Day One: Meet Mocha and Caramel

Mocha is a two-year-old AQHA red dun Quarter horse, and most likely a LBE(Left Brain Extrovert). She's curious and is extremely smart.

Caramel is a three-year-old AQHA dun Quarter horse with palomino coloring, and her horsenality is yet to be decided, but I think she's a RB. She's timid, but may change as I work with her.

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Day 1:
Session 1:
Mocha and Caramel both trailered (first time in their life!) fairly well with no complications. Caramel was brought first to my trainer's and then Mocha was second. We settled them in their stalls and I worked with Mocha.
During our first session, I got Mocha's attention on me, worked her a bit, and then asked for two eyes. When she gave me two eyes, I retreated. Correct answer! Whenever she turned her hindquarters to me, I put pressure on. Wrong answer!
After she got good with that, I raised my expectations and asked for her to yield her hindquarters and step under. This means she moves her butt away from me, squares up and looks at me with two eyes. Correct answer! When she would do that, I would turn away, taking the pressure off.

Session 2:
Our second session we did the disengaging and she ended following me around the pen, slow, but it was a big step. Letting her sniff the carrot stick, I then began to move into her 'bubble' even more and 'rub' the air with it, and progressed to the side of her face and soon her neck/withers. With that, she got the official 'first human touch' and progressed farther. My hand accidentally rubbed against her face and that was the real human touch.
A few moments later, her nose rested on my shoulder, her breathing tickling my neck and her slightly nudging me.
We quit on that note, putting her back in her stall next to Caramel and feeding/watering both of them.

Mocha is our top priority to get haltered because her right hind needs to be evaluated by a vet and fixed by a farrier, but I have full intentions on spending time with Caramel tomorrow, either in our morning session or night session.

I will be working with both of these fillies for the next few weeks and then make a decision to buy them or not. If bought, I will be starting them under saddle and will be starting my career as a senior in highschool.

Ride on, 

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