Lunging Day

 I'm not sure why but I decided today would be lunge day. Funny didn't run from me today, although she very briefly thought about it. I decided that I would lunge her with the equiband and also with her bit on, but I wanted to use the cavesson instead of the bit so... it was a lot of equipment. 

She was good though. She let me put the equibands on without any fuss or explosions. I ended up just looping her reins through the grabstrap to keep them from getting too loose or stuck, and... it sort of worked like a side rein in a way.... there was a tiny bit of tension at certain times, so... I rolled with it. And Funny didn't seem too upset with it, so... yay for that. 

We started out with some in hand work. I wanted to make sure we had a good relationship to contact... so we walked and I asked for some softening in the mouth, and when she did I released. And... she stayed pretty soft the whole time, so... yay for that. Except for the very beginning of our session... she almost exploded over the top of me. Those darn baby deer moved in the woods and scared her. Then the third one bolted out and she almost got loose a second time. Doh! But she saw what they were and then settled pretty quickly. But I figured it would be harder to get the good relationship to contact at the trot, because under saddle.. it's harder in the trot. So we jogged together and she's definitely more fussy in the jog, but... we got some good softness. She got quick though, but I could "half halt" her by waving the whip in front of her so she rocked back instead of having to pull on her face. I am not fit though so we didn't do too much trotting. 

 

So then we went to lunge. And she did one little canter explosion but other than that, she was quite nice. I tried to not lunge her too long because of the equiband. We did the trot poles a few times and we did enough that I was able to get some really nice work. She looked like she was comfortable with a soft light contact and she wasn't curling behind the bit. She was maybe a bit on her forehand and maybe a hair quick, but we had some times where she was more uphill too! I did try a canter both ways. The right lead was much more explosive but we got an acceptable canter that way. And the left lead canter started rowdy but settled nicely. And then we finished with some really nice trot!

(she got better after... this was in the beginning and I was better able to encourage her without videoing)

I was tempted to get on her and just do a tiny bit but I was good and didn't. I didn't push for anything else or do anything else... just told her she was super and pulled off the equiband and cavesson and then we walked (in hand) back to the trailer to finish untacking. Good pony!