April 12

With the cold weather back can't do much with Nitro. We were working on his breathing by going up and down hills. He's not very motivated, so rather then getting after him to run, I graze him on the top hill of three meadows. Once he realizing were heading up, he gallops at full speed cause his appetite overcomes his laziness. This method also works on a barn sour horse, like Nitro was once upon a time. I would lead him from his stall right to grass and let him graze. Before long as soon as my car pulled into the parking lot at the barn he would whinney, knowing he'd soon be grazing with me. It wasn't long before I could get him from his stall jump on and go for a nice ride without hesitation the only thing I did was stop and graze at some point during the trip. Then the problem became that Nitro thought the world was his salad bar, so I started cueing him by putting my hand on his withers if he was allowed to stop and graze. That works so well that it is now one of our brakes. We can be running flat out and if I place my hand on his withers he stops and grazes. We do one rein stops too, but they're more dangerous from a run and we spilled once or twice, so I only use that in a dire need to stop. Any way, to the point, the cold. I've been wanting to get Nitro in shape for gymkhana season, but can't stand the cold so we have been working on our way to the paddock every day. Nitro doesn't have a clue when it comes to leg so I've been walking him along the fence and pushing on his side with my thumb so he feels pressure before I ride him with spurs. He knows exactly what to do and will side pass for three or so steps, then tries to bite me. Now I have to devise a method to make him enjoy a spur in his side, cause if he thinks he's being trained he'll balk just as he's done his entire life. Nitro only learns if he thinks he is doing it because he really wants to. Deanna first thought him to turn by riding him into a fence and whichever way he went to pull that rein. Sometimes I guess, as we all do, who is the real student?