Round Pen

Brandy and I discovered the round pen behind the barn. For several reasons, we've never been able to get out there and use it before now. First it was being occupied by another horse, then it was wet and rainy and muddy, and then I forgot about it. I was lunging Brandy with side reins today (she hates them) and telling myself that there had to be an easier way to teach a horse to bend and be able to stay in one place while lunging. "A round pen is what I need," I said to myself. Then I recalled that there was one outside and that it was unoccupied and probably not too muddy! We went out there and discovered the large but not massive round pen. Brandy liked it. I think she likes having a little bit of confinement. I had Brandy trot around for awhile to get used to the round pen and then she didn't seem to want to stop, so I just let her keep going. When she was done I asked her for a lope. She did, but she still thinks she's in trouble when she lopes. Then I tightened the side reins and she did pretty good with that. I took the lunge line off and it was pretty cool the way she went in a circle and obeyed without a line attached to me. At first, I don't think she noticed When I took off the side reins and the lunge line she figured it out because there was nothing on her face.
I think we both enjoyed the round pen a lot more. It was workable, but confined, and there were no distractions such as her empty stall beckoning her to run back to it. All the focus was on me...which is the way I like it.