So, what's all this about?

I didn't get to muck out until the afternoon...B needed time to just chill and eat grass. We went to play in the arena which started off well until someone else came in and B went introverted immediately. She would occasionally surface and do something, lovely circle game, jump, turn and face, sideways, back up over a pole, reverse falling leaf. But in between she just hung her head and switched off.

Bertie and Sandra came along to play and I asked if I could let B get some cuddles from Sandra while I played with Bertie for a while. He's a lot different! Mr LBI, so we did some yo yo until he could go all the way back and come forward with a nice look on his face, then had a play with circle game, falling leaf and sideways. All the time B was licking Sandra's hands but keeping her eyes on me. It's great how playing with another horse gets B's attention.

While Sandra carried on playing B and I left to go saddle up which went well until I asked her into the courtyard. Her head went down again and she wasn't budging. Eventually after sitting with her and giving her time she was happy to leave and follow Bert and Sandra across the road where I got on from one of the benches at the tables outside the pub.

It was a good ride. Lots of eat here and move on. B was quite calm and both horses only spooked occasionally, once when two riders came up behind us. We had a few little trots and I only found out when we got home that Sandra had finally taken her Martingale off lol. No wonder she said she only wanted to walk when we set off lol.

We had a bit of a mooch around the yard when we got back. We went to the arena gate then did some back up and fig 8 in the courtyard, then I got off. B was cuddly and her usual sweet self. So what's going on here? Am I thinking this is more than it is? Or am I pushing her too much? I just don' t know. I just do what I think is right at the time, slowing right down and waiting for B to tell me when she is ready to move on. Speculating about the why's and wherefore's is pointless too because it would be pure guess work. I am not interesting in living in what might have been B's past. What matters is here and now. But we have a lesson booked with Claire Tuesday week. I can ask her!

A quick one.

Sarah, the barefoot trimmer came today. Breeze got her usual score of 6.5 and I found out Sarah never gives higher than an 8 which means B's feet are pretty damn good lol.

I seemed to be on a go slow today and it was pretty late when I decided we might go for a walk in the woods and ride home. The arena was pretty busy with lots of people riding so I didn't think going on there would be setting us up for success.

Breeze had a few thresholds leaving the yard and for the first part of our walk. I really didn't have much time either but made a conscious effort not to be direct line about it. I realised it would take too long to go to our usual place so turned back early and tried the log trailer. The logs were too slippery and I kind of resigned myself to maybe not riding util we came upon a little loop where a jump was set up. The logs were just the right height and steady enough for me to get on. B stood still while I got settled and we made our way back home. She wasn't very relaxed but I soothed her and we managed to go past the exit to the grass but B wasn't interested in eating. We turned and went to stand in the exit until she was calm and to let another rider go past, then we left.

This evening we had the arena to ourselves. B goes intro quite often at the moment but not deeply and I am finding new ways to check in with her and coax her out of it lol. In this session we got some lovely circle game and five laps in trot! B does get unconfident and stop but I have learned to use the c/s quietly and effectively and ask her to carry on without her blowing up.

I included the blurry photo above because it makes me laugh. One of the ways I coax her out of being intro is to crouch down and totally relax. But tonight before I got to relax and take a photo she walked over to me with a questioning look. Funny and sweet.

Feels like Spring!

It was a gorgeous day, sunny but not too cold. Actually is was such a glorious day that it really felt like Spring!

I did my usual chores and got ready for saddling up when I noticed Jan doing the same. We agreed to go out together for a change lol. B and I went into the arena to warm up online, followed by someone with a very tense horse in draw reins and martingale. B took one look at them and immediately went introverted and stayed like that most of the time until they left. I tried to coax her into doing a little bit of stick to me, some fig 8 and back up over a pole but she just couldn't. We spent a lot of the time standing in the lovely warm sunshine waiting for the other rider to leave. When they did B relaxed and we headed off to the courtyard to get on.

I wasn't too sure about getting on. I have never seen her introverted for such a long time although she wasn't in deep. I thought maybe just get on and see how she is because I can always get off but B seemed quite happy once back in the courtyard and I got on politely and quietly and we set off with Jan and Cochise.

Breeze turned out to be the most LBI I have ever known her to be. In fact she had more whoa than go! Once or twice she went intro and hung her head so we just waited until she was ready to come round. When she just stopped to eat I let her for a while then if she didn't move on a smooch I only had to lift the lead rope and she would move. Nobody got tense or annoyed and all principles were kept in tact. In fact Breeze, after biting Cochise a few times and when Jan protected her herd of two, stopped and was happy to be next to him for a lot of the time. Then around the half way mark B realised we were heading for home and she decided to power ahead. My little confident RBI was back!

Everything is bursting into bud and so many birds were busying themselves in the bushes. We saw a little Munkjac deer and B wasn't bothered. By the time we got out of the old woods and along the viaduct B was in the lead and we got some lovely trot. I found she was too intent on looking anywhere but where she was going again so I experimented with just lifting and stroking the rein to ask her to face forwards. After a while she stopped looking out for trouble. We got the best trot ever along the mile and 1/4. She maintained gait at a nice steady pace until I asked her to walk, I almost felt like seeing if she would offer canter but her trot was so nice I didn't. Along the final part we did walk/trot transitions and I focussed on my balance and how little it took to ask for the transitions. Bliss.

B offered no resistance when I asked her to go past the exit so as soon as she went past we turned and left the woods and crossed the road to home.

Back on the yard B offered to stand on the pedestal. This is beginning to feel quite ordinary now lol. My stomach stays put and I no longer feel I will fall off. Jan took photos and I grinned. Days like this are just perfect and I couldn't wish for better. Oh and we were in the woods for an hour and a half! How good is that?

Carrot stretch!

Superb Sunday.

What a day!

I got to the yard early (for me on a Sunday). B and I went for a graze then with all the chores out of the way and the arena empty we made a bee line for it and shut the gate behind us. It was less windy and although B was a little introverted to begin with I soon got her interest and energy up. We had a marvelous time doing everything but circle game, she couldn't do that today. Instead we had the most amazing side ways in every direction at the end of the 22' line, and in trot sometimes! I couldn't believe it and it felt like I smiling with my whole body!

I had Katey Drake on my ipod which seemed more than appropriate accompanying my daydream that I was doing a Parelli spotlight hahahahahaha! That can stay in my dreams for sure!

I tried lead by the legs, front and back with the savvy string. Breeze got the idea straight away. Excellent. We did some wrap around, lots of back up over a pole/jump then trot to me. I love the look on B's face as she trots to me! I fall in love with her every time. We had some rets when B dropped her head t the ground. She is still not going so deep and usually with a bit of friendly game she will come out of it and continue to play. I did sit on a jump side at one point and stroked her head all over. She likes that.

We did some stick to me and we got some of it in trot. It didn't feel like an hour had gone by. Sandra had got to the yard by then so we left the arena, did a little simulation by the mounting block and went and saddled up and I got on.

Looks like the discussions with B earlier in the week have had an impact on our relationship. Its definitely changed to 51/49 in my favour. Leaving the yard was great with no thresholds. B seemed more relaxed today despite the wind. I noticed along the way she looks out for trouble instead of where she is going! A little bit of zig zag helped her focus.

Lately I have been starting to get tense when B trots so today I really thought about being in the proper position and finding my balance point again. That worked well because trotting was great and we did a lot of it. B didn't get emotional, even in the lead.

Back on the yard we spent a bit of time up on the pedestal. It's beginning to feel not so unusual being up there on B's back lol. She does love getting up on them, stepping from one to the other and generally enjoying herself. She likes to hang one front hoof off the edge now too lol.

Never mind the horse, deal with the human that turns up!

It was horribly windy. I hate the wind when it's gale force. So I knew it would be a mistake to ride. I would be too anxious. What a wimp! So B did some grazing then I mucked out. Breeze wanted to be scratched and I gave her a really good grooming, ground tied outside her stable.

Then we went for a play in the arena. But I wasn't enjoying the gusts of wind and although B would do some things she kept going introverted. Either she picked up on my weird mood or she hates the wind too lol. So I gave up and we went back to her stable.

I spent ages scratching her itchy places. Today it was her butt. Such a great look on her face.

Sandra went out to ride Bert on her own and I sat and tried to do some undemanding time, but sat in B's stable feeling useless and stupid. Being hard on myself for not using my day off to do stuff with B, like ride, or at least play constructively, I guess. Breeze wouldn't leave me alone lol. She kept licking my hands, she knew I had treats in my pockets and I guess she wanted them. She would rest her head against mine, even when I gave up and went outside her stable. She just hung her head over the door and let me stroke her face.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day and perhaps it won't be so windy.

How did I get so assertive all of a sudden?

This is B hitting a threshold and going intro leaving the yard. So I wait until she is 'back in the room'.

This is B going intro after offering to stand on the tree stump in the woods. So I wait and bask in the sunshine until she is 'back in the room'.

Here's B going intro after playing circle game beautifully. Five laps one way....ten, yes ten the other way at the end of the 12'. She maintained gait in walk and didn't change direction, all very soft and calm. She often goes intro like this when she has done something amazing, clever or just well.

This is how it was today until we got near the top of the old woods in between some lovely driving game from z 5. B is getting really good at turning now and that's without a c/s too. I asked her to weave and do some travelling circles. She bumped into me at one point and I took it as a bit of dominant behaviour as she wasn't really respecting my space. I moved her away from me quite quickly and then we did some sideways with stops to eat bramble leaves.

At the top of the old woods she stopped suddenly snorting and looking ultra alert. The sun was shining on a fallen log so it's colour was intense and very different from the surrounding ground. She had a really, really good look until she was happy it wasn't something terrible and she would live lol.

We carried on past where I usually get on then turned back and I got my hat on and lined B up. She was very relaxed again and I got on only for B to wait a few seconds then walk away again, not giving me time to get settled. Perhaps next time I should get off? Then try again.

I have been licking and chewing furiously over today's events and my brain is grinding under the strain. You see, I have been thinking about this leadership from the saddle thing. I have found out B has been quite challenging in this department before coming to me and I want to try and get to the bottom of it now. Is it reasonable to expect your horse to be a partner and do as asked, as long as principles are upheld, no force is used and the things asked of her are not impossible or beyond her capabilities? Am I right in wanting to be able to go where I would like, when I ask, when we go for a ride in the woods? Because again today, B was determined that she was the leader and we would only go where she wanted to. Guess where that was? Home! And not through fear. She reminded me so much of Lizzie lol.

We did a lot of lateral flexion, turning and turning until B could stand still, then go in the direction I asked her to go in. B didn't want to turn down the straight so we would go ahead then turn and go back. B would try and swing round to go home again so we would circle. All the time I made sure I was pleasant and passively persistent. When she relaxed we would carry on until I asked to go where she didn't want to. She got the better of me sometimes by being very bracy on the right side but I persisted with that until she wasn't bracy. As soon as she could walk like she would maintain gait and direction I asked her to turn and go towards home.

We made our way to the exit, circling, zig zagging and generally just doing anything that didn't mean going in a straight line. We weaved around the trees, circled and did fig 8's round them too. At the exit I asked B to carry on past. Again the braciness and refusal to do that. More lateral flexion until she could and her reward was to eat grass when we got past the exit. We spent about 15 minutes walking a few steps then eating, turning around and going to another nice patch of grass.. B was completely relaxed all the time until I asked her to go a little bit further. Again with the braciness but as soon as she moved she was rewarded with bits of carrot and going back again.

This went on at the exit many times until I felt she was relaxed and offering to maintain gait and direction instead of assuming she was just going home each time we passed the opening. She tried napping a few times so we got some lovely back up! When she finally walked past without trying to turn she began blowing out and I thought that was a good time to let her go to the exit , wait and have some treats. Then we left the woods and crossed the road.

Back on the yard I didn't want to get off so I set up some patterns around the yard. I think B did very well. If she wouldn't move at any time as long as it wasn't a threshold I peddled with my feet and made a commotion in my body until she did move. I only had to lift the lead line once when she stopped. We went in and out of the courtyard, then in and around the cars in a fig 8. then back into the courtyard until it felt like she was being a partner and not resisting.

I don't think I ask enough of her. Mostly because I didn't want to get into a fight about it. But, unlike Lizzie, B is young without health issues so asking for time in the saddle is acceptable, yes? Surely it's ok to ask for more than one ride around the woods with another horse and rider in a week. I feel it's time to step things up a bit and ask for more. I don't know where this assertiveness has come from lol. I am so happy I didn't get scared or mean or even begin to get frustrated. It never crossed my mind. B got lots of strokes, scratches, time to relax and think and encouragement. I smiled and laughed but was determined. But being leader from the saddle is obviously something I am not accustomed to.

When I got off B was with me at liberty as we went to the shed to unsaddle and give her a few more bits of carrot. Undoing the girth I suddenly remembered how Lizzie would bite when I touched the girth. We never got her past that. B stands still when I do her girth up/undo it, sometimes she turns her head to watch me and licks my hand lol.

We did it!

What did I say yesterday? That I wished I could ride more often? Well we did!! And it was very interesting. And good.

We started off playing online to the top of the old woods. I took it all really slowly and B and I ambled along while I took a phone call. As we got nearer to where I usually get on I took things up a notch and asked for sideways, some driving game from z 5 and circle game. B was pretty relaxed and ridable so I tied the 22' up into reins, asked her to line up and I got on.

No sooner had my bum touched the saddle and she was off, stomping along, getting home the only thing on her mind! I didn't have time to put my right foot in the stirrup or tie up the lead line but I managed to clumsily one rein stop her and we circled for a while until I felt she was calm enough to carry on, after I got myself organised.

It was an interesting ride. I really had to concentrate on asking B to please be a partner and not be so pig headed lol. I kept in mind the stuff I had read on the savvy club forum about 'Leadership under saddle' and persisting and getting what I asked for by taking the time it takes. Actually I was quite amused by how LBI B was and her almost fighting me about which direction we went in. I was polite but persistent and asked her to do a lot of things like circle, turn and retrace our steps for a while, fig 8 and weave around trees. We usually do this anyway on our regular rides with Bert and Sandra. Today I asked for more, a lot more and we even got sideways and bit by bit Breeze became softer and more relaxed. At no point did I feel she was tense or scared but just determined to do what she wanted to. I am so pleased she didn't get bracy or try napping or rearing or even bolting. I just don't let her go there. It seems I have learned to make the wrong thing uncomfortable and the right thing easy from the saddle and not make it an argument or endanger my confidence.

At the exit I asked her to go passed. She was a little resistant still but in the end we went back past the exit half a dozen times until she was really relaxed and blew out. So her reward was to leave and go home. We crossed the road, had a mosey around the yard, did a little nine step back up...correctly this time.(the steps being using the reins not how many steps B takes as I used to think it was lol,) then I got off. Grinning.

I led B to the shed to take her saddle off. She has no fear when it comes to walking right into the container! But then, the lure of carrots is irresistible for B.

Breeze made a 'B' line for the carrots!