It’s been a year since we acquired Jodi, the hefty, unstarted paint mare from Wisconsin.
Steve Peters has taken his time with her and it looks like the calm, deliberate approach is paying off.
We headed out to Pleasant Creek State Park for a long trail ride, just her second ride away from home. As you might expect, the five-year old was super curious about everything. Steve gave her time to take in her surroundings. She smelled the ground, investigated sounds and looked around high and low. Read more about Pleasant Creek and watch video.
Before we got going, he also asked her to flex her head and neck on both sides, making sure the One-Rein Stop would be there if he needed it. Read related article.
There’s a lot to be said for value of long rides (of at least a few hours). They give horse and rider a decent chunk of time to work things out, think about things, and most importantly, ride together.
Over eight miles, there were spooks and hazards alright. But Steve consistently gave her room to move and never nagged her with his reins or legs.
The result?
This pair got a solid, no-drama ride behind them with Jodi’s confidence and willingness firmly intact.
Read more about Starting Jodi.
