Day 20

I can't believe I have had Marley for 20 days!  I am so excited about how he is coming along, he really seems like a happy horse and I could not be more satisfied about that.  Since I have never worked with a wild horse before, I really didn't know what to expect.  I was genuinely worried that he wouldn't be happy in his new life, but I think Marley has made the transition beautifully.  He even recognizes my voice and nickers at me when he hears me coming to his stall. 

Today unfortunately I didn't have a camera as I was all alone at the barn.  Literally.  I didn't see a single person.  The wind was terrible and I could see why no one wanted to ride, but since it doesn't bother Marley, I tried not to let it bother me.  For safety reasons I went back to the round pen to ride since I was alone, but this time I rode him in the jumping saddle.  He was SO good.  A couple of days with a new routine and very light to no riding has been really good for him.  He was calm when I got on and even stood for a mounted girth adjustment!  When I asked Marley to move forward, he was very light to my leg and very soft in my hand.  I did a few flexions and there was no head tossing or resistance whatsoever.

In the English saddle, Marley is very aware of and responsive to my leg.  This worked out really well for me today because I was able to make great strides in our "turning" training.  We did several figure eight serpentines in the round pen and they were virtually hand free.  After that I had him spiraling in to the center of the circle and then back to the rail, and while it was not the most graceful thing you've ever seen, he is definitely understanding and with practice we will refine it.

                Marley Looking Scared on Day 1                                                     Not so Scary....

Photo by Forever Yours Photography

Photo by Katherine Payne Photography