We headed off in anticipation early Sunday morning and, having missed the first day of the clinic, we weren't quite sure what to expect. It didn't start without dramas. When Christine pulled up to put Roxy on the float, she noticed that she had inadvertently stolen a swallow's nest...eggs and all! They had built it inside of her float. We decided what was done was done, and just left it and the eggs there.
We arrived at the clinic and without noticing that a) Neville was still tied up and b) the bum bar was undone...we let the tail gate down. Neville tried to dash out backwards only to meet with the end of the rope, while I stood dumbfounded in the small cavity that is the front of the float...pretty soon Neville gave up and unfortunately came flying back in...yes the rope held. As usual I have no sense of what I should do and just stood completely still waiting to see what would unfold. Pretty stupid in hindsight!
The next dilemma was Roxy pulling back after tying to a fence wearing her webbing halter and cheap Horseland leadrope...of course it snapped. I SOOOO blame the bailing twine on the MS Ride for Roxy learning this new evasion. A quick change of lead ropes, feed and water for the horses and it was down to business. The good news is she tried it again later but I had the rope halter and lead on her. It held and she gave up...hopefully that is the end of that!
We started the clinic learning the basis of tricks, clicker training and timing. It soon became clear that, although from the outside tricks might seem to be trivial and novel, you soon learnthatit is like another version of games you can play with your horse to build rapport and respect...Fantastic!
We moved on to riding after lunch and everybody got to chose an issue that they would like to work on. I told Luke that I would like his opinion on where Roxy is at with her training and that I was hoping to try and collect her more without gizmos. He quickly told me the Market Harborough that I was using, I could do without. He rode Roxy and showed me his method of collecting her. I jumped on and started practicing and in a very short time I saw improvement and she was collecting nicely and more often. We practised roll backs, yielding, and I continued to try and get Roxy's two front feet on a box..something I thought I might not achieve in one day...however at the end of the day she did it! I might add that Neville was a champion at this and at one point I rode past and pushed him off with my foot just to annoy him :-)
We finished up with a 5 minute ride around the showground before loading the horses back up on the float.
The day was a huge success. Christine and I had a chuckle on the way home about the conversation that the horses must be having about clickers, long bamboo sticks, spray bottles and boxes.
Dialog went a little like this:
Neville (slumped and crying a little): Oh my god Roxy did you see the stick!
Roxy (aloof and indifferent): I swear to god if I hear that clicking noise again and have to sniff a tennis ball I will eat them both.
Neville: But Roxy the stick!!!!
Roxy: Stuff the stick Neville I don't give a shit about the stick but that clicka! I know the friggen carrots are in the stupid bum bag next time I swear...(begins plotting next move)
Neville (sulking like a pre-pubescent teen): I CANT believe it she swore she would never smack my bum..and ONE clinic and she does it...That is it I am going over the chest bar again just to prove a point...ah yeah and I am taking a dump all the way home cause I know that stupid blonde one hates the smell. And what was with that BOX?......... (Continues to ramble)
Roxy (still bracing with her front feet and plotting): Whatever Nev...Tuesday...I'm tellin' ya Tuesday that bitch is walking past the tree line and into the quarry to catch me!
They had so much thrown at them during the day that the idea of misbehaving again must be the furtherest thing from their minds...at least for now.
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