August 08 - Rain rain rain

As the rain tumbles from the sky more and more I marvel at how well my arena is draining...well it needs some work but it's coping well! Update on the two tearaways! Star: Has mastered transitions on line, upwards and downwards. He has even mastered transitions with distractions like small ponies trotting past while he is supposed to be doing circling game! Catherine and her boys came over to play last weekend and it really stretched Star's mind! It was good to see him wish he could go beserk but then re-focus on me. He is still aversive to friendly game around his back legs. He is also starting to arc up about having his feet picked out. We get there cause I out persist him and quietly remind him that I want his foot. He is not doing this cause he is scared, he's doing it because it's another game of who will give up first. So Friday night it was 45 minutes to get his feet picked out. That's ok, I had all night! Yo yo is very light now...only have to wiggle my finger and we are going backwards, even when I ask him to start he knows he has to back through gates and so now he starts to take over...so now we yo yo but then we stop half way...ha ha that's got him thinking! Scout: Has an expanding girthline! Fat is the word! I have stopped rugging him cause he is so rotund and I need him to burn some calories keeping warm. He is off the paddocks at night, goes in the arena for a few hours in the day. I am even going to the local weigh bridge with him to see how tubby he is! He is building muscle but there is a higher percentage of fat there. Anyway he is going well, we do serpentine now with me on the stand and him running around. It's made a huge difference in his demeanour, me not moving my feet. He even whinnies to me when he sees me! Cool. He brings Star up if they are out together! Ah hah! I am so looking forward to taking him to Chris's place in December. I have so much to practice before then though. My transitions with him are good, he's lazy and gets bored so quickly I have to make things more complex for him so he gets more enthused. I am going to start hill work with him at a racing incline track about 15kms away to start getting him fit. Or else his stable name will have to become Norm. I am playing with him about 3 times a week for an hour or so but he can eat more than I can get him to burn!! I played with him for about 3 hours on Sunday last and it was wonderful. I did figure of 8's with him at trot and canter with the trot transition in the centre of the 8, in readiness for one day getting him to change, won't be too far away as he is starting to offer things now. He has a very full Parelli Equine Savvy chest all I have to do is slowly and carefully unpack it I think!