There are some downfalls to having your horses at home and one of them is mud. I knew winter rains would bring some mud but didn't it to be quite like this.
In this photo, Beege is having a big yawn from possibly processing some major thoughts about being alone (without Odin the Mustang) for a little bit or we might've finished up some clicker training in his dry stall. I gave him a little porch by flopping a stall mat over the entrance so he has an outside place to hang out that isn't mud. There are non-muddy options but he has to travel through mud to get to them. The same is true for Odin's space. Hopefully this summer the mud will be mitigated.
So how is the equestrian journey supposed to continue during mud season when the footing is treacherous so most groundwork and riding are out of the question? My solution is this book:
The very first lessons begin in the stall or a small, enclosed space like a paddock. Both my horses enjoy this training and I can do a few minutes every day simply to remind B to calm down and O to respect my space. These are perfect training sessions for wet, muddy, short daylight days and they both become interested when they see me setting up a potential new game.
With a weather forecast like this:
I see a lot of small exercises, which is relationship building, in the near future. And when it's time to ride again, that relationship building will mean a lot.