Snacking lying down.

When I get to the paddock today I see Cici lying in the snow. And Casey also. I quietly open the gate and Casey gets up, shakes himself off and comes to greet me. Cici is still lying down. That large green mound in the photo is her. I don't know whether or not to be worried so I continue to quietly approach her. Then notice her jaws are moving. And then I see that she is eating the hay that is scattered around her! Just finishing up breakfast, in a very leisurely relaxed manner.

She allows me to approach before she gets up to say good morning. Halter her and using the tracks she has made in the paddock, that yesterday I tramped down with my snow shoes we walk to the gate. Now the gate opens a little bit less than the last storm, and the path wall are higher. I send Cici out and she walks up the channel and stops. I tell her just to wait for me to latch the gate, not to turn, and she obliges. And then its driving from zone 5 up and down the path to the indoor.

Lets see, its been two snow storms (2 days) and a shoveling day since the last time we made it into the indoor to play. And what a great session that was! She immediately makes for the pedestal once I get her blanket off, and up she goes. She likes just standing there. The step is so high that I am once again concerned about asking her to put her hind feet on it. Wait until Avery comes and see what she thinks.

I back Cici off the pedestal and I turn away, she goes back up. Laugh and let her stay there a while. I then walk behind her and pull gently on her tail and she moves sideways with her hind feet while keeping her front feet firmly planted on the pedestal. Hmmm how interesting.

A normal is in the ring with us today. She is going to be lunging her horse. This adds a level of distraction that I think will be interesting to see how Cici reacts. Before she gets started I do sideways with Cici, some backing, stick to me and then go play with circling.

By now the other person is lunging or trying to lunge. He is distracted by Cici, as she usually works him alone. And she uses voice commands. Trot, trot, trot, trot, terrr rot, and when he does something she likes there are all the good boys repeated over and over and over.

I've always wondered why Pat doesn't advocate voice commands. Today I could kiss him for that. So while she is walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, good boy, good boy, good boying I am slowly going crazy. Cici is also a bit distracted by all the terrrr rot as I am sure she was taught to terrr rot with voice commands. But she is listening to my asking for terr rot with a point of the finger and support with carrot stick if needed.

I try and block out the noise and wonder how much longer this will go on. Cici is not as focused and with me as she was on Monday. But then again I am not as focused and with her as I was on Monday. Hmmm, how interesting - another emotional fitness challenge! LOL.

I get out two cones to practice figure 8s and change of direction so change things up for both of us. Reestablish our connection and the other person leaves. Yippee. Sorry to be sooooooooooo well quiet I guess.

Now we get to play with circling and laps and quietness and responsiveness. Cici has a bit of attitude and I have her trot sideways along the wall. That changes her mind quickly.

Saddle her up, preflight check and get on. Again work on stick to rail and Cici has this idea down. No stops for grazing on the hay scraps on the ground by the stalls, just sticking to rail. At the walk. Trot is another matter. Here she has the tendency to want to cut corners, go on track two, and come quickly back to walk. But we are slowly making progress. A good thing as Avery is coming next Wednesday, provided no more snow storms. And I don't know if I will get to ride again before that.