Measurements

Today I took a tape measure with me to the barn.  I've been wondering just how big/little my quarters are.  Coriander measures 63" at the withers and Gwen 60".  That makes Coriander 15.3 and Gwen 15 hands even.  I'm kind of surprised, I thought she was shorter than that.

I managed to climb on Coriander today and take a spin around the ring.  He seems to be relaxing at the trot now.  I think his true trot is coming out and it is SLOW.  So maybe I will try my hand at western pleasure, we'll have to see.  He does like to stop trotting whenever he wants to though, I'm debating taking a crop into the ring with me to remind him to trot until I tell him to walk.  I haven't used one yet because I wanted him to stay as relaxed as possible but he's taking advantage of me now.  He certainly doesn't work any harder than he has to.

Gwen had more leading work today.  She will walk with me really well and stop right next to me if we're facing the barn.  If we're going away from it and stop, she'll turn a circle around me until she's facing it again.  We have to work on that and it's going to be hard for her little herd-bound brain to take.

We also worked on picking up hind feet.  I started out with the rope until she seemed pretty relaxed about it, then I started moving my hand lower and lower until I was finally holding her foot with my hand.  Hopefully soon I'll be able to just pick her foot up without warming her up with the rope.