Volunteer rider and trainer Jolene D has been working with both King and Vida to get them ready to saddle up and ride. Here is her report from our recent Joel Conner clinic:
KING
I had a wonderful time working King in the clinic this past weekend. It was the perfect opportunity to help him work through some of his fears. There was so much going on all around him. Everyone was using flags, horses were constantly moving around, there was even a mini getting worked! He struggled with knowing where to focus. I tried to make being with me and working with me the most comfortable place for him. At first, his thoughts felt like they were ping-ponging around the arena. As I started reinforcing for him that all the other commotion was nothing to be concerned about, he became more consistent and relaxed in his maneuvers. I believe this will be a key concept for him moving forward.
Vida
VIDA
This is a really sweet horse. A couple days before the clinic she became sensitive to pressure behind her poll. She started rearing. There was no intent behind it, she was just stuck. She did not know that she could relieve the pressure she felt by just moving forward. The more we work with her to get her feet unstuck, the less likely she will ever feel the need to rear again. She made so much progress during the clinic. I can’t wait to see how calm and centered she becomes.
Here are some photos of Vida getting worked at the clinic:
