Warmward Bound.. AGAIN!

OH BOY!!

Almost a year exactly since the last time I left for Parelli... a new adventure begins!

So there I am, innocently sitting at the kitchen table, eating my current favorite Mac and Cheese [home made] when my phone rings... with an Ocala area code. Why, who could that be? A few random stores seem to call me with specials, could it be one of them? I answer it, skeptically. IT WAS B! Calling in official Parelli capacity to invite me to come down to the 2* Instructor course that was [apparently] included in my Extern Program! *squeeeee*

This, coming hot on the heels of a few terribly depressingly cold days, coupled with little horsey time for me has just perked me RIGHT up! Christmas time really tends to wear me down, and its been to cold to do more than wave at the ponies as I drive by, so I have been a little drawn lately. This is EXACTLY what I need. I leave on Tuesday, and dont come back until next Thursday. How much better could it be, other than being able to stay down there of course.... but I am just grateful I can go at all! Its a good thing that I have reliable family to watch over mes animaux! All of them...

I love travelling!

:-)
S

Good Quote

I was just watching one of those ever present forward emails that produce a nice slide show with little notes on the pictures and found one that really resonates with me.

Dont Audit Life.

I love it. It shall be my new motto I think. My old one is pretty good too - Without dreams there is no future - but I really like this one. To me it just says dont sit back and watch other people do what you want to be doing-  go do it! Grab life and hang on for the ride! 

I audited life for a very long time. Too long actually, but I could never find the courage to take part in a larger role than auditor. Being able to step up and take part has changed things significantly for me. The old me never would have gone to Florida... TWICE! Let alone with ponies in tow!

I am very proud to say that I no longer just audit life, but take part whole heartedly!

:-)
S

What Can You Do At A Walk?

Being trapped at the walk sounds boring doesnt it? It is. Honestly. Usually. We have a few horses at work right now who are currently experiencing this unique brand of boredom. I feel bad for them, but do to injury/layups, they arent allowed to go play and kick up their heels as I am sure they would like to.

My current favorite is Sassy. She is on layup from a bowed tendon with an 11% tear... which doesnt mean a whole lot to me, but I know it isnt good, she may never race. Anyways! She is on stall rest.. and has been for the last.... long while. She gets bored, and has to be walked twice daily on conrete. That was all well and good when we had no snow, you could take her out around the property and go places and she was pretty happy. With our recent DUMP of snow that plan isnt viable, because having the extra cushion is exactly what she DOESNT need. The less stress on the tendon, the better - obviously !

As such, we are relagated to wandering up and down the barn aisle, luckily it is pretty long and if you do it right you can make a loop. Still, this was boring and Sassy was getting pushier and pushier and more and more rude. I have a big pet peeve about leading around pushing bullies, especially in a confined aislway, knowing we have to continue this for weeks, so I finally savvy'ed up and had a BFO. Did anyone say I couldnt play with her at a walk? NOPE!

And so we began!! We cant do much obviously, so I just make little games... can you walk this slow, can you walk this fast, can you STOP [OH BOY this one was hard for her to get!] can you BACK up [ EVEN HARDER! TB's dont have reverse....] and suddenly I had a curious inquisite, THINKING horsey on my hands. Most of all, a respectful one! I could take the chain away - without fear of death - and we could actually play. It was really fun teaching her to back up, I used my yo-yo game a little, and then because I was beside her and P4 yo-yo is the equivialnt to shanking [basically] in the normal world, which Sassy is immune to, I instead took the end of the lead and helicoptered it in front of zone one, backing it up slowly until she ran into it. She learned pretty quick to back up when P1 came around!

So now walking with Sassy is fun. We check things out, we sneak around slowly [she does a good impression of tip toeing] or we speed walk, do transitions, little baby stick to me things. For me, my big thing is I feel SAFE. Not like flying a crazy psycho kite anymore. It is one thing to handle that to and from a paddock, but to walk for 15 minutes twice a day in a confinced space, no thanks! Funny how little it took to change that... ONE WALK!  I got to start the same thing with B-sharp today. Good times!

Sometimes the answer is just so obvious, I just need to open my eyes and SEE it. Doi.

:-)
S 

BIG NEWS!!!

Sorry for the lack of updates lately, I really havent done ANYTHING because of the weather - rain, rain and more rain. That, coupled with several work roadtrips, means very little more than "Hi ponies" *brush brush brush* and leaving again.

IN OTHER NEWS!

From a WONDERFUL Savvy Club member one of my long standing dreams has finally come true!  I FINALLY OWN A FLUIDITY SADDLE!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEE

And of course, today is the first blizzard of the year so the odds of said saddle seeing a horse before spring... slim! Oh well! Until then, I get to polish it and drool near it and enjoy the smell of leather!

:-)
S

Why?

I would like to know why playin with leads and lead changes WORKS when I ride bareback.. with nothing between me and pony but a savvy string and carrot stick, but not when I have a saddle and bridle or hackamore. More experimenting to be had, but I am thinking that is not a good sign for my saddle? I dont really know. Orr maybe I am just on a massive learning cuve and it will transfer to when I can ride in a saddle again? Who knows!

Obviously Mo and I played again today. We were playing with freestyle because I want to be able to do a re-shoot for my L3 Audition and lead changes were the only thing I wasnt super pleased with in the last attempt. So we have been playing with that. Oh and jumping to. Mo doesnt like jumping, and doesnt do it well, so that makes me minorly hesitant to jump her over things like barrels because she spazzes and I get a little concerned about flying solo... Luckily, Mo seems to have figured herself out finally, and today we jumped the barrels from a walk and trot bareback :-) WHOO! [irony being I have no problem galloping Indy over jumps bareback or otherwise]

It was really interesting playing with leads with Mo. I was able to tell pretty easily when she was on the correct lead because the size of her circles would decrease dramatically [because she was on the right bend!] so that was pretty fun - ALSO! Every time she got the correct lead her head went down, she started blowing, she was just relaxing and balanced and flowy and wonderful!

So we were able to do some loverly flowy simple changes plus one accidental flying change for kicks because I forgot to wait for her to trot... how interesting! GO MO!

On an odd note, it was so surreal to be able to sort of finesse stuff and work on things that werent perfect while at the same time riding bareback and bridless... really really really cool!!

:-)
S

Dun Da Da DUNNNNN SUPERRRR MO!!!!!

Today was a great day.
A] It was sunny
B] It was warm
C] I got to play with Mo!

Not all day like I would have wanted, but after work, which is better than not at all!! Any is always better than none at all :-)

Lately C and I have been riding together in an attempt to get the ever pudgy pony back into some form of rideable shape. Candy is just ridiculousy overweight right now, to the point that two laps of the ring at a trot put her into a full sweat!  This summer wasnt exactly a riding summer for C & C so their ponies are all out of shape, Candy especially because she is always really prone to ... chunkiness... on a regular basis.

Today when I got there I found out I only had a half hour with C before they were leaving so with a mild timeline, we went out to fetch our ponies - all of who were refusing to come over to the barn, even with much pleading and grain shaking. Oh well. C had to go change for boots, but I started hiking out to get Mo, so that hopefully I could jump on and then go round up ze pony.

Luckily as I started walking Mo did to - she really has a fairness complex! We met at the fallen tree and I jumped on [with help from the tree... not literal jumping] and off we went to round up Candy, who had made it all the way to the back fenceline! Mo and I trotted and cantered our way back there and poor Candy saw us coming! We kind of played cow with her all summer so when she saw us heading her direction she opted to head for C who was calling her name  and offering cookies as a reward.  Candy happily trotted over and was summarily caught.

On our mosey back to the barn C and I talked and she opted to go bareback today, since we had a time limit, and tacking up takes to long. I thought that was really cool ! I took Mo out to the ring while Candy got bridled and played a little at liberty. Wasnt really that long before Candy came out and we both mounted up.

We played with the weave pattern I had set up, walking through it, doing transitions, and doing little bits of trot and helping C stay balanced. It really wasnt long though until she had to go :-( So I lost my riding buddy to there perils of Pork Tenderloin Dinner a La Grammie and Grampie. Cant really compete with that I guess!

Just because she left though didnt mean I was done! I kind of lost my train of thought for a while, and just moseyed around at a walk, but it didnt take long before I was back at the weave pattern trotting it and trying to refine our communication and then finally cantering little parts of it and then cantering the whoel length of it only slowing down on the one end because it was slippery mud.

I had to jump off to lengthen one section a bit though, but that was ok, Mo liked that. The last section was a little smaller than the rest and instead of arguing with Mo when she missed it, I just made it match the others. Easy peasy right? Silly logic.

Once that was done Mo had no problem cantering the whole line. We still had to stop at the end, because now the last one was really in the slippery part, but it was cool. Mo wasnt doing flying changes or anything, but she was cantering really nicely, smoothly and calmly!

Finally we got to the point where we could canter the whole thing, including the one dry turn, and slow down only at the wet end. That was really good for Mo because every time we turn Mo like to slow down. After a couple of really valient tries by Mo, and one slip that turned semi flying change [ and there was much rejoicing] I jumped off again to re-arrange my pattern. I moved it across the ring to the scary side and set it up there instead. Now I had dry turns at both ends!!

 We practiced at the trot again, and Mo was really good, not really thinking about the [non-existent] scary things.  When she started doing the whole pattern with her nose on the ground all flowy and calm I asked her for the canter again. She picked up a lovely slow almost collected canter and wove through the barrels like a pro, went around the turn like a superstar and came back up the line. On the last turn around guess what Mo did?? I asked her to turn around the last barrel and POOF  FLYING CHANGE!!! *squeee!!* Now THAT was a cool feeling! I let her go on a few strides before stopping her and giving her a cookie and letting her think. AND BOY DID SHE THINK! For something like six minutes, she just licked and chewed and yawned and blew out! WHOA!

When she finally came back to earth, we trotted the pattern again and cantered some more, and this time I actually thought about what leads I was getting. It is weird, but I am getting to where I can hear which lead she is on - her feet are oh so ..tiny.. so its easy that way once I figured out what to listen for! I found out we were pretty much always on the left lead. Thats pretty normal for Mo-sy, so I thought about really trying for the right lead instead. I picked up a cirle around the last barrel going to the right and did canter trot transitions until she picked up the right lead then we stopped and she got a cookie. It took a few transitions for her to try the other lead, but she got it and cantered a whole circle without changing back - thats one of her favorites, pick it up and then slip back. Silly girl. We did that a couple times before she got it really feelng good and I jumped off to hug her. She did amazing!

Funny thing I have been wondering for the last week - I hurt my knee somehow [and am relegated to bareback riding as such] and I am finding that I compensate more with my left leg when I am doing things day to day, that I wonder if it will help me get my body aligned for a right lead. Usually it is the oposite, I am compensating for my left foot [born with a clubbed foot, fixed now but still compensate somewhat for no reason] so I naturally get set up for a left lead. I am hoping that this 'injury' of sorts will help me be more balanced. At least thats what I am telling myself to make the best out of a ridiculous knee ouch that I just wish was GONE! 

But anyways, Mo was a superstar and when we went out the gate she was a true lady and waited for me to ask her to go graze please. I got all my grooming things and went out to shiny up my awesome pony. She was perfect about that to. Everytime I asked to see her nose to bush her hair or face she came right up and waited for me to say she could graze again. I love that about Mo!

Mostly, I love everything about Mo :-) She is my superstar! She is filling out all nicely to, getting her topline back [lost on holiday the last month of my externship] and looking super black with her [uhg] winter fluff coming in!

I just hope I can get my L3 auditions filmed before it snows or drowns me in rain... *coughiknowyoureadthismomwhereisyourcrazycamerathingercough*
I did film some earlier this summer, but I feel like we have come so far since then that I want to re-try, just to see what happens :-)

OH! The second best thing that happend today was done by Indy :-) She was standing at the fence watching us play so I rode over and gave her a cookie and went on with Mo. About five minutes later when we were on the other end of the ring she nickered at me, it was so cute! She keeps standing at the fence when me and Mo play, but Mo is always the first to come up, so Indy has to be quicker! She gets jealous, but only to late! HA! Silly pony :-)

:-)
S

Jockey In Training?

The other day I finally got this wonderful oppurtunity to gallop one of the horses at work. Boy was it FUN! And boy was I unimpressed when my body flipped me off and said "You arent fit enough to do this!". On galloping days [not to be confused with fast work days] they trot two laps and turn around and gallop two more. Well, after one lap my body summarily gave out and I had to stop. Well, my legs did anyways. I was so dissapointed in myself for that! Pretty much anything that I am physically incapable of doing with ponies frustrates me. Things that I know are relationship based etc, like awesome liberty, I know I just need to keep playing with, but when my body says no, then I look to what I can do to fix that.

I am not incredibly unfit or anything, I work on a horse farm every day all day and ride fairly regularly, so by default I am semi fit, Just not in top shape like I need to be for this particular endeavour. SO! My plan, is to practice and practice and practice standing and trotting or cantering or galloping - whatever my ponies choose to give me - on MY ponies around the pasture. I figure I pretty much have all winter to get this solid before spring, when race training really picks up again and the chance to be employed as a ride might come up again. The minor fault in this line of thinking, is that it is kind of hard to ride with short short stirrups in my regular saddle. Do-able, just not ideal. Oh well. I am doing it anyways!

Today was my first chance to practice, since Tuesday was the day I rode, and then I had things to do each night after that until today. It was really nice to be able to see both girls on my birthday! I played with Indy on the 22'for a bit, just checking out her mood and seeing what she was interested in doing today. She was pretty go-y but paying attention really nicely. She even stopped midway over the barrels the first time I asked - that was a treat!

She was great when I saddled her up, and stood nicely while I fussed with getting my stirrups to go short enough - accomplished with one wrap and the highest hole! When I finally climbed aboard - with help from the water trough, it was really .... odd.... feeling to have such short stirrups in a regualr saddle! A racing saddle has a long seat and not much else to it, so when your knees are up, you dont really notice that it is an otherwise awkward position in another saddle. Oh well, I am determined to practice this so off we went.

I am not really sure what Indy thought of it. Her ears were semi back at first, but when we got trotting she was pretty content. She trots with her head up, so that helped because I could stand and grab mane if I had to, to keep balance. Her follow the rail was pretty good, and she was still listening to my leg even though it was unusally high for her! So that was great :-)

My dearling extrovert soon caught on that I was experimenting with myself and just giving her a job to keep up and kept her job up admirably. She followed the rail, she trotted, or broke to a canter/gallop on occaision, but it wasnt so much about gait, so I wasnt overly worried. She stopped when I asked her to so I could take breaks and just let my feet down! We continued this pattern for a while I had enough for the day and then I put my stirrups down and we played cutting geese for a bit. I tried to convince Trixie to play, but she said no. Crystal was right out dead asleep with her nose resting on the ground so she didnt want to play either. That was ok though, we just walked around and then went back into the barn to unsaddle. Afterwards Indy got to hang out in the backyard and have grass.

While Indy got her fill of the last grasses of the year [tear!] I got Mo out of her stall [she insisted she come in to when I brought Indy in] and played around a little bit and went outside, although only on our 12'line. I really dont know what my intention was. I think it was to play liberty but then there were ponies in the ring and I *just in case* I didnt want her playing escapee and harassing anyone.  So instead, we had this really cool, pseudo liberty, ultra intense session on our 12'line! It was super neat!

We played with all of the same things that I have been doing at liberty, and just shining them up a little more. Getting out canter stick to me even closer, our trot/walk/halt/backing together even better, and going over jumps instead of *around* them - Mo's specialty! I even finally got her to understand the jump halfway over and stop idea that Indy picked up a while ago. Jumping really isnt Mo's thing, so anything to do with it and she kind of says "thanks, but no thanks"and moves on. She was really intrigued today though and that was just fabulous!

Mo was just ON today. She was a bit spooksy because it was windy and she is goofy that way, but she was really paying attention and really amping up her try and energy. She even trotted backwards once when I asked for more energy in a yo-yo! We also got trot and canter draw, and happy 12'canter circles! Mo was collecting ALL BY HERSELF! It was SO pretty! Just GOR-GY-OUS!  Loves my ponies! 

We only really played online, in that really ultra intense way. I didnt ride Mo today. Tomorrow probably though, since this semi-ever-present rain is supposed to be gone for a few days! It was really really cool to be able to turn up the intesity and be ever so subtle and get such dramatic things done! WAY TO GO MO!

I really do need to film my L3 stuff.... silly procrastinator!

:-)
S

She CANTERED To Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was finally a sunny day today. I woke up this morning and was perplexed by the shiny yellow orb in the sky, as I have not seen it in so long! Heartened by the sunshinyness of the day, I bundled up in a zillion layers - it was chilly and windy - and headed out to visit my ponies!

Once again they were all in the way far corner, but today they were sun bathing and dozing so I wasnt to offended when no one came over. Technically I didnt even call them, since I didnt want to distrub anyones precious naptime. I wandered over, got about three quarters of the way there before Mo saw me. When she did she started walking over, which was really nice. Tripp and Trixie also came with her, which was cute to, she has a posse.

When she came over we snuggled a little bit, I grifted her body heat and she frisked me for cookies. It was a great trade off. After the usual look over, trying to peer through her mud caked fur, I halter m'dear and plunked my self in zone three and off we went to the barn me-and-my-shadow style. It was good fun.

In the barn I spiffed her up, back to her regular shiny self, braided her forelock so she could SEE [I am sure she can, but I wonder sometimes] and off we went out to play. I just kept my 12' on, because I wanted to play some more at Liberty, to see if we can amp it up even more. I also grabbed the bridle, as I planned to ride bareback after, due to some girth rubs on poor Mo.

Our ring is ... well, about half of it is a lake. So that limited our play area, but we still had a ball. Mo was in great form, squeeing and pretending to take off but only galavanting a step before checking in and seeing what the next game was. It was adorable. We even did a little cutting game and Mo was right into it, throwing her front end up and over, jumping around and having a ball.

At one point she even offered me several half circles really close to me, which was amazingly fabulous! Her sideways away was SUPER soft and collected, it was gorgeous. AND HER DRAW!! OMG WOW! The whole title of this blog entry is based on her INCREDIBLE draw today! Everytime she came back to me it was at a trot. One time she was coming I asked for a little extra oomph and there it was... CANTER DRAW!!! HOLY COW!! I about had an aneurysm I was so excited and proud of Mo. [insert lots of cookies here]

She was just so ON today. It was ridiculous! Anything I asked her, there it was. Back by the tail? No problem. Circles, done. Sideways, total pro. CANTER DRAW - ACCOMPLISHED!!! That has always been one of the things I see other people doing and wish I could have that kind of draw... liberty has always been my weakest Savvy I think, and now things are just coming together!!

At one point Mo got a little to "I like my idea better" so I just went back online, did a little more online and swithced back to liberty and everything was fabulous again! YEY MO!!!!

We rode a little bit, a little finesse practice. Transitions, lightness and sideways. It went great. Very proud of Mo. I wasnt being very good at being creative though and Mo was getting bored, and so was I so I jumped off again and we played some more at liberty... which was crazy fun! At one point I sent Mo on a circle around me and she went on a BIG circle of the whole arena and stopped at the gate. I kind of thought I had lost her, but she looked at me when I called her name and then SHE CANTERED TO ME ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE RING!!! *squees*

Needless to say, on that fabulous note, I stopped and let her graze for a good long while in the back yard. WHAT A STAR!!! And she loved every second of it!

I cant believe how fast and how well our liberty is coming. I cant remember why I put off playing with it now!
Mo rocks my socks.

:-)
S

Sometimes I Wonder...

I wonder a lot of things... like how much hay needs to be washed out of my hair before the drain clogs... but tonight I am wondering a specific thing. I am wondering about my sanity.. or lack thereof!

As today is Sunday, I spent my dreary rainy day at work, which is completely ok with me. Being Sunday also means that tonight was the season premiere of Heartland, a delightfully horsey show that is among my guilty pleasures. Since it was such a moist damp cool day I came straight home [it was raining anyways] and jumped right into a wonderfull hot shower and plunked down for some down time. Havent had to much of that lately. I am not big on sitting still, it kind of irks me. I fidget, I invent things needing to be done, places to go, all that. I just dont like stopping because then I crash, and we all know thats no fun what so ever!

Due to the glory of time shifting I got to watch my delightful premier at 6 instead of 7 and after watching the Sunday movie which was the Pacifer, with Vin Diesel who always makes me giggle. Come 6pm I gte my loverly horsey-on-tv addiction fix ... and then its over. AND THEN I wonder why I havent seen my ponies today. And how I really want to go see them NOW. Even though its dark, even though its later, even though its raining. Hmm. I really wanted to be able to walk out my back door and see them, but alas they are not back there! I *almost* just sucked it up and said oh well, but then my conicous kicked itself and said THEY ARE ONLY FOUR KILOMETERS AWAY - GO!!! At least is isnt -3279857432985 degrees out yet!

So I did :-) And I spent a wonderful hour with BOTH of my ponies in the barn - the wonderful barn-with-lights - brushing them, hugging them, smelling them [horse people get this] playing with Mo's bows and playing hide and seek in the stalls. I love my horses. OH SO MUCH.  I miss them when I dont see them for 24 hours, sometimes even after just an hour or two. I am well and truly addicted to my horses, and it is definately a habit I am not interested in kicking!! Even if all I got today was an hour, spent in my pj pants and rubber boots, loving on them, it was enough. It was enough to lift my mood, make me smile and make everything ok again. Not that anything was wrong, just... I dont know, the world looks better after pony time.

Even better, Ajax was waiting for me at home and he was all happy and cuddley. AND Cairo seems to like me again as he is trying to post his own message to his not-so-secret-kitty-army.. so if there are typos, I blame him today! So its all good. Mo is happy, Indy is happy, Ajax is happy, Cairo is happy and all of that comes together to make me happy!

But like I said. I wonder sometimes, about the sanity of it all.

:-)
S


PS: fhiporengtres <-- Cairo says hi... I think. ?

FINALLY!

SHEESH! Well finally after nigh on a week without so much as SEEING my ponies I made the rain stop for ten seconds so I could get the gumption to go out in the cold and actually lay eyes on my lovlies. It has been raining basically non stop since Sunday, and since I am a wuss about cold, I wasnt to sorely tempted to go play in the rain and the cold. Until today.

You see, I have been suffering from withdrawl, and today I finally broke and decided I would go see Mo and Indy no matter if it was a freaking Ice Storm the second! I went straight from work becuase I knew if I so much as sat down in my warm cozy house I would never leave. Plus, once you already have a zillion layers on, taking them off and re-donning them is really a pain in the bum.

I wouldnt say my horsey withrawl has been completely sated, but enough that I was able to come home tonight! It is so not the same seeing other peoples horses [namely the ones at work] compared to my own. I loves mine the best... obviously. And they are MINE. ALL MINE MUAHAHHAHHA. Erm. Ignore that. My brain still tends towards that of ten year old me who owned no ponies and wanted one desperately. NOW I HAVE TWO! BWAHAHAH.... *cough*

SO ANYWAYS!

I went out today. It was raining. It stopped for two minutes for me to call and badger and knock gae chains enough to get the horses attention and have them come over from waaaaaayyyy in the very farthest corner from the barn. YEY. Saves me a gazillion steps! It was so cute because Mo didnt really realize it was me calling them all in [usually its Aunty] and so she was just poking along, "Yep, Im coming" and when I noticed that I called her name and her head just went ZING up and her ears perked forwards and she just power trotted all the way over to me, through the other horses [big deal for her] and just gave me the best OH BOY YOU ARE HERE LETS PLAY look. Priceless! Love Mo!

I opened the gate right quick because Indy was hot on her trail and the two together make lots of nice kicking fights... better to get Mo out of the way! With Mo in the barn safely, the drizzle re-started and I went on with loving on my Mo. Who I adore. Did I mention that? We played with some bowing things, I am trying to get her to understand it without me leading her nose down and it is *almost* at the point where I can just point at either front leg and she at least thinks down and back, which is cool. She usually half does it and goes "See?? I did it! Cookies?" Which I can assure you is super adorable.

I started grooming her, since all those zillions of hairs take uber upkeep or turn into dreads, and her *sniffle* winter coat is coming in and shedding out her summer one.. *cries*  At one point one of the lights flickered and snapped and scared poor Mo who turned tail for the gate, but I turned of the line of lights it was in and she came back and relaxed right away.

I saddled her up with out new shim set up - I havent ridden her since I put the biggest gullet in the saddle. We played some more little fun things in the barn and then headed out the back. This is my new brilliant plan you see. Stealing from the racetrack training! When I have ridden we do jog laps. 2 in each direction. Well, I figure that the pasture is roughly the same circumfrence as the track [verrry roughly] so me and Mo, and eventually Indy to, can do trotting laps. This A] works on maintain gait, B] Follow the rail pattern and C] WORKS OFF FLUBBER from both of us! HAHA My ponies both had ... good summers. Neither are hurting for food going into winter. So with my new plan, we headed out and right at the beginning of my track there is a gate that goes out onto the laneway. Well darn if Mo doesnt just go crazy and freak out! One rein stop time!

I waited and waited with her until she actually checked in and licked my boot - thats pretty key with Mo, wait until she comes back to being curious and playful, not just stopped. Otherwise she just spins off again... We played some squeeze game with the spooksyness and moved on to our laps. Interestingly, keeping her trotting was not an issue. At all. Way to go responsibility number two! WHOO! She just trotted and trotted like a little energizer bunny. She sped up and slowed down a lot at first, and I also had to put her back on the rail a whole bunch, but by the second lap she was really getting the picture.

We changed direction after two laps and went two in the other direction, a lot less corrections! Still some, but she was really figuring out the pattern, which is what I wanted to see. It was also a lot easier to put her back on the rail, much more soft and supple instead of bracy and confused. After two trotting laps in the second way [this makes four total] I asked for a canter and we did 3/4 of a lap cantering. This was a little trickier, but not by much. We had pretty much established the Follow the Rail concept, so it was just gait I was being picky with now. Maintain the canter is usually a little less reliable with Mo because she likes stopping AND she is a trotting breed mix. So even though she has a loverly canter, its not so much her thing. She is comfy in the trot and can trot up a storm! You should see her play out in the feild! WHOA! GO PONY! Her "I think I am a hackney" days are a hoot!

Point being, the maintain gait responsibilty became a little fuzzy a few times. I think it was about four.. ish. I didnt count exactly. I should, I will next time. She always picked it right back up though AND the last time she dropped to a trot for two strides and checked herself back into a canter which was fabulous!

On the last line back to the barn we dropped to a walk, kept following the rail and walked right past the scary place with barely a glance. JOY!

Back into the barn, I untacked Mo and under her saddle was hardly even damp. HA. Have to wonder how much of the sweat off the thoroughbreds is from effort and how much is from being held back and them pulling so strongly.... I did my ride completely freestyle in the hackamore...  how interesting.

Anywyas, Mo and I played some more in the barn, I stretched her out on both sides bowing and then said goodnight and thank you. Indy was actually at the back gate too when I turned Mo out, which was nice.  I hope I can be brave enough tomorrow to go out in the yuck again, I want to experiment more with my plan!

:-)
S

Just Needed to Squee.,.

So today I woke up feeling a little yucky. It was grey out, I was warm and cozy in bed, and more than happy to stay there, but the call of work pulled me out of my warm cove. Usually, I am pretty happy to go to work. I like my job, I get to be outside, I get to be physical and I get to hang out with horses all day. That is pretty cool for me. Just a blah day today, they happen.

I guess I did something right because Karma decided to smile on me because when I got to work I found out one of the riders was off today and instead of just doing sets of two, one of us [barn staff] would be filling in! It was between me and M, but M had only running shoes, so by default I won the vote and GOT TO BE A RIDER FOR A DAY! And not just ride one, on the last set because there wasnt enough time, no, RIDE FIVE horses all morning... FOR MY JOB! HA! How cool is that?!

It was a jog day, but it was still on the track, so that was cool, and in a racing saddle, which is fun. Just in case they ever get famous, I want to be able to say I rode them - I rode Tahiti Pearl, Moon Stalker, Grey Boundary, Wedding Scripture and Like the Look. Moon Stalker, by the way, is the biggest horse I ever rode... he is about 17.2 and he is a two year old! He moves just like a normal horse though, I was surprised at that. I figured he would have a big nice floaty stride, but nope. Flat, boring, had to work to post. Boundary, Pearl and Headlight [Like the Look] were the nicest. Pearl just floats in her extended trot, Boundary is sooooo smooth and flowy and Headlight is just beyond power and comfort!

It was really fun seeing how their ground personalities matched up with their track personalities. Wedding Scripture is EXACTLY the same. She is a total LBI and it was ridiculous trying to get her to just maintain a TROT. And she's a racehorse... figure that one out!  Pearl was a surprise. She always drags her feet when going to or from the paddocks, she is super calm and slow for everything and then she was all floaty wonderful forward and delightful undersaddle. Not runaway, but forwards. Stalker was the same, just medium. He is kind of a giant lummox. He is adorable, and huge [on my tip toes I can barely reach the top of his bum] and not really sure what to do with himself, and that tranferred I think. He goes, but he is very "okey dokey" about it. Boundary was a treat to ride. He is GORGEOUS [ beautiful dapple grey] and I have admired him since the beginning. He is a treat to ride to, apparently! Forward, but not unstoppable and sooooo comfortable. He is one of those horses you stop and stare at when he plays in the paddocks.

Headlight was herself I think. She always wants to go somewhere, do something, has a schedule. She was that way undersaddle to. Strong, ready to go, powering off and I had better come to or have a darn good reason why she was staying slow. Funny horse.

I think I smiled and laughed a lot this morning because lets face it, how often do I get on a racehorse and go ride on a track?! I think thats pretty cool!!!  So thats my story, I just needed to squee.... I have the coolest job ever. Today, clean stalls, tomorrow, ride a racehorse... who knows what the future holds?? I am just glad I keep my helmet and half chaps in the car!!!

:-)
S

Mo Makes Me Smile

Plain and simple, there it is. Mo just makes me smile. She makes me so happy pretty much all the time. Just watching her graze, munching away happily rarely fails to produce a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. Today was no different. In fact, today was rather exactly what I needed.

I wasnt having the greatest morning, for other reasons [although I DID find out I could get my most favorite riding boots re-sewn for incredibly cheap!] and I just wanted to have some nice horsey time. Mo time actually. I love Indy just as much but today I wanted to have Mo. Dont ask, it just happens. Luckily for me, when I pulled up to the barn Mo was in the shed AND [adorably] watching my truck very intently, as if she was waiting for me. It could have been curiosity about the rather loud music emanating from said truck, but I like to think she knows its my vehicle.

I went into the barn, got my halter, filled up my pocket with a couple cookies and then crawled through the fence to go see my horsey. And then I promptly, irritatingly, burst into tears. Go figure. Good thing Mo is the perfect shoulder to cry on. Once that was out of the way, Mo was looking at me pretty concerned. She hadnt moved and inch while I hugged her, and I love that about her. After apologizing for my outburst I went on with scratching Mo, doing my usual check over for new cuts or bruises, sadly noting the amount of winter fur already growing in, and finally putting the halter on my wonderful ami.

Lately I have been playing with mounting bareback. It is one of those things I see people do and really really want to be able to do. I am not [and have never been] the most nimble athletic person. I am an active person, I am just not one of those people who can do any sport they try the first time out. Sports and I dont like each other very much. Coordination isnt my best friend either, so trying to finagle myself into being able to swing up onto my horse is an interesting experiment. The other day, I positioned Mo on the down slant of the run in shelter and during the process of my various attempts she moved a couple inches around so that her shoulder was near one of the beams holding the roof up. On that particular try I swung up high enough, but needed a little more leverage to get all the way up. Conviently there was a beam to grab! Success achieved! 

Noting my previous methods, I tried that again today and voila, mounting accomplished. I figure once I get the muscle memory I can A] leave out the beam and B] work towards flat ground without a downslant!

For a while I just sat on Mo, just enjoying the feeling of sitting on a horse. It is my favorite thing in the whole entire world. I go into withdrawl if I cant just SIT on a horse on a regular basis. If you see me in the dead of winter, you will see me just sitting on my horse because, lets face it, in four feet of snow and ice, you cant do much more! But I just cant give up riding for the whole winter! So I just modify it :-) Its more sitting than riding when the snow flies, but its enough until spring.

Anyways, after sitting for a while I saw Trixie looking mischevious and harassing Crystal who was just innocently trying to lick the salt lick. Mo and I moseyed over and I started using what I know of moving-cow-psychology on Trixie. AND IT WORKED! I thought that was cool. I was able to move Trixie without moving Crystal. Last summer we had this grand Trixie-Tag game day, and I tried to re-create it, but she just got annoyed and hid in the shed. Oh well! It works better when you have a partner, but C was still at school.

After that I brought Mo into the barn to detangle her many, many hairs. Luckily she hasnt gotten into the burrs or devil things yet. Everyone else seems to have! Once she was all shiny we got our 22' line and went to play in the ring. Last night I was watching this lovely L3 liberty audition, so I was all inspired to practice my liberty. The problem with that is we dont have a roundpen where Mo lives, and also, there are other horses who have access to the ring when we play because it doubles as a paddock. Sometimes Mo likes to ditch me to go play with them, and thats not the best because of fights ensuing and whatnot. So I took a precaution. I had my 22' line on her, but I wrapped it around her neck so it was out of the way, but easily within reach if I needed it. It seemed like a viable plan to me :-)

And so our play began. We started just walking around, checking out our stick to me, and feeling out the mood. Mo was in SUCH a good mood! We did a few transitions, walk to halt to back up, for which I gave Mo cookies when she got it right. That REALLY perked her up. It was an introvert day today. She started to offer me little trots to keep up and even jumped the barrels in a squeeze game without even thinking about leaving! I am so proud of her! We played around with the barrels, went over to the mini barrels I have set up laying down and a wider jump and Mo popped over those to, just like a pro and stopped with me on the other side. I adore that feeling. You know the one where you stop and your horse is just so in sync with you that they stop right with you, right beside you and then turn their head and look at you to ask whats next... that one.. I live for that as much as riding.

After playing with the jumping thing we tried some sideways away and towards and that was pretty solid. Away needs so refinement, she drifts a little in front, but towards was spot on! With things going so well I decided to be brave and try things at higher gaits. Usually this is when Mo says SEE YA and goes to visit the others. NOT TODAY! OH BOY! I cant even express what this means to me. Mo stuck to me and did little circles at the trot, doing rollbacks when I changed direction, allowed me to direct her with the stick WITHOUT taking offense or getting snotty. AND THEN. Let me be 10 for a second.. OMGOMG.... AND THEN WE DID CANTER STICK TO ME ALL OVER!! For the first time in my life and Mo's we did GORGEOUS canter stick to me, with change of direction and transitions and just ... wow... I love Mo.

And then I ran into a barrel. I have to say, I really did laugh at myself. Just so we are clear, I can definately laugh at myself. I was so into watching my gorgeous pony canter around with me I completely forgot to look where I was going and ran smack into one of the metal barrels I had set up as a jump standard. I went barrel surfing for a second before hitting the dirt laughing. It was like slow motion! It was the funniest fall I ever had, for sure. On the up side, Mo didnt even spook, she came right over to ask what I was doing on the ground laughing. HA.

Back to play time! We played and played, even got some spins and some wonderfully soft backing by the tail! Mo never even tried to leave once. That is a new record. Did I mention I love Mo?

After playing with that for a while, I decided to ride again and got on bareback [I cheated and used the water trough as a mounting block though] and went out the gate and onto the trails. We rode the trails a couple o times, splashed in the water and then came back. I let Mo graze in the back yard while I layed in the grass just enjoying looking at her. She is so pretty... but perhaps I am biased..

Such are the events of my day today. Mo the awesome Liberty Star has arrived. And I loves her.

:-)
S

My Horse the SUPERSTAR!!!!!

Today was just phenomenol!!! I LOVE MY HORSEY!!!!!!

In a small town near where I live today there was an event called a Hunter Pace. This is basically a trail ride that has some potentially jumps and is ridden by a member of the Hunt to find the optimum time, and then us regular people try to ride it to what we think that time is. Basic rexipe for uber good times!!

Oringinally, there were supposed to be five of us going from my work. This morning when I got to the farm with my pony and trailer I found out it was just going to be me and A. Which is just peachy :-) I am just glad someone was still going to come with me!

Anyway, back to the beginning! I brought Indy in this morning, becuase I finally felt like she was ready to go somewhere in the trailer again. She is finally loading *so* nicely like Mo does when we are practicing, and the Hunter Pace isnt far, so I thought it would be the perfect chance to practice. I cleaned up my dearling half white messy pony as best as I could [I DID try and wash her legs at least yesterday... but she rolled six million times when I let her go...*sigh*]  I loaded up my truck and trailer and then the test came - how would Indy load? I knew my energy was up because I was excited about where we were going, but I was working SUPER hard to control it and make it calm down! It must have worked because my SUPERSTAR walked right onto the trailer! Have I mentioned I love my horsey?

When I got to my work farm I couldnt see anyone, and I was honestly a little worried they left without me! Turns out everyone just bailed... poop! Well, two bailed and one was sick, so that just left me and A. Since it was just going to be us I offered to let Boots [her mount] ride in my trailer instead of hitching up the giant 5 horse for one lonely pony! Indy was showing off her superstar quality right from the start. She didnt freak out, or try to get off or take a single misstep while we loaded Boots [a strange horse!] right up beside her on the trailer. GO INDY!

Once we were loaded up we were off to the Hunt!! Turns out its not even that far away! Whoo! We pulled in, and some people were already leaving, but we werent late because you were allowed to leave between 11 and 1pm. I like that because you dont have to get up at the crack of stupid like when you go to a show!  Indy came off the trailer like a pro! She was calm, neighing a little [she likes to make friends] but for the most part she was excellent and in tune with me and paying attention! I am SO proud! I was nearly certain I would have my fanatical RBE back, but NOPE! She was FABULOUS!

I did a couple of little things to make sure she was paying attention and then saddled her up and did a few more things for girthing up before mounting. More uber superstarness! We walked around a little while waiting for Boots to get finished. When we were both ready we went over to the starting line and off we went! We were team #22, with just the two of us. We started off pretty nice and slow, walking and trotting, there werent to many things to jump in the beginning.


Indy was a star though. I was riding with my hackamore, and for the most part on a casual rein! Pretty stellar for a right brain extrovert if you ask me! Lots of open spaces, chances to bolt etc and she didnt want to go anywhere! I am SO proud of her!! A was in the lead with Mr. Im A Racehorse, and Indy did a great job following! She stayed with him without being a pain or getting to close [most of the time] We trotted the first few jumps, which were smallish, after Boots, and Indy did great! Then we came to this little feild that had a ditch jump, a barrel jump [laying down] and a couple of log jumps. It was a PREFECT warm up! ALL things Indy is used to and knows she can jump!! She jumped them all like a total pro and was controllable the whole time to boot!  Boots did great to!

We moved on and through the ever winding course, through some straw feilds that we cantered through, over bunches of more jumps and always laughing and having fun! Indy was just a STAR! I cant even express that enough, how proud of her I am! She just totally blew me away today! The last few rides have been kind of ishy, then yesterday we had a fabulous trail ride with C and Candy [which was a real treat!] and then today, just.. POOF ! She was ON! She was having a ball jumping and running, but toally willing to walk around on a casual rein when I asked her to. LOVE IT!!!

After flying over one awesome log we landed in the feild with the 3/4 way house - water and chocolate! Indy was completely content to stand and graze while I guzzled my drink and candy. PERFECT! I love that we can pump up the adrenaline one second and then relax completely the next. I really really came to apreciate that today watching A trying to get Boots to stand quiet [he got upset that others were going in front of him!]

There were two jumps through the exit of that feild which Indy completley ignored [and I had to laugh because she was very dramatic about it] and then pelted after Boots when he went around a corner and nearly spooked at another jump. That was about the only drama she gave me for the day, and it wasnt much! In the next couple of clearings there were things to jump and we jumped them all! Indy was a total star! We even went and played in WATER TWICE!!! Usually water is her sticking point, but she just plowed right in both times, sipping some delicately, and splashing around after.

The coolest thing I think was when we went over the hedge jump. Indy WAAAY overjumped it [she thought it was solid I guess] but we survived and the next time she jumped it like a normal horse! YEY! We even went over some of the ..coops I guess? The rounded ones made with slats of wood? Boots rapped it a bit and she was a little worried but she went right over it clear and free. Lots of logs and things to jump! Some of them were big to!!! It was really nice to be able to have confidence in Indy, knowing that if we could just get a confident approach that I knew she could clear these things - I worry with Mo, because she is small and sometimes klutzy. Annnd she jumps like a deer and that is hard to ride sometimes. She is getting better, but Indy is by far the smoother jumper!

So, overall, we jumped baxzillions of things, lived to tell the tale and had a BLAST!! MY PONY IS A SUPERSTAR!!!!!!!! I was worried about being able to just control her away from home... and instead we had the best ride EVER, got compliments on our jumping AND did it all with confidence! Every time we slowed down and walked she was blowing and licking and walking level or low headed. I am just SO thrilled with her! SO PROUD!!!!!!!!!!!!

INDY IS A ROCKSTAR SUPER MEGA STAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVES MY PONY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:-)
S

Guess What!

Soooooo,..... Today! I rode a racehorse! I thought that was pretty cool! We only trotted, but it was full out in a racing saddle and everything! I found that pretty exciting anyways. One of the regular riders had a doctors appointment for the last set today, so I got to fill in.

In other news, have you hugged your horse today?
I have! I was away all weekend since Friday and missed my ponies terribly [and yes, I called to check up on them on Saturday night.. because I may just be that lame] Hugging them is just the best cure for missing my furry amis. When I got to Aunty's everyone was in the farthest far corner away from the barn and I was so pooped from the weekend and from work that I couldnt garner the energy to go *all* the way out there. Lazy right? Well.. its a big field, and I worked hard today. After hanging out with my cousins and aunty for a while I looked out the window to be delighted by the sight of my loverly ponies.

I promptly ran out to the barn calling out to all ponies belonging to me and lo and behold Mo was happily marching to the gate to say hi and Indy was hot on her heels. I had just enough time to give Mo some tasty treats before Indy came up behind her with nasty looks. Indy got her yummy things as well, plus her hugs. Then I ran out to give Mo hugs to.

Lots of hugs later, I do the typical me thing. I brought Mo into the barn to love on her some more and see if  I could come up with a way to turn her wonderful bowing into lying down. All at liberty :-)

I havent quite figured out the laying down part yet, but our bowing progressed to being easily accomplished on both sides by just tapping her leg a little bit so that was awesome! During that session I was really thinking about Linda's article about motivating a left brain introvert with food, because Mo was REALLY motivated! She kept offering me things in order to win a treat instead of just mobbing me for food, so that was interesting!

After playing with that for a while I grabbed the bridle and played with getting her to put her own head in the bridle by motivating with more cookies around the bit. That was fairly successful! One of the most simple, but amazing things I saw during my course time in Florida was Avery bridling Akiss, she held out the bridle in front of him and her just basically put his own bridle on. He went and got the bit, put it in his mouth and put his head in the proper position to have the headstall slipped over his ears. Simple, but fabulous. I would like to work towards that!

When everything was all set I hopped up bareback and Mo and I set off for a little trail ride. We played with some contact things, sideways and transitions within the trot on the trails. I got SO close to passage!!! Mo gave me this fabulous floating slow collected trot. It felt so amazing! I think we have been spending to much time in the ring and need to get out more! Oops, my bad! Of course, its pouring rain now and I have no clue if the trails will be useable any more! Mo and I had a lovely dash through the rain back to the barn.

Overall, great day I would say!

:-)
S

Elephant-manship!

Ok, so this is random, but it made me happy so I will post it!

Hot on the heels of Jesse's [Jesse Peters - 3* instructor] elephant adventure at the zoo, I had a unique experience today! It was the local [well, my hometown] fair this weekend, and, as per usual I was volunteering all weekend to help events run smoothly.

This morning, while waiting for our events to begin, we - myself, T, C and D - wandered over to the newest Fair attraction - AN ELEPHANT! Now, I *know* side shows like this arent probably the nicest life for this elephant, but I have to say, it was COOL seeing an elephant like that up close.

The coolest part? WE RODE IT! Elephant fluidity! It was very cool. An elephant would need a super-super-super wide saddle I think....

But anyways, I just wanted to share that. Today, I rode an elephant. And it was exciting. Yey.

Ps: Her name was Limba

:-)
S

Fun Stuff

A couple fun things lately.
Yesterday I took Mo over to D, L and S's place to play. K was there to, and we all had a blast. We played with Sparky again, which I always love! Mo loved it to! Instead of playing in the arena, we played in the straw field!! There were rows of cut straw so when the cow went out of the path, it had to jump over the rows which gave an extra little fun bit!

Me and Mo played with some contact with the Cradle bridle, and some bridless stuff too, which was a blast. S and D had set up an awesome obstacle course that we played online and the undersaddle as well, which was a super challenge and fun. Mo was really tuned in and I am super proud of her.

Today I went out to test out some new saddle fitting things on Indy.  OH WAIT! I forgot!! I changed the gullet again in my saddle! It is now on the uber widest one, and I am currently playing with shim patterns to figure that one out.... I havent found the perfect one for Mo yet, but B gave me some good ideas the other day via skype [which I adore] that I am playing with. I am not sure how well it works for Mo, but I tweaked it a bit today to fit Indy better and it really seemed to work. I think I could use one thin shim, just for me to get better back on my balance point, but other than that I was happy with it - and better, SHE was happy with it - she was actually OFFERING to put her head down at the trot after a while, and we were just in the halter and 12' - that is something she has never done without being prompted by a fluid rein! So joy for that!

I had some ruffles on the left side, but I think that might be from me re-adjusting the saddle because the girth wasnt tight enough in the beginning. I will keep an eye on it either way though, to make sure it isnt a fluidity issue in me! Interesting note to, she picked up both leads pretty easily. The last time we rode she could not for the life of her [OR ME!] get the right lead -which is interesting because Mo has a hard time with the left lead! So... what does that say about me? I havent quite figure that out yet either.... Lots of figuring going on currently!

Actually lately I have felt a bit stuck, so I have to keep reminding myself that when you feel stuck or like you are moving backwards, its just a new level of concious incompetence. Its a good thing. I just forget that sometimes... it is hard to feel stuck when you want to feel progressive all the time! Things ARE progressing though, I think sometimes though my expectations just get to high for what I am actually doing - in contrast, having high expectations is what has pushed me to get where I am now, so thats not a negative.

In a 'things are progressing' note, I am now consistently and confidently [and regularly!] riding Indy bridless around the pasture at a walk and trot and in to the barn. Little liberty things coming along nicely with her to, which is a nice treat. Mo is being her usual goobery self tonight. I just brought her in to brush her [all those hairs take a lot of upkeep!] but she was so cute and searching out treats that we played with practicing her bows on both sides. I am also trying to figure out how to turn that into lying down without ruining the bow. Yet more figuring! YIKES!!

Lots to think on!!

:-)
S

Oops...

Interesting observation today.

I changed the gullet in my saddle - a Wintec Wide - to be the medium sized one. The saddle comes with three, all extra wide, but a small medium and large extra wide, so I guess 1x, 2x and 3x [or some such] Today I put the 2x gullet into the saddle, after having been using the 1x one for the last... ever. The idea was initially for Indy, as her muscle is building up so much that the saddle is really getting to small for her. I thought I would have to shim like crazy to get it to fit Mo now!

Apparently I was wrong!! Mo was the close one after I did the re-adjusting so I brought her into the barn to do a shimming session with the new set up. Upon really looking at her and feeling around the saddle, I think she could actually even maybe use the biggest gullet! YIKES! I will have to check it out with Indy and maybe just go right to that one. For now this one suffices, and with two thick shims and a thin one it seems really good, has great clearance in the scapula and actually put me on my balance point!

ANYWAYS! The point is that when I took her out to move around to see what she thought, I got some fun reactions. Her first thing when I asked her to move out was head up brace for half a second followed by head on the ground blowing and trotting like that. Hmmm. Both directions that happened for, AND she offered me some super soft CANTER circles on the 12' line, which is a first [in a left brain state!] So that was uber cool. We played with that for fie minutes and then I mounted up to test it out with my influence [ostensiably for just a few minutes... ]

HOLY CRAP! Mo was just sooo flowy. This gorgeous slow smooth trot, head on the ground and this AMAZING slow cadenced canter. She was light, she was supple, she was paying attention and she was HAPPY!! She was offering me the canter and we just did all kinds of cantering. I couldnt believe the totall turn around. This complete reversion to MY Mo leads me to believe that it may have been a pinchy saddle contributing to the snarky Mo I have been around for the last little while. Mo never has been one to suck it up and be good anyways, I am just not always so clever at finding out what it is thats bothering her!!

Now I know that at least the saddle was part of it! What I wouldnt give for a Parelli saddle... ! Maybe in a few paycheques... hahaha! It was just so nice to be able to have a nice connected ride with Mo without her being bracy and concerned about everything. I forgot what a treat that is. It will be very interesting to see how m'dear Indy likes it tomorrow!!

I am happy now that Mo is happy. I was getting very concerned! Should have clued in when bareback riding was still going well... DOI. Oh well! Hindsight 20/20 right? At least I figured it out now :-)

:-)
S

Filly Update

Nothing on my ponies today because its pouring buckets and COLD, but I got some fun news this morning when I got to work.

Remember that hard to catch filly? 45 minutes the first day, nine minutes the second day... well yesterday, when I wasnt there, they all had to come in for farrier work... guess who was the EASIEST one to catch!!!!! YEYYYYYYY!!! I am so happy!! PRIME example of taking the time it takes, so it takes less time.

Two days of a pattern and then POOF, anyone could and did catch her. LOVE IT. Perfect perfect perfect example of putting the relationship first!! YEYYYY FILLY!!

Its kind of fun working in a barn FULL of little [well not really little] Allures.... SO many of the horses are LBE to the max. Everything is a toy, everything deserves ALL their energy, EVERYTHING goes in their mouth!! Its like standard warning before taking a horse out "Oh, watch out, that one bites" and I will grant, two or three ARE biting, the rest are just playing. They are young, full of energy, and just want to have fun. I love it, it cracks me up. "I dont want my halter on my head, I want to chew on it" "Ok, that is perfectly acceptable, lets play with that" about half a minute of my version of 'play with that' and they are ready to just put their nose in the halter.  I, at least, feel like they appreciate not being smacked around to just 'behave' and be a perfect robot.

I found an itchy spot on one of the uber mouthy ones today, I really like him, he is a real character. Interestingly, I didnt get the warning about biting on him until AFTER having wrapped his legs and done a couple of things with him. It never occured to me that he would be a biter, he was just playful and super investigative with zone one, so I acted accordingly and we got along famously. I am really coming to realize JUST how much I have learned from my florida adventures. Its slowly leaking out my fingers and being ever so useful.

Now all I have to do is find a way to get back there and all will be well!!

:-)
S

OH BOY!!!!

I love my ponies. Just pont blank, I really really do. I love that I can lead them from point A to point B without a chain over their nose, withthem respecting my personal bubble AND my pace. I just adore them. Every time I see them, that thought just repeats over and over in my head. I LOVE my horses. I think thats what passion is all about. The thing that perks you up in the morning, what gets you going even after a long day at work, THAT is something worth having in your life. I cant even begin to contemplate what life without horses would look like for me. Even just the thought brings me near to tears. They are my life, passion and my everything.

Hmm... unintended gush aside, here is what awesomeness befell me this afternoon!

I went out to visit with Crystal after work today, to see how she was feeling. She got a stone bruise and has been tender the last few days. Someone was supposed to come look at her to buy tomorrow, but obviously we have postponed because the darling diva is still limping! I figure its about half real ouch half drama queen putting on a show. Crystal is a little like that. Adoreable with a tendancy towards the dramatic. Usually its a positive, in that she makes dramatic changes in her learning, but this is the other side of it I guess :-)

In case there was question, once I was in the pasture checking her out, I was reeled in like a fish on a line to MY ponies. Who I havent seen in, oh about a day and a half. GASP! I walked in their ish direction, and was surprised to see them grazing within twenty feet of one another WITHOUT trying to battle to the death, that was a nice touch. I whistled and called them and got graced with a Mo going 'OH HAI!" and going back to grazing and an Indy going " Oh boy! You are HERE!" and walking over to me! Whoo! One out of two aint bad!!

When Indy got over I just hugged her a lot, and scratched her and thanked her for being the awesome individual she is. If you know me at all, you know what comes next. My disease, otherwise known as Mustsitonhorse Syndrome kicked in and since I had no halter with me I tried to think of ways I could sit on Indy and still be confident I wouldnt die. Her and I have that little line sometimes, that she toes a little with us being a confident unit. Only sometimes though. And its getting less and less as we both get more comfortable and confident with each other.

My first thought was a Cherokee bridle. That failed epically. To be honest, Dakota is the only one who ever tolerated that. I never did anything with it and just tried it with him one day and he was just so ho-hum, he accepted it right off the bat.

AND THIS IS WHERE BLOGGER ATE THE REST OF MY POST!!!!

I am so sad, and I cant re-write the whole rest of the post, so I will just say that the whole thing went fabulously with Indy and that I adore her. Bareback and bridless with a neck string in a 25 acre pasture, walk and trot seamlessly.

Also, the filly it took 45 minutes to catch at work, took only 9 minutes to catch the second day and she followed me around like a puppy dog after.

Sorry guys.. it was a long post, and it is just to much to re-write espeically since it was very much a happy spew post.

S

UGH

I had this great huge long post about the awesomeness that happened today and then BLOGGER ATE IT.

I am so sad. Dont know if I can be bothered to re-write all that... it was rather emotion based! Gack. I hate it when the interwebs betray me like that!!!

:-(
S

Starts...

So I started my new job today. That was fun. I was pretty RBE all night last night [aka, zero sleep] and very much so again this morning. Not such good times. Starting things like jobs are a little nerve wracking for me, but when I pulled up I found out how much good my turn as an extern did me. I feel like I was really able to integrate well into the day, and perform things in an adequate manner, hustling without hot-rodding.

I am now a part time employee of a TB breeding/training facility, to fill in the time when I am not teaching, and to feed my ponies through winter when us Canadians go into hibernation!

I probably wont write to much about it, but I just wanted to highlight an extremely interesting scenario that happened to me today.

It started out as the afternoon feed run. Thats was cool, the facility is huge. Where we had golf carts in Fl, we had a whole TRUCK here. Cool stuff. When we got to the paddock where the yearling fillies were kept we had a mission - they all were getting needles for their boosters or some such, so all needed to be caught, one by one since there were only two of us, and injected and let go once more. It was like the ultimate direct line scenario. Yikes. Way to test my principles on DAY ONE!

Most were easy to catch and give the needle to - I was on needle duty, the other girl held the horse. Then were were down to three. One was a RBE chestnut, who was afraid, one was a LBI playful bay who was just having fun with me and the other I think was RBI, but I am not sure - which in and of itself makes me think RBI. The other girl was able to catch the RBE, I wasnt watching, I was playing the catching game with the LBI. So I diverted and went to give the needle and went back to my catching game. I was really having fun with seeing how I could get her attention, and when the pressure was to much or not enough - it was a really careful balance because even though I think the filly was innately left brain, she was skeptical about people, so that brought a little bit of right brain to play to. HMM!!!

On a random note, the RBI filly was semi playing along while I was playing with the LB one, and she just all of a sudden turned and faced me and started towards me. I was floored! Unfortunatley the other girl walked around a horse at the exact wrong second and she stopped her with the engergy, but the filly kept both eyes and ears on me and let me approach her and hold her halter for the other girl to clip a lead to. Cool stuff!!

Meanwhile, the LB filly was still playing with me. I could get close, have her be calm and then reach out to pet whatever zone she offered and at that exact point she would get RB claustrophobic shoot off two feet, turn LB playful and bounce around and strike out a little bit playing. Hmm. Cool horse, I thought. She was SMART! A little friendly game and she would be an amazing partner. Again though the other girl kept showing up in the wrong place at the wrong time pushing her away everytime she thought about me, so I opted to find another sense of motivation for this filly, since playing with me wasnt really going where I had to get it to go ... To bad I was having a blast and could have played it right until I could touch her. The calls of work I guess....

I grabbed a smaller bucket of grain and shook it until I had the attention of at least three of them. The filly I wanted was in that first group of three, how interesting! Food is a plus for her then, goody! Those three walked right up to me and asked for some grain, so I hand fed it to them all to have a reason to be close to the shy filly. One of the other two was dominant and kept trying to kick the others out of the way so I changed my tactic and protected my sudden herd of two. See why you always have a savvy string on you? Even working in the normal world!

That seemed to change the dynamics a little bit, she would walk off a little and then go "oh yea, you were interesting" and come back again for more handfulls. It took a while before she would let me pass her zone one though! She was perfectly content to have me stand in front of her and feed her, but as soon as I approached zone two, she would leave. So I worked it up until I could feed her from zone two, and then pet her neck from zone two. That was the really key thing. Every time I went to pet her neck, she would leave because thats where you put the halter on from - assumption built, not enough friendly! So more and more and MORe approach and retreat later I was finally able to get my savvy string around her neck, continue feeding her, get the other girl to hold her and give her the shot AND give her more grain after. Excellent.

Also, the other two in the hard to catch herd were now firmly planted near us cool people feeding them. Will be interesting to see how it goes tomorrow.... Wish I could be assigned to just play with them all the time, spend time with them and help them be more savvy about people!

It was really interesting though, the energy from the other girl and how it affected them all. She had a BIG energy, even though I dont think she was conciously projecting it, and she just waded through those horse like the red sea parting, and I dont think that helps very much when you are trying to catch them! Harnessing energy has been one of the biggest things I think I have learned with Parelli, how to send it out, when to send it out and how and when to cut it off!!

I really had a lot of fun with the yearlings, my brain working hard to read them all to assess horsenality and strategies to help everything go smoothly while still working on the timeline of the normal world. I would probably still be out there if it was my timeline!

I had another oh boy moment today when someone was telling me about this super calm horse that 'all of a sudden for no reason at all' spooks sometimes. Hmm. My brain instantly went "Well, he is probably a right brain introvert and got pushed through a zillion thresholds you missed" I was entertained by that, that my head goes into problem solving mode automatically. I think life will be fun in a barn full of LBE's, since that is what most of these horses are. A couple of RBE's, and at least one RBI. Havent met and LBI's yet though, but I havent met all the horses yet.

So far so good, lets hope it stays that way!!
:-)
S

Productive Day

I got a lot done today! And not just with the ponies, so that is good. Unfortunately I cant ride 24/7 and still be able to exist and all that... Maybe some day!

I started the day mowing the ring once more, scalping it on the lowest setting. It looks really nice again AND I didnt get stuck tis time! I may have been aided by the fact that it hasnt been raining every day, but I am still calling that a plus!

Indy got to play first today. It was really really interesting online! We have been playing with upping our figure eight lately and so we went over to play with that. Last night was a bit bracy on the turns but today was just gorgeous and flowy!! I remember thinking "Oh wow.. this feels really good!" She was giving me enthusiasm and canters and really tuned in trying really hard. On my end, when she was drifting to far, I wasnt interrupting her, I was trying to see if I could just redirect her attention and help her find the pattern... lo and behold! Success! Hmmm... how interesting!

We played with transitions as well , and circles over the barrels and some more stick to me. All went very well. Our yo-yo to, is coming along really nicely, she really puts effort into backing up even at phase 1/2! YEY!

After saddling and doing some more little things to check the girth and whatnot, I bridled her and off we went, same set up as yesterday. We did a couple of rounds walking and doing circles at the walk with the reins on her neck AGAIN! She was fabulously responsive! Really following my focus and I wasnt having to use my leg hardly at all. What a neat feeling!

We picked up the trot and went into a cloverleaf pattern, which went surprisingly well! I played with my fluidity, trying out the sitting trot and trying not to over-post. I find I do that a lot with Indy because her stride is big, but its not bouncy, so I over exagerate for no reason, or maybe because I used to have a hard time with her trot, so I try to hard now even though I have a pretty good handle on it. I played a lot wiht letting her motion be the only thing that pushed me around and I must say I was quite surprised how LITTLE I came out of the saddle. Fun Fact: When I was playing with this and finally picked a posting tempo that matched her better, she stopped speeding up at the trot when I posted! HOW INTERESTING! Something to this Fluidity stuff... HA!

After feeling pretty comfy with the trot we moved into the canter and kept it up for longer than we had yesterday. I had an interesting surprise waiting for me - I found out I used the reins to balance at the canter! Not in a haul-on-the-mouth way, just in a position way. I was used to balancing her canter with my hands down where they would be with the reins, and when they werent there my balance was off! Hmm... So we played with that a bit and it got better. Not perfect yet, but definate improvement. Interesting that I never had that with Mo... I think it is the stride length difference and just being accustomed to having reins in my hand, even freestyle.

After a couple of trot/canter transitions Indy got a bit impulsive, so before something went wrong I opted to pick up the reins. We played with some more fluid rein and contact and such. We also played with transitions within the trot - how slow can you go, how fast can you go. The coolest thing with those was that I wasnt using my leg at all, she was super in tune to my body energy! She was very soft and flowy, extending easily and slowing down easily to while maintaing mental contact and following my focus. It was very cool. Very light. It really showed me where lightness can go.

On one particularly sharp extended trot to halt in our question box I jumped off and called it a day. We breifly addressed trailer loading before turning out - it is SO much better. Basically walk up and get in AND be comfy for me to put the but bar up. YEY!

When we were all done and she was out I went home for lunch and came back later to hang with Mo. She was in the shed, so I crawled through the fence to say howdy and we walked over to the gate that way, semi at liberty/led by the mane. My initial plan was to do a passenger lesson bareback, so I just grabbed the confidence snaffle bridle and reins, because they are lighter that the 12' all done up. We played online first of course, with some interesting results.

Right off the bat Mo was in a strange mood. I was walking along and I asked her to go out and around me a *little* bit and she literally took off at a dead gallop. Mo. Dead gallop. The horse I cant get to maintain three circles at a canter lapped me four times at least GALLOPING. I was just to stunned to interrupt, and she looked left brain about it. I just figured she was being oversensitive, so I played with it, aimed her at barrels, got changes of direction, transitions and all kinds of things. A little bit of figure eight to. It was only later when I finally got her to hold still that I saw/felt the emotional sweat and I found out it wasnt left brain. Or maybe it was, just adrenaline, because she was still paying attention and doing what I suggested. I am not quite sure what happened yet.

It worked out in the end, I focused on close range circles, trying to get her to lower her head and relax. She is really good at putting her head down one way, and will do it at the walk trot and canter, to the extent of even kicking herself in the chin on occasion. The other way is a lot harder, I think her ribs are a little out. She made some small changes, but not all the way loose the other way yet. But at least she was calm and not so ready to run off. I chose this moment to mount up.

Surprisingly, after all the fireworks, the ride was beautiful. Not what I expected, but beautiful. I was planning a mostly freestyle bareback passenger lesson. What happened was a beautiful finesse ride! She was softly collect in all gaits, lightly responding to my leg, following the pattern [cloverleaf] just beautifully. I was even impressed in my head by Mo, she was so soft, I was able to suggest a soft feel with the reins and ONLY suggest a soft feel with the reins. I wasnt using the reins for turning or anything else! I am so proud of Mo! Lightness is coming!!!

:-)
S

The Right Brain Extrovert goes BRIDELESS for the FIRST TIME!!

Today is a total first for Indy!!!!!!!!

I have been having some impulsion issues with Indy. Everytime we trot freestyle, she had been running away at the trot a little bit. Very strange, but not really unexpected due to her nature. We have been playing with it, while working on fluid rein and transitions with contact. I feel like she felt a little lost with no contact in zone one.

With that in mind I have been playing with riding with contact and loosening it and picking it up again etc.

Today when I went to play with Indy we warmed up extra strong online. My initial plan had been to play with more contact riding, so I wanted her uber ready to ride. We played with maintain gait at the canter, figure eight - with some real enthusiasm, stick to me at the walk and trot, and getting her to stop over the barrels coming at them at a trot. She was a little go-ey today, really ready to move and I had a hard time stopping or interrupting her patterns, but when she finally got balanced she was my little hovercraft on hooves!

With that nicely acheived, I bridled her with the confidence snaffle, grabbed my dressage whip [was planning on playing with getting lighter sideways] and mounted up. After some friendly and lateral flexion checks we walked off on the rail, with the reins on her neck.

We walked circles and a little bit of cloverleaf as a warm up - with the reins on her neck. Then I got brave and asked for a trot... and we did the same - with the reins on her neck. I only had to use the stick a handfull of times when she leaked out a little on the turns. Then I got braver and asked for a canter, and we cantered the rail, balanced, and confidently - with the reins on her neck!!! HOLY WOW!!!

This is the horse I have been wondering if I would ever advance to bridless riding with... and look what we just accomplished!! I cant believe it!! Her stops and downward transitions were seamless!!! I even got a little bit of transition within gait at the trot!

Lesson of the day : WARM UP STRONG!! I learned that in Florida... why havent I been applying it consistently?!?!?

I am SO proud of Indy!!!!! Even though my plan went right out the window, I cant be happier with what we DID accomplish!!! I even was able to lead her at liberty from the ring to the barn and out to the pasture - another first for her! *squees happily*

:-)
S

Crystal Tries Out Reins!

I played with Crystal today, after playing back hoe driver in the morning and early afternoon. I cut out a little early to get to the farm before a thunderstorm rolled in - luckily I beat it!

We played on the ground with her wearing the bridle, which went well. We worked on cater transitions online because she was swishing her tail undersaddle - interestingly she did it with NOTHING on her back to, so I am wondering if its just an introvert "I dont wanna go" thing. She stopped it after about three transitions. Interesting. I wonder if its related to the bridle?

I re-visited our figure eights, and our circles over two sets of barrel jumps, both are solidly coming along. Crystal's juping for is MUCH improved from the laughable state it was when we started! She is doing so well!

When I saddled her she took a few steps while I was girthing up, so we played with some approach and retreat until she was ok with that again. I think she just wanted to play. She was as playful as I have ever seen her today, offering canter through the figure eight, asking loads of questions about which direction to go and such! Cool stuff!

When I went to ride I put the 12' line as reins AND the finesse reins on the confidence snaffle on the bridle. My logic being that I could direct in a sort of double bridle sense to help transfer follow a feel from the halter to the bit. She did great with it! I am really proud of her! We worked on our cloverleaf pattern in both directions at the trot, and canter transitions -which are getting better and better each time! She even offered it a couple of times when I didnt ask for it! Not sure if thats the greatest yet, but its a nice offer, and it wasnt a bolt, it was an honest offer for what she thought I was asking. I just polietly re-phrased my request and we trotted on.

After the ride we went to play with the trailer. Getting ocnfidence to put her feet on the ramp and then in. Interesting observation - she hasnt been on a trailer since she came to us as a yearling [she is 6 now] BUT she would FOLLOW me into the trailer willingly after her confidence got high with the ramp. She would not be brave enough to go in on her own yet though. I thought that was interesting. "OTs ok if my leader goes in, but if she is outside I should be to" is so far her opinion. We got as far as nose-neck-two front feet on the very edge of the inside confidently beforr I quit for the day. I thought it was a good stop point. She DID put all fours inside, just not on a send, on a yo-yo game instead.

Someone is coming to see Crystal tomorrow, so I hope what we played with today shines through and someone will fall in love with her!!

:-)
S

Mo the Lansdscape Aritist!

I forgot to blog yesterday, but Mo and I had a great session. The best since I have been home - undersaddle at least. It wasnt terribly elaborate, but given Mo's recent proclivity for discontent while being ridden, I am particularly happy :-) We played with the cloverleaf pattern bridless at a walk trot and canter and were incredibly successful! YEY MO!

Then today! This morning I was feeling pretty ambitious. The riding ring has needed mowing for a while I keep ignoring it, hoping Candy will eat it all, but she doesnt and hasnt so I finally caved and got motivated enough to ask Aunty to show me how to operate the mower so I could. Mowing went great, and the ring looks fabulous now [except for the minor detail of me forgetting the mud in one corner and getting the tractor stuck... good thing we have a big tractor to unstick it later!]

Onto the weed eating! My least favorite part, the part with the most work to it, and also the part that really makes it look good when its done. I started pulling weeds by hand, then switched to a mixture of weed-eating and pulling and that worked fairly well until the charge died on the weed-eater. It was a good bunch of hours later anyways and the mosquitoes were coming out by then, and I had finished mostly one solid line of the fence, so I felt good about stopping.

The only other thing I really wanted to accomplish was trimming the trees that smack you every time you try to ride the rail on one side of the ring. For this I gathered some scissors, and my trusty Mo. Honestly, I was to lazy to halter her, so I just led her by the chin in to the arena and over to the mounting block. She was a doll and siddled right up for me to mount. The interesting part of this adventure was that the area where I needed to trim branches is actually the part of the ring that scares Mo. I am not sure why, I have done LOADS of approach and retreat with it, all kinds of squeeze game and she never relaxes all the way. I *think* its because last summer Legend [dog] would always jump out of the bushes over there and run at us.

Cleverly, I didnt realize this until we were already on our way walking over there, and I already had my mission in mind : Trim Branches. I dont know exactly how it happened or why, but maybe because my focus was elsewhere, Mo was perfect. She was my equine ladder and acted her part perfectly. She sidewaysed when I needed her to, back up when I needed her to, moved forwards, stood still, you name it, she did it! All in the name of good landscaping! HA!

Bareback and bridless to boot, so GO MO! I let her graze some after that, as the newly mown grass was EVER so much more enticing than the regular grass. Silly horsey.

:-)
S

YEYYY

TODAY CRYSTAL AND I CANTERED FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!

Thats all :-)

S

Thunderstorms Get In The Way...

I know this is Canada, and as such I should be used to inclimate weather and such, but really, it has rained basically every day this summer so far. Even the great sunshiny days, it rains at some point. I am sure there are statistics about it somewhere!

When I got out to the barn today it was SUNNY. So I thought *yey* I can finally play with Crystal again, since the eons of rain have prevented to much play, when I do get out to it, I want to play with my ponies! They were all in "The Spot" when I went out. Everyone sort of waltzed over slowly, faster after the first to arrive got a small cookie! Crystal seemed pretty pleased to be chosen, but Mo was rather put out. She cracks me up that one!

As soon as Mo saw me halter Crystal she marched her butt right up to the gate and basically intimated that she got to come in to or else. Realistically, I could have made her move, but I was feeling generous so I let her into her stall for some nap time. Goober pony.

Crystal and I had some really nice online play time! She is improving every time. She goes out into the pasture when I dont play with her and just soaks on what she knows. Thats what it feels like. She just gets better and better. Her figure eight today was practically flawless. Trotting calmly and just flowing. So responsive and sensitive to what direction I was asking her. Love it!

I also made a circling game out of two sets of barrel jumps, one of the big barrels lying down and one of the small barrels lying down. She had to circle jumping both of those each round. That was cool. Her squeeze game over barrels was so good now, but she would turn face and wait after each time she jumped, if I asked her to or not - hence the new game! Fixing the assumption! She picked it up right quick and was really starting to jump nicely!

When she first started actually jumping instead of just pushing through, I have to say, I didnt know if she would ever figure it out. Lo an dBehold though, she has the makings of an adorable hunter in her! Even a jumper maybe! She sure has the legs for it! Just needs that summer belly worked off a little bit...

I rearranged the ring to make it suitable for a cloverleaf game. During that time I parked Crystal at a barrel, which was cool. She just hung out and waited. Investigated the barrel and such. No fear in that one anymore! I love it. I *adore* seeing her confidence blossom. It is my favorite thing about playing with her. She was such a little skittish thing, and has been since ever, but really she just needed to know HOW to be confident. Even the boarders are commenting on how much more friendly she is in the pasture - like she is a different horse! GO CRYSTAL!

When I sent her to the saddle she went right to it, sniffed it and was content. I saddled her up and off we went again, this time negotiating the assumption that yo-yo means take off on a circle. She is pretty clever though and got it after two tries.

Pretty much as soon as I mounted it started thundering. Yep, seriously. I didnt really think anything of it, not much will get me off a pony weather-wise save lightning or walls of water. So Crystal and I walked a couple of laps and trotted a couple of laps and got ONE cloverleaf pattern in before the drops hit. I thought it might just sprinkle so stayed out...

Enter WALL OF WATER.

Yep, wall of water. Talk about moisture! *insert running for the barn here* I even hung out in the entrance for a while thinking it could rain this hard for long... turns out it can. 40 minutes later, it was still raining. So I gave in and unsaddled Crystal, gave her her treats and grain and put her out. HUGE compliment here -HUGE - Crystal STAYED at the back door for something like 20 minutes. I am not kidding! FIRST ever! Not because of the weather, because its not sheltered back there, just because. She was looking in the barn, watching me hang with Mo, generally just relaxing by herself. That is a total first for Miss Herdbound. JOY!!!!! I am SO proud of her!!!!

On to Mo! Of course, my dear napsalot was fresh up from a snooze, shavings decorating her everywhere. So cute. I didnt really do to much with Mo other than practice our mounting thing in her stall - her stall is the foaling stall [for no reason other than she likes luxury and it was the only one left] so its practically 10 x 20 giving us lots of room! I played from a bucket and that went well so then I practiced getting her to keep her head low enough for me to swing over from the ground and getting her confidence with that. In the end I got up three times, which was cool. Not sure it was entirely left brain though, so I am not celebrating yet! Going to let her simmer on it for a bit before asking again. Definate improvement though!

Oh, and Mo also is figuring out that if she bows, she gets a cookie, so when I ask her now, I dont always have to show her nose where to go, which is really cool. She is starting to ask her own body questions and try to figure out where it is supposed to go in order to win a treat. Such a doll! After all that I spent some time attacking the millions of hairs on her head that are soooo long, making her look like some acient flowy goddess pony.

I loves my Mo :-)

:-)
S

What Happens When Then SUN Comes Out!

FINALLY! A long awaited visit from Mr. Sun, and I sure made use of this fabulous sun-shiny day!

First things first, I went on a bike ride with my Aunty, and that was super fun. Havent biked in ..ever [since florida, surely] but, its like... riding a bike... [haha] not something you forget at least :-)

After a nice bike ride we actually opted to saddle up and go for a ride! I chose Mo, because Indy and I were slated for a play-day later in the afternoon. Mo was good coming in from the pasture, they were all at The Spot, so I didnt have far to go and she came and met me part way. I groomed and saddled her in the barn and then went ot the ring to play some ground games. We did just little focusy things and played with her helping me mount again, culminating in her actually helping me mount! YEY! That was cool. Pretty much by the time I got on Aunty was done schooling in the ring, so we hit the trail.

We went down the galloping track as a short cut to avoid the laneyway due to bugs, but were thwarted when some 'vicious' cows ran at the fence scaring our ponies terribly. Lucky for me, a one rein stop is really sinking into my muscle memory and Mo and I both survived. Aunty and Candy did to! We backtracked our way back down the galloping trail and went down the laneway instead. Luckily the bugs werent to bad yet and we werent swarmed.

Slowly but surely we made our way down the dirt-dead-end road and onto the trail that connects to it. We moseyed a bit there and up into the forrest where we WERE swarmed by deer flies and that was no fun so we opted out of the forrest! Someone has been back there with a bush hog trimming cute little trails so we toured those for a while before heading back home. Mo was really good. She was a bit skeptical of a couple of rocks, but we did well.

Back at the barn I untacked Mo and let her graze while I loaded up the trailer for Indy's adventure. It was really nice that when I went to get Mo off of the lawn she actually came over to me, instead of waiting for me to come tell her to stop stuffing her face! That was a good feeling. After turning her out and giving her the sufficient quota of cookies, I went to hitch up the trusty trailer.

I have to say, my trailer is among my most favorite possesions in the world. I LOVE my trailer. It is perfect. Anyways! Once that was all done [thanks Aunty, it always goes better when I have help!] I went to fetch the Diva Queen, aka Indy. She was cute and coy as per usual. I usually go out with some crunch in my hand and she has gotten into this routine of waiting to see if I am coming for her or someone else. She sends her lackeys over to check me out first before coming over herself. Trixie is always first, then Tripp and then Crystal. Once they all pass free and clear she comes right over and everything goes great. Silly horsey.

I brushed Indy in the barn and then off we went to visit our new amis. Luckily they only live about 10 minutes away! That is SO nice! When we got there I left Indy loaded to go say hello and such. That kind of thing is good for her because every time she sees the trailer she goes "OH NO Not another 26 hour trip to florida!" so just waiting, relaxing and getting off after a ten minute trip is perfect right now.

When she did finally come off, she came off super quietly and most of all, CALMLY! I cant even express how proud I am of Indy for this whole day. She did FABULOUSLY! For a previously extreme RBE, she was just super! We hung out chatting with S and D by the trailer for a little while and then I went to set my stuff on the fence and play in the ring while they got their ponies.

Since I had the ring to myself I opted for the 45' line and went out to play! We had some cones set up as a question box, some barrels on a weave and a trampoline! COOL STUFF! I tried to start out with some nice relaxing friendly game but Indy wanted to move her feet. When I remembered that extroverts need to move their feet before they can move their brains, I relized that I should allow her to move out instead of trying to shut her down. Duh... Slow brain!

After a nice travelling circle across the ring, we settled in the back half where there were no obstacles to catch the rope on. Indy mostly wanted to trot, so we played with some transitions and change of direction until I felt like she was focusing more on me and more willing to stop/slow down. We played a little bit of sideways and yo-yo and a little bit of yo-yo on the fenceline with canter departs to back up. That was pretty cool to see the power come through.

On to the TRAMPOLINE! S set the challenge when she brought it out - mounting via bouncing - and I was really curious to see what Indy would do! Sure I have jumped all around her on the ground and such, because I am a lunatic like that, but a trampoline? Who knows... Indy gets skeptical of some things I wouldnt expect her to, so I had no idea what her reaction was going to be!

Turns out I had nothing to worry about. I sent her over to investigate, she did, no problem. I stood on it, no problem. I sat on it, no problem. I started bouncing... NO PROBLEM! HA! Go extreme friendly game! So I bounced away until she was calm, approaching and retreating as needed. The first time I launched myself at her, I wasnt the most graceful in doing so and she sort of shivered in her skin a bit, but didnt move. Lots of rubbing and scratches to make up for that! I continued though, to jump and lean over her and *try* to mount. The thing about Indy though, is she is TALL. And I am not! So even with the trampoline and bouncing, I just wasnt making it high enough.

S, though, is my good luck charm! She came out with her pony and saw what I was doing and encouraged me and VOILA the first time I try as she came out I made it up! That was a cool feeling!!! I hugged Indy and jumped down and did it again! Cool horse :-)

We went back to playing around then. Some circles and figure eights and such before saddling up. When I was ready to mount I thought it would be fun to still use the trampoline as a mounting block, but I had to be creative because now I had a saddle in the way. So... I mounted *behind* the saddle. I was midly concerned that Indy may not appreciate that, so I did some test half-mounts, but she passed the tests and didnt move an inch while I clambered up behind the saddle and scooted forwards to the right place! Yey!

Once settled we went out on the rail and played a little bit there but she got really impulsive so I put her on about a 22' circle. She tried to canter it but soon got herself under control enough to trot the circle calmly. Even going so far as to experiment with putting her head down! That was nice. What felt like a gazzillion circles later, she offered a stop so I took it and relaxed with her until she offered more go and we changed directions. Much less time to stop this go-round.

Feeling like our impulsion was pretty happy, we went over to the weave and did some of that at a walk and a trot. She really picked up the idea and tried really hard at that. It was a real treat today, to ride with her in such a partnership frame of mind. We also played a little cloverleaf uding the question box setup before SPARKY came in!

Now, Sparky is this super-awesome-uber-cool ROBOTIC roping cow thing that L has. Its kind of like Pat's except you dont have a remote control steering, it just staying straighish. I am pretty sure Indy never got to see Pat's while we were in Florida, so this was a first. I dismounted for this, just in case and went over after it stopped to say hello. We played with some squeeze games first, then when she got brave we moved up to touch-it and sideways around it. She got confident with it standing still pretty fast so we moved on and I remounted - again with the trampoline! I need to get me one of those!

When L was ready we played with Sparky. Well, we all followed while he roped it. It would go off on its line, he would chase it to rope, and the rest of us would follow and go touch it when it stopped. Indy was a little hesitant at first but she got into it really fast! I think she had fun with it.

Oh! Before we played cow ponies, we had some fun on a circle - all four of us! Two of us went one way and two the other way, with one way being spinning in the middle. We alternated which ring of the circle we played according to horsenality [Indy never made it to the middle] and trotted and cantered circles that way! It was really fun. Indy started on the second ring from the middle trotting and then as her impulsion stayed under control I moved her to the outer most ring and we did CALM FOCUSED canter circles. RHYTHMIC and RELAXED. It felt fabulous. Casual rein, happy pony, good fun! So that was really cool. We did LOTS of circles to. It was a game, so it worked for all of us.

We played a lot with the cow. That was really really cool. Indy was pretty fascinated by it, and at the end, she got confident enough to play control-holder pony, which involves standing beside the cow and keeping beside it as it runs [so as to be able to invoke the stop button in case a fence looms near] It was such a treat to see her go from afraid to confident in the span of about an hour. She is getting so... I dont know, she is just wowing me so much.

*Then* came nemesis numero deux de la jour. Im am fairly certain Indy has seen a giant green ball before, I am just not terribly sure if she has *met* said giant green ball before. From the look on her face, I am going to vote no. Her head went waay up and she got all frozen and wide eyed. Luckily I was on the ground because I volunteered to hold L's horse while he put away Sparky and fetched out said ball.

Interestingly, it really didnt take much to get her focus back, she kind of relaxed all on her own and I felt good to mount again [used the fence since the trampoline got kicked out of the ring!] The trick to the ball confidence thing for Indy was not to follow the ball, but to follow the HORSE following the ball! S's horse is SUPER confident with the ball, loves it and loves pushing it around so we opted to follow him for a while first. When Indy felt ok we approached the ball and she had no idea what to do. It was so cute. She kind of just stopped in front of it and sort of asked "What now?" I suggested she kick it, which she did, sort of, and so began our ball playing fun!

We progressed from "OMG WASSAT!?" to being able to trot and play pony soccer in one go! I really think being around the other horses that were confident with it played a huge role in Indy's success though. So that is something to remember for the future. We played ball for a while, even scored a few goals!

Eventually though we all got tired and it was time to go home! Indy got to load up and hang out some more in the trailer while I chatted and said my goodbyes [and THANKS for an awesome day] before we headed homeward bound.

What an awesome spectacular day! Good things happen with its SUNNY!!! Hopefully the sun will stick around for a little while!

:-)
S