Progress and Experiments

I decided to play with Indy last night. She was already walking in from the big pasture to converse with her new bf Kota, so when I called her name she actually came over to me, which was nice! After checking me out to see if I brought cookies [bad me, I forgot] she allowed me to halter her. I had to protect our space a little bit from Crystal, who thought resting her head on my elbow while I haltered Indy was just the coolest thing ever. BOY is she sensitive though! I just looked at her with a "GO AWAY!" look and she trotted away! I will have to remember that in the spring... since I am supposed to start her!

Indy and I moseyed back to the gate, had an interesting conversation about going THROUGH the gate, and into the barn. Getting through the gate was fun because I was testing how light we could be and she kept offering to put one foot up on the ledge that separates the barn from the yard. Her: "Put my foot up here? Ok" Me: "Can you go all the way through?" Her: "How about the other foot?" And then look at me with a goofy expression... It was really quite funny so we played with it until she caught my drift and went all the way into the barn and disengaged.

Down the aisle we practiced with backing by porcupining the chest - which is something I have neglected with her and everytime I try to move her I grind my teeth internally and remmeber I should work on that... so we did. And we were successful! Went from needing phase four to phase two in just on backwards aisleway trip! Whoo! Smart horsey!

I brought her right out to the backyard so she could graze while I brushed her. What was an incredibally nice surprise was that every time I wanted her head up, it would just take phase one to bring it up! I have actually no clue where that came from because in the summer she was a grass monger...? It was a nice treat though! After getting all prettified I got out all of our tack, deciding to try out Mo's saddle on Indy, just to see. I put out the hackamore to, in case I rode, and grabbed a 22' for our ground play.

Getting through the gate was fun. Dakota thought I was in charge of his personal amusement and wanted to see what new toy I brought him. Protecting our space wasnt hard, never really is with my three since they are all pretty aware of what I am asking. Mo got all huffy about me picking Indy though, so she squealed and cantered off. I dont know what I would do without Mo to make me laugh every day.... For the record, Mo watched us avidly for the rest of the session, like she was waiting for Indy to screw up so she could rush in and be the super horse. Orrrr I am just making things up, but I think thats what goes on in Mo's head. :-)

First things first, friendly game with the string! Not Indy's favorite thing, and last time I tried it she went bonkers, so I was happy when she kept her feet still, even if she flinched the first time. I just went slow and rhythmically, giving her a treat when she looked confident, and that helped a lot. For the rest of the sesison she would stop dead when I flung the string over her back - so we will have to work on moving friendly to, but its a start!

I put the barrels into a jump line to practice our squeeze game with, since Indy adores jumping. I groaned inside for Mo when Indy floated effortlessly over the barrels. Mo is just SO not a jumper!! Mo looks like a clumsy oaf next to Indy when she jumps... at least Mo is good at ... everything else?

It took a while for Indy to understand the squeeze then turn, face, WAIT part. The RBE part of her just kept wanting to blast off into a circle. There was lots of licking and blinking and ears trained on me going on though, she was trying her darndest to figure out the puzzle! AND [big and for dearheart here] I never had to really go to phase four because she never really blasted off like she can on a circle! So YEY Indy! Eventually she really did get the pattern and I was proud of her for that.

We moved on to a circling game over the barrels and transitions on the circle. I was proud that she remembered from the last session and so that was pretty much a non event. For the next part I had to re-arrange the cones, because Mo keeps taking off with them. I set them up into a weave pattern and started sending Indy through. Well damned if she doesnt do it perfect on the first try.............! SERIOUSLY! Apparently we are doing something right together....

We went throught the weave a few times until I was sure she had it, and she offered a few trots for good measure, that was cool, and then we went over to the fence to saddle up. Indy was all over the theraflex today. She is funny about that - some days she could care less about it and other days it just ends up in her mouth and I get the innocent look saying "Oh.. saddle pad? How did... I have NO idea how it got in my mouth" *said in mumbly tones around said pad* Gotta love Indy. She even snuffled the saddle, making sure she sniffed every inch, right down to under the little flap where the stirrup bars are. That was funny watching her flip up that part with her nose and shove her nose in to see.

In an impressive interesting moment, Mo's girth fit Indy again - on the regular Wintec 500. Soooo... either Indy is just unnaturally tiny in the barrel, or [likely] Mo is just indredibly wide and round. HA. I can tell you from experience, Mo is just ridiculously round. Though I was still surprised that the girth fit Indy. I do apreciate it though, as it saves me from buying another girth - at least until she fills out next summer when she doesnt have to get drained from a baby! I think when all is said and done, Indy will be quite the tank.

Anyways, we fiddled around some more, going through the girth tightenings and such. I got a few "Hey, whats going on back there" looks from Indy so I gave her a treat and that made her happy. Changing out of her halter to the hackamore went great. Though just as I went to mount my aunt came out to say hi, so we chatted a while and Indy just stood quietly waiting while I rubbed her.

When I finally mounted we went off to following the rail at a walk, doing walk-halt transitions. I am ridiculously proud to say that by the end of the ride [and it was short] Indy was stopping of body language! We played with some backing to, which is getting sooooo much better! Now she tucks and lowers her nose and backs quietly and phase two tops. Compared to her protesting nose digging phase four and WAIT refusal style before, this is like driving a Cadilac!

As we walked around, just focusing on stay at the rail, Indy did something she has never done that I remember under saddle before... she started snorting and blowing! OH WOW! YEY!! So we walked, and relaxed, and did the weave pattern, and stopped, and backed up and repeated these things in various orders for a little bit. I tried trotting once, but her head still came up so I stopped and we just walked around all super relaxed. I will have to think more on the trotting thing... do a little research. Some more fluid rein next time I ride to I think. That was helping. I dont think you are supposed to do it in a hackamore though, so I didnt push the trot thing.

Quality at a walk was the focus. Goal attained! It was a really great session with Indy.

When we finished I let her graze some more in the back yard and went to visit my forlorn ponies at the gate armed with reparation treats. Forgiveness doesnt come any faster than when approach two food oriented horses with treats! Kota and Mo were both delighted. Kota showed off his spanish walking skills to Aunty, who thought he was the cutes thing ever [and he is] and Mo just gobbled up treats... I will have to pick a skill for her to. Maybe spanish walk to... I dont know though because she is the type to go *spanish walk when you arent looking* Can I have a treat now?? Dakota is really good about only doing things when asked, which is why I though to teach him in the first place anywyas!

After doling out copious amounts of treats and putting away my tack I went to fetch the princess and attempt to keep her on the right side of the fence again... I put her in with Kota and Mo last night.. we will see if she is there when I go over tonight! Even if she isnt, it was an aweseom session and I am really proud of her!

:-)
S