What a Great Day!!

Today was a lot of fun!

We got to have a bareback lesson with Berin, riding in the halter with one rein - which is something I am really confident about, so I was primed to have loads of fun.

Me and Mo warmed up online in a 50' round pen, playing with our new maintain gait program and fixing our broken change of direction - which wasnt broken today! She was a superstar, really getting into the game and playing around with her posture and things while maintaining her cantering. From there we went into our lesson, which turned out to be a great time.

We were playing with throwing the rope over our horses heads [which was challengingly fun due to some high winds!] at a walk and a trot, and then doing so on a weave pattern! Cool! It was really fun, and Mo was great at allowing me to occasionally bonk her or catch her ears when the wind took the rope or I just threw awkwardly... Poor Mo, she is such a trooper, she just kept on keeping on for me. She sure spoils me sometimes!

When we finished weaving through cones, it was time to weave through each other! That was sure a fun challenge! I wish I had 20 people to play that with at home! Mo did great, and she is really getting good at allowing other horses in to her personal bubble without trying to eat them, I am really proud of her for that, since it makes pre and post lesson horse shoes oh so much less eventful!

After weaving around we lined up two by two at the cones, and played with crossing our arms and going sideways to the next cone, about fifty feet away! Mo did really well and tried really hard for this. The really cool thing was that she really allowed me to direct her - when something was lagging I could isolate it and say 'hey, hindquarters, you should catch up' and she wouldnt take offense, just move that part and keep going. When we would get to the next cone, you would back up to the fence line, about 150 feet away. Mo was really solid in her backup, again allowing me to direct her when she drifted from straight, but it was a little slow, so we are going to play with speeding it up a bit in the future.

When the lesson was done we had our own personal horsemanship time until lunch time, so Mo and I headed out into her pasture area, since it is a big-ish open area that ISNT sand! Since the footing is more solid, that means Mo has more go! To be fair, I am not a fan of slogging through sand either, and the arena at the Foundation Station is DEEP, so it makes Mo more introverted feeling than usual. Anyways, out in her pasture she was happy to move about, so we started with some nice follow the rail at a trot, just to get used to the new situation. Even though she lives there, I didnt want to make assumptions that she would be calm there. Ive been wrong that way before!

She was a superstar, and relaxed at the trot almost imediately. When we started to pick up the canter she offered me the left lead, as usual, even though I asked for the right. The transitions were really nice and easy though, so she gets credit for that! Each time she would pick up the wrong lead I would softly bend her to the rail back to a trot and ask again. It took a few times, but eventually she got the right answer and I let her canter off on a casual rein for a little bit around the rail. We continued this pattern for a bit, until my brain couldnt *not* jump the log sitting there anymore!

There is a log in Mo's pasture, and I have wanted to jump it since I got here, so do dee doo, off on our right lead we aimed and popped over... waaay over jumping because Mo missed a stride somewhere, but it was awesome and we stopped right after! GO EVEN IMPULSION!

We played on a circle after that, on a bit more of a concentrated rein. I was trying to help Mo find the right bend in her body to get the right lead, it seemed to help. The number of left lead departs before finding a right lead depart went down. So yey! We jumped a few more times, which was super fun, and Mo started finding her distances, which was delightful!

When our circles got pretty good I turned it into a figure eight, so she could pick up the left lead without feeling wrong. That went pretty well, and on the last round she got the right lead from a halt!

It was a really fun session because I could feel her collection herself, sitting on her hind end, and the lightness in the bridle was just unbelievable! She was actually carrying herself properly and not asking me to hold her up! So cool! YEY canter -walk/halt transitions!!!!

After finishing up with that, after lots of cantering and STILL finishing with motivation and an effective gas pedal still in place, we moseyed around, I took her bridle off and we rode back to the tack room. Mo got a drink and I unsaddled her. She got a well needed bath and we went to hang out in the sunshine to dry [both of us... Mo tends to share baths] and eat some grass [just Mo]

The best part was, when I went to feed Mo her dinner tonight, they already had their hay and she left her hay to come hang out with me - AGAIN! All I did was brush her and feed her, but still, thats such a nice feeling, and it tells me that I didnt cross the line into a bad place today. I didnt feel like I did at all, but it was a lot of cantering for Mo!

I am actually really proud of how things went today. I was so calm and relaxed and having fun, that a situation that could have been in the past, really frustrating, was just a fun puzzle to solve. Maybe I should have POTC 3 music in my head everyday! I dont know why, but it was running through my head over and over.... Like Pat always says, I would have been proud to have Mo's and my mom watching! I kind of wish my mom *had* been watching... then I might have some pictures of Mo looking all amazing!  Oh well... I will just have to live with FEELING the amazing that she was today!

:-)
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

Just Little Things :-)

Today my plans got a little distracted, but good things happened anyways.

I was planning on playing with at least Indy and Crystal today, but only got to Indy because friends called me to come out and play since we all finally had a day off on the SAME day [thats a big deal around here andunheard of!]

Firstly, when I first got to Aunty's house in the morning to let Pride into the barn, Indy, Mo AND Pride were all waiting for me at the gate. I cant tell you what an amazing wonderful glowing awesome beautiful feeling that is. Pride was there because she wanted in obviously, but BOTH my ponies were happily waiting for me at the gate, begging to play! WOW!!!!!

I opened the gate to let Pride in ad she went on into her stall. I invited Indy into the barn at liberty and she came in very politely and stopped when I asked her in front of her stall so I could halter her. While this was going on Mo was waiting politely at the gate behind Indy. I sent Indy further into the barn and dropped the rope to leave her be while I got Mo in and put her in her stall for her naps. Silly Mo, every time she comes in she naps ...litterally, flat out, sleeping, snoring sometimes even. She is so cute.

Once I got Mo settled, I groomed Indy and we went out to play. We played online some, with circles and transitions and figure eight and then tried our weave. Everything went really well. eaving needed some clarification but Indy was having a blast. We also played some more with backing by the tail, which I started teaching her last session, and she was right there! It was very cool, she is super clever.

Around there A called me and said lets go see Transformers 2 ... again. How could I resist? Optimus... big screen... Im there! So I finished up with Indy online and proceded to complete the coolest thing with her.... I gave her a bath, from the hose, with shampoo, AT LIBERTY. OMG WOW!

This might not sound so awesome to most people, but let me explain. Before my sojourn to Florida, I could not get ANYWHERE near Indy with a hose, with the water off, let alone running water and actually let the water TOUCH her. So, to have her stand calmly while the water runs over her head and neck while I suds up her mane. What a cool horsey!! I am so proud of her!!

So much hugs and cookies later, Indy went back out into the pasture and I went to giggle at Mo, who was indeed sleeping! Such an adorable little girl! I hugged her and gave her some cookies then asked her to please get up and go outside. All at liberty, she went out and disengaged while I protected her space from Indy who was hoarding the entrance looking for cookies. It was very cool to be able to do that for Mo. I think she rather enjoyed it.

With that, I had to run so I could have time to shower before visiting mes amis, so as not to offend them with my [lovely, I think] eau de barn. They cant seem to find the appreciation for it that I have. Oh well!

So bath time with Indy, and cool naps and herds of two stuff with Mo, even if it was brief. Coolest stuff happens with my girls :-)

:-)
S

Progress and Experiments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

:-)
S