2011 – Rock & Roll – 2-13-14-11 – INDOOR ARENA TRAINING
2/13/11: The weather was warm and the wind had dried up most of the snow. It was a lazy day and I went to turn out Rock and Roll into their small pasture. I then came back up to the house and called Joanne. I told her that Rock had been rolling again and this time was covered pretty well down the left side of his face and neck with mud. This meant he had spent more time than before actually rolling. She commented that it was too bad that he couldn’t lay down on his right side because of the fractured pelvis and inability to flex those joints enough to be able to get back up. No sooner had she said that than I witnessed Rock (through the window) laying down to roll…on his RIGHT side! We both wondered if he would be able to get back up and with some struggle, he did. The right leg got a hitch in it for the next few steps, but he rested for about 10 minutes and then walked off as if nothing had happened.
2/14/11: Rock had a great session today!!!!! He is really beginning to understand the hourglass patter and the stops at every change of direction. At first, he didn’t get why I changed sides, but he soon figured it out. I tried trotting down center line from the right side, but we aren’t quite coordinated enough for that yet. The one pole wasn’t a challenge for him anymore (after only one lesson) and he had the pattern down pat, so I added a second pole. He walked over it with such ease I tried him at trot and he did it…4 times!!!! Roll did much better on his lunging lesson. Now that he knows what lunging is, well, sort of, we began a routine. He did 5 rotations at walk to the right, then 5 rotations of trot, then we reversed and he did 5 rotations of walk and 5 rotations of trot the other way. He was much calmer and appears to finally understand what we are doing. Then I put them both away and later Chad came to get me to tell me Rock was lying down…not rolling…but, genuinely resting! He stayed down for 15 minutes!
Rock was moving when I faced him to change sides, so I modified my approach and kept my back to him.
Of course, Roll thought he had to trot at first. But he soon slowed to a walk and continued the walk until told to resume trotting. Roll did his first true reverse at the walk. They always throw their heads over the fence the first time! Still he remained calm and proceeded at the walk as asked.And stopped nicely when asked to whoa.
Then 5 rotations at trot to the right. And a nice halt. I turned both boys loose in the arena to play after which they came to be haltered.
