Walkies!

Breeze and I went for a walk in the woods Sunday evening and she was a very tense snorting monster lol. Then I realised we hadn't been in the woods for a whole week and the last two times were quite interesting.

With this in mind I decided not to try and ride her but to just play. Breeze started out being a bit tense and ignoring me. The trees and bushes were far more interesting and edible. As we walked along she met a few thresholds and I respected them and waited for her. B offered to hop on the tree stump that lately she has been staring at and snorting! Around the next bend she decided I wasn't worth listening to so we had a discussion about who was the leader and from then on she was soft and light, eager to go in the log trailer without hesitation.

On the way to the top of the old woods we weaved the trees and played the driving game from zone 5. At the top of the old woods we found a small log the size of a jump pole and we got back up over the 'pole' a few times and I managed to take one in focus photo (see above lol) and she didn't offer sideways! Woohoo! We did some mounting simulation by the long log. Breeze is usually unconfident the minute I touch her back, even when grooming, so we did a lot of approach and retreat with that until she could stand still and not move away. I found if I leaned over her back, up came her right leg and she did her 'begging' behaviour thing. I totally ignore this when she does it on the pedestal at the yard, I wait until she puts her leg down before I give her a treat. Her lining up for me to get on is steadily improving and again I think I blew her mind by not getting on. It was nice to see how the shape of her back has changed and is becoming more flat and muscular. I am always struck by this view of Breeze. I spend most of my time either on the ground looking at all of her or looking from her back not at it.

On the way back I played with using my c/s to direct her as we weaved along through the trees etc in preparation for carrot stick riding. She was much softer and really listening to me. Even her desire to go faster to get home sooner wasn't that obvious and she was happy to go past the exit without getting snotty. As soon as she went forward I gave her a treat and we turned and left the woods.

Last night we played in the school for a very short time. I focused again on asking very very quietly for circle game. I praised her every time she came in but sent her again and we got change of direction too. She is becoming far less resistant now and I only saw the whites of her eyes once when she drifted backwards. I immediately took all the pressure off and it wasn't long before she came to me. This time she backed over a pole and didn't try to sideways too much and best of all didn't go intro when I ignored her. Progress.

I am sorry to say I am becoming very anxious about Sunday's sponsored ride. I hate this about myself. I don't know what I am frightened about, it's kind of the same as hacking around our woods and B has shown me her spooks and unconfidence and I managed it very well and preserved her dignity and built up our confidence. Perhaps I am doing my usual of mistaking excitement for anxiety. It will be ok. It will be fun and we can take it slow if I need to. Lydia is coming so there will be two of us 'rope wigglers' and Sandra will be there to babysit me like Lizzie and I babysat her and Bertie. As Sandra said last night, if B comes off the box a snorting RB nutter I can stay and play with her instead of riding. It's the unknown that unsettles me I think. This is B and I's first outing anywhere so I just don't know how she will be but I will deal with the horse that turns up no matter what.

This evening B and I played in the school again. After some hesitation and thinking about it we got circle game at a very relaxed but forward walk for three laps after her only being able to do one lap then come in! I praised her every time and asked again. It was hard for B because there were others riding in the school which she seems very sensitive to. We walked about a little and went and picked blackberries for Breeze to eat in between tasks lol. Weave around jump sides and a little fig 8. We tried back up over a pole and at first she couldn't but went around instead. She tried to give me sideways and I bumped her quite fast to stop her. She stood for a while licking and chewing and staring at nothing but she wasn't introverted, just really thinking. I asked her towards me then back and she went back over the poles! Hooray! I ended it there, grinning.