Day 23-25

Z is really coming into her own! We've been working on calm lunging. She's really getting great with dealing with new things. I've been pushing her limits more and more every day and she keeps surprising me!
The other day, i noticed how dirty her legs were, so i just started running my hand up and down them, she ended up letting me hold her front feet and pick them out with absolutely no problem, just like that. Her back legs aren't so easy, but they're coming along.
Today, she was an absolute angel working on all the things we've done so far, so i brought out an old girth and she let it sit on her back with no problems. Just to push my limits, i brought out a surcingle and she let it go on and get buckled, all the while standing like a perfect angel. Then we lunged and all went perfectly. Rather than pushing it farther than that, I took the surcingle off and left on a perfect note. :)

Day 19-22

Z has been making really, really great strides the last few days. She's doing so well.
I started lunging her with the line on, and the first few times she was an angel to the left, but not so good to her right (as has been typical of her training so far). She is learning whoa/stop and turning very well, leading forward is a bit confusing for her, but she's doing pretty well, considering.
She's definitely getting more social. She leaves her corner to kind of greet everyone who pulls in the driveway. It's crazy for me to think she was totally wild a few weeks ago. I watch her move and see so much potential as a sport horse. I literally couldn't afford a warmblood with her leg action. No one believes me, but in dressage, she'd get nines on her gaits at least. :)
Anyway, her lunging is really coming along, and today I pulled out the Iunge whip just to see if it could make her more consistent. And we took our first steps forward on the lead! She let me touch her face and rub all the hair off her forehead, too! When I finished with her, I brought the green ball back out and, though she still doesn't like it, she let it be and even walked pretty close to it after only a minute. I left it in "her corner" and i swear, she was glaring at me when I left. Silly, girl. :) She's getting noticeably better every day, even though I only get an hour (two, if I'm lucky) to play with her, and even that doesn't get to happen every day...
I can't wait for the semester to end so I can have pony time all the time! :)

Day 18 (I'm starting to lose count...)

I had very little time to go out today since I had classes and it starting raining as soon as I got home. The first five minutes it stopped, I was out the door.
She had really grown accustomed to the short lead since she eats off the ground with her hay and her feed tub. I got there, did about a minute of stick work and just clipped the long lead on. She didn't run at the first sign of pressure, so I was so happy. I started on her right side since i knew that was going to be her easier side. She let me swing the rope around and and over her back with no problem. Any movement she did was forward and toward me, which I took as a good sign. She lets me pull her head around, but has yet to take a step forward with it. She does, however, pivot on her front foot if i move around her and swing the lead.
Her left side is much more difficult. It has been with everything. She took off a few times, but wasn't scared of the lead behind her. She'd go once around and then stop and wait for me to come pick the lead up. Before we finished, I got her to take one step forward on her left and then went back to the right to finish on a very good note.
I'm so proud of how sensible and trusting she's becoming. She even is starting to get social over the fence. She comes to greet everyone (without letting them touch her, that is). :)
Okay, so the shirts. I've found a much easier way to distribute them and raise money. I haven't received payment from anyone online yet, so if you sent payment, let me know ASAP. Otherwise, I'll be posting information as soon as CustomInk gets in touch with me. Thank you so much.

Day 15-17

So now that Z is outside, she's had much more time to relax and grow more comfortable with her temporary home. She relies quite a bit on the calm disposition of the horses around her. We've done a lot of hanging around; taste-testing treats (to no avail...), eating grass by hand, and sniffing. Lots of sniffing. She's getting more social, though she's definitely still reserved, or maybe she just likes taking advantage of her little paddock versus her stall.
I've done a lot more stick work, which is definitely paying off in the form of long scratches for her and less movement for me. ;)
My favorite thing she has learned, by far, is how to free lunge close to me. She jogs around me, keeping an ear on me all the time, and turns to me as soon as I stop or ask her to turn around.
Today I got a small (maybe 2.5' or 3') lead onto her halter. She hates it. I gave her loads of grass and pats, but I think she just needs time to get herself used to it. She was calming down even before I left only minutes later. Here's hoping tomorrow will allow some lead work.
Okay. I'm SO sorry I haven't posted since FRIDAY. Worst blogger ever... Anyway. It just gets hard with two horses (and one or two that aren't mine) in training along with school, work, friends, and family. I really, really want to keep everyone updated daily, so I'll continue to do my best, regardless. (You'll just have to forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes on nights like tonight where I'm absolutely beat.) Thank you everyone for your support and everything. :)
P.S. I'm changing how the tshirts are going to work, I'm so sorry. I'll post full info tomorrow.

Day 13/14

Z finally got to go outside. She was so incredibly happy to just stretch her leg. She didn't even freak out. Just had a look around and sniffed everywhere.
I let her out before class and went right back after class. I tried going right up to her, but she wasn't feeling it, so i just free lunged her. After a little bit of energy wasting, she calmed down so much that she was calmly jogging a steady circle around me and turning toward me to turn every time. She's smart and trusting, but still hasn't gotten over the touch anticipation.
Day 14 isn't really happening as I am overly exhausted and, at the risk of getting really sick, I'm letting myself rest. I'm not fortunate enough to be super close to Z all the time. She's 20 minutes away, and it costs me gas money every time I'm out. I have to remember that, until college lets out, I'm going to have to balance and I know everything is the way it is for a reason. :)
Also, if anyone still wants tshirts, http://www.customink.com/signup/2w2io7c4 :)

Day 12

SUPER. EXCITING. DAY.
HALTER. IS. ON.
So now that I've lost all journalistic credibility from that introduction, yes. With help and encouragement from Caitlin and grass, Z has her halter on. It was a long, tedious process, but with the right rewards, everything went so smooth.
Grass seems to be the only handheld treat that she understands at this point and I'm truly grateful to Bekkah for coming out yesterday when I didn't feel well and showing her how to eat grass from people's hands.
I still can't get over how amazing it was. I had obviously decided to use a breakaway halter and made sure to purchase one that would adjust under her chin as well as over her head. I unbuckled the chin and unsnapped the throat latch and was able to just put it over her ears and slide it over so I could buckle everything up. She's such a good pony, but I've got to teach her how to take other treats. She doesn't understand peppermints and it super unsure about grain or carrots. Who know? Maybe apples will work. She just loves her some food. :)

Day 10

I seriously can't believe I've already had this incredible girl in my life for ten days.
S&h e was so relaxed today. And I swear she was making fun of me as I struggled to get he r water tub out for it's daily washing. She's getting better and better every day with the (incredibly noisy) wheelbarrow when I clean out her stall. She's starting to not get so panicky at new things and she just watches it and let's it happen.
Since she's been so sensible, i asked Bekkah to come in and pet her. Z had never had two people in her stall before, let alone had anyone other than me touch her. She was a pro! Totally unfazed. Se sniffed around and snorted a little, but hardly flinched and didn't move herself anywhere! It's cool to see how far she's com in ten days, even if other people are already riding their mustangs. I'm so proud of her and of myself. Every little thing is so treasured because it's all firsts for both of us. I've never broken a horse on the ground, only in the tack. Everything I do is trial-and-error which means it might take me longer. I've noticed, though, that I learn more in an hour or two a day than I ever have in the same time with any other horse, even if I'm just laying in her stall with her.