Indy's Trail Ride!

Before I get into our awesomely awesome session last night I want to share an interesting observation I came up with while mulling over said session before going to bed. I do that a lot. I get my best thinking done right before I fall asleep. Just like Pat says - do your feeling during the day and your thinking at night!

I was thinking last night about how.... soft.... Indy is. What amounts to a phase four for her on the rein to turn or do lateral flexion is only a phase three for Mo. I thought about this for a good while trying to figure it out, because when it happened yesterday I had to conciously FORCE myself to relax, slow down, and be light [what GOOD training for ME!]

It comes down to this. I think. Inside Indy's head plays refined elevator music. Elegant, fancy, delicate, soft. When she asks a question or makes an observation [such as on the trail] it comes out like "Oh My! What an interesting foliage formation!". Very classy, very educated. That is just how she is. In order to be 'heard' by her, it takes very little, because her internal volume is already on low - thats why I have to be so slow and light. If I give her enough of a chance, she will do everything on phase one and two - with the added bonus of not getting offended!

When compared to my darling Mo, the difference is plain. Inside Mo's head plays something along the lines of the ramjam noise on christmas morning the Grinch is always complaining about. A hundred different do-dads makings sounds in an incoherent mess. When Mo makes an observation is comes out like "OH WOW!!! OMG that is SO NEAT!! What else is there?? Whats over there?? COOL TREE!" Very energetic, verbose and enthusiastic. In order to be heard by Mo sometimes, it comes out as more of a "HELLO Im here!" and she mentally turns on her heel and goes" OH really?? I didnt see you there!" Which is part of why having her attention and keeping it is so crucial - and that while I do have it, the things we can do are crazy insane, just because of that enthusiasm and willingness to try anything.

Polar opposites, and I love the, both. I havent figured out Dakota yet.

So last night!

Last night was just FABULOUS beyond all reasoning. Indy caught me - walked herself to the gate. Haltering is getting so much better! We went into the barn SANS Ivy, which was just spectacular, and got tidied up. I just so cant resist brushing Indy. Dont know why. I didnt braid her this time. I saddled her with Dakota's Wintec Wide, just to see, since I finally remembered my short girth. Seems to fit her really well! I am hoping it will encourage her to use her back and reform all the topline she lost when Ivy sagged her belly down to her knees.

Saddled up and ready to go, I grabbed my 22' and carrot stick and we were off into the riding ring. Candy is such a non-event. Stands in the corner ignoring us. Ivy was making a few small noises, but Indy definately didnt care at all. Whoo! Point for me! We played around with Touch This and softeness with change of direction/falling leaf and not pulling on the line.

Sideways is still hard for her, but she tries so hard! So we get a couple of quality steps and change it up again. Lots of dwell time though. Lots of softness, waiting and dwelling - and you know what? TONS of licking and chewing! TONS! *yey!* *does happy dance*

When I mounted up today there was no drift. NONE! YES! She stood like a rock, and was adorable while I fidgeted with the mecate, tying it to my saddle. When we finally moved off, we set off at breakneck speed.... walking... She ambled off so we dabbled a bit. I asked her to turn with my leg and that almost went over but she changed her mind and ignored me until I put the carrot stick into play.

We went around playing follow the rail at a walk, walking the FULL rail including behind the shed [which scattered Candy each time and made me giggle] After two rounds Indy stopped trying to stop at the gate, which was great. We turned and went the other way - making it almost all the way around on body/leg!- and picked up a trot. It was that trot again. Her stride was even bigger though! I think she was experimenting in the bigger saddle. It was a dream to ride. She broke to the canter a few times hurrying, but I hardly picked up the rein before she came back down to a trot.

We played around both directions follow the rail, walk trot and canter, turning, circling barrels and all the fun stuff until I couldnt take any more of the itty bitty black flies. NOW things got interesting. Base point is I am lazy and Indy is a big horse. Mounting/dismounting/remounting is sort of a chore. So when I decided I wanted to take my big brave amigo out on the trails with only a gate in my way, instead of jumping off and going through the gate and clambering back up, I siddled Indy up to the gate, and in an Indy-First-Ever, we NAVIGATED THE GATE!

We havent done any sideways undersaddle at all yet, so I had to hint a bit with my carrot stick, but overall, it went REALLY well! Indy and I opened AND closed a gate!! Talk about feeling successfull!

As we walked across the back yard, the trampoline looked like a shady character so we approach/ retreated with it until that was sorted, then headed out on to the trail. I let Indy take little bites of the long grass when she wanted, just pleased to even be out here without a major freakout! When we got past the Stealth Trees we picked up a trot and then Indy kept looking around, trying to see around corners, it was so cute. She was so happy!

Her ears were up, her expression was bright, her head was up, but not RB up, just looking around AND [big very happy AND] I was on a completely casual rein! YEY INDY! We did walk trot transitions on the long stretch because she got a little tense, and that settled her right back down. We trotted up the hill and turned around to come back down. She almost wanted to go back to the barn, but decided I might have fun ideas to. It was actually that exact moment that brought me to my softness train of thought.

We walked down the hill no problem and then picked up the trot... and then... the canter! No problems, no spooks, no issues, casual rein, cantering down the trail on my pony! When we got to the curve we slowed back to a walk and walked back to the barn to untack. I didnt want to push it the first day on the trails afterall. Good notes are... well... GOOD!

I cant even express the high I was on. AM on. Indy was just amazing. She surprises me more and more everytime I play with her. WHAT A GOOD HORSE! I let her graze happily in the back yard after untacking her. She was pretty pleased with that. Even when I put her back out she was stellar. She even waited at the gate for me, to bring her a handfull of crunch since I forgot to grab some going down the aisle, when usually she turns tail and walks right off. What a girl.... I love my horse!

And thats the story of Indy's first ever trail ride. ! :-)

:-)
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