The training project has officially begun!

It is official. I bought her on January 3rd, and so the journey begins. Her name is Lola, and she's as lovely as they come!

After going out on the 31st and getting on to be lead around the arena by the owner, I was convinced this would be a great project. She was alert, but not spooking. Overall it was a great sign that she's going to be fine with me. A week of working her and she never once did anything dangerous or rebellious. She's sensible enough and compliant enough that I think she'll make a decent beginner horse once she's been trained and gets some miles under her.

So on Sunday the 3rd I took the trailer out there, wrote the check, and loaded her up. She was a little confused with my step up trailer since she'd only been in one with a ramp, but we took it slow and she got in without and stress or fuss.

When I got her to my parents' property where she'll be staying for the first week she was nervous, but still obedient. She backed out of the trailer no problem, and met the old mare with no squeals or kicks or anything (at least from her, the old mare had to grunt and squeal some just for good measure!) and they settled in amazingly fast! I walked the fence-line with her before finally turning her loose with the old mare. Not a bit of a problem! She was pretty funny the way she stuck right by my side though even when the halter was off. I was trying my hardest to get some pictures of her, but she kept siding right up to me! My parents' took their turn leading her in case they need to handle her while feeding, and they already say they like her more than Bear! How dare they! She is a little less intense, that's for sure. Bear always tested his bounderies with them, but he's only four and she's seven, so although she's not had her under saddle training she at least acts like a solid broke horse in hand.

She settled in so well that I went back out and tacked up the old mare and we did her first training session as my horse. I got her used to walking next to the old mare, and then ponied her around the round pen. She had been ponied before when she first had her ground training done, so this is more of a refresher course, and to let her learn to trust the old mare. They both did great, so we called it a day! Easy-peasy! That's the way I like it.

Monday night after work I jetted out to my parents right after work and turned on all the lights that shine out to the pasture and round pen. I tacked up the old mare and ponied Lola around the pen and then ventured out to the pasture. I wanted her to get used to being worked after dark, since I'll be working her after work most nights, and taking a step foreward by working in a larger area. We even trotted a bit! The plan is to make sure she's super solid on being ponied before I get on her back again.

So far things are fun and easy for Lola, and she is really enjoying it. That's the way we want to keep it!