Daughter's trail course today

Her lessons vary between trail course and equitation lessons. Today it was absolutely gorgous and calm so they did a small trail course, but especially focused on the rope gate, which none of the 3 kids had ever done. My daughter's lesson horse is usually extremely mellow and calm, but today was feeling the green grass and was a little feisty so I didn't know how that would go today. He had also never done the rope gate. I adore our instructor. When my daughter went through the first time she was right there, to calm the horse, and talking to my daughter about how to comfort him as he was facing a new obstacle. The first time through took some time and a lot of hands on from the instructor, the second time through she just stood near by and he did amazing. My daughter is bouncing off the walls with excitment over this one!

Here are a few pics of the plump little paint she rides, conquering a new obstacle.





(My daughter turned 8 2 weeks ago, and the paint turned 19 the day before her. Yes, he did get his peppermint treat that she bought him for his birthday after this lesson.)

I love the paint he is so darling!! :)

He's a little chubby but he's SO sweet. She loves him so much. When it comes time to buy her a horse, this is the horse I want to get her.

I love the bald face!!!(that is what it is called right!) LOL

Great lesson, it looks like! Lol can you ask her instructor how to teach a horse to sidepass to do the gate? Whenever I try to teach mine to sidepass by nudging him with my one foot and laying the rein against his neck, he tries to go forward. :)

This horse doesn't really know how to sidepass. He was trained to a pretty high level, but he's got the temperement that a beginner needs so he's been used for new riders so much that he doesn't use all his training. My daughter is starting to learn a lot of new things so they'll start training him those new things too. There are other horses to ride out there, but she's so well fit for him that the instructor said we won't make her change horses as she advances, we'll make the horse change and my daughter will be a part of training him to do the new things.

Equinephil: OMG my horse does the same thing too! She either backs up, moves forwards, or starts to piviot (spin) and I'm not sure how I should go about teaching her to sidepass. Do I keep my leg and rein on her until she actually does it, or do I give her a little time inbetween teaching and try it again, let's say 5 minutes later?

Fowl Play: Your daughter and that horse seem to really be connecting. I give you a triple thumbs up, for getting your daughter into something, and not so much the video games! Perfect sport for her! She looks so cute too.

[QUOTE=PechosGoldenChance;592584]Equinephil: OMG my horse does the same thing too! She either backs up, moves forwards, or starts to piviot (spin) and I'm not sure how I should go about teaching her to sidepass. Do I keep my leg and rein on her until she actually does it, or do I give her a little time inbetween teaching and try it again, let's say 5 minutes later?
QUOTE]

Idk, but it really annoys me sometimes lol. I have to prepare him for trail classes at fair this summer and if he doesn't learn to sidepass real quick we're screwed xD

Equiniphile: I worked on sidpassing yesterday, and she actually did fairly well. She still would either just turn or go forward, and than if she got confused she would just back up. So I took her to the side of the barn and and had her face it so she didn't have the option to move forward and when I did it, she would sortof sidepass while trying to turn in the same direction, but I used a bit more rein and she was sidepassing exceptionally well. I did both sides for a few minutes than went back to more basic work. Try that and see if it helps you.

I'll try having her face the barn. Can't try it for 10 days though because my mom's on vacation and I'm at my dad's (I have the horses at my mom's)