Poor Duck!

Ok I feel really guilty now. Duck and her bad attitude on the weave pattern and me trying to fix it came to bite me in the behind. While playing weave Duck was really crabby. Obstacles didn't seem to make a difference in her attitude, and sending her more snappy definitely made it worse. So I was trying another tactic, the "don't give me that attitude" with a phase 4 attached (with the lead rope). Anyway so after about 3 bumps she is getting a little better. Well I send her again and she puts her head down and ears back as flat as they will go. So I wind up my arm to do a phase 4, let it rip, and WHAMO the buckle hits her right in the eye! I thought I blinded my horse! She backed up about 10 feet and then stood dazed. I immediately went to pet her and check her out. She is holding her eye shut. She then opened it and I couldn't see any damage. Then I look and whew, it looks like it hit her the worst right under the eye. It left a small cut and was bleeding a little. That was a first for me (and hopefully a last). Who knew the leadrope could be that deadly?

The poor girl when we were all done she was eating a cookie in her corral (with electric fence) and she started leaning on the electric wire. I thought for a second the wire was off cause she leaned into it for awhile. Then SHOCK, and she took off quick! Poor girl! 

Anyway other than our mishap the session went fairly well. She really is sticking to the rail quite well. She has been a bit rushy at the trot still and I am not sure if it is the way I am riding or her confidence or both? Time will tell. We did follow the rail at the walk, trot, with turns etc. She doesn't break gait although the whole time she felt like she was going to break into a canter. 

On the ground we went first to the large trailer (the small one was at a show). I was trying to move the divider on the left side when she loaded herself on the right! And she only backed out after a minute or so! Then when I asked her in the second time she went straight in and stayed there nosing around calmly until I asked her out! Yeah!

We did a figure 8 on the 12 ft line around 2 picnic benches (and it was near a little hill too) for which I didn't get hardly any crabby ears. Then we went to the arena to do the weave (with obstacles) and got the major crabby ears. I need to pull out the liberty and horse behavior and review some of the sections.

All in all a a good hour and a half today. All because I went in early to work my barn shift so I wouldn't get done at 12. Instead we were done at 10:30 which was really nice so I had a little time to play after. I actually like going in early when there is all those stalls to do. It just feels better, like I've gotten more accomplished if I get done earlier! The barn got a beautiful gray horse in. He is the cutest thing. I think I will always have a soft spot for gray horses since my first horse, Rose N' Gray was a little gray arab. This guy is an absolutely gorgeous dappled gray. And it looks like he's gaited too. I always love to see beautiful horses!

With it being so close to Christmas who knows when I will be able to ride/play next. We are going to be doing holiday stuff I am sure! 

Trailering play and more patterns

Ok it has been foggy/misty/raining here since Sunday! YUCK! So it is REALLY muddy at the barn. I haven't been able to do too much because the footing is pretty slick but we did play with the trailer the other day. She will stay in for a bit and then come out. As long as the divider is to the side on the 2 horse. So progress! When it gets nicer I will try the bigger trailer again. One reason I don't like ramps is they are slick. Especially when wet!

I got Duck out yesterday and I didn't want to go in her really muddy pen to get her so I decided to let her out. The last few times she's followed me. Not today! She made a beeline for the grass  (the opposite direction I wanted her to go). I was actually worried I wouldn't be able to catch her! LOL But she did let me catch her and I let her graze for awhile. We played some sideways and backing up. Then with the bareback pad I hopped on (from the back of my van) and we played follow the rail along the pasture fences all the way to the arena. I did trot her in the arena and she is getting the hang of it for the most part. The grass was an issue again though. When near the grass when we were on the outside of the arena she kept leaving the rail to go to the grass. I didn't want to fight with her about it but I ended up doing just that and making her stick to the fence line. hmm, I wonder how I can do that better so she doesn't feel so wrong about it?

And PS Kris, I DON'T have a lot of time to ride mainly. The only time I DO have is when both kids are at school! LOL. I've been trying to do stuff with my horse in shorter bursts (less than 1 hr) which is hard. And remember, I didn't ride for about 4 years with my 2 kids so you are WAY ahead of me in that you still even get a lesson once a week! I could only dream! They gave away free lessons in the drawing for our barn Christmas party. I was hoping I would get one! Nope, got a hat. :) Oh well guess it wasn't meant to be!

Patterns...

So we've been playing with the figure 8 and weave patterns but with one little glitch. Duck hates it! She pins her ears, swishes her tail and has a majorly bad attitude. I wrote to Carol to ask what to do and basically she wrote back and told me this is where you experiment. Obstacles in the weave or more snappy departures. I went for the obstacles since she seems to get less confident when I do the snappy departures. She still had a bad attitude but after she was done she sighed, blew a lot and licked an chewed. We'll see how it is next time. 

We also did a little with the trailer again. I don't have time to do a trailer loading marathon so we have been doing a little here and there. Yesterday we went to the 2 horse trailer and the divider was pushed off to one side. I had her touch the trailer and walk across the ramp a couple times. After that I asked her to load once to see what she would do. She went 3/4 the way in and stood there a good minute before I asked her out. I also tried rattling stuff around to see if it still bothers her. So far it is getting better. We ended our trailering time with that.

I rode just for a little while bareback follow the rail again. Last time she pretty much had the hang of the walk, so I decided to trot. We got maybe 5 steps in each direction before breaking gait. But yesterday when I asked her to trot first to the left she trotted off and we pretty much did a whole lap with only 1 correction to stay on the rail and not breaking gait! So we stopped in the middle for a bit then did the other side. She was a bit more rushy the other way but the last 1/4 she relaxed so I brought her into the center and quit.

We also did a little bit of liberty in the big practice arena. This was right after the weave pattern which goes to show what she thinks of it when I let her go she went straight to the gate and I didn't think I'd be able to draw her away. Well I tried and thankfully I was wrong it took a minute but she did stick to me and we trotted, walked, backed up, sent her over a small crossrail (the first time she didn't go) etc. I'm just happy that she generally stays with me now at liberty! It's getting better! 

Follow the Rail & Liberty

Ok so I was just planning on spending an hour with Duck today. I've got Christmas cards to mail you know, but I ended up being there for 2 because I was having so much fun! We started on the ground and the big trailer was open so I figured I'd try and squeeze her over the ramp. This trailer has 2 ramps, and one of them is pretty narrow and steep. Anyway today was the first time that she has showed any curiosity in the trailer. She was mouthing the butt bars and rubbed on them without spooking. In the past when she's done anything like that she gets scared when it moves and she will spook. Not today. Really it must not be about the trailer because I haven't been practicing this much, just a little here and there. Over the ramp a couple times and done with it. At one point I thought she was just going to load herself and she didn't look like if I did ask her to go in that she would be near as bracey about it. YEAH!

On to the big arena to play follow the rail. The walk went well even with her not stopping in her favorite corner or at the gate today. We tried some turns both with the reins and then w/ the carrot stick. I think she's getting the hang of it so I decided to trot. Of course she doesn't maintain gait very well and she kept acting like she wanted to roll. Dragging her nose on the ground etc. Well we got about half an arena lap of trot before I quit. I went to the middle and took off her saddle and then her halter. Might I add that I tied the gate shut with the lead rope because she likes to rub on it to open it! I wasn't expecting her to stick to me in the big arena much. Actually I had taken everything off her just to let her roll. She didn't but we had a great time just playing at liberty! A little of everything. I even got a couple steps of sideways without her running off! She is sticking to me pretty well including about one side of the arena at a canter! She left me a few times but I was able to get her to come back (even if it was slowly). We even did squeeze over some poles and crossrails. What was really cool is I went to send her over the barrels and she didn't do it. Then I was already on the other side so I asked her to come and then she jumped them! Even turned and faced and did it back the other way! It was so much fun!

After that I saddled her up and we rode following the outside rail of the arena/fence back to her paddock. She didn't get it at first but then she did. 

I have also been working with trying to get more respect in regards to grazing. She was getting pretty dominant dragging me to the grass etc. I have been playing with just giving her a cue to eat and not letting her eat any other time. So far it is greatly improved! Yeah!

The best picture ever!

My sister just emailed me this picture and I have to share it. This is the best picture because it has Kira, my mustang, my sister, who is also the best ever and her baby, Ayden!

I LOVE this picture because it has so many things I LOVE in it! Just look how CUTE!!!! LOVE IT!!! And wow, Kira still even has the same halter! 

We passed Level 2!!!!!!!!!

Ok here it is! Our 7 games in 7 minutes at Liberty that I sent in that passed us off for level 2! I am SO happy right now! Carol Coppinger called me yesterday with the good news! We just had this task and the transitions on the circling game left (which I also sent in) since Kira went back to Utah almost 2 years ago. So it has been forever, me trying to get Duck to even close the level Kira and I were at. I know this video isn't the greatest resolution but I couldn't get the file small enough any other way. (I need more computer savvy!)

We also got a stick to me at a canter! Not on the video but it still was way cool!

Carol even noted what a complicated dominant mare I have...

Hmmm, what did I get myself into? 

Just kidding I really love Duck and we've come a long way already. Someday when I have a bit of time I will have to post our liberty video that I sent Carol for help in September, then you'd really see the improvement! I know I did!

What did I really learn through all this? It's not about the .... level!

Even Carol said all her students were going right-brained trying to get everything done before the switch over of the assessments to the new audition process January 1st.

Anyway a simple 7 games but fun stuff. Liberty has always been one of the things that has me totally enthralled and when it goes well it is one of the best feelings ever! 

Moving on to one of my next goals that I have had forever (like since I was 12) to ride bridle-less. Ambitious, yep! I know we are nowhere near that but I am looking forward to the process!

Of course we will still be playing in level 2 for awhile but it still feels good to say I am a level 3 student now...