Progress Report

Well today was a good day, for the most part. Jim Bob agreed that the pony has come a long way, but he is still livid about the way the situation with Heath turned out. The thirty days I have put into her prove just how little he had done with her. The pony hasn't been my priority, and still I have gotten her from a nervous wreck that reared at every chance, to a pony that only rears when she is nervous, and can walk, trot, and canter and jump cross rails. I told Jim Bob if he ever has another horse that needs work, to send it my way instead.

We are coming up with the plan for the little one, which includes her going home to Jim Bob's house for the next six weeks. He will be working with her, and cleaning up her attitude, and getting rid of some of the nervousness that is so inherent in her. We talked about different methods, and not surprisingly, Jim Bob and I disagreed on the best way to train her. Its not a fundamental disagreement in training, but a rather simple one. He thinks that she would learn best if she was tired out before every ride, and I think that its more productive for the particular pony to learn to obey commands while she is still hot, as a kids pony that needs an hour of lunging before every ride is useless. I think she needs to learn to how to listen at all points when someone is on her back regardless of the amount of energy she has.

Today also marks the day she graduated to a martingale. Until today I had been using the tie down and halter over the bridle. I finally feel safe enough on her to just depend on the standing martingale for support.

Part of the plan for the spring, include Jim Bob bringing her back in February with her attitude adjustment, and the getting her out to some shows. She will likely be ready to go into full time jumping training, and it won't be until then that we find out when she is capable of. I think I may try to free jump her before I go home for break. Larges in the regular pony divisions jump 3' at the A's and 2'9 at the Schooling shows. I'd like to see how she reacts to a jump of any real consequence.

In the spring she will go into full time jump training, and will continue to learn how to carry herself effectively and use that hind end.

The Sticky Pony in action: