Round pen YAY!!

Our round pen is finally up!! Wooo!!

Well its been up for about a week now. But still its an exciting event for me. I now have a place to really work with Bentley. I wont be doing anything major (lunging etc) with him for a while. But its going to be nice to have room to actually do more than walk in a tight circle.

I was anticipating some issues while walking to the pen. Why? I think I anticipate the worst as to not be caught off guard too bad. This was a longer distance to walk than to the previous turn out area. We had to pass some "scary" new things on top of it all. Not to mention there is more going on over on that side of the property. More noise more than anything really.

For the most part Bentley is at my shoulder the whole time while leading. When he gets unsure he wants to duck behind me and "hide" his face. He has never spooked up to this point. So it hasn't been an issue. Although he has in his stall before (not with me in it). That's one point we have been working on. Getting him confident enough to stay at my shoulder and not duck behind me. Don't really want him to spook and run up behind me. He may only be 6 almost 7 months old. But that's a lot of horse coming up on your butt.

I personally don't want that kind of back massage. I don't understand those who lead the horse with it a good couple of feet behind them. That's asking to get run over. At least if the horse is at your shoulder your out of range of the front hoof and rear hoof. Along with the fact they CANT run you over from behind. They can bump you but if you have your horses attention...hint hint... That shouldn't be too much of an issue. If it does happen a horse that respects its lead "mare", so to speak, will immediately get out of your space. On the same note you have better visual tabs on your horse if its right there with you. I personally cant stand it when someone is dragging the horse behind them. Not giving two hoots about how close that horse is coming to you and your equine. I cant tell you how many kick matches I've seen because of this. Its just dangerous. Period.

Anyways back on topic. Bentley was great going to the round pen. He didn't shy at anything. I did take him up to the things I thought he might scoot away from just to see his reaction. He's different in the fact that if we pass something on his left then pass it on the right he doesn't give a different reaction. I cant tell you how many horses I've handled that are very much left or right sided. Its OK on the left but not the right. Not with him. He doesn't mind me leading him on either side. He doesn't give a different reaction to an object he's seen if I'm on the opposite side. He doesn't shy at something on the right that was OK on the left. He has the "yeah I've seen that before...whatever..whats next?" attitude. That I am very grateful for.

It took him a few turn outs in the round pen to fully use it. To actually play in it. When he finally did. Good lord! That boy can drop it and take off. I always love watching a horse play. Cant help but make me smile.

I've started working the heeding with no line. He enjoys my company enough that he is willing to stand with me. He'll let me switch sides randomly and take it in stride. Although he likes to keep his head at my shoulder if we don't have a lead. Working on that for the time being. I've considered (a little down the road) working the start of lunging. No trot or canter. He's in no way shape or form old enough for that kind of work. Just putting a bigger gap between us and still getting the results I want. I'll see how it goes. He's still very much a baby. What he has given me so far I'm VERY pleased with. He's given more than some "trained" horses have.

I keep our "work" sessions fairly short. I don't want to make him sour about the work. I alternate between work and grooming. Which in a sense is still a work session. But he loves the grooming so much its more like fun than work. I also know his lil mind can only focus for so long. Plus he still needs to be a horse. I don't want to hinder his personality or mental stability by putting too much on him too soon.