A Transformation

Oof. A week and a half of no updates - sorry guys! This post will be more like a video blog because, believe it or not, I actually have THREE awesome videos, IN SUCCESSION, that show MAJOR PROGRESS in the past 11 days. Oh but can you handle it?!

VIDEO 1: Saturday, March 15th 2014. 

OK so here I was CLEARLY way off. Nervous. JJ had been something of an idiot on the lunge before I got and I had a hard time letting go of that. Of course, being the amazing little man he is, he was fine under saddle. I stayed on the lunge anyway.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Video 2-A: Tuesday, March 18th

On Sunday the 16th, something changed. We had been at a show all day (where I was helping out, not riding), and when I got back to the barn in the afternoon I was pretty exhausted. Still, I had to work with Holly who had been out of work for a few weeks. I tacked her up and brought her down to the ring to lunge her, and to say she was a nutcase would be an understatement. She seemed PISSED to be asked to work again, and gave JJ a run for his money even on his worst days. Except Holly is STRONG and wanted to break away. Though she is the same age as JJ, she's half percheron (i.e. some of the largest draft horses out there), so she's probably nearly twice his weight. When she decided she was getting away from me, you better believe she was getting away from me. She dragged me around the ring for about 30 seconds before I gave up and let go. Frustrated and exhausted, I retrieved her from the corner of the ring where she had taken refuge, lunged her until we were both worn out, and put her away. After that episode, lunging JJ seemed like a dream. He might throw in a few bucks and crowhops but he's always seemed more interested in playing than getting away. (A side note - now in consistent work Holly is back to her old self!)

So what changed? I DID! After dealing with Holly's antics I was totally relaxed in dealing with JJ, and as a result we became a significantly better team. Videos 2-A and 2-B were both taken a couple days after the Sunday revelation.

Video 2-B: Tuesday March 18th

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Video 3: Friday March 21st

Ah yes - the best one yet!! JJ **almost** getting into a little frame! High head - yes. But I am SO IMPRESSED and proud of this little man!!! Not even two months of training and only off the track since December - how amazing is he?!

Another non-training related update: JJ got turned out in a paddock for the very first time today, and did so well he will be staying out tonight like a big boy! Thanks to Tricia I can share with you an adorable photo of JJ meeting his new neighbor :)

JJ, only accustomed to spending time with goats, isn't quite sure how to
handle this new situation... (And as a result he somewhat resembles a cross
between the Loch Ness Monster and a thestral from Harry Potter).