This is day six of training. On this day, we started driving Foxy. This is done to teach him how to respond to the signals he receives from the reigns. It is done before someone gets on his back, so that all he has to do is learn to carry a rider. When I eventually get on him to ride he will know how to respond to each signal or cue he is given. Driving him first is safer for both Foxy and his rider. I did not take any pictures on this day.

These pictures were taken on 20 April 1999. This day was training day seven. Today we covered him in plastic. We did this to teach him that strange noises and other strange things were not going to harm him, so he would be less spooky.

The two pictures above were taken when we first put the plastic on Foxy.

These pictures were taken after several hours. In them Foxy has pulled the plastic mostly off his back and around in front of him.

When we took the plastic off, I spread it out flat on the ground. I then spent about thirty minutes coxing Foxy to walk across it. When he had walked across the plastic, I rewarded him with several pats and put him in his stall.

On day eight of Foxy's training, we saddled and bridled him. We attached the plastic on his saddle and to his halter. He was then lunged for several minutes, after which the plastic was removed and put away.

In the next few photos the next stage of training is shown. In these pictures, Foxy is being driven. This is to teach him to respond to a person's signals on the reigns. Other than having the saddle and bridle on, Foxy has long driving reins. His stirrups have been tied together, and the reins have been threaded through them up to the bridle. At the bridle, they have been threaded through rings on the bit and then fastened to the saddle girth.

In the photo to the left, the trainer is driving Foxy up to me. When he reached me, I petted him and told him he was a good boy.

In the photo below, Foxy has just backed up to the trainer. As a reward, he is being patted.

Here Foxy is being driven to the tie up. When he got there, I tied him and we removed the reins, rope. We left him to stand for a while.

After Foxy had stood for a awhile, I took him for a short walk. I left the saddle and bridle on while we walked. We walked down the driveway to the mailbox at the end. The driveway has a turn in it. Foxy and walked slow and easy, stopping once in a while to let him look around him. We stopped more on the walk back up the driveway because it looked very different to Foxy. Part of the reason for the walk, was to teach him to walk back to the barn, not run.

On training day nine, we did not do much with Foxy while I was there in the morning. In the afternoon however, Foxy repeated his training with the plastic.

23 April 1999, this was training day ten. Today I drove Foxy myself. He was very good for me and did what I asked him to do. I found that it is hard work, although relatively simple. When I finished, I was very tired and thirsty.

Foxy got a two day break in training again. This allows him to rest and gives him a break in routine. It also gives me a break.