Winter Weather

Lately Roanoke has been feeling like Siberia. It has been so cold, but I have been able to get out and see Wood and play with him some in the past couple of weeks. I have been busy what with the tragic accident and traveling to WV for the funeral, getting ready for exams (next week!), and trying to figure out Christmas presents.
Wood and I have had our ups and downs in our sessions. We had some good ones working with our liberty circles and change of direction and gait changing. During one play session he was giving me this gorgeous trot close to me, really working hard to bend around me, and he began to fall in on his shoulder toward me, so I drove his zone 2 ever so slightly to pick up and he, happening to pass by the pedestal at the same time, put his two front feet on the pedestal and looked at me like "How about this, Mom?" I laughed and scratched his itchy spots while he chilled on the pedestal, and then sent him back out again in a couple minutes. It was really cool.
There was another time where I wanted to test our change of direction at the trot at liberty, so I ran backwards when he passed my should, he turned and gave me this awesome expression, and I sent him in the other direction. It was AWESOME! I was so proud of him. Next I tried to bring him down to a walk with putting pressure in front of him with the stick, but he just got confused and either ran through the pressure really fast or stopped, wheeled around, and took off in the other direction. I will need to work with him online with using that method and using the rope for support.
Then I went out one day and rode him, not knowing the ground was so slick. I was bareback and we were going down a hill and he started trotting fast so he wouldn't slip, but I got nervous and bent him and hopped off (somehow managing to jam my pinky, how does that happen?). Anyways, POOR judgement on my part and I'm thankful nothing worse happened to us. We ended that session with me holding his halter and pretending I'm a wooden post and not budging unless he starts making a fuss in which I "add 4 ounces" until he realizes "what amd I freaking out about again?" Terrie showed it to me and Mom as an excercise to do when your just hanging out and it helps with bing pushy, overcoming claustrophobia, and learning not to push through pressure (cough cough Woody in his hackamore). He did well, so we ended.
Anyways, a lot has been going on in Mount Pleasant and I am recently begining to realize the importance of the phrase love, language, and leadership in EQUAL doses, not more one than the other. I have realized that I am overdoing the love a bit and not following through with enough leadership... very curious!
**Sorry I already wrote about the pedestal story but it was so darn funny! I guess I forgot I wrote about it previously, sorry!
~Eden