Hooray for the sun!

Today was nice because I rode two horsies, and the sun was out.

I got Colonel out and I didn't even bother to lunge him today. I just tacked him up, took him to the arena (he walked there like a gentleman, mostly) and hopped on him. He is very gate sour and I'm debating what to do about this. I started out, in an effort to keep him calm, letting him stand at the gate after he had been good for a while. I suspected this practice would come back to bite me, and while I dont know that it increased his gate sourness, it certainly didn't help. Eventually he lost his cool and then it was nothing but gate gate gate sour all the time. Doesn't really interfere with my steering training, I just have to wiggle a little longer to get my turn. Maybe he'll grow out of it.

I got off him and opened the gate and then surprised him by getting back on him. He wasn't too concerned when we walked out of the arena. He became very concerned when we failed to turn back towards the hay barn and instead started to head out into the field. So we trotted sideways and serpentined on down the path as he tried to make his way back to the barn and I just did my little wiggle turns to point him the other way. More trotting sideways and staring at the neighbor horses but eventually he decided to walk.

We walked right up to the creek on a slack rein (willpower!) then we galloped across it (not my idea.) It was awesome. Don't ask me why, but it was super fun and I really wasn't too concerned about him bolting off. It occurred to me that this was hardly the first time I'd had a horse (or even Colonel for that matter) bolt across the creek with me. The steep slope seems to help slow them down a little, as does the fact that we are headed away from the barn.

We spent a lot of time trotting around, I got a little disoriented because you cant really see the paths this time of year. While we were behind the creek we did not work on a slack rein, mostly because he rarely agreed to stop trotting. I was surprised and relieved when he decided to walk nicely over the bridge, and pretty nicely through the boggy mess that forms on the other side of the bridge this time of year. He trotted a little bit out through the plowed area in the corner but walked over to the path. I decided that was the moment to quit riding him for the day. I hopped off him and we walked home, enforcing good manners the whole way, of course.

He was actually really good about walking home, he never once got pissy. A little irritated towards the end but he kept it under control. Soon we'll be back to circling the fields just like the 'ol days.

I got Star out and we practiced her relaxing her back. She wanted to make sure I appreciated everything I got so she hollowed her back more than any other horse I know, in between complying (sortof) with my request for more balance and engagement. Then we went outside and I decided that I'd push my luck a little more and I asked Star to jump up the bank. It was GREAT. I loved it. Star loved it. She jumped it from a walk and a trot. We did it three times and Star got pretty hyped up. I decided not to take her across the creek and instead just make it a short trip outside.

I'm excited about this and I think we'll jump the bank again tomorrow. Maybe we'll jump down even. Wish me luck!