05/15/2024
Lozi is a 9 yr old Tennessee Walker. Lozi hasn't had much done with her for about a year and a half. The ultimate goal is for her owner to enjoy Lozi on the trails. Her owner shared about Lozi getting spooky at times, especially when dirt bikes pass her on the mountain trails. I started with her in the round pen after she did not want to be caught in her paddock (which let me know she didnt have much trust or respect for me). My only goal for these sessions (2 sessions in one day, about 20 minutes each) was to work on joining up- having Lozi face me and ultimately to come into the center of the round pen with me. All of this is done through body language. Things I'll watch and make note of when I'm round penning are: how long does it take the horse to show any kind of relaxation (ie. licking and chewing, head and neck lowering, blinking, etc), does the horse seem more relaxed going one direction or the other, does the horse cross canter and if so, does it appear to be a physical related issue (hip, hock, stifle pain, etc), or is the horse so tense he is no longer focused on coordination through his body, does he keep focus on you or get distracted quickly, etc. Horses reveal a lot about themselves in the round pen. It's also a place where they will call you out with mistakes you are making as a trainer. Round penning is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I will keep updates coming of Lozi's progress.