Way too cold

It is 12 degrees when I leave home to drive to barn at 9:00 this morning. And watch the car temperature sensor drop to 5 in some cold areas, go up to 9 and then settle at 7 as I drove up the driveway. How could I do anything with Cici? It is just too cold! Look at Casey - his forelock is frosted - its all white not the usual henna touch ups he has done (and yes that is a piece of hay in the middle).

Watched the latest Savvy Club DVD with Pat a couple of nights ago. He had three of his students riding patterns. And he talked about the important of riding the pattern until the horse gets it. The importance of the circling game - maintain gait, maintain direction, look where you are going. And the importance of stick to the rail. Again maintain gait, maintain direction, look where you are going. That the horse should say, Oh I know this pattern, as long I as stay on it she will leave me alone. And it clicked. Finally clicked with me.

Dilemma, do I play with Cici or not. Decide to as yesterday she made it very clear she really wants to move her feet. Start slow with backing. Being inspired by Kim's postings recently, and other blogs - doing the littlest, and practicing what not good at - I play with backing. Cici is classic introvert and backing is oh so slow. I want to get it better. Play with my energy as well as intent. And slowly achieve 5 to 6 nice steps backwards. Steps with energy. Steps with intent. Wow.

Then over to the wall to play with sideways. Cici does a nice sideways, but her hindend lags. Today is about being particular, not critical. And lo and behold she can move front and back together.

Then circling game. And I decide to see how many laps she can do. At trot I get 1-1/2 and she turns in behind me. I send her and get another 1-1/2 and she turns in behind me. I send her again and canters behind me. Hmmm, how interesting. She is not maintaining gait or direction.

Now she comes in and licks and chews, and when I back her she shakes her head at me while I shake my finger at her LOL! She is feeling more comfortable, more dominant, more LBI.

When she is on the circle and decides to come in and I send her back she is bunching up for a gallop. And off she goes for a few strides before she turns in to me again. I send her back out - this is very provocative for both of us. Then I think of Avery having me slap the savvy string back and forth over my head while I ask her in using porcupine on the lead rope. She is cantering, having ignored my request for trot when I start swinging the carrot stick and porcupine the rope. She has a momentary hissy fit and I swear she is stamping her feet as she turns in and stops facing me with both eyes.

I can see we need to play with circling more than 2 to 4 times. Its that balancing act of boring her and getting through to her. Realize I've been afraid of boring her and clearly have not gotten through yet.

Snow tunnel

We have had a snow storm with 24" and then one with 4" to 6" and then ice, rain, wet snow. Yuck! All the snow is slowly compressing. Today as I was walking around in the paddock, I glanced back at the shed. Shed? where is the doorway?

The shed is built onto the side of the indoor. With the warmer weather (rain not snow) and all the rain, the snow that had accumulated slipped off the roof. And piled up in front of the doorway to the shed. The top of the snow drift/pile is maybe a foot below the overhang of the shed.

I walked up the hill to the shed and saw that Cici and Casey did walk out - I think they were in the shed eating their hay when the snow slide occurred. I look at the deep tracks and at the overhang and wonder how Cici ever managed to clear it.

It took me 20 minutes to dig out a path. And when I did I put Cici's halter on and asked her to follow me into the shed. I wanted to make sure she was not afraid. She walked in and let out an enormous sigh. Casey as you can see had no problem either.

Featherweight rope

I had to get out the new featherweight rope today as my 22' line was wet, dirty and soooo heavy I just could not use it. Wow the featherweight is exactly that. Featherweight. My phases became oh so soft. Cici became oh so much more attentive. She loved it!

Sideways all the way to the end without my moving my feet. Played with trotting sideways and got several steps in each direction, and when she broke from the trot she was walking very lively.

Sent her to the pedestal and she floated over to it and up. She gets a bit careless with her feet. She just steps on the very edge. She steps on the very edge with just part of her hoof. She has stepped off the pedestal and crossed her legs, and I thought she was going to fall over. I told her she has to pay attention to her feet.

Played on the circle. Wow. The feel is so different. Its like having a kite. It feels like flying! If this is liberty I really need to get serious and figure out some way to create the illusion of a round pen for Cici to play in. At the end of our time, I took the rope off and asked Cici for a figure 8 around the cones, Just By Pointing!!!!! Yippee!!! Whoppee!!! She is my rock star.

Its Cold

Today in the middle of the day it was 18 degrees. I had all these plans and when I get to the barn they go out the window! Lessons in the indoor. Big horses, teenage riders, ground poles.

What to do? I know undemanding time! I have tights, fleece socks and winter fleece lined breeches along with insulated muck boots on the bottom, and three layers of fleece and my Mountain Horse coat on top. Gloves and a hat to finish off the outfit. Get out the three legged folding camp chair and set it up on one of the paths in the snow.

At first I am admiring Cici and Casey's butts as they eat their hay. Its a nice day, okay a bit cold but I'm prepared. I sit and enjoy their appetites. I look around at the other paddocks that I can see from my hill perch and notice lots of hay in those paddocks. I look back at the pitiful amount left by Cici and Casey and know that they have been in hoover vacuum mode.

Within a couple of minutes Cici lifts her head and looks around at me. I wave. She slowly and carefully turns (care due to the snow) and walks over to me. All the way over me - head over my head - here is my view:

I reach up and scratch under her jaw. Her winter coat is thick and long and underneath here she is beginning to resemble a wooley mammoth. I scratch for a while and then take my hand away to rest. She lowers her head a bit. I reach up and scratch some more. Moving up and down along jaw bone. She stands very still and closes her eyes. I stop and she has her head in my lap!

Hmmm how interesting. Wonder if I can use this technique for bridling from my knees, or sitting in a chair!

Trotting Sideways

I didn't know that was where I was going today. But what a way to finish! The last five days have been dealing with snow snow snow. Today was my first time playing with Cici in the indoor. I was all full of energy and bouncing and dancing to the music. Thought Cici would be too. Oops.

Turned out today was one of those oh no not again duh!!! moments. One of those fleeting awarenesses that we have been here before, at this very ah ha moment. Again. My continuing ah ha duh moment concerns sending, really sending Cici. Not nagging, or begging, or pleading. Not being careful not to upset her. I need to go to an effective send.

And today I got there!!!! And after that moment I asked her for sideways along the wall and she offered a TROTTING sideways. A first! Wow!!!!

Undemanding time in the snow

With all the snow there is in the paddock I think I going to try and widen the paths, already trampled areas and around water trough. But a little bit each day. Hopefully. I happen to glance at the Friesians (3) paddock and it is trampled almost smooth. Maybe I'll ask M if I can borrow one to help me.

Both Cici and Casey greet me at the gate. This is definitely habit forming. And we nuzzle a while. Then I go off on my rounds. Shovel out their eating area, work on the path to Cici's hanging out with Cheeta place and also enlarge that space. Then dig out the other gate and around the water trough. Exhausted.

I get my folding camp chair that hangs in the shed and set it up for a bit of rest and undemanding time. Of course I set it down on a path. Get comfortable and think, "Hey great time and place for picture and video taking." And I have remembered to bring my camera. Cici is hanging out with Cheeta at the fence, enjoying (I hope) the larger area I have just shoveled out, and Casey is at the far end of the track watching me.


Get thinking that maybe Cici would like to hang out without her turnout. So I get up and take it off. Hang it on the gate and go back to stand with her. Casey removes it from the gate and is now trampling it. I go back to hang it up on the gate and turn around to go back to my chair...


Once I've brushed all the snow off I sit down again. Cici walks over to me on my left and starts nuzzling me and looking for treats. Casey is watching and since he is sure I'm giving out treats comes up the path on my right. Who's undemanding time is this? I just want to sit and they sure are demanding LOL.

I keep backing Casey up out of teeth range and Cici is now standing with her head hanging down, nose nuzzling my hair. This is heaven.

Of course Casey creeps into nipping range and disturbs the tranquility. Cici goes back to checking me out for treats. And then she decides its time to put your foot on it - only the "it" is me and the chair! I gently discourage that thought.

After another round of just hanging out all together quietly, Cici turns and walks over to see if any hay has miraculously appeared. She gleans the hay dust that is left in the snow and then sees my snow shovel and decides to help out.

Slot car Casey

We got a ton of snow on Wednesday. Okay maybe not a ton but close to 2 feet for sure. Too deep for young master Casey. He now only travels around the paddock in Cici's tracks. And she has made quite the circuit around the paddock. He fits right into the track and away he goes - like a mini slot car! Here he is standing by the gate where I've shoveled some of the snow away. And he is standing on the packed snow and not sinking!

Today I dug out the back gate and a path up the hill to the indoor. I went down to the barn to check on things, chat with friends and pick up Cici halter. Figured I play with her in the indoor. Without her blanket, on ground that is not white and when she steps into it sinks up to her knees.

As I was walking up the hill to go through the indoor I had this thought - did I close the back gate after I dug it out? Was Casey running around loose somewhere? I looked over at their paddock and saw Cici eating her hay, but could not make out a little munchkin. I glanced at the paddock that is behind hers, on the other side of the path and noticed the two horses there were running around. When I got to the indoor Cici started to call to me - He's loose and up to no good!

I hurried through the ring and out the back. A large swatch had been plowed and my path led off of that. As I got outside there was the Casey trotting down the path. I hurried to block him and threw the lead over his head. He was the perfect slot car - he would not step off the shoveled path and he could not turn around. Stuck! Thankfully. I was able to put Cici halter on him and lead him back to the paddock. So much for his liberty adventure!

Playing, just playing

Today I had time blocked out in my mind to play and ride Cici. I have a next lesson scheduled, okay its still several weeks away, but I want to be ready for the next THING Avery will throw at me LOL.

When I got to the barn, M told me she was going to be working Max. I had looked at the schedule board yesterday and saw a blank space that I decided to use. I made the mistake of not writing down my initial on the board. Though with M I don't know if that would have made a difference. But I've learned my lesson. I will write down my times. Period.

Cici and I first played with her 12" looped around her neck. She was walking. Really walking forward with me at her side. Walked to the pedestal and got right up. I kissed her nose. Okay I kissed and kissed and kissed her nose that was just the right height.

We played sideways down the long side. We played with the ball, with Cici following it and kicking it forward and staying with it. I had to catch up!

I walked her over to the mounting block. And unlooped the 12' rope. Moved the mounting block against the wall and this is the second day I've asked her to swing herself sideways to the mounting block - preparing for mounting from fence. Took a bit of persistent tapping on zone 4 but she did indeed move over to me. Way to go little girl!!!!

Played online with 22' - circling game. And figure 8 around cones at trot. This is big as since we have been playing with the pedestal Cici has been more interested in playing put your foot on everything - the cones have a big attraction. But today nice figure 8 at trot around the cones. Whohoooo!

M was long lining Max, a RBE, ex racehorse who hasn't been used in about a year. He was having issues. He was not pleased. M was using lots of voice commands and encouragements. I realized how quiet I am. And also realized that I didn't want to deal with this while I was riding and practicing stick to the rail and maintain gait.

So instead of getting upset, I focused on what a wonderful time I had just had with Cici. How soft and focused she was. What an amazing partnership we are developing.

Snowy Trail Ride

Went out today for a trail ride. Checked out the footing yesterday with Casey and the old snow is a little crunchy and the new is light and fluffy. Turned out to be perfect footing. No snow balling in the horses' hooves.

Also tried out my new winter riding boots - Christmas present - Ariat barnyard jodphur boot. Insulated. Warm toes. When I first got into the saddle I felt like my knees were up under my chin. Wow, I got off and lengthened the stirrups/fenders one hole. Amazing what a difference one hole makes LOL.

You can hear the crunching as we walk along, along with some wind noise. And a bit of inane conversation from me.






Rob asked if V could tape me. Tired of seeing her and G's behinds.

In love with Pedestal

Cici just can't get enough of the pedestal. She goes to it, puts her foot on it, lifts herself up and puts her other front foot on it. And then relaxes. Looks so happy up there. I can't believe it. Okay I can because I took a photo!!!!