Nova—First impressions 10/15/2020

 

     Nova continues to increase the bend-ability through her body, and to reveal her foundational training. She is less barge-y today and a little more willing to go forward. Like an anchor on her first day here, she resisted going forward and backward and, although now  improved, she still resists. 

     She enjoyed the Cheek Delineation on both sides, especially when I paused where her glands are enlarged. I noticed good rotation at C1  and at C6 with Cheek Press and Caterpillar, but stiffness was prevalent between those two, along with enlarged muscles around C3-5. She has a divot in her neck muscle where she stops bending laterally. She also has enlarged under-neck muscles and is hollow in her mid-neck area.

     The edge of my hand sinks under the scapula about 1 inch on both sides with Shoulder Delineation. Each day I lift each leg to raise and loosen the movement of the scapula. She wanted to fling her leg forward rather than let me hold it up. 

     Her entire barrel seems stiff and she is more hollow on her right side than her left. My work with her includes quite a bit of Heart Girth Press, Spine (and rib-cage) Rake, Hip Press, and Tail Pull to increase the range of hind leg diagonal movement. With free movement around the arena she trots and canters in large part with her head high and back hollow, but I also see her occasionally release that tension and move in better form.

     To Walk S’s I must use the wand to keep her forward, going and bending. She is very draggy, but this might be resistance to the wand itself, I will keep teaching her where to be and that she is ok.

     She knows how to take the connection on a longe line, but when I walk within wand’s length beside her she is more likely to shoulder in on me. Under saddle she showed no sign of fear, and was willing to walk quietly with me onboard, with some lack of recognition of my halt signal. 

    She's shown enough food aggression that I took to carrying a wand with me into the stall for protection. I bonked her nose a couple times when she tried to take the alfalfa out of my hands. Otherwise I do not feel that she will bite or kick me.