Panda Progress
We drove up to Show Low with the boys in tow. It was about three and a half hours getting there, but five getting back. The flood of people returning home after the 4th was insane.
Trish's place is actually 20 miles outside of Show Low in the less picturesque area with shrubby trees and stunted grasses. They are in an area where you have to fence out the cattle and since she does not have a perimeter fence yet she has a lot of individual pens and her hay is in its own fenced area as well. The up side is spontaneous cattle drives when they wander on the property.
She has been riding Panda bareback for the most part as she didn't have a saddle wide enough. She has a client that is letting her use a FQH bars Western saddle and she might pick up a wider gullet for one of her Wintecs (X-wide). Panda bolted on her twice (both times bareback) and I'm pretty sure had she a saddle it wouldn't have made it to the full bolt and she agreed. What Trish did like, though is that the bolts weren't Panda trying to ditch Trish, after the initial turn Panda was dead straight. She gets overwhelmed and she just goes straight.
While we were there she worked Panda for a bit. Panda was slightly less standoff-ish and stood when Trish approached with the halter. We talked as she tacked up. Trish had a client that was interested, but is looking for something a little more solid. She said she had a couple of students down in the valley that she'd like to put on her, but they're not really looking (however the more exposure Panda gets the better).
Panda did quite well. She is doing really well with her turn on the forehand and is definitely relaxing about rider "noise." Trish worked her walk, trot, and canter and got some lovely stretching towards the end. She suggested that Panda carries a lot of tension in her neck, poll, and jaw. I may get Kristin out to work on her when she gets back and see if that doesn't help. Trish also noted if she did some bending and stretching at the end of the ride Panda would be noticably better the next time out. Things tonkeep in mind.
She also did pretty well with Tristan running around (better when he was anchored by the stroller, and by anchored I mean Tristan pushing it). Trish and I both note that Panda's issue stems mostly from "wild people." Meaning people that are not attached to anything and therefore must have demands on Panda. Things that keep wild people in check: other horses, walking dogs, strollers, and bicycles. Trish asked about and umbrella and I thought about it. Since the umbrella is not on the ground ot probably counts as part of the person and therefore could not be counted on to keep said person in check.
Trish's mom will be out next week and is going to be drafted into wild person duty as Trish rides and works with Panda.
I think the end of this week we'll start listing her and see where it goes from there. We're starting her at 4200, but it is a very soft amount. The price is mostly to weed out the "Oo, pretty!" people.
Trish's place is actually 20 miles outside of Show Low in the less picturesque area with shrubby trees and stunted grasses. They are in an area where you have to fence out the cattle and since she does not have a perimeter fence yet she has a lot of individual pens and her hay is in its own fenced area as well. The up side is spontaneous cattle drives when they wander on the property.
She has been riding Panda bareback for the most part as she didn't have a saddle wide enough. She has a client that is letting her use a FQH bars Western saddle and she might pick up a wider gullet for one of her Wintecs (X-wide). Panda bolted on her twice (both times bareback) and I'm pretty sure had she a saddle it wouldn't have made it to the full bolt and she agreed. What Trish did like, though is that the bolts weren't Panda trying to ditch Trish, after the initial turn Panda was dead straight. She gets overwhelmed and she just goes straight.
While we were there she worked Panda for a bit. Panda was slightly less standoff-ish and stood when Trish approached with the halter. We talked as she tacked up. Trish had a client that was interested, but is looking for something a little more solid. She said she had a couple of students down in the valley that she'd like to put on her, but they're not really looking (however the more exposure Panda gets the better).
Panda did quite well. She is doing really well with her turn on the forehand and is definitely relaxing about rider "noise." Trish worked her walk, trot, and canter and got some lovely stretching towards the end. She suggested that Panda carries a lot of tension in her neck, poll, and jaw. I may get Kristin out to work on her when she gets back and see if that doesn't help. Trish also noted if she did some bending and stretching at the end of the ride Panda would be noticably better the next time out. Things tonkeep in mind.
She also did pretty well with Tristan running around (better when he was anchored by the stroller, and by anchored I mean Tristan pushing it). Trish and I both note that Panda's issue stems mostly from "wild people." Meaning people that are not attached to anything and therefore must have demands on Panda. Things that keep wild people in check: other horses, walking dogs, strollers, and bicycles. Trish asked about and umbrella and I thought about it. Since the umbrella is not on the ground ot probably counts as part of the person and therefore could not be counted on to keep said person in check.
Trish's mom will be out next week and is going to be drafted into wild person duty as Trish rides and works with Panda.
I think the end of this week we'll start listing her and see where it goes from there. We're starting her at 4200, but it is a very soft amount. The price is mostly to weed out the "Oo, pretty!" people.