Some deep stretches with Merlin after his ride.
When the saddle is on I always loosen the girth before anything like this to make sure his body can move more freely.
Trick training isn't just for fun, it has so many benefits for the horse when done the right way.
Even if you haven't taken the plunge to go bitless yet, there's still plenty that can be done to make life easier for both horse and human.
Poles and jumps at liberty so that he has the option to walk away or go around them at any time
Little Merlin parking up for mounting and starting some shoulder in under saddle
The wonderful Hinata and his mum parking up at liberty for the first time 👏
Going over some things that we haven't done for a while 😊
Counter conditioning with positive reinforcement in a controlled environment is great preparation for real life situations
Some confidence building with Merlin.
Merlin is 5yo so hasn't seen or done much yet, but he's also a kids pony so i need him to be as safe and reliable as possible.
Building a horses confidence should be done in a calm, quiet and encouraging way. It isn't necessary to shout, threaten, bully or beat the horse simply to get them over an obstacle. Doing so would only create fear of both the rider/handler and the task.
Whenever we approach something new the focus should always be to help the horse become comfortable and confident rather than just getting them to do as we ask without question.
Reward every little try in the right direction and allow as much time as needed.
A confident, trusting, happy horse is a safe and reliable horse.
The untrailerable pony, confidently trailering 🥰
We still have things to work on, but this was only her second session and she was so willing ❤
Good progress is slow progress
