set backs

i didn't get to work Ruger tonight cause i was thrown off my friends horse onto some seriously hard ground, and to say the least i can barely walk. I'm talking hit my head and passed out, my hip is the size of a watermelon, and I have a 5 inch scrape on my forehead where i actually lost hair on my right temple. lets hope tomarrow i can move or im totally screwed for this thing.

anyway...last night we had some serious progress! she let me put the "scary" saddle pad on the longe line..she's so friggin good, the weight of the pad makes her stop and turn like i'm asking her too...it "chased" her for a while, wich was scary at first, but shedidn't care after the second lap. she spun around and flipped the pad up onher back all by herself and stood there like "oh god, it's on my back. it's ok. oh god, it's on my back." She also is getting GREAT at leading and backing! We will have more saddle and pad training on saturday when we bring Roxy over and pony her.

Gidget was good tonight as well. she managed to get her halter off, and we have had some issues with space and temper so i was set on fixing these problems in one session. she let me wrap a longe line around her neck and work with her that way, making her face you when she stops is a big problem we have, i put her in the round pen and worked with this on the tarp and saddle pad. She was good so we went in her stall and worked on her space issues. She rears and paws at you if you get to close or do something she doesn't like, so i went to work using the longe whip and desenstizing her with it. she was good and didn't do anything stupid, so i quit with that.

i'm off to heal,
-Jenn