group therapy

So. After Doozy's episode of getting a bit distracted and ruffled when horses entered / exited the indoor ring while we were hand walking, I decided it was high time to start introducing activities done in company.

driveway laps are best done with company!

My hope was to find somebody who was willing to ride (possibly even ride Charlie) up and down all the laneways on the farm, and around all the outdoor riding spots, etc, while Mondeuse and I tagged along on foot / in hand.

 

orange = barn, red = Dooz's paddock, heart = indoor, yellow = dressage ring
blue lines = pathways we've covered so far.
we've primarily stayed on the right hand path from barn past the sheep to the indoor, but on this trip added the left side path thru the woods and over the stream!

And it worked out perfectly -- as some barn mates were already planning a low key bareback ride (for the pony) and hand walk (for the rehab horse), and were happy to let us join. Yesss!

relaxed mare enjoys company!

Plus, they were also willing to accommodate my requests on pathways of choice, since they didn't particularly care one way or the other. So I opted to start us up the same lanes Mondeuse has been doing daily now -- past the sheep up toward the indoor. 

doesn't know enough yet to realize judges (and their booths!) are stressful lol. walked inside and outside the boards nbd both directions

Hilariously, the seasoned show horse had a few big spooks at... ?things?... and Doozy was just like, 'brosef, calm down!' We also encountered a mom and small kiddo seated on a grazing shetland, and then also the group of half a dozen Baltimore City school children mounted on lesson ponies, each led by a volunteer, out on their weekly rides. We passed them in a slightly narrow section and it was a lot of activity, but Dooz cared not. 

it's us!! do i look warm?? lol, was the type of weather for avoiding the indoor oven

She seemed quite happy to be ensconced in our group of 2 horses, 4 adults on foot, and one kid on a pony. But in a relaxed way, not like, attached at the hip, ya know?

At my request, our little group walked all the way up the driveway past the dressage ring and lesson barn shedrow, up to the gates that lead out to the xc fields, before turning back and going into the dressage ring. Might as well get the full trip in, right?

observed and cared not, even when the pony was trotting and cantering all over the place

Interestingly, when we turned back around at the end of the driveway, Mondeuse found herself in front and really started marching toward home again. But then paced herself significantly when we let the other horses back in front. This makes me think she'll be ok leaving company, and also ok being left.

we may end up teaching her to be a pig after all!

Once in the dressage ring, she acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. Including having the court boards set up and everything. Took a look at stuff, sure -- looked into the shrubby corners, into the judge's booth... but just normal looks.

sweet mare

She also seemed to understand that even tho this arena isn't fenced (it's just lined by low railroad ties), she was intended to stay inside. She walked her own self around the corners without me needing to direct. Kinda gives me the feeling like mayyybe she just hates the indoor lol. It's cool, girl, me too. We'll experiment!

taking the long way home. if you turn right, goes to the jump ring, turn left to go home

So I took the opportunity of her willingness to stand (almost) still to finally start the ground work exercises my horsemanship guy taught me with Charlie -- the shoulder-shoulder-hip-hip-forward-back thing. This was the first time I could start pushing Dooz around without her sorta whipping into a circle around me. Wasn't perfect, obvi, but it doesn't have to be yet. 

it's super pretty back in the wooded section tho, the path follows alongside a cute little stream

Anyway, after our little group was finished doing whatever it is they were doing --- trotting and cantering around bareback with a neck strap lol (again, none of which Dooz paid much attention to) --- they indulged me again to go the long way home through the woods and over the stream.

and doozy got to cross a little branch of said stream!

Now it's entirely possible that our experience here would have been different if we were alone. But. Ya know. We weren't alone. And I had a relaxed mare who was present and attentive to her environment. And so she encountered the stream, evaluated it, took stock, then stepped across exactly like the horse in front of her had. Perfect!

so relaxed around these parts, i accidentally woke michael up from his slumber lol

There is a certain bay gentleman who will go unnamed who.... had a slightly different first encounter with that very same crossing LOL. True story, I lost years off my life trying to cross that stream unthinkingly when Charlie was rehabbing from his splint surgery... Oof, feeling a giant awkward TB coil himself up with uncertainty... that's just a feeling you never forget haha.

lol he apparently woke up hungry

So. All in all, pretty happy with how Doozy handled the adventures. It's hard to know how to balance when it's time to ride, vs time to build on other skills... But this felt like time well spent. We familiarized with most of the important haunts around the farm, in a way that seemed pleasant for all involved. 

oooh, and in our tackroom... somebody else was apparently hungry too.... get those mice, snek!

It also looks like this was the last hot day on the forecasts for the next little bit, so we'll have better conditions for saddling up again next time! 

It's so interesting to me comparing this experience with Mondeuse to the early days with Charlie, bc his first boarding farm was so much smaller and self-contained. His stall was legit inside the indoor, and the outdoor was just a stone's throw from the barn. So we really didn't have to do much in the way of familiarization just to get our rides in. 

But... I also love the grounds at the farm where we board now. It's beautiful and sprawling with plenty to do and see, places to go, paths to wander, even for sorta-lame out of work horses like Charlie. So far, it looks promising that Mondeuse will be just as happy here!