I had fun tonight on Sue. I was able to relax. I had someone telling me what to do. I didn’t have to rely on myself to figure out what to do. I had a task. I had people to chat with as I zipped around. All those are good things.
In the warm up tonight I think we have the rope throwing done..except she still flinched when I threw it over her while clamoring in the trailer. I used lots of treats tonight when she accepted the rope touching her ears.
We have the hula hoop singing as it goes over her head. She got lots of treats when she accepted the hula hoop touching her ears. She even wore the hula hoop over her head – on her chest and walked. It clanked. She was calm. wowsa
We played find the treat. I’m trying to reach her curious and fun self. I put a peppermint treat on a barrel and then direct her to the barrel with my “send arm” and the carrot stick. At the end we were circling besides the barrel. We stopped at the barrel and found the treat. She liked this game. I did too. It’s like having a child in the house for their first Christmas.
We got the bridle on. It didn’t take near as long. She got treats when she got the bit into her mouth. Surprising, she doesn’t think much of people putting a bit in her mouth.
I got on. Again the rope flopping against her neck made her flinch. We were zipping along and I decided to circle a barrel. We did that and the saddle slipped a bit, so I performed the rear end shuffle and scared Sue into the scoot move. We went around the barrel again and she expected me to move the saddle again at the same place. I fooled her. I was a semi-relaxed rag doll.
We did our 4 corner game. We didn’t spend as much time walking and stopping. When we stopped, we practiced the bend to a stop game. We went up into a faster comfortable gait. I managed to make it 3/4 of the way around the arena before having to stop and relax.
Then Jenny came into the arena. I was still playing my 4 corner (sometimes) game. But I started to do a turn on the hind quarter and then forequarter. She told me to be more particular with Sue’s forequarter turns. She was walking out if it. I thought, “I’m into surviving up here, not thinking about my forequarter turn.” But, then I thought about the forequarter turn and we did a darn credible job. I got into my one step backwards and one turn step movement. I can turn a circle backwards doing that maneuver. It’s slick and Sue can do it.
Then was started going on the wall without stopping. I survived that. As we rested, Jenny told me that we would do the clover leaf pattern at a dog walk. Sue and I did a credible job at that. I started to relax. We did it for a long time. Then we switched up to the first comfortable gait. I think we were doing a flat foot walk. Our task was to make all the turns and stay at the same speed. We didn’t do all that bad.
There was another horse in the arena and when we got close to that horse, Sue shied away. Sue also shied away from Jenny’s horse. Sue is scared of other horses! I guess she is unaware that I can protect her against other horses!
OK, we were zipping along. I was able to let the reins go slack for brief moments of time. I was able to ride one handed for brief moments of time. I was into the Rhythm! Jenny was sitting in the middle resting her horse. She had her carrot stick on her shoulder. We went past her and Jenny MOVED the CARROT STICK! SCREAM! We spun out at 100mph scoot. Some of my cheek left the saddle. It was a cheek and 3/4 spook! We turned and faced the awful carrot stick. Then we got on with our clover leaf task.
As an aside: While Sue was in full time training the 2nd time, Tony rode Sue with a carrot stick. He held the carrot stick against the corrugated metal wall as he rode Sue. That produces a noise like a sick airplane trying to take off right next to you. Sue handled that fine.
After a few more times on the pattern, we were told to stop in the middle. Sue slid to a stop with just my body pressure. She backed a few steps with just my body language. whew! yee haw
I knew that being in a lesson would get me to relax and have fun!
We then watched Jenny and the formerly scary horse AND carrot stick do some fancy reining and dressage movements.
We were done! Sue got some more treats after the bridle came off.
We took Isabel home with us. We now have Sue’s yearling daughter living with us at home. She got to run in the pasture tonight with the Bay Girls!