Winter schedule

Team Tucker is on the winter schedule, I suppose. I worked for a couple of days and it rained and rained for a couple of days so Tucker hasn't been worked in one full week!

It was chilly though not windy today. Too hard to get motivated to do much outside. I did get one thousand loads of laundry done and new sheets on the bed inside the house.:)

Finally, just before 4pm, I told myself that my relationship with Tucker isn't going to magically improve. It is up to me to make an effort even if it is only groundwork for half an hour.

Here it is 5pm and really getting too dark to see but ... I did spend time working on Tucker being barn sour.

I had Tucker do a few backs and turns and then started having him walk around me on the lead rope. That has actually improved a lot. Had him stop and turn [that has improved some on the turning]. I then walked him out of the pen and had him stand with me in the driveway.

He looked back like "Let's go back to my pen." Great, love to ... and do some circles to the left and now do some circles to the right...all at a walk. Then, I walked him out and stood in the driveway.

I probably did that 6 or 7 times. I threw in some backing and stopping...yep, back, you didn't stop fast enough.

On the last round of circles, I encouraged Tucker into the trot. I let him slow down, then stop and I let him know what a good boy he was. Getting this big easy going horse moving hasn't been easy but then lounging and ground work seem to baffle him at first.

There was definitely some licking and chewing going on so I am on the right track.

I tied him up at the pole when we were done. The pen doesn't mean run over and eat all the time.

Once I had the pen cleaned, new water and the "good" food ready, I released him. But only after he put his head down and kept his head down to get his halter off.

Of course, I fed with the flag for the "good" food and the hay. I am telling you, the feeding with a flag has made a world of difference. The respect for following, stopping and backing has also helped so much.

Should be a little warmer tomorrow and the warm fuzzy feeling I have from doing groundwork should carry over to a ride tomorrow.