Training, Training. Don't judge!

So, I haven't seen a lot of work done with the horses at FOH. Most of the care time is put into feeding, mucking out etc. Alicia whom I have worked with before is the softly, softly cautious approach which is much more like me.

I met a nice girl who has just started working at FOH and yesterday she decided to start work with a mare called Rosie. I have been doing a little ground work with her. She is quite a sweet quarter horse type but has some issues. She is terrified of rakes and reacts very badly to you having one near her, she wants to spin if something spooks her and when she arrived at FOH it was with marks all over her face where it looked as if she had been whipped repeatedly. I have been working in hand getting her confidence up and de spooking her a bit but haven't had a chance to do any lunge or long line work or even round penning with her.

The girl tacked up Rosie and she was evidently quite worried about being tacked up. Western tack on and ready she took her out to the round pen. Now, I didn't watch the start but heard back on the first ten minutes. After the girl hopped on board Rosie took off, galloping at the fence, spinning and bucking. The round pen is deep at the moment as it is just a dirt base and after rain last week its just churned up mush. The girl hung onto the horn of the saddle and kept Rosie moving. I watched a bit after she'd started to settle and Rosie had begun to calm down although she did take off a few times and put the poor girls leg into the fence a fair bit. After about 45 minutes in the round pen she hacked Rosie around the farm taking some obstacles on the way and apart from the odd bit of shooting off and not wanting to stand really she did improve enormously in just an hour and a half.

I am interested to watch Rosies progression and see if she relaxes into it. I am not here to judge or criticize and have to be open minded. I can say one thing though; Theres no way that anyone would have stayed on that mare in an English saddle! However, I am definitely of the school of thought that I like to have the option to bail at all times. I'm happier starting off the first few minutes with no stirrups in my English saddle- I can just slide off then if need be!!!

I will try to watch Rosies progress and get some photos and video to keep you updated.