March Winds

I grew up across the state from where I live now, in Idaho Falls. In Idaho Falls the wind rarely stops blowing. When it does it is considered a good day, regardless of what the rest of the weather is like. I hate the wind. Where I live now the wind rarely blows. You might get breezes but not a lot of wind. Today I thought I was back in Idaho Falls! It blew so hard that I actually staggered a bit at one point. But the sun was shinning and one good thing, wind dries up the mud quicker than you can blink an eye.

I went out to Roy's house today for a lesson. I have not been out there since the fall. I was hoping as it has been such a long time that Rave would view it as a new place. I don't think that happened. She seemed right at home. I told Roy I wanted to work on Rave staying calm in the face of unknown, erratic sheep. He had Rave and I hold the sheep to the gate while he sorted off a group of his lighter sheep. Then we started a fence line drive. Rave did well, holding the line, doing the cross drive, and not letting them break uphill back to the repen. So we tried taking a few out of the mix. Same thing. Next we tried having Rave drive into them. Now my usual chant is slow down, slow down. This time I speeded her up with excited pitched walk up, walk up. She got going at a very nice extended trot with the sheep running ahead, but still stayed in control. Next we went down to just 3 sheep. Two yearlings and one very nervous older sheep that is never the leader but was forced into in this situation. Rave still held her calm attitude!! I was so proud of her. Now if that will only happen in a trial where everything is new, sheep, location, and a nervous handler.

We took the sheep off the fence to the middle of the arena where we settled them. There was no pen set up so we just concentrated on getting them in the vicinity of where a pen would be. We also did a few take pens that went very well also.

Least you think all was sunshine, we did have some trouble getting her to follow my commands when I was at the top of the arena and she was at the bottom. I really need to get her to take the flanks from a longer distance. I again fell into just repeating the command without any response from her, continuing to repeat to no effect. Now the sheep and Rave ended up in the right spot so maybe she was right all along, but she still needs to take my command when given.

I plan to go out next week, weather permitting to work on the free standing pen. I really need to do this with some unfamiliar sheep.