Figure 8 at trot

A first! Okay what seems like months ago when Avery was last here I had Cici trot the cones in a figure 8. But I haven't been able to manage to figure out how I did that. Finally on Sunday while playing it all came together!

Really asking Cici to trot the figure was all about me, not about her LOL. One of those totally duh!!! moments. How many of them do I need to have before I believe?

I've been realizing I'm on a plateau. I've reach one goal, and it is a big one - feeling comfortable back in the saddle out on the trails and as I said in my last post - What's next??!?! Of course I realize I have been thoroughly been boring Cici. To the point that after I saddle her and play circling game asking for walk trot and canter in one direction when I change direction she will walk trot canter and then turn into me, stop and say, Okay we are done. Can we go out on the trails now?

I'm struggling on how to be more creative. Keep her thinking and paying attention to me. Got so focused on the end result, my expectations, that straight line thinking was all I was capable of. Now the box is opening a bit. I know where I am and want to move. So slowly things are changing.

We've been working on backing and last week for the first time she backed just from my gentle pull of some tail hairs. Of course days went by without that happening again. But if nothing else I am patient. And persistent. Yesterday I again received her willingness to back by lifting a few tail hairs. What a feeling!

We are trotting out on the trails. We are going out for longer and longer times. We cross a road, walk over huge downed trees, walk under the power lines, cross a small brook - Cici likes to stick her nose in the water - encounter a barking dog. We lead on the trails, no longer just following. Cici and I are developing our partnership. God I love this girl.