I groomed, worked and rode Magic today in the round pen. Everything was about the same as yesterday which is excellent. It crossed my mind that Magic is doing very good. He is getting accustomed to the surroundings. He does not spook and he is not timid. I think I will advance faster than I do with a horse that is in the stage I think Magic is in. Maybe Magic is more advanced than I think. His last race was in August 2010, he had some time off, and I think Lisa started riding him in December. I need to ask Lisa if his transition included gelding. The time frame might indicate that. Perhaps Lisa is a good teacher and Magic is a good learner and he is just further along than I thought. He seems to bend on the circle, he takes up a gait and keeps it. I do not have to plow line him when I want to turn. He is, in fact, very enjoyable ride. The only shortcoming I have noticed is that his stop is not what I want. He takes a couple mores steps than I want and he might look around once he is stopped. I would like for him to stop from the walk in one stride, stand square and straight looking straight ahead waiting for the next que. (and hell is full of people wanting ice water.)
When I was young the advice was practice, practice, practice. “Practice makes perfect.” It did not work for me. My experience is that if I cannot get a horse or dog to do what I want, if I keep on trying the same way, things get worse not better. It is not that the animal cannot do it, it is that I am not communicating what I want. Magic knows how to stop in one stride, stand still and square and be alert. I just don’t know how to get him to do it. Yet.
Magic might think “we did this same thing yesterday and now he is asking me to do it again. I must not be doing it right. I’ll try something different.”
So next time we might ride out of the round pen. Probably move to the 3 acre bull pen and ride around.
I have been so happy with our sessions the past two days that I have forgotten to visit the trailer with Magic.