Great Afternoon

This afternoon I finally dredged up some time for MY ponies! I have not really done anything much since before I left for Michigan, so it was a nice treat to have A) daylight and B) the time!

As I walked out to the barn I saw Mo in the middle of the feild and whistled [and was graced with not even so much as a lifting of the head] but then I saw Indy in the shed with every horse EXCEPT Mo, so that was good. When I went to the back door and whistled she came over and I was able to halter her and bring her into the barn.

I brushed her and made her gorgeous [not hard to do] and then brought out my saddle and shims. The last time I had her saddled she bucked and acted generally uncomfortable, so I thought it was time to re-assess my shim pattern. That, and the fact that she has beefed up CONSIDERABLY since coming home! She has a NECK and a CHEST and her back is spreading with muscle like nobodys business! She is just flowering into this gorgeous phenomenol horse. I cant get enough of her.

Shim pattern re-done, I put my saddle and pad outside and grabbed my 45'. We went into the arena and started to play. Firstly I moved some barrels into a row so that we could have them for a jump. To begin with I ended up testing our yo-yo, because she was slacking a bit while I was moving barrels around so we played with "How little can I do while you back up quickly and straight" - now THAT was fun! She really got into it and tried and really got backing with very little more than an energy burst from me!

From there we went into some circles all the way out on the end of the 45' and I got a really nice surprise! ALLLLL the way out there I took two steps back for a change of direction and POOF there it was! WOWWWWYYY!!! I was so thrilled!!!

On that high note our ground play just progressed and was fantastic. We moved on from circles to do a really fun playful squeeze over the barrels that inolved Indy playing Cow pony when I disengaged her as she would cut down low on the re-send. It was hysterical! She also offered some BEAUTIFUL collection on the circle, bending her body perfectly. I will admit I was asking for sideways at the time, but I will take what I can get!!

We went on to do some falling leaf through the small pasture and generally just played around with some high energy things until I got "the look" and had permission to saddle. Saddling was a snap and we went back out to play some more for girth tightening. My pony is getting chubby... the girth only goes up three holes currently! Used to go five or six... oopsy..!

When she was ready to ride I unsnapped the 45 and coiled it up - during which time Indy didnt move at all, which was a real treat and testament to our friendly game progression - and we walked over at liberty to the fence to get the 12' to make into reins. I also put my savvy string around her neck to see how that would work out. Me being me, I just clambered up onto the ledge of the water trough for a mounting block, and Indy being Indy was a doll and just sidled right over to help me on! What a sweetie! Of all things, helping with mounting is one of my very favorite things!

Once mounted I got myself arranged and then set to the task of getting Candy out of the ring because she likes to be a nuisance. Indy LOVED that task! I focused on the pony and she was right there with me! I hardly had to do anything, she walked when Candy walked, and trotted when Candy trotted. Apparently my cow practice paid off! I wish I had a cow here to play with... must ask neighbours.... [more on cows later..good times!]

After Candy kindly vaccated the area we wlaked around, testing our pseudo-bridless brakes and turning and what not. Everything went very well. As per usual, a little more go than whoa, but getting more centered every time. When we picked up the trot Indy was a little impuslsive and trotting around very fast so that was interesting. I offered her some circles and those seemed to help a little bit. She ran into the stick once from trying to get behind the shed, and I have to say that was kind of funny. I put the stick down in a phase on position, and she just turned her head wrong and went THWACK and consequently spun herself in a circle, stopped, licked and chewed. What a dork. Love her!

So on we went. My self-disiplining pony was slightly more compliant now and amenable to my ideas for direction at the trot. She was still impuslive though, which was kind of fun. She kept offering the canter, which I allowed because the last time we rode in the ring her attitude was very much the " I am to BIG I cant canter in here!" so I was just happy she wanted to canter at all.

We played around in the ring area for a bit but really she was just feeling good so I directed her out to the pasture area and she saw it and went OH BOY and just galloped down the length of it. Good thing I am ok with that... I didnt precisely ASK for it, but neither did I suggest she slowed down, so long as I chose the direction. After joyously cavorting all the way down and allllll the way back she was happier to relax and pay attention. And I think I was better off for a good gallop to - lets face it, I really do have a need for speed! Speedy cars, speedy ponies... either, or, preferably both!

From there we did some sideways stuff - which is getting REALLY soft [so is her general response to my leg which is SO delightful!] and then went out the gate because I heard a something-mechanical start up and was hoping it was a dirt bike or four wheeler I could follow, but it was the motorcycle and it was leaving. Poopy. Oh well, I went on a trail ride anyways.

Funny thing happened on the very first stretch of the trail though! We were cantering happily along and then I look down to check for pot holes and such, and make sure the ground is actually dry enough to support us and I see HERMIONE! [the cat, well A cat] Right underfoot [or about to be] and sleeping. Gack. I sort of probably created a tiny brace in my body, expecting Indy to go AHHH but I was SO PROUD when all she did was a sort of mini jump over the cat, and keep cantering happily. NO SPOOKING!!! Not even when the poor kitty jumped up, freaking out and ran away! YEY INDY!

*so proud*

We cantered most of the trail, trotting where appropriate and snacking along the way [her, not me] When we got to the top of the hill at the end we did some circles around the tree waiting for the motorcycle to leave and playing Follow Fritz [the dog] Of course, being me, I had this grand idea to race the motorcyle down the laneway on the galloping stretch, and that started out well enough.... until the bazzilion cows in the pasture bordering the stretch decided to race ME! AHH! Indy was sooo not impressed with cows racing her and bolted a teensy bit... just a teensy bit though. I bent her to a stop and then all was fine, we played more tackle Fritz and then cantered back down the trail.

We walked and moseyed and stopped with snacking most of the way in order to 'cool out' but as often happens to my attention span, I got distracted when I saw C and C biking off down the laneway. Indy is a bit sketchy on bikes and moving things like that so I thought it would be a perfect chance to build some confidence. They had a pretty food head start on me so we trotted and cantered after them to catch up and then follwed at a walk for the rest of the way up the laneway. It was really good! C and C stopped at the end to pick some flowers, so Indy got to graze beside the pony-eating-cycles and wasnt really bothered by them anymore when they took off again, so JOY! Mission accomplished!

Funny thing about that though, is about a third of the way down the laneway I hear this quiet thunder and then I look over into the pasture... and there is Mo... looking all dejected following us down the road on her side of the fence! She ran up and down the whole way we walked and when the trees were to thick to see us, she would whinny. How adorable! So when we got to the barn, she was waiting all anxious at the gate.

I brought Indy into the barn and put her in 'The Spot' where she waits. I got her some crunch and then got Mo some and ran down the aisle to give it to her. I figure its good friendly game to hurtle myself at her and then give her cookies... it makes her confident about me running to her. Incedentally, it makes Indy confident about me running behind her, because she gets treats on my return! How handy!

After untacking Indy and giving her TONS of love and treats I backed her down the aisle and squeezed her out the gate where she disengaged happily to come in for some more Apple Snacks. She kind of wanted to chase Mo away, and with Mo trying so hard to be nice and come say hi, I sort of pushed Indy away a little and called Mo's name while *trying* to disengage her. Lo and behold, IT WORKED! She turned and faced and walked up all enthused! Good thing I saved her some snacks.....

When I turned to walk into the barn [ostensiably for the night] she followed me so happily that I just couldnt ignore her! She walked with me into the barn, although instead of sticking with me she wandered over to Delilah's stall to investigate for left overs... its always that stall though, so thats interesting. As soon as I walked by though she came right out to see me. I loaded on the yummies for my little food oriented monster and then yo-yo'ed her ALL the way out of the barn... thats right! Riht up and over the large step out of the back of that barn, and she did it with out even pausing [other than to let me open the gate] AND she offered to come back in and do it again! What a doll! She got me to run back for more crunch something like three times. She knows EXACTLY how to get me! Little monster!

Just when I thought she got bored of me and walked away [and so I did to] she came back with water dripping from her muzzle begging for more hugs! She really has me in her back pocket, because I definately went back to hug her some more. How I loves my ponies <3

Such was my amazing evening.

:-)
S

To Michigan, Madison and Back Again!

Since the last time I posted I have been VERY busy! I drove down to Okemos Michigan to visit one of m very god friends M, and the from there, after visiting for a few days we loaded up her pony Hank, P, J, J's pony Star and myself and road tripped even further down to Madison Wisconsin. Why Madison you may ask? Well! Since I missed the Parelli Celebration in Harrisburg [was in Ocala obviously, externing] I exchanged my ticket to get to be in Madison.

M and J both were on the menu of spotlights, and they were both GREAT! M had online and freestyle with Hank, and they were fabulous and J had freestyle with Star and were great too. Saturday and Sunday were fantastic. I did some shopping in the 50% off bins and learned tons.

The dance on Saturday night was a blast. I actually dances, and E attempted to teach me some line dances... we will see how well they stick with me the next time I go out to a country bar...?

My basic point of todays blog though, besides having driven for eternity *again* is what happened when I got home. Obviously, after unloading my truck I went out to Aunty's to visit my much missed ponies. They were gracefully out in the middle of the pasture, completely ignoring my calls and whistles. Joy.

I debated just leaving things at that and waiting til I had time to play and do things before pestering them, but being me, I started to hike myself out there. Mo looked at me when I started walking, but promptly returned to grazing, gooberball! Indy though, didnt notice me right away, but when she did she walked all the way up to me! How sweet is that? She came right up to me, all happy and ears perked, looking for her hugs.

I scratched on her for a while, saved Mo from getting eaten, since she walked right over as soon as Indy came to me. Mo is such a jealous girl! I loved on Indy for a little while, then pony-jumped to Mo, taking out her braid and scratching her itchy neck. She was so sweet, trying to scratch me back.

Even Crystal came over, which was a nice surprise, so I cuddled with her a little bit. Indy wandered back over then, and so I scratched her some more and then said my goodbyes and started back to the barn because it was starting to rain. It was then that I got a REALLY nice BIG surprise.... I turned to walk away, and INDY CAME WITH ME!

I didnt ask her, I usually dont even have that great of draw with her, our liberty is nearly non existant and voila... she voluntarily followed me back to the barn [from waaay out in the pasture] no strings attached, right beside me, all the way. I felt so... honoured!

At the barn,I asked her what she would like to do. If she just wanted some cookies or if she wanted to come in and be brushed. She opted to come in and gently walked through the door and disengaged and waited while I closed the gate, then we yo=yoed down the aisle to the front where I usually groom and turned around there. ALL AT LIBERTY!!! YEY!!!!

She stood perfectly still while I got brushes and groomed her. She stood perfectly still while I brushed her, body and mane and tail. She was curious about the cowboy magic, which made me laugh. She was curious about the brushes and other things on the feed bin and snuffled around knocking them over happily. She was CALM and happy and confident. EVEN when we were done and I backed her via phase one yo-yo all the way down the aisle and she missed a step and kicked her hind leg against the bike. She just went "oh darn" and rearranged to suit.

Joy of joys, she then squeezed out the gate and turned and faced when I asked. LOADS OF COOKIES FOR THAT! I made two return trips to the cookie jar for that effort!! Indy stayed at the gate until I went into the tackroom to put away the brushes. What a sweet heart. It was so very nice.

Such a treat! I cant believe how well Indy is doing! I guess getting your online great really does lead to great liberty... DOI!!!!

:-)
S