I finally have a partner

Today I realized that I mean something to my horse. I had the worst day I'm still not feeling good things at home got ugly everything about today sucked. Not my horse though. When I got to the barn everyone was leaving and I was thinking about just grazing Chicle. What the hell lets go to the indoor and play with some liberty. I didn't do any prep online just let him free. Played with circle that was ok still going out to far but he slowly comes closer. I've been playing with driving in zone 2 and getting him to catch up to me when he drifts behind. He now trots with me and canters but we didn't do a lot of cantering because I can't run without coughing my head off. I was thinking that this is going so good lets try adding a few things to see what happens. Wow! we did figure 8 at the trot it was awesome! I've had such trouble with this one even online I still have issues with it but we did it both ways. I was so happy even Chiclet was like did I do it good. He was even offering to jump over barrels that never happens. I felt like he was a real partner today. All my stress went away I love my horse.

Sucks to be sick

Ive been sick all weekend and still recovering today. I didn't do much with Chicle over the weekend infect I didn't even go to the barn sunday afternoon. Yesterday I thought I wanted to ride but took some meds before I left for the barn NOT a good idea. I was like Weeee! by the time I got there. Played stick to me at liberty everything going good until Avery came in the ring with Ahug and then it was oh no I lost my horse. I got him back after he cantered around the ring about 10 times. stick to me again and some sideway then jump over a barrel. I lost him about 3 times total  with the other horse in there but he came back pretty quick. I was happy with how he did. Avery was playing at liberty with Ahug too.

In a funk

I went to the barn in a funk this afternoon. I had a rough day dealing with life so my head was really busy with stuff. It's kind of funny how horses pick up on this. Went in the paddock and Chiclet was sunning himself with two of his buddies. The ball was next to him so I went and sat on it just to hang out. All 3 horses came over to say hi and see if I had a cookies. It was so cute I put my hand out and all three of them touched me at the same time.

Brought Chiclet in and gave him a good grooming against his will of course. He hates to be groomed. Saddled him and went to the outdoor to play. While playing I was in la la land trying to focus on what I was doing. It looked like he was not ridable so we did what he likes driving game ok now he looks ridable. Got on rode lots of walk halt transitions move to the trot doing figure 8. Still not feeling like things are right. I was looking around to see if anyone was around but the farm was like a ghost town. I really wanted to go out on the trail but no one was there to let them know where I was going. What the hell I decided to just go. This is our first trail ride with just the 2 of us no baby sitter. Got to the trail trotted stopped a few times all good so far. Once we got to the dirt road his feet were sticky so I just kept trotting and moved him sideways back and forth found some grass at the end of the road and stopped. He only wanted to eat a few mins though. I told him is was ok and we wondered home. Yay! we lived through our firth trail ride alone. The funny thing is when we got back there still wasn't anyone around.

Driving at liberty

Well, the horses stayed in their paddock 2 nights in a row. Rain monday and tuesday night so they came in to dry off for the night.

Here is one of the pictures my friend Sarah took last week.

I played at liberty this afternoon. I can't believe how far we have come in just a few months. We did some driving in zone 3 and 4 it was so much fun. Chicle is really starting to pick up on what I'm doing and doing the same thing. I just started canter driving in zone 5 on line but I thought I would try it today at liberty. Holly crap it was awesome! canter down the long side stop backup trot on and really snappy too not really using the stick. I really working towards taping my liberty level 3 I just have a few things like the figure 8 that I'm stuck on. 

A night out

Not much to report today. Worked all day and did some chores at home so I thought it would be a good day for Chiclet to do his Chicle thing with his buddies. Went to the barn this afternoon to feed and bring in. We decided to leave the horses out tonight for the first time. The fence is not great so it should be interesting to see what happens over night.

2 Days of stuff

We played in the outside ring thursday and my friend Sarah played with Bamboozle with us. Sarah is so cute she is just starting her voyage with Parelli so it's fun to watch her.  It reminds me of when I started with Parelli. We had a good time. Sarah takes amazing photos and took some of me and Chiclet.

Chiclet was not in a super playful mood thursday. I just played a little bit and then got on. I thought everything was going well until I cantered. Chiclet was tossing his head at the canter and would not stay cantering. Avery drove in so I asked her to if she could tell me what I'm doing wrong. She watched and then said your not moving your not moving your hind legs so he can't move his hind legs. HHmm how interesting! She told me to move my legs with the canter, it was so cool Chicle stretched down and even was blowing out and I didn't have to push him. It was awesome.

Friday I got to the barn played with Chicle and Avery played with River one of the horses she has for training. Chicle had a big blow up before I got on. One of the horses turned out beside the outdoor ring was running like crazy so Chicle thought there must be a huge bear in the woods and it's going to eat him NOT! Avery yells to me use his energy......Change directions every half circle. Holly crap I've never seen him so fired up he was doing flying changes totally right brain so it was a mess. I think I went a little right brain too! It felt like I was never going to get him back but it took about 10 minutes and he started to breath his head stretched down. I asked him to come in he looked at me like holly crap what just happened? The funny thing was I could feel myself coming down from the adrenalin rush too. He was pretty cooked but I rode anyway. He was really tight and still looking for the bear a little bit. Avery talked me through it she said just keep riding. I rode for about a hour the he finally felt soft so off on a trail ride we went. Boy is Avery really making me realize where my comfort level is and challenge me to step out of it. It's so funny because she just comes out with something and it's like just do it don't think about it to much. I so need that I'm a over thinker sometimes.

The last 2 days

Lets see where do I start......I played with some liberty yesterday just to kill time. I had to feed and bring Avery's 5 horses in so didn't have time to ride. Liberty went good I was doing the weave and he got fresh so I sent him away and the funnest thing happened.....he left and went through the weave himself. I just laughed at him so he came running back like did I do good mom. He cracks me up sometimes.

Today I got to the barn and Avery had lessons with 2 ladies I know. They invited me to go out on the trail with them. I used Avery's Parelli western saddle. OMG!!!! Chiclet looks so cute in it for 1 and for 2 I loved the feel of it. The trail ride started just like the one last week. Chiclet was up and full of it starting out but ended up being so good after.

Rain Again

Something strange happened this afternoon. The horses only got a few hours of turnout today because of the heavy rain. When I got to the barn this afternoon Chiclet was climbing the walls wanting out. My plan was to groom him then play and ride. I started grooming him and he was so fussy I decides to just goto the ring and play. Here is the strange part we got in the ring and he went really introverted and unconfident. This has never happened in the indoor even the first day we moved there he was fine with it. The only thing I could see different was one of the lights was making a funny noise and the mounting block was moved out 2 feet.  I just played with going really really slow in fact I think we set the record for the slowest walk! It took about 20min to get him through it and then we played with more driving in zone 5. Love it love it love it! I tried canter down the long side then halt and back up. It's not totally straight yet but we have it mastered in the trot so I think the canter will get straighter the more we play with it.

A Jaunt Through The Woods

Went on a short jaunt through the woods and down a dirt road with Avery this afternoon. Avery has a horse in for training to be restarted so after riding him for a week she said he's ready for a trail ride and tag I'm it to go with her. It started off a little hairy on my end. Chiclet started getting really up at the entrance to the trail so move the hind until he decided being up is not a good choice. Ok we are good so off trotting with a tun if transitions in between. When we got to the dirt road we trotted about a 1/4 mile then found some grass and hung out. It was so much fun. I probably would have turned around at the start of the trail ride with Chiclet all up if I wasn't with Avery. Then we just moseyed home.

I played online before the trail. I'm getting some really nice stuff driving in zone 5. I'm starting to get him to respond to what I'm doing with my body instead of the line. Trot to back up is awesome!

Rain Rain Go Away

Yesterday took it easy went over to this huge field that is a cross the street from the farm. Just wondered around looking for the good grass it was nice and quiet. We stayed over there for about a hour.

Today it rained and I played in the indoor and did a little riding in there. It just got watered so it was really slippery. Chiclet slipped a few times and it made him really tight. I decided to go out to the out door ring even though it was raining a little. Rode the rail he got really soft and was blowing out so I think the footing in the indoor was making him nervous. He even offered to canter. I was surprised and took it then did a few simple changes and called it a day. He was a really good boy today.

The power of a pony

There is a new pony at the farm her name is Bamboozle. She is a hot shit all the horses have great respect for her. When she says move you better move or your getting double barreled. Chiclet is very interested in her I think because she is fare to him. She asks first and he is used to being told not asked.

Sunday and monday I played and rode. Things went ok. On monday I felt like he was tired so I rode for a half hour I wanted to do more but I was feeling bad about him being tire. I'm such a sucker! It was the end of the day so I put Chicle back out for a bit before they all had to come in for the night. This is when I figured out I'm a sucker. Chiclet and the other horses had a serious rump around the paddock and Bamboozle was the start of it all. She was moving him around it was so cool. I went over to play today with a new attitude. I had in the back of my mind that horses can travel up to 30 miles a day. I was playing with getting him to be softer with zone 1 his head. He wants to pull me all the time. I felt like he didn't want to be with me at the end so I'm not sure if I got my point across or not. I guess I'll have to see what happens tomorrow. I already have big plans for going over to the big feild tomorrow.

Liberty

Let me start by saying that I alway wanted to have this awesome bond with my horse so I could do all the cool stuff at liberty. Up until recently I never played at liberty for two reasons. 1) Chiclet would try and run me over and 2) he would leave and go right brained and jump the fence or go through it. So a few weeks ago my dear friend Avery helped me with this issue. We had a big break through it was so much fun I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Here we are a few weeks later and I think my horse has out smarted me. I thought today would be a good day for some liberty. Walked around did some sideways yo yo everything going good. Ok send him out on a circle he goes off trotting and then stops send again trot stop after a few steps. Hhmm what do I do now? After a few minutes of this I figured I need to do something else. I found myself running around more then he was. So a few weeks ago he would just take off like a rocket and have no confidence now he leaves and is like ok I guess and has all the confidence in the world. I guess I need to figure out what to do with his new found confidence.

Farrier

I started this blog last summer and kinda forgot about it. Well, new things have been happening with Chiclet and I thought it's time to write everyday.

Today was interesting. (My best friend Laura always laughs at me when I say that. Because everyday is interesting with Chicle) My farrier came to put shoes on and I always get stressed out because Chiclet is not into the whole farrier thing. I have to give myself at least a hour before my farrier comes so I can play and get all of the naughty thoughts out of Chiclets head. I thought I was doing good we played he was awesome hung out in his stall everything was good. The farrier showed up late not good to much time for naughty thoughts to come back. To make a long story short he was trimming the last hoof and I turned my head and Chiclet bit my thumb and the blood was gushing. After 2 hours of him being in the barn without his buddies he had enough and my thumb took the brunt of it. I love my horse!!!!!