It's been a while!!

Well it has been a while since I posted we had a lot going on. Dan was on a trip to Minnesota for a PGA golf tournament so it was just Gage and I. Needless to say I did not get a lot done with Kizzy. I did have a blast with Gage though. He also had his 4Th Birthday on Saturday and we had our friends and family over with there kids. We had a blast and Gage had a bunch of fun with all the kids. We purchased one of those wooded swing sets a month ago as a Birthday present for Gage. Dan just finished it the Friday before Gage's Birthday, nice timing... I can't believe he is already 4. The swing set will be so great because it gives him something to play on when we are outside and I am working Kizzy or doing chores.

I started putting a saddle pad on her with my XC over girth around where the girth would go. I have been doing so many elastic bands that she doesn't mind this at all. I will just slowly tighten it up and go from there. I have continued to do a bunch of desensitizing and ground work with her and I think it is really paying off. I am also really working on personal space issues because she likes to just kind of push me out of her way. We still have a long way to go on the girth issue but I feel I am making big steps forward when before I felt I was spinning my wheels. I also think I might wait and take her to Leslie's in October or November and only for two weeks. I feel I am working through Kizzy's issues and we are figuring things out well. I also think we are building trust and a partnership. My last bit is I really want Kizzy to go into training (backing, flatwork and outings) with Patricia in January or February so I would like to save some money so she can be there a bit longer during the winter months. I really would love to be ready next summer to ride in some clinics and maybe a few schooling shows.

We had some fun!

Yesterday we had some fun. I did the normal start by getting her moving forward and moving away from pressure. I had the new elastic thing around her girth area which she is getting really used to. I wanted to work with her walking over a tarp so I pulled one out in her pasture so I could get it ready. As I was getting it ready she was pawing at it and picking it up with her mouth and shaking it obviously not to scary. Once I got the poles on the sides so it would not fly around since it was windy I just started walking her over it. She was more interested in eating it then anything. We walked back and forth until she did it without balking at all. Then I worked her on the lunge with it and she just walked over it like a champ even with the wind blowing the edges around. I would walk her over it while making her move forward then I would make her move her haunches to switch direction. She did awesome and never batted an eye. I wanted to trot a bit over it but it was so windy I thought it would be better if we quit with just the walk.

She still has a dominance issue like she thinks she is in charge of everything but we are getting through it. I want to make her respect me and my space before she gets bigger and stronger. She is so nice to work with and takes everything in stride still so that is good. One week until she goes to Leslie's and I am so excited.

A bad week

Well I didn't get much done these last two weeks. It was horribly hot and we had to put our sweet dog down. She was in pretty bad shape but it was still so hard and my mind was on other things. Her name was Casey and she was a 12yr old German Shepard. She will be missed so much.

I just started getting Kizzy back on track and she is doing well. We have been doing a lot of desensitizing so she will be more excepting of the saddle and girth. I have been doing a lot of hugging her and working with the elastic band around her girth area. We are also working on getting her hind end and front end moving separately and she is really getting it. I don't have a lot to report since we just started up again. She will be going to Leslie's on the 15Th so that is going to be a bunch of fun and really good for her. Hopefully during that time we will get her going under tack smoothly and with a happy attitude.