“At first glance you might think Betty is big and assuming but once you look into her eyes you will see a gentle soul. At all of 5’1” I barely come up to her withers, her head is bigger than my torso and her hooves are bigger than my feet. None of that mattered though as we grew together over the three days of the Joel Conner Clinic.
During the clinic we worked on walking unified circles and hindquarters with the flag. She was not as receptive to the flag in the beginning, especially on her right side. Continually wanting to trot off we had to go to hindquarters over and over again. Eventually she began to soften and by the end of the clinic the flag wasn’t an issue at all.
Betty has had difficulty backing up since arriving at SAFE. She would back up slowly if that and drag her feet. We worked on backing up with a feel and moving all four feet with punctuality. By the end of clinic all I needed to do was raise my hand to the lead rope and she would back promptly on her own.
Betty is a gentle giant always standing quietly. She wants to please, receive your kindness and know that you are her person. Don’t let her size fool you. The twinkle in her eye says it all.”
