Text Book Perfect!

In general, I really love text books. I am a nerd and love school and all things scholastic. Today was a perfect example of what happens when Text Book meets Reality!

This morning it was FINALLY sunny. It has been grey and dreary and raining for the past four days, so even though Cairo thought it would be fun to wake me up at 6 am I couldnt be upset, because my long lost ami the Sun was shining! Besides, just because Cairo was up didnt mean I had to be....

When I did get up and go, I went to Auntys thinking it would be a great day to play with Crystal since, due to rain, I havent been able to do ANYTHING barn related, save sit on both my ponies last night. Frustrating!

I was in luck, the horses were all in and eating breakfast when I got there, so I didnt even have to trek out through the mud to get Crystal! Bonus! When she finished eating I haltered her and off we went into the ring. On the way I grabbed my standard kit of the bareback pad, 22', 12' and carrot stick. Everyone was kind of on their way inside, so I was left to prep Crystal on the ground all by myself, which was good, because I am still getting used to being watched while I play. Doesnt bother me as much as it used to, but I didnt want anything to influence this session with Crystal!

We started playing on the 22', letting her do some circles, running into the barrels [got one jump! the rest she just nosed through] and working on her disengage. I had to remind her a little about hiding her hiney, but over all she was really good! We have been playing with a *little* bit of sideways, so I tried out that some more and was rewarded with some excellent sideways to the right without a fence!!! Left is a little sticky, but I think thats my fault because I was doing more on one side than the other. I worked on evening it out today, and now she is fairly competent on both sides.

When I felt confident she was tuned into me I saddled her with the bareback and she was fantastic. She stood in lateral flexion the whole time I was tightening the cinch, just asking questoins. "What are you doing?" "Why do you have your hand there?" "May I have a cookie?" <-- that last I phrase that way because it really feels like that when she asks. She is not a cookie monster by any stretch, but likes them when I give them to her. Really interesting!

Once that is done we go back to playing, working on our yo-yo with attention and sideways and then I pushed her some on the circle to make sure there were no bucks or anything in her. There werent, and havent been since day two [which were tiny!] and then we headed over to the mounting block to resume our games above zone three and four.

Her sideways towards for mounting is getting really good! I can just tap the opposite shoulder with my hand and her front end will come over now, although she needs some reminding about her hind quarters still. When she was all lined up I started my usual shennanigans, rubbing her, patting the pad, lying on her, throwing my leg over and rubbing her bum etc... She was a star! Asked LOTS of questions, stood confidently, didnt walk off or think about it even! I am SO proud of her!

Aunty was back out by now, so I started playing more with the idea of swinging a leg over and putting some weight on her that way. Again, confidence and questions. LOVE THIS! Finally I just got right on and sat there. Crystal was great. She stood, she waited. I rubbed her and loved on her. Then she took a step and got a *tiny* really teeny tiny bit tense, so I asked her to bend, she turned in a few circles before stopping, and when she stopped I jumped off and gave her lots of cookies and hugs and told her how spectacular she was.

Lots of licking and chewing later [from both of us] we made our way the four steps back to the mounting block for trial two. I felt a lot more acceptance from Crystal this time, and got to thinking that maybe I hadnt had full permission to get on before, which is why she walked off. 50/50 shot right? Either way, I had full permission now, and excersised it as such and mounted once more. This time she blew out, licked and chewed and very politely asked me if she could have a cookie... please.

I was thrilled! We sat there for five minutes or so, I was chatting with Aunty a bit about Crystal's progress, and then I asked her to try and move a front foot. That didnt go so well, because she thought I was asking her to bend, which is, in the safety sense, a really good thing so I didnt worry to much about it. Instead I asked her to do something I know she is really good at - back up!

At first I released the reins on just a weigh shift and then as she got the idea I got a whole step! We did one steps backwards two or three times and then she offered a quarter turn so I took it! We spent the next fifteen minutes or so doing little turns and taking two steps forwards or five steps backwards and then doing more turns.... just little things - but things that are so curcial to any foundation!

I AM SO PROUD OF HER!!! She was calm and present the whole time, and CONFIDENT!!! I felt like I could have kept going because she was so confident, but I chose to dismount because I wanted to make sure nothing went wrong on such an important occaision in her life!! Crystal is continuing to amaze me. As her confidence grows she is really showing me the potential she has to make a great partner for someone. As she grows and excells, there really will be no limit for her future. In case anyone is interested... she will be for sale after she is going well undersaddle [or maybe before? I dont know, she isnt mine afterall!]

So there we have it. Crystals first REAL official ride [not just sit] and went TEXT BOOK PERFECT!!! Funny what prior and proper preparation can do, isnt it? LOVE IT!

I am still on the adrenaline high :-) ...even though it started raining again..

:-)
S

Not Horsey Related...

I am writing this blog on the off chance that T and C still follow my musings. You both have neglected your fellow blogs and I miss them! I do hope you will return to semi-regular postings :-) I miss the writings of my amigos.

On another note, I spent this rainy afternoon chatting with my Grammie. It was surprisingly really fun. We talked like real people, not just "Hi Grammie" "Hi S, how are you" etc. We had REAL conversation about life and careers and money and everything in between. It was so nice! I really cant get over how nice it was... I dont often get to spend time with my Grammie thats not surrounded by the entire family and a herd of children and siblings and aunts and uncles...

It was just a real treat to sit down and talk and then have dinner with both my Grammie and Grampie :-)

:-)
S

FIRSTS!

It has finally happened... I have lost my mind. Well no, not really, I am just really really pumped on adrenaline right now becuase I just got back from Aunty's house, where forthe very first time I SAT ON CRYSTAL! YEY!

We played online for a while, and I wasnt sure if today was going to be the day because she was a little buzzed and checking out. She did settle and start checking in and gave me the most wonderful moving circling game on a loose line! I am so proud of her! Her send is getting much better, her allow is great because she likes to move her feet and her bring back is finally coming along after a little hide your hiney session yesterday when she chose to ignore me!

I have been incorporating the barrels into our sessions to, getting her to think about them and where she is putting her feet. It is working out in a very interesting fashion in that she will trot full power up to them, throw her head and neck over them, then her feet stop a la circus pony on a pedestal and she looks at me all "That was awesome, yes?" Then she proceded to stumble and push her way through them on a re-send. What a goof. She DID jump them once today though. Terrible jump though! She forgot to check in and was just power trotting around and then POOF barrels and she went EEK and up and over. Definate deer jump Up-Forwards-Down with all fours!

When she was ready I saddled her with the bareback pad. She is really good about that now. I play a friendly game with it first, swinging it all over her body until she is relaxed, the up onto her back and cinch up a bit so its tight enough not to roll. I learned on the first day to get her to think backwards before forwards [after an interesting bucking spree that lasted ten strides and was done] so we went backwards nicely and softly. She was really paying attention! Her herd bound issues are becoming less and less, and it is really nice to see that coming along!

When I did ask her to finally go forwards she was a little tight in her trot so we just did some more travelling circles until she was blowing and putting her head down, at which point we went over to the mounting block and played with sideways towards for mounting and me putting my weight on her and friendly with things above zone three.

Aunty came out just after I saddled her, so I could. if it was right, get on and have a spotter *just in case*. So that was perfect. I played and played over her, laying on her, just putting weight on her, using my foot to rub her bum and back, throwing a leg over without getting on.... etc... She thought about walking off once, but I was able to bend her and stop her after one step, which was GREAT!

AND THEN! It happened! aunty was saying she had to go get dressed for work so I begged 5 more minutes and she said ok and was playing with the Demon Spawn, so I just kept doing what I was doing, and then it was right... then I had permission, THEN I GOT ON!! Just like that! No fuss, no muss, not even a step of movement of concern from Crystal! YEY!!!

The funny thing was that Aunty didnt even notice right away because she was distracted by the cat... so I said a quiet *tada* and she looked up and was all " OMG! YEY!" which was really awesome! Simple as that I got off, hugged Crystal, gave her some cookies and took off the bareback pad. Done and Done!!!!

So thats where I am at currently. Cloud nine for having sat on not-my-pony for the very first time! Annnd... now I have to wait until Friday I think before I can do it again unless I play in the afternoons, which I might just to keep up with her, because no one will be home in the mornings until then.

YEY!
:-)
S

Mo Is All Grown Up!

I cant believe its happened already. She will forever be the tiny little two week old filly hiding behind her mom in the box stall. Mo isnt just a baby anymore, she is all grown up and I am so proud of her!

Today, she gave her first ever pony rides to a crew of ten/eleven year olds for my cousins Eleventh Birthday Shindig. Before the event I went out to bring her in because she was in the run in shed and close. I just called her name and she walked over to me, which was nice. Indy said hi to, which was also nice and Mo proceded to follow me into the barn sans halter AND disengage and wait for me while I closed the gate which was an extra treat.

Once in the barn we played with our new thing - bowing. I accidentally taught Mo to bow last night when I dropped a cookie and she dove for it, performing an awesome bow. Anything for cookies that one! She cracks me up, really. After that she got all fancied up, brushed and lovely [have to look nice for the young'uns right!] and we went out to play.

Online was fun, she was in a really good mood, being really sesitive and I was testing out how little I could do to still be effective. It turned out to be a *very* little, which pleasantly surprised me. We have been having some minor issues with her being obstinate lately, since being home, and I thought it was maybe just because she was rusty after being left alone so long, but I think now maybe its because I was YELLING at her! I would be offended to if everyone YELLED at me instead of talking and asking politely!

So with that now in my perspective, things went a lot better. Until saddling! Mo has NEVER been a complainy horse about having a saddle on. She bucked one time with a new western saddle I was trying on her, but it was sitting waaay to long on her back so she was completley entitled. Today, she really didnt have a reason that I could see, I re-checked everything after she started hopping around and there wasnt anything physically wrong with the setup.

She wasnt outright bucking. More just hunching her back and crow hopping a little. Generally looking uncomfortable/having an attitude outburst. Given that we were supposed to be giving pony rides to complete novice children in the next hour, I was pretty concerned with her behaviour. I asked her out on the circle and asked for speed, since you cant really buck and gallop at the same time [I hoped] This seemed to help, and she started blowing and relaxing and getting some SHARP change of direction. I am still perplexed as to why she bucked in the first place, but she seemed to come out of it fine so I decided to mount and see how she was feeling that way to, just ot be ultra sure!

When I got on I just made my 22' into reins and had my carrot stick for support. Going freestyle around the ring doing walk/back transitions and troting with her head down went great. Mo eventually got bored of that [in about two minutes] and started cantering. Now THAT was different. Mo isnt usually an overly go-y horse, she is more extroverted on the ground and tends towards introvert in the saddle. So to have her offering a canter was definatly different! To boot, she was offering almost perfect canter CIRCLES! MY INTROVERT! Circling! HA!

I even have witnesses! My aunty was there to see the whole thing! Me and Mo cantered for a good while [and it was nice uphill slow flowy canter to.. mmm] before finally stopping [on energy!] and feeling ready for pony rides. Mo did GREAT at pony rides. Her whole attitude shifted really dramatically and she stepped more carefully and slowed right down. What a change in her!

Mo has grown up so much over the years. Mostly in the last year or two really. I really do love the horse she has become ....

:-)
S

Oopsy!

Well clever me, I seem to have neglected my dear darling blog a tad, so I thought I would take this oppurtunity to update :-)

This last week has been a busy one. I have started playing with my aunts mare Crystal one a long standing bargain we had that I would help get her started. That has been going well, she is an interesting horse with herd bound issues and some fun lack of confidence vs dominance things to play with to. Should be an interesting development!

Mo and Indy are stellar. Both have completely re-integrated into the herd like they never left at all. They both even remembered their stalls on the first night back in the barn. And people say horses arent clever!

It rained today, thunderstormed a bit actually, so I went out to visit my girls and they were both in the shed so I brought them into their stalls to relax for a while while I groomed each of them up all shiny and nice. I love to dote on my ponies, I really do, its one of my favorite things, just spending time hanging out loving on them. They were both grateful to come in out of the rain and get loved.

The best part was when I went to put them out, I let them out of their stalls [one after the other separately] at liberty, walked them to the gate, they both waited to be sent out, and they both DISENGAGED themselves and came looking for a hug and a cookie. WHAT GOOD PONIES!!! It was stellar. Absolutley perfect, go out, diesngage and come back happily, ears forward and everything. EEEEE!

I hope it stops raining soon, so I can play with them. I have only gotten to play with each once since being back other than this grooming session. Rain and cold combined are no fun! Summer is coming... at least I havent been trapped here all winter!

:-)
S

Externship Completed :-(

Yesterday was my last day as an extern... :-( It was a great day and I am extremely sad that I have to go home now. T and Dad are here now for the next few days to hang out and do some Florida things like shopping and DISNEY! So that should be great I suppose.

On a WHOOHOO note, I definately got my ONE STAR in instructing! YEYYYY!!

Indy came to N's to live with Mo now for the next week until we leave. She loaded up really well. We had a lesson about not blowing through the pressure of the butt bar because she tried to break my arm once or twice... but once she figured out to move off the pressure from behind she licked and chewed and did really well. Even unloading she re-loaded pretty well and even offered to BACK INTO THE TRAILER. Apparently all the backing into the pen at Parelli really did us good!

:-)
S