Brace

Where do I start.....Still not feeling 100% yet so my time with Chiclet has been not very productive until today. tacked up played got on all he wanted to do was canter and brace. I didn't have it in me to fight with him about it so I just cantered around. Not a good idea...... Avery drove in and said what ya doin holding your reins so tight? Damn it!! My reply was it's a old habit that I'm having a hard time getting rid of. I'm not sure what to do about the bracing so having a short rein helps well...not really. Avery got on him and it as pretty rough at first. He had a plan and what Avery was asking as not part of it. It was lots of sideways and holding him head up higher then he wanted. After she rode him she said he was stuck in his ribs and that's what I have to play with. I knew that but I think I need see how to work through it to fix it. I learned something new today. Circles are for shortening the stride and straight line are for lengthening the stride. If I use the straight line to reword good circles thing will be easier. After watching Avery ride I feel a lot better about going to faze 4. I was a little unsettled about going there while riding. 

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.