Walk Like a Spaniard

Yesterday I was farting around in the barn with my horse...it was FREEZING outside, but tolerable inside with all the doors were closed, and I was so not making the trip outside and up the hill to the indoor arena. Instead, I had Miles do some flexies and backed him up. I did some desensitization with the giant plastic Standlee alfalfa cube bags which he is so not a fan of, though he let me do anything I wanted with it yesterday, including laying it on his back while making crinkly noises. On one of our flexies to the left, he lifted his left front leg. Hmmmm......

I grabbed my crop and did some tap tap taps on his knee while saying "foot"...and he lifted his foot.

The right side was less successful:) Still, I hope that means no one has taught him this before...I want to take all the credit when he finally gets that Spanish Walk!

Today? His TB light bulb totally went off, and he picked up each foot when I asked him to. Once he got it, he GOT IT, and each foot came up every time. My brilliant boy. From everything I've read, we need to stay at this stage for awhile, and then instead of rewarding him for just lifting the leg (though I already have him lifting and holding it up, he he), eventually he only gets rewarded when he lifts higher and higher. Then I start asking him to take a step forward with his leg in the air. We both had a blast doing something new, and he gets so cocky and adorable when he gets to do new things and he knows he's doing well.

I used to be obsessed with Spanish horses, really all Iberians, and I still think they're beautiful and amazing animals. I may not have my dream Andalusian, but I don't really care anymore. I have my dream horse. And we can do any damn thing we put our minds to;)