, you asked me to back, I'll do it as slowly as I can Mom." Anyway, we worked on several things I'd been having trouble with (note I had the trouble not Camryn). As one of my concerns was leading thru the woods without barging Barb decided to end our lesson by walking back and showing me what I needed to do. Of course after an hour of class, Camryn was a the perfect lady heading home!!! She didn't barge even once!!!
The lesson really pointed out the holes within our program, & that this spring tune up is a good thing :)
Sorry I tend to write in such a rambling way, so I'll add some pix one of the others took to rid you of any headaches occuring due to my narrative: