Shelly is the Haflinger I have been training. I love these pics of our roundpen work. She was super sensitive about her sides and back when unsaddled, so I have spent time every day working on this to the point where I can get on her bareback, now.
making a mud puddle to use as a training tool
I am asking her to whoah in the puddle, and she did.
free lunging
I am re-directing her, she was evading the puddle. Notice she has stopped and is thinking about my request to turn to the left
she has come through the puddle with both front feet getting wet, now
Shelly coming up to be bridled. Sometimes it takes a few tries, if she resists the bridling I send her off to canter a few laps and think about what takes more work, being bridled or cantering.
that's better
sacking out
asking her to give me her other side at the mounting block
pushing her buttons a little more
the end result!
we had a darn near perfect ride under saddle after that, she is doing so well going out away from the other horses and confronting strange horse-eating holes around the farm.