The past few days have been spent doing some crazy amounts of desensitizing and poor Lindsay has been convinced that each and every new object is surely a Tiger or a Snake. We have used tons of leg wraps, long foam noodles, blow up beach balls, saddle pads, cotton ropes and anything and everything else I could come up with that was safe, but a good desensitiser. I put the surcingle on Lindsay on day 12 and after a good bit of bucking she was settled in and good to go. So I took full use of all my rings on the surcingle and tied soft leg wraps and even foam noodles to the sides for Lindsay to become accustomed to. She thought this was quite crazy at first and as I would send her off around the pen she would try to magnet in back to me for me to save her from all the crazy stuff attached to her!...Poor girl didn't realize I was the one attaching all the crazy stuff to her! She did adjust though. She remains to be very self conscious not to hurt herself...even when frightened she never does anything to put herself in danger. I moved the noodles to different places on her back and hanging off her sides. She was especially bothered by the noodle bouncing on her back, but after realizing it wasn't going anywhere and wasn't going to harm her she decided it was ok. Her biggest concern was the rope behind her back legs...talk about some big time strong kicks and bucks out at that rope! But after quite a few trips around the pen she realized that even the snake rope would not hurt her back legs.
So Day 12 and 13 was LOTS of Desensitizing. Lindsay just about lived in her crazy outfit for those days...between her noodles and leg wraps tied to her surcingle and her beach ball and many more noodles on the floor of the round pen it really looked like quite the circus in there! Lindsay never really has developed a curiosity for any of this wacky stuff, but has become ok with it being around her. It really is as if it is beneath her to "play" with a beach ball or pull the leg wraps off the rail...she is just much to mature for all that silly stuff. But as long as she is ok with all this stuff then that is good by me, she doesn't have to want to play with it...I've never been much on playing with beach balls myself! lol
Day 14 Lindsay had her first day off since she arrived. Mike and I went to the barrel race and let Lindsay take a break and recoup from her bouts with all the noodle lions and beach ball bears...even though they were...and still are...living with her in her paddock :) I do think she realizes now they are simply in-animent objects that will do her no harm. It just ate me up all day to not be able to work her, but I'm sure one day of rest was much needed and certainly well deserved!
So today, Day 15 we were at it again. I started with re-introducing some of the scary objects and, even though she is not totally convinced they are harmless, she was much much better than a few days ago. When I put the surcingle on she was just a star and did not even buck as I sent her off! So, now that I felt we were pretty well desensitized I wanted to introduce ground driving. This involves a rope going behind her hip just above her hock, which is her least favorite place for a rope to be. That took a bit more adjusting to, but she came around. I just hooked my ground lines to her halter, no bit yet.. and after she adjusted to the feel of the rope behind her we started working on slowing down from the pressure of the ground lines on the halter. At first she'd speed up, because when I would put pressure on the lines it would not only pull on her halter, but also added pressure to her hip. After a few tries she figured it out and was slowing her speed when I picked up the reins.
I actually am really loving her degree of sensitivity and responsiveness...she is just aware of Everything that I do...I just love that :) I feel like any extra time it may take to get her thoroughly desensitized will be well worth it in the end. Also, I would Much rather her be reactive and responsive than dull and sluggish. After she is desensitized to the things that she needs to be, her degree of sensitivity and responsiveness is going to make for a fabulous ride!
So after she was pretty comfortable with the ground lines and slowing her speed with pressure I wanted to practice changing direction. This involved me stepping behind her to move to her other side. Well, that was a task. Lindsay was not at all comfortable with me moving from one eye to another especially with this going on behind her back. She kept doing her best to wheel around a face me...which up until now I wanted her to. Poor girl, as soon as she figures out one thing I change it all up! Fortunately she seems to be quite brilliant and as long as I explain clearly she catches on well. So I continued working my way to her hip and crossing behind her. She would watch me like a hawk and as soon as she thought I was about to leave view of the eye I was in she would wheel around yet again. After quite a few tries, and much time just standing behind her...just as far as she'd let me before turning I was able to jump into the view of the other eye on the other side! She was so funny..as soon as I arrived in that eye it seemed as if she took a sigh of relief, like wow you disappeared, glad your back. So I spent some time changing sides...right to left came easier, left to right was a bit tougher, she really really wanted to keep me in her left eye today...when I was at her hip anyway. Kind of ironic seeing as she typically wants me in her right eye when I'm facing her. I did introduce the ground driving on her left, so that could have been it..I got her more comfortable with it on that side initially. By the time we were done I could change sides quite well :)
We also wore bell boots today! Lindsay's stride is so big she's grabbed her heels a few times, so I was anxious to get them on her. She was quite concerned over the velcro at first though, so I was taking my time. She looked like quite the professional today in her boots!
After we ground drove and were just about done I figured I'd give the good ole work saddle a shot. She had become pretty comfortable with most everything else, so up it went. She was a bit tense, but was a star! Stood like a perfect lady and did not even buck! I must say she looks even better under tack than I thought...I am more in awe of her every day! She is becoming really fit, but holding her weight well too...Thanks to her Triple Crown diet :) We started on TC Safe Starch Forage the other day and she Loves it! She's still not gobbling grain down, so I am thrilled to have a way to get extra calories in her. I know she needs them. The TC Safe Starch is fortified hay, so it has as much fat and protein as a quality concentrate. I am also introducing TC Senior to her and she is starting to develop a taste for it too. She still loves her soaked alfalfa, so I mix her electrolytes, daily wormer and TC Fish Oil in there. That seems to be going well...she cleans it up pretty good each feeding.
Can Not Wait to step on her, but I am going to be sure I have done Everything I can from the ground first. She would probably let me up there now, but she is doing so wonderful learning and growing to trust me that I do not want to chance stepping aboard to soon and possibly regressing. We have lots more to do on the ground that will all transfer to our saddle work. I tell you though, watching her movement and responsiveness really makes me excited to climb aboard...I can just tell she is going to be an Awesome ride!
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