Isolate, separate and recombine.

Sometimes, as I drive home from the yard and a mind blowing (or otherwise) session with Breeze I try to think of titles for my blog post. I usually want the title to reflect what has happened or at least be humourous. Today I came up with a few but settled on this one as it seemed appropriate. Of course, not trusting my own judgement I had to look the phrase up, sure that I had got it wrong. No, I had it right but it could also have been unconscious competence but that would be giving myself too much credit lol.

I could have ridden today or I could have just turned B out like I did yesterday because we had a full on weekend and Sundays ride took a lot out of me and really tested our relationship. I could have done a lot of things but the deciding factor is always play with the horse that shows up. Breeze seemed quite LBI this morning, even to the point of being pushy and crabby. I backed her out of her stable and all of a sudden I had two eyes and a willing, eager horse. We played with both pedestals outside her stable and then I left her ground tied outside the shed while I got c/s and treats. Breeze tried to sneak off into another shed next door but I was kind of watching her despite not being able to see her. As soon as I knew she had sidled over to the open shed door I gently bumped the rope and backed her up. 'Wow!' she said,' I am impressed, so impressed I cannot take my eyes off you' lol.

Oh boy! Did I have her full attention. We moseyed to the arena and had the most wonderful play session. Perhaps this weekend I proved myself to Breeze just a teeny weeny bit more. Perhaps it was all Lydia's doing in teaching B not to brace in that brief window of trailer loading? I will never really know, will I? Doesn't stop me feeling wonderful though!

Breeze hardly braced at all. She thought about it on circle game but decided coming to me was a better idea lol. She 'got it!'. I could almost imagine I could hear those brain cells of hers buzzing as they worked 'it' out. 'It' being that I am being particular in asking her to do things she can and wants to do. Also being particular in breaking things down into separate steps, then putting them together. She tried going sideways when I asked her to back up over a pole and when I bumped her she didn't get offended or freak out but stopped and thought about it, lick and chew, lick and chew. We got back up over two poles set a few feet apart, then forwards and we played with different feet over and back!

She spooked at some people walking on the path outside and around the arena so we went to investigate. The two men stopped and held their hands out to Breeze in the 'horseman's handshake'! I have noticed more and more people do this and it thrills me to bits. We left them to walk away and did some trot next to me and back up over to get the most beautiful fig 8 around two jump sides with poles on the ground in between.

Circle game and change of direction was exuberant at first, snaky head and snappy send, then she settled into walk and trot and c.o.d. with her head low, then she blew out. I didn't ask for circle again because that was exactly what I was looking for. We left the arena by backing out and B got handfuls of carrot bits, stuff /munch, stuff/munch.

Lately she has had thresholds leaving the yard so we popped over the road to the woods in trot, together! I backed her onto the bridle path from zone 3 next to her, asked her to yield her HQ and backed her out again. Then we explored the car park and I asked her under the willow tree and let her rest and eat whatever she liked. She looked at me so happily with love in her eyes, or did I imagine it? I felt we were really connected today. So much so that back on the yard I left the line on her withers as I rugged her and we walked around the yard to the field at liberty. She went through the gate I held open, went to yield her HQ but instead headed off up the runway lol. Hmm, lost her there? She stopped and waited for me halfway while I took her halter off and backed up next to me as I opened the second gate. Then she was gone. Off to find her herd. I turned and walked away, smiling, to do the chores.