Zoe on the Lunge Line

I finally got around to taking more pictures of Zoe the other day. Or I guess I should say, I finally pestered Veronica enough that she finally got around to taking pictures of Zoe the other day. (Which I really appreciate by the way)

Anyway, the point is we have new, never before seen pictures of Zoe now! Woohoo!

First lets start with a simple warm-up: Zoe on the lunge line! I can just imagine how excited you all are to see her on the lunge line.

Both of these images are really good examples of how well trained she is. Notice how in both images her head is so low? This is because she is stretching and working the muscles in her back. Now, I'm not sure how to train a horse to do this, but I do know that it is extremely important that they do so. This strengthens their back and makes them more flexible. It's also a sign that the horse is relaxed and focused. Also, in the top picture do you see how her hind right foot is stepping exactly where the front right foot was? This is called tracking up and is also very important. It shows that the horse isn't lolly-gagging about but is actually working. So what she is doing here would be called a working trot! Pretty amazing huh?

Also, a random fact: lunging is not just running a horse in circles. It is actually a lot of work for the horse, becuase the point is not to let them run around as fast as they can, but to control their speed and keep them at a nice, steady working gait.

Here I have Zoe slowed to a walk.

And now to a halt.

She waits while I gather the line....

and change it to the other side....

and give her a pat.

And now we're off in the other direction.

So thats her basic lunging! More photos coming soon....of me RIDING!