Why I haven't been doing groundwork with the 15 month old colt.
Yes, you read the title right.
At 15 months of age I haven't done any Anderson/Parelli/Anyone Else style groundwork with Mozzie. He hasn't been lunged or schooled in any games or published exercises.
To be quite frank at 15 months of age I don't NEED him to do any of those things. The month before I start him under saddle when his knees have closed is when I will really hunker down and teach him all that. But until then I have tried my best to grow his mind in other ways.
Instead of groundwork he has...
Tied- Tied to the trailer, the fence (secure of course), trees, on a high line, etc and at multiple locations.
Lived in the herd- Mozzie has been in over 5 different herds (horse combinations). As a result he has learned equine language, herd dynamic, and all around horsey (grumpy mare) etiquette.
Traveled- He has hauled numerous times in 3 different trailers to multiple locations.
Learned basic life skills- Leading respectfully, bathing, blanketing, fly spraying, clipping, hoof trimming, grooming, etc.
Learned to respect people- Both when in hand and loose in the pasture. He yields to pressure and is very respectful of space.
Ponied- He has been ponied off several horses in different groups of horses, crossed multiple bodies of water, and numerous hills and other varied terrain where he has learned the value of watching his step and watched countless good role models tackle those same feats.
Desensitized- He has been in plastic bottle boxes, cowboy curtains, pool noodle car washes, and experienced countless other spooks.
