Saturday’s lesson

I came back the next day because the track had dried out enough for Aria to be ridden out. They went through the same routine in the round pen only the rider had a surprise for her, he had his stick. So when she said, no thanks I don’t think I’ll canter she got a whop. Ooooo was that a surprised filly, she decided she would listen to him and went flying around the round pen. He just sat there like it was the easiest thing in the world while she wigged out. They did both directions and then rode her out of the round pen down the pathway to the track.

Aria is very brave and not very spooky. She has never been ridden out. For that matter, she’s only been ridden about 6 times at this point. But she steers and stops and with some encouragement moves forward snappily. So down the path, past all the paddocks, broodmares and babies. She got to the track and was confronted with the training gates at the track. He asked her nicely to go through them. She considered his request and with a bit of encouraging she went right through them and on to the track. She strode out confidently and he walked her a half mile around the training track. Then he asked her to trot or jog. Willingly, she jogged another half mile. He sat and posted the trot. To my amazement she never spooked or eyed anything in particular and went back through the gates to leave the track.

Her brain was very tired when she got back to the barn. She is going out now on a regular basis and is cantering on the track. The rider is able to stand up in the stirrups while she canters. All this learned in a week’s time, amazing. Everyone is very pleased with her and her good behavior. She’s been a star pupil so far.

She’s going under saddle!

Aria is officially broke. She has been a good girl and learned how to wear a saddle and bridle. I went to watch her get ridden in the round pen on Friday. She had been ridden a few times. She was saddled and bridled in the stall and lead through the barn to the round pen. At the round pen, she was lunged. Aria looked like she was flying around to me, not near lunged down enough for the folks I know to get on a greenie, but they thought she was warmed up enough.

She stood for the adjusting of the girth, stirrups, etc. The rider was given a leg up and turned loose in the round pen. He rode with such ease, no stirrups and letting her walk around. He was in a little exercise saddle and was adjusting the girth some more as she walked. Aria kept up the walk as he picked up his stirrups. He asked for a trot and she said, she’d rather not. She was strongly encouraged to move forward with his legs. She relented, but really did not want to go forward, but kept up the trot. She was very reluctant to canter, but the swinging reins helped get her going. He rode her both directions and then rode her out of the round pen and down the barn asile to be unsaddled.

We discussed her dislike of being bathed. She has been giving Joe a hard time about being rinsed off. She just hates it. I don’t know if it was because she was tired or if it was because I was standing there, but she was good for her bath. So maybe she has gotten over it? If she hates bathing, wait until she learns about swimming! Oh boy, that could be interesting. So after her bath she went on the hot walker to dry off.

What is Aria learning at the moment?

Aria has been in school now for a few weeks. She came in to training fresh out of the pasture. She is learning to be stalled up which is a big change. She does get turned out in paddocks. I have her in training off the track so there are turn out areas. This helps her with the transition to race training. Aria likes to be pushy so they have worked on her attitude about not pushing to come out of the stall. Everyday she is tied in her stall and groomed. This is important for her to learn how to be tied for extended periods of time. In racing horses are tied or “nailed” to the wall for grooming or waiting their turn to go out to the track. She is learning to have her legs handled from all sides and angles. Racehorses must allow their legs to be handled to check for any problems such as heat, soreness. Its important that the trainer or groom know her legs and what they normally feel like before she starts any strenuous work.

Bathing, Aria prefers not to bathe. She feels Arabs should not have baths unless it rains. I know this about her. She has had bathes at my house, but not real often and not on a formal wash rack. To her surprise, racehorses are bathed on a regular basis . . . like everyday. So she is learning that she has to get on the wash rack even is she doesn’t think this is a good idea. To her horror her face has to be washed too.

Aria is learning to walk on the walker. She is also learning to lunge in the round pen. She is starting to wear a saddle and has accepted this new equipment without a fuss. I thought she would accept it because she is use to being blanketed in winter. She is about ready for a rider.

Now, what has Aria been teaching her new handlers? Oh she has been busy teaching them that she likes to be pulled first out of the pasture. She waits until they go to put a halter on the thoroughbred that is next door in his paddock, Aria then lets out a squeal and takes off bucking. The thoroughbred gelding can’t stand it. He ducks his head away from the halter and takes off. He tears around and can’t be caught. Aria then gets to go in first. She’s very pleased. She knows what she is doing and likes to be first.

Food its one her main thoughts in life. I had her out the other night hand grazing. She had had dinner and was eating grass. She's very friendly and was saying hello to everyone. But then she started pawing. We were right by the barn door, near her stall. She kept pawing and acting impatient so I let her walk into the barn. She wanted to go in her stall to check out her bucket. She just wanted to make sure it had been licked clean. She is a foodie. If the trainer, would stand at the finishline and shake a bucket, she would make sure she was there first.