Day 5

Yesterday was Day 5 - the end of the first week! It was a really great day for us. Eric stressed the importance of simulating rider and saddle motion by doing more extreme desensitization with the bag. I started Rosie off in the round pen and got her comfortable standing still and then in motion with the bag on her back and slowly lowering and lifting it on her off side, eventually letting it tap the ground and stay on the ground for longer and longer, building up to dragging it. I also asked her to trot and let the bag flap on her ribs as that was the problem before with the pack saddle when it began to flap against her sides. Rosie was tense at first with each progression of the exercise but by the end of it was totally relaxed. One thing I did want to make sure was that she didn't anticipate that anytime I began flapping the bag that it meant walk forward. I made sure that she didn't move her feet until I sent her with the lead rope, because the last thing I need her doing is feeling some motion on her sides and than assuming it means to go and leaves without direction or thinking.

After working in the round pen I moved out to sit on the fence and flag her and use the bag from above. Just for comparisons sake after I had her in position next to the fence (parallel) I offered to put my leg over her back and she immediately put her head up and began leaving the fence. I did the bag simulations with her again, same as in the round pen but with me on the fence, and after I had her confidence and relaxation I then offered to put my leg over. She was alert and aware of me but not nervous as she was the first time I offered it to her. I did some up and down squats over her back, kicked my leg back and forth, rubbed her with my calf and eventually sat down. She did move a bit and look a little uncomfortable after I sat so I waited for her to stop moving her feet and relax before getting off. Approach and retreat! I began the process of rubbing her with my leg and such and than sat on her again a couple more times. Finally she just put her head down and took a deep breath! Just what I was hoping for! I then began using the flag while sitting on her and at that point, because of all the preparation we had done before and the confidence and trust I'd built to this point the flag wasn't an issue at all.

I'm not surprised that Rosie has some issues with stuff around her ribs and with being sat on due to her lack of confidence squeezing herself between me and the fence, over jumps, or any place that confines her personal bubble. She's not extreme in this nature but she isn't her usual totally relaxed self when squeezed between, over, or through spaces. This directly relates to someone or something in her personal space without permission, especially from her ribs back. She's pretty confident up to her withers and from there back shoots through narrow spaces and wants to speed up all the while displaying more tension.

I think Monday I will work on some transitions in the round pen to prepare for riding, more bag exercises, probably some more jumps and narrow spaces and then whatever Eric has planned for us. I also need to work on that plate exercise.