Success, Success, and Hey! MORE Success!

Well WOW is all I can say about today's play time.I went out with my Flip Video Camera to try to film at least a portion of the play sessions for dual purpose: so I could look back and watch how we rode and play, and to offer a video update to all of you guys with how we're doing! I set it up, went to the barn and tacked Woody up, then brought him to the round pen and played a bit on the ground before I hopped on. In the video you'll see a bit of Yo-Yo-ish stuff in the beginning and me working on getting him more snappy and with me. Then some circles in which he offered me a canter without much prompting from me, followed by some other random stuff we've been working on. Then I mounted up and rode around the round pen a bit, walking and trotting and practicing the transitions between the two gaits which went well. He jumped some in the arena without me having to focus and EXTREME amount, which is pretty cool, and then we headed outside. I walked him, trotted him, played with toys: touching barrels and cones, walking on the matress, jumping barrels, and walking on "the mountain" (a big pile of dirt). He was extremely cool and calm, which was really awesome and kind of a new experience. He did some really great, smooth trot to walk transitions which are especially great because he occassionally likes to get really quick outside the fence. I hesitate to write that because I feel like that statement is a limiting belief (refer to Kathleen Lindley post) in that I can't focus on the past but expect the best from him and myself.
Anyhow, Mid-recording I sort of forgot about the camera and we left to go up the "tall weeds hill", followed the barbed wire fence line separating the woods, found a place the barbed wire was gone, dismounted, led Woody over it, and mounted back up and RODE IN OUR WOODS! This was the first time for both Woody and I in riding in the woods, but it was fun!There is a portion of the Old Great Wagon Road in our woods, so we followed that wide trail. He was SO with me and calm and just, THERE, it was great. We left the woods, walked back down the drive, and I practiced starting and stopping him without my reins (literally I let them go), and we did great! I had to lift them a couple of times to get a stop, but after a couple of times he was completely in tune with my seat. COOL STUFF! We came back, picked up the tripod, and filmed Woody walking across the mattress (the last portion), then went inside. It was such a great session, I am so proud of both of us!



On another note, I went out to Joy's farm on Sunday with Terrie, watched her trim her Gypsy Cob's feet, and played with one of her horses. Terrie commented that my timing and feel keep improving and that everything I was doing with her looked great. I worked with Chance, a "drum" horse (Shire/Gypsy cross), who is 18 hands tall but sweet as can be. We worked on leading, stopping, backing off pressure from the halter, a bit of YoYo type backing, and crossing a little bit of water. She also learned how to follow the feel around turns in the forehand and hindquarters. It was fun to work with her.

In the car on the way home Terrie and I talked about what Kathleen said about me working with and riding a bunch of horses, and she invited me out to her farm to ride and play with her horses, including Sassy. I am excited about this because she has SO many different horses it will be a great learning experience. And, of course, to work with Miss Sassy again, with all my new knowledge, I'm sure will be interesting. I hope to go out with her one day in the next couple months, but it depends on her schedule. Also, she seconded Kathleen's thought of how much you can learn by being a groom. So, I had the idea that I could look for local farms (I have one in mind about 5 minutes from here) and offer to groom, muck, help out, and possibly ride in the springtime. That should be fun. Until then I am scheduled to go back to Joy's several times, then go a couple more places with a wide variety of feet to learn from. So much to do!
~Eden