A Great Cap to a Horsin' Around Weekend

Maverick smells something in the air

What a fabulous weekend I had with all of my horses! The heat in Houston has been a preview of hell this year, but I think I am getting better acclimated finally. I had one thought with Mav, take what he gives me and shape it, no matter how little or how much energy he offers me. Friday he had very little energy, but I had a plan, and I stuck to it. Get the circle game more consistent online so it would get better at liberty, play on the rail with no reins and two sticks, weave around poles with light contact, play around the question box. No pushing, urging or nagging. It's so nice when a plan comes together.

So, today, we went into the indoor arena and it was time to test the liberty circle game. As a warm up, we did driving game forehand around the hindquarters and hindquarters around the forehand. Mav did both with a 360 degree turn, just beautifully. Then it was time to yo-yo and get sent out on the circle. I think Mav knew what I wanted, but he wasn't ready to give it to me right away, so he veered off the circle, and I used a phase four to cause him to move faster. Off he went at a canter, with more energy than I had seen in three days put together. Game ON! 

He did half a circle, then turned to me, asked a question, I said come on handsome, and he came to me at a canter, ears like semaphores all the way. Did a beautiful controlled stop right in front of me. I sent him again, and he repeated the same thing another two times. Time to change tactics. I yo-yoed him back and just as he thought I was going to send him out again, I asked him back in. I swear I saw surprise register in his eyes, good surprise. I did this three times, then sent him on the circle again. And just like that, he gave me the prettiest, energetic, perfectly shaped circle. I transitioned him down with my carrot stick, then asked him in. He came up to me and blew out a big sigh. He licked my hand and I fed him cookies. Then we left the arena as fast as he would go. 

Wow! When we got out to the front area of the barn, I led him over to get a good hose down, also at liberty, then I sat on the mounting block where he hung out with me for about a half hour. At one point, he rested his nose on my knee and just stayed there for about a minute. I think he fell asleep there every so briefly. Happy, content horse and human.