Getting the babies in shape...

Fancy is not nearly as far along as we were told by her past owner. I think that at one time she was probably a really nice horse, and she may have even done some rodeo. For the past two to three years...doubtful. She is extremely out of shape. I worked her on the lunge on Friday night. We didn't work very long, but she was running pretty fast and out of control. After about 15 minutes she was drenched in sweat.

Also, I haven't figured out a bit for her. I started her in a French Link loose ring and she was NOT having any part of it. Friday I put her in a mechanical hackamore...NOPE. My thought was that she may just be really far out of training. So, we are going back to square 3. I wouldn't say square 1 because she is a smart and pretty little mare, but she needs a lot of work on basics and ground work and obedience. So, Sunday she got put in a small full cheek snaffle, a figure 8 noseband, and side reins.

While Shane and I worked Frosty, Fancy was made to stand in the side reins to adjust to pressure on the bit in her mouth. For the most part she stood quietly, but at other times she was NOT a happy camper! 

She is still pretty cute though! After Shane rode Frosty, he lunged her. He is getting really really good at doing the ground work with the horses. He taught her some really good manners and worked her really hard (for her level of out-of-shapeness). I am not sure why she looks so downhill in this photo. She isn't really that downhill. Maybe the arena was slightly off?

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Shane put Frosty on the lunge to start her workout. He wanted to make sure her head was in the right place. She did a really awesome job. So, he legged up and started working on small circles and steering. We decided to get him back to basics. He really wants to learn how to properly ride and understand the horses from the saddle. Like I said, he is doing awesome at ground work, but he still has a lot of work to do in the saddle. So, we are going to lesson format. I am working at him as if he were a lesson client. We have only done one lesson, but I think it is going great!

Frosty is such a cute horse. After he was done lunging, while he was working on steering, I put up the pole bending poles. He worked on getting her through a strange area and steering through the obstacles. He did such an awesome job. I didn't get any pictures though. 

I am working on getting the video rotated.

I then put Shane on the lunge line and he worked on trotting balance. He worked on trotting with no hands and keeping her going. Frosty is also very out of shape, so she is hard to keep at a solid pace. When he was tired (he now respects thigh muscles he didn't know he had), he set out to lunge Fancy while I rode Frosty. I attempted to trot through the poles, but Frosty's steering isn't 100% sound yet. I then knocked all of the poles over and we trotter and canter through the poles. They weren't set right, but she handled it like a champ!

The stupid time change now means that it is getting dark well before 5:15. I get off work at 4:30 and it takes 30 minutes to get to the barn...you can see the issue? Shane works evenings, so he has been put on get the ponies in shape duty with side reins and a lunge line.