A Stroll in the Park

I decided that today would be a good day to get Mav out on the trail. Granted, the trail would amount to a stroll across the street into the park, but you have to start somewhere.

So my plan was this: play in the indoor arena with the touch it game and the circle game to warm him up and get connected with me. Which is exactly what I did. Mav wants to mow down every obstacle that gets in his way; today I asked him just to put his nose on things. It was hard for him to do it; he just wanted to crash into everything. Eventually he slowed down before each obstacle, cone, barrel, whatever and just stood there. I thought that was good enough for today.

Then we did some circle game with changes of direction, and he offered the last change of direction just by my turning slightly to back up. Green light!; time to head out the front gate.

Vicki and Jet were out there too, which was probably a good thing for Mav to start out. However, as soon as we got to where they were standing, Mav went right past them with his ears at attention, taking everything in. He was keenly curious and attentively alert. He did not feel nervous, but his energy was up.

I tried to turn him to go back to Vicki and Jet, but he wasn’t having it. He was having too much fun walking around and checking everything out. There were birds scattered over the lake and in the trees. People were fishing along the banks of the lake on either side of us. Some locals were walking their dogs. He saw it all with great interest, so I let him wander around and satisfy his curiosity. 

Vicki decided if Mav was moving in that direction anyway, she would ask Jet to go down the hill towards the water to graze where the grass is really lush. With Mav there, Jet had the courage of the herd with him. Mav went down the hill quite skillfully and settled next to the water to graze.

We spent about 15 minutes there, chatting while the horses grazed. Mav kept moving ever so subtly towards the water. I had the feeling that given the chance, he might venture in there, so I moved him gently away from the waterline. I also had some unpleasant thoughts about snakes…

I don’t think Mav has ever gone up a steep slope, because as we went back, he did not want to go straight up, he wanted to go sideways instead. Eventually, it was down to the lake or back up the hill, so he pointed his nose up the hill and cantered slowly up the bank. That was fun, but he will have to learn to collect himself and walk up hill, something for us to play with.

At that point, we did some figure eights around the trees, which Mav did very well. We grazed a little longer before Vicki needed to leave, and I thought Mav would likely want to go with them. When they turned to go back to the barn, I turned Mav to go with them, but he got very sticky feet. He did NOT want to go back. What a fantastic feeling. He wanted to hang with me and graze in the park. It just does not get better than that.