Pretty Girl Dolly, Going Through Her Paces

We've had Dolly going on two months now. She came to us with a friend, Sammy. Dolly is a 9 year old 3/4 Arab, 1/4 Quarter Horse; chestnut and beautiful. She has been recovering from an abscess, and seems to be doing fine, now. She's been out on trail twice in the last week, and it was a challenge to get her to cross water. However, she's a fast learner and is going through deep water now with barely a hesitation. She's jumpy and doesn't really trust her riders, although she likes people very much.
In the arena, where much of the training goes on, she picked up free lounging quickly, then lounge line, but she always had a very pronounced counter bend i.e. she'd always be looking to the outside of the circle she was on, instead of flexing slightly inward at the poll. So, here she is, her first day in side reins....



She's looking so much better! Although not all together yet, she's much more collected, with her head down, slightly flexed inward, and back up. You can see she struggles to hold her frame. She's out of shape and being asked to use muscles that haven't been used in awhile! Very smart horse - she'll get it.
Oh, and my farrier says she the best prospect for endurance riding. (He didn't have much good to say about Harley - "weak stifles; narrow base"; nor Sammy, my other Arab, who has "duck feet" and is still resting up from pulled ligament.)

Jack's First Day in Side Reins

After lounging Jack, we put on side reins, ever-so-lightly. He registered them, but didn't make too much of a fuss. They are attached to side rings of a cavesson, and low on the surcingle. He moves slow and steady. Right now, we really want him to be calm and comfortable around humans and the funny equipment we place on him - he seems obliging. Nothing too exciting here.

Tango, on the other hand, was not so accepting. First, he hates to lunge, so when Jessika had him out for an under saddle workout in the arena, we put the side reins on him and worked him on the lunge line. He evaded the bit by tucking his chin under, which he does all the time anyway. But he was so focused on the side reins and evading the bit that he barely realized he was working a circle on the lunge line. So that was a baby step in the right direction. Tango does love to jump. Here he is today, jumping a small cavaletti with Jessika...