Here are a few training videos I made of Odin and me practicing at the mounting block pre COVID-19. They are sped up twice the normal speed because horse training videos can be as interesting as watching paint dry.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I work in public health and along with my colleagues free time is in short supply. Now I have two horses to train with this short supply of free time. The good news is that the weather has been wonderful for the last week so Bragi's pen has dried out. Also, it's been easy to take a few minutes to spend time with Odin and Bragi the Mustangs, and since Bragi is so new, his sessions are 5 minutes at most.
Last time Dear Readers have heard from me Bragi had just arrived and was too shy to even let me touch him. Well let me tell you what can happen in a week's worth of 5-minute sessions: he didn't run away from me, he sniffed my hand, he ate hay from my hand, he let me touch his neck, he let me touch his face, he let me touch his back, all on both sides, he let me connect the lead rope to his halter, he let me lead him to the round pen and stood still while I unhooked the lead, he let me lead him back to his stall, he let me pick up all 4 feet and pick 3 of them, he let me introduce him to a new halter.
Odin has also had a fair amount of training. Instead of nursery school, like Bragi, Odin is in elementary school. Maybe 4th grade. He takes a good deal of responsibility when asked, is fine under saddle but needs remedial work with trailer loading and practice moving his body parts independently, namely his hunky shoulders. Plus he has some winter "upholstery" that could use a little streamlining. I hear ya, buddy. The YMCA is closed so I haven't been swimming regularly.
One huge benefit of getting ready for Bragi is that I now have a round pen. I love my round pen as a training area. The footing is sandy and flat. It's big enough to do some nice stretchy, limbering, connection exercises but not big enough where anyone can get too wild if anyone has a notion. I've done some basic ground work exercises, dressage exercises, and liberty exercises in the round pen with O. We've done some hill work from the barn up to the house. We practice getting in the trailer and staying there.
Yesterday O was fairly relaxed about the trailer. Today he was distracted because the neighbors are working in their yards, probably because it's supposed to rain tomorrow. Well, and it's Sunday. Still, he did well and when we were both getting bored with that, I introduced him to the spray hose. Oh boy, he did not like that. That was super scary and he couldn't get away fast enough even though I had the nozzle pointed in the opposite direction. I pretended to water a flower box (with dead plants), the lawn (even though it is lush), wash off my boots like it's the most natural thing in the world.
When he stopped snorting and acting like he was going to faint, I turned off the hose (released the pressure) and told him how brave he is. Then I asked him to target the nozzle (in the off position). He got a reward when he stopped snorting and stretched his nose toward it. Then we went back to the trailer. Thank God! The trailer is so much easier than the hose!
One more session with the hose then we're done. Back to the barn for a little rest before I go out there again. Maybe I'll take some video of me showing Bragi the halter.