Before I print the two opening words, I had to reason out swearing and cursing. I swore this afternoon. Here are the definitions:
1. Cursing is negative.
2. Swearing can be either positive or negative.
I used two swear words today in a positive manner:
GOD DAMN!
Fancy gave me a flying lead change while I was riding her bridleless! I had a thin rope around her neck and I carried a horsemanship stick.Fancy had nothing on her head. She had nothing in her mouth. We were in the second lesson of the day with Erin Patterson. During the first lesson, I had the bridle on, but didn’t use it. The three person group did all the gaits. I did walk, flat foot walk, fox trot and canter. My other groupies have non gaited horses. They got to do walk, trot and canter. heh heh!
During the second lesson I took off the bridle, I got to do all the gaits with another student with a Missouri Fox Trotter. Cantering without the bridle went well! I was able to relax. I love indoor arenas with walls! Fancy was anxious at one end of the arena probably because pigs live just outside the arena wall and we have not ridden in this arena most of the spring, summer and fall. But all went well and Fancy never spooked.
We did not try for flying lead changes during group one. I forgot about flying lead changes during the group two lesson. Fancy forgot about it too.
“Susan, I want you to canter a circle and stop in the middle. Susan, I want you to canter a circle the other direction and stop in the middle.” I was concerned about my signal to stop. Our stop went from slow way down and seep forward into a stop. We did come to a stop very nearly in the middle. I was very happy with the Fancy-girl in this huge accomplishment.
Erin then spoke a full sentence the contained the words flying change. I startled internally. I was just concerned with cantering and stopping! Thankfully, Fancy failed understand the full human english sentence so she failed to anticipate what I was going to ask. When Fancy decides to do things before I ask, before she is in the proper position, before she is balanced, success is highly risky.
I’m to do a canter circle to the right and a flying lead change when switching directions in another circle. I got to the middle where the switch was to be made and asked. It didn’t happen right away. Fancy continued to canter, but went into more of a pace gallop (four beats instead of three) which is not balanced. When we made the second turn in the circle at the end of the arena, something happened and I felt smooth. I felt a canter. I checked Fancy’s legs and we were doing the correct lead going to the right. Erin said the words, “Stop in the Middle”. We seeped into the stop and Erin told me to reward Fancy. Luckily, I had a treat. She got a treat and I dismounted and loosened the girth. This is another reward. The lesson for Fancy and I ended. I quizzed Erin and asked if we really did a legal flying change. The answer was YES! Both sets of legs changed at the same time. The canter was maintained.
OMG! GOD DAMN! I think swearing is fully justified at this incredible event
Our first bridleless flying lead change was a magical experience.
Thank you Erin Patterson for developing Fancy and the more difficult job of developing me!
After we watched our group two lesson continue, it was time to load up and go home. Fancy disrobed her saddle and I got into position to load her. The wind was whipping the heavy trailer door and I had to hang on to it while telling Fancy to load. Fancy pretended not to know how to load. I had also failed to put her bribery feed bucket into the trailer. Fancy and I spend about five minutes arguing about loading. Finally, she remembered how to load and that I was the leader and in charge of her world.
We arrived safely at home. I stopped at the house and let Emma, the German Shepherd out of the house. I drove thirty feet to the barn and let Fancy out of the trailer and the wondrous event ended. I went into the house and mentally celebrated the grand occasion for forty-five minutes when it was time to take the husband and I out to a celebration dinner with wine for me.
Wait! Where is Emma? She never came into the house. She didn’t appear outside even when I honked the car horn. I yelled her name and heard her bark. Her bark was coming from the barn. Generally she can open the door of the feed room and exit on her own. I checked the feed room. No Emma. I yelled her name and she barked. OMG. Emma is locked up in the horse trailer!
So when I opened the horse trailer door, Fancy got out and somehow Emma must have leaped into the trailer without me noticing. How does that happen. I held onto the trailer door and shut it. Emma was free to eat as much horse manure as she could eat in almost an hour.
God DAMN!
Update: I rode Fancy the next day. I put the bridle on and we jumped a nearly two foot jump. Took off the bridle and jumped again. My confidence soars. We did a lot of follow the rail at all gaits. Next we went for cloverleaf. Making the turn to canter down the middle (A to C) in dressage words was too tight. At the end! We tried for left to right flying lead, but dropped to trot. We did do TWO right to left flying changes! Reward..release..Emma did not load into trailer tonight while unloading Fancy. Big day!
lol. Nice!