Dolly Update: Items & Riding!

This covers two different days of working with Dolly.
A ball: She didn't care about it touching her, she didn't care about it being thrown over and under her. She didn't care when we accidentally hit her with it. But it took some time before she got used to it being flung high above her when right next to her head. She didn't care when I wedged the ball between her front & then hind legs. :o)



Then: A big, fluffy dog came over to say hi.


Next up: Pinwheel. She got used it very quickly and didn't care about having it attached to her halter, even though it was very windy that day.


Leggings She walked around with leggings on and didn't even lift her legs high! It was weird.


Riding! I rode her! Okay, my husband had the lead line, but it still counts for me. :o) I was on bareback.



Then yesterday, I did a streamer, waving it all around and finally draping it over her pole....She tried to eat it. I practiced with a stupid fake nerf air gun thing, since the sound wasn't especially pleasant for her, but she got used to it. A pogo stick! I bounced all around her on it! (That was absolutely exhausting for me.) And then I RODE HER!!!! I put on her saddle even. I rode for an hour. After about a half hour, she started to really listen! I was able to walk her all around the property. It was truly amazing and I hope to work with her again soon.

P.S. The vet comes out in a couple of days, but it looks like Dolly and Athena might both have very mild cases of Strangles right now! Athena's lymph nodes are majorly swollen, and Dolly had a scab under her jaw area, but no other symptoms so far.