Happy Horsey Halloween!

Well Halloween is here! That is so strange, this year has passed so darn fast! I have been extremely busy this week. I have ridden and played with all the horses only once this week, and I have been working, preparing for the festivities this evening (my friend and I are participating in the world record-breaking-attempt of the most people simultaneously doing the MJ Thriller dance in one location!), among many other things. But onto the horsey stuff...
Earlier this week I took Woody out for another trail ride type ride. I tacked him up, practicing his ground tying and reminding his job is to stand still, not fidgeting. He is getting better, but he isn't 100 percent. I grabbed my chaps and helmet and took him outside the gate to mount up. We went right to the woods and went all over in there. At one point we got kinda stuck, in that the barbed wire fence was on one side, a hill on the other, a double log in front of us, and a single log heading down the hill. I didn't want his foot to get caught in between the double log, but I didn't want him to go over the one down the hill, because knowing him he would jump, have a WHOOPEE moment, and I didn't really feel like riding one of those in the slippery woods on a hill. I dismounted and led him over it, then mounted back up. We came out of the woods and across the driveway to head toward the pond. He was doing great, nice working walk on a loose rein, and when we got to the pond he spooked sideways once (the water is shiny and he was surprised, I think). My goal was to have him touch the duck feeding bowl, but he wasn't able to get that close to it (he was snorting and on a bit of adrenaline), and I had time constraints, so I abandoned that thought at that moment and just wanted him to squeeze between the pond and the bowl. We did that a couple times until he was confident, and then I asked him to disengage his HQ to face the bowl. By doing that he actually got closer to the bowl, but we didn't touch it that time. Oh well.
I then asked him to canter up the hill and right away he picked up a gorgeous canter and carried us up the hill. He tried to slow a couple of times, but I gently encouraged him to keep going and without a second thought he kept on truckin'. We then headed back to the barn. It was a fun ride, and I think Woody enjoys our outside rides as much as I do.

I played with Teddy with the flag (he occasionally becomes deathly afraid of the thing anf we have to work through it). He got better, then we played with the mattress. He walked on ever so confidently, bit the matress a little, then crossed it cool as can be. I also worked on his jumping because I don't think he has ever been asked to jump; that would certainly explain why he knocks everything over when he does. He has improved though, so I have no worries that one day he will be a more than capabl jumper. We also went for a girth-area driving walk. We then went over and hung out by the swingset and chilled out. He is most definitely improving.

I also rode Charlotte one day. I tacked her up got my chaps and helmet, and mounted up. A quick side note, she is now being ridden in the Mark Rashid endorsed bit, the Rockin' S Snaffle. It is designed to really give the horse a lot of direct direction (I think of it as a sidepull with a bit). She is very rsponsive and soft in it, so so far its going good! We went down the driveway, her first ride in the woods, by the Parkway in the hay field, cantered up two hills, went to the far end of the hay field, then attatched back to the driveway to  come home. She did great! She didn't try to eat grass except the tall grass by the woods, and she was with me for the most part.

I am very busy again today, doing makeup for the performance tonight (I will turn into a zombie!), and hanging out with a couple friends. Mom and I are hoping to put the interior fence up tomorrow to make the Pasture Paradise, so I will update again soon!
~Eden