Just Incredible...

Perhaps I should named Indy Incredible instead of Individuality. Perhaps...

Last night was just flat out amazing. Just phenomenol. I couldnt stop smiling at her and calling her wonderful clever and beatiful. Like every good diva, Indy preens at the compliments [or I just imagine she does..]

Fun things started when I went out into the pasture to secure me a pony.... they were all on the far side of the feild, completely ignoring me. I filled my pockets once more with crunches and started my trek out. Pleasantly surprising was the fact that Clarisse, the six million year old pony, walked RIGHT up to me! She and King had been hanging out at the "Spot" where all the horses stand in the high summer to swish each others flies. She walked straight up to me, ears up, super happy and was all "Hi!! How are you? Whats going on!" She looked so happy and sweet and I felt privilaged that she chose to come say hi that I gave her some crunches and a hug before continuing on my way.

Here now, is something that REALLY surprised me! I was maybe one hundred feet from where the herd was congregated - even Mo. One hundred feet away, I whistled and called Indy - she looked up but didnt move - but CRYSTAL, [yes, seriously, the horse that isnt even mine!] Crystal looked up, saw me, went OH BOY and walked enthusiastically ALL THE WAY OVER TO ME! Holy cow, I was just floored. What a doll. I gave her lots of scratches and crunches for that - at least until Mo got jealous and came trotting over to see what the fuss was about. What a goober. Mo got hugs and crunches to before I went over to Indy. Talk about starting off with a nice high!

Indy was with her new bff Tucker and didnt really want to leave him but when I was close enough they both came forwards. More crunches. Indy surprised me a LOT when I went to halter her. I even took extra stock notes in my head when it happened because I wanted to emphasize the importance of it! Indy TURNED HER HEAD towards me - over and down, just like we have been playing with - and offered to be haltered, no questions asked! WOW!! That is HUGE for her!! HUGE I tell you!!

So after much gushing and loving I asked for a driving in zone three ish game on the way back to the barn. It took her a little while to get up her confidence to step out in front of me but she did! We went over and jumped the tree a few times, played falling leaf a tad and some beginning stick to me. Her energy and play were coming up nicely! Interesting to note that Indy's dominance comes up in equal doses as her play drive comes out... will have to be careful with that - had to remind her not to pin her ears at me twice.

In the barn after being beautified we went out to the ring. I put the saddle on the rail and grabbed a 22' line. On our walk into the barn we had a walk and a very slow lagging trot so we played with send means SEND to the point where I pointed and she took off at a canter - BUT [my goodnes this is a BIG day for Indy] - SHE NEVER HIT THE END OF THE LINE!!! She used to pull and lean on the line relentlessly, but not yesterday! Not even when she tore off like a lunatic! WHOOHOO!!! I was soo ecstatic!

We played with figure eights to - Indy got it really quickly to! Got some really nice soft sideways by accident... which was fun. I was in zone four asking for forwards but I guess I asked wrong because I got super delightful sideways... *insert more gushing over Indy here*

About now I saddled up, it went really well! Indy is starting to be more animatedly interested in the process, licking and chewing, and wanting to investigate the tack. Wonderful! I actually rearranged my shims last night to. After Mo's indefinable session, I decided to try a new shim pattern. Seems I am on the mark for Indy at least because while trotting around for girth tightening stretching down and arching her neck.... So there I am spinning on my circle when I am supposed to be standing still, mouth gaping open, drooling over how she looks.... WOW... does even cover it... I will definately have to try to get pictures of this. These little flashes of what she *could* be, what she will be, are just incredible.

So after picking up my jaw from the ground, I finally mount up [from the ground, yey me!] I started out with a carrot stick, and found that I am slowly getting actually direction control with my legs! WHOOO!!! I cant even express my joy at that. After YEARS of riding side dead lesson/camp horses - even Kota sometimes, it is such a pleasure to ride a sensitive horse. Not that I would qualify Indy as sensitive yet, but she is on the road! Mo on the other hand... I have to work on that since she is getting *too* sensitive. I need to define more what means turn the corner vs sideways etc... She tries so hard and is so light though, so its all good.

Indy and I did some walk trot and trot halt transitions while playing follow the rail in both directions. She is really good at that. I ended up ditching the carrot stick because my darling had her giant stride on today and I wanted to be able to grab mane should I lose my balance - eventually I will stretch my balancing talents to doing all sorts of things while she trots, but for now I am pleased just to keep my seat and stay out of her way so her confidence stays intact!

I really got to test how our yeilding to leg was going without the stick - and to see how she responded if I talked with rein. I found that she is a little like Mo, and will stick her nose where the rein goes [if I use it] but may or may not always follow with the body. Interesting. Moving off the leg was pretty good considering three rides ago I had NOTHING. She also has a little bit of the Mo thing where if I ask to turn a corner she checks if I mean faster first... oh extroverts!

After a whole honking bunch of transitions and follow the rail I got bored [*coughextrovertcough*] and so we went to the gate to head for the trails. Another moment of Indy-genius. She REMEMBERS how we need to move to open the gate. As soon as I focused on it and thought 'I need to move over to reach it' poof, there she was, softly moving sideways so I could grab the gate - we got through the whole gate opening process without a single hitch. WOW!! I love my horse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we set off, at a lovely sedate walk on a casual rein. We moved up to a lovely sedate trot [a DREAM to sit] and then Indy sort of went "OH BOY! The TRAIL!" And went power trotting... I kid you not. I felt like a total slob posting to her trot because I was working so hard to find the right rhythm! Her stride when she does that is ENORMOUS. I finally found some vague sense of harmony and it just felt like flying. A minor hitch occured at the top of the hill where we can see the river. A cleverly places heron took off at just the wrong time and Indy went "OHNO"... and forze. Boy it was bizzare. She froze, to the spot, rigid, tense, *thinking* about running. Hmm.... I wondered what on earth I should do and opted for lateral flexion. Well as soon as I touched the rein she snapped out of her fuge and sort of spun to run home, but because I was already bending her we didnt go anywhere but in a circle. Whoo for right choices in that 50/50 draw!

She braces, and looked paniced for a short while, and then, miraculously, released to the pressure and sighed! I gave her a few crunches for extra distraction and we set off at that ground eating trot again. A few times she broke to a canter, but I just brought her back to the trot and left her alone on a casual rein. It was sooooo hard for me to do that. My head was literally screaming at me to slow her down. But it was just my lack of confidence. I went through the same thing with Mo's speedwalking. This is just how Indy trots!! She was calm, cool, and fully present, looking around, not spooking, nothing. It was all me - just because her stride is big and I am not used to it. So in a monumental feat of internal strength I grabbed mane with the hand on the reins so I wouldnt pull subconciously and just focused on finding my harmony with her. I am quite proud of that.

We went up the hill at the end of the trail, and down the galloping trail a bit at a walk before it pushed a threshold, so we turned around and walked - a fast, flowy free walk - all the way back down the trails at to the barn. When I dismounted at the barn Indy turned her head and looked at me like "That was fun!" and that is exactly how I want her to feel!! I let her graze for a while after unsaddling. She was super soft yeilding her head when I eventually let her go.

I am sooooooooooooooo beyond proud of Indy. She is fabulous, and has so much potential!

:-)
S