Lesson Success

Today was my first lesson with Morrissey. It was so fun. My instructor's name is Dot. I can't say enough positive things about her. She really took her time with both of us until we really understood. It was such a relief to have someone there to help me. I realized for the first time just how often I have felt lost when handling Morrissey. She is such a different horse than my last horse (thank goodness) but she tends to throw me for a loop. For example, the door on Morrissey's stall is tricky. When I lead her into the barn, I always feel like I'm fumbling. She is usually a bit spooky because of the low roof and the proximity of the piglets and I'm usually trying to get her to position herself correctly to get her in the door safely. It is difficult to explain, but it has been a slight point of frustration for us both. Dot watched me fumble through it and within seconds had the whole situation fixed. All I had to do was switch sides and have her back down the hall a few steps. Something so simple, and yet it never dawned on me.

Dot uses Natural Horsemanship and Centered Riding. I have a book on Natural Horsemanship that I've been reading and working on pretty often, but apparently I'm a visual learner, because having Dot show me really helped.We spent most of the time teaching Morrissey to respect my space and to pay attention to my cues. Dot and I both agree that Morrissey is a left-brain extrovert. I don't know much about Parelli, but I'm really interested in what the program will suggest for her in the future. For now I'm going to get her some toys for her paddock and work with her daily for half hour sessions until Dot and I have another lesson.