Hummmmmm…how interesting!!! Got home from work and went straight out to play with ponies instead of letting myself get sucked into the house lol!! Had a very interesting session with Renegade. He didn’t meet me at the gate but that’s because America, the lead mare, was at the gate and defending her turf. I entered the pasture and moved her off and called Renegade – he came to me at a trot. I greeted him and asked him to come up next to me, haltered him and we went to the play pen to play. I backed Renegade into the pen, closed the gate, and removed the halter and lead rope. I checked our connection, all was good, so I sent him to the barrel in the middle of the pen to play touch it. I moved to the center of the pen, called Renegade to me, rubbed him, backed him up and sent him out on a circle to the right. Got 4 really nice circles at the trot with me in neutral!! Asked him in, rubbed him, backed him up and sent him to the left and got 4 nice circles at a trot. Asked him in, rubbed him and let him rest with me for a couple of minutes.
We moved to the rail to play stick to me in a circle to the right, started out at the walk, moved up to the trot with Renegade following my energy nicely, moved up into the canter and Renegade cantered with me for 4 strides. It was a bit rough as this is his “hard side” but we did it. To the left was much better, walk and trot were excellent, moved up to the canter and got 1/2 lap, both of us cantering together!!
Played with backing by the tail and at first he kept wanting to turn and face me so we moved to the rail to make it easier for us to be successful; ended up getting 2 nice steps back.
During our play session, I saw Renegade lick and chew more than I’ve ever seen him do it!!
When we finished, it was time for undemanding time and this is where it gets really interesting. Renegade hung with me, staying really close. I was rubbing him all over and he wanted to mutually groom me; I let him do a bit as long as he was polite about it. About 5 minutes into our undemanding time, Renegade began to yawn and he yawned at least half a dozen times. Renegade is inately a LBE so I’ve not thought alot about him being up on adrenalin but he must have been to have yawned so many times. Now I’m wondering if he’s been hiding this side of himself or if I just wasn’t paying attention? He’s almost always appeared to be confident and relaxed with most everything. Either way, I feel bad for not noticing. The nice thing is his decision to let down and relax with me; I noticed after all the yawning, he was REALLY soft.
Anyone have any thoughts on LBE’s and adrenalin?
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