Rocky Road [Neville's Training Process]

If I said Neville has done perfectly fine with harness training, I'd be fibbing. Sure, we've had really great days where we can train perfectly fine, but other days, we've both been frustrated with not being able to train properly because of his attitude.

Neville, being a horse, can sense the slightest weather change, particularly doesn't like cloudy days, which are my favorite days to train because it's not too cold, or not too hot out. Unfortunately, today was one of those days.

I've been working on harness (the video is from Saturday) training with Neville to refresh his knowledge with the pony cart before we start driving again. We worked on it for about an hour on Saturday, because on Friday I just lunged him for twenty minutes with the harness on so we could eventually work our way up to using the reins on his halter, then up to the bridle and bit.

This morning, I was using the curry brush on him to get some of that hair off of him and picked out his hooves, which is just a bit of our morning routine. He doesn't like his hooves to be messed with and the grooming part isn't his cup of tea. Neville nipped at my hand and my boots, like he always does, then it came time for his harness. I put the saddle on his back and he shoved his butt towards me and kicked up hind legs. I worked him in the harness with the same work-out as I did in the video. He tried to kick then, so I put on his lunge line and lunged him until he seemed okay again.

Neville and I have had a few days this week where we both were pretty upset with each other, but we've had some good days too.

It just seems like the weather affects Neville so much that it ruins our planned training days.

We did have a pretty fun morning Friday when we introduced the big bouncy ball from Walmart...and he loved it.

He tried to pick it up with his teeth and rolled it around with his head.

With Neville's birthday coming up this Friday, and we couldn't help but give him his birthday present early. We ended up getting him an apple flavored and shaped treat holder and treat block that hangs down from his stall so he could play with it before his birthday.

We all have our good and our bad days, and that's okay. Even a pony can have a good day and a bad one the next.