Confidence

Talking about my emotional fitness. I know I have grown and strengthened it when I am on the ground playing with Cici. Things that used to completely unsettle me I now laugh at. And ask Cici to keep going. But under saddle. I am much more conservative.

Today it was super windy and apparently still snow on the indoor roof. I say apparently because there were strange sounds, sliding, crashing going on while I was playing with Cici on line. Now her emotional fitness is strengthening. At first she spooked at the noise, ran a few strides then turned and faced me and licked and chewed. The next time she just turned and faced and licked an chewed.

This is wonderful. However I kept having thoughts that she was not in the right frame of mind to ride. But it was I who was not in the right frame of mind to ride. I keep visualizing riding and trotting and cantering around the ring with a broad smile on my face. Feeling her move under me. And feeling confident and comfortable.

The visualizations feels wonderful. But then the wind picks up and the roof makes strange sounds and I say, no not today. Sigh.

Exuberance with Cici

Played online today. Plan was to do online check at walk trot canter for trail ride. Knew I've been doing lots of quiet things with Cici this past week or so. Mind active but feet never moving faster than a walk. Thought she might have some pent up energy to express so I plan on playing 1-1/2 hours before meeting up with V for the trails.

Still fascination with pedestal. Played sideways down the long side, played squeeze, played a bit of stick to me. Cici looks at the world, okay the ring, differently. What can I put my feet on??? At one end of the ring I had one cone and the square wooden cube mounting block. She footed the cone and stepped on the base. Then she went to the mounting block and I had to hurry her away because if she does put a foot on it I don't think it can withstand it LOL!

Circling - backing okay, send sort of okay. Hmmm be provocative and particular. So she will go out, but then she drags her feet as she walks. I ask for her to go sideways on the circle, and it just so happens that I ask at the place in the circle that is closest to the pedestal. She floats sideways to the pedestal. And paws the top and looks at me - treat!

Back to circling. I insisted. She resisted. I upped my Phase to maybe a 2 cause yes I was waiting for the explosion. And she did not disappoint!

She leapt in the air - all four feet off the ground, she was jet propelled, she flew. And then she wanted to come in. Since I was reading her as LBE I asked for her to stay on the circle and move her feet some more. And she responded with little licks, the baby kind - can I please come in? kind. I've not seen this before from her. I've seen the licking and chewing. Big, little, but done and over. Here I was seeing just a little tip of tongue, again and again and again and again as she stayed out on the circle.

A boarder was in the ring with her dog. Who now added to the excitement. I let Cici circle one more time and asked her in. Now the dog really got involved and is at Cici's heels and Cici does not like this. Off she goes again, maybe a better way to describe this is up she goes and when she comes in to me her head HIGH, and she is snorting and blowing. RBE.

So I ask for sideways, I ask for backing, I ask for figure 8. And she comes down off the adrenalin. This stuff is so amazing. When I get the pieces together that is.

We go back to circling game. She can walk trot canter calmly now. I admit that I was wondering if I would be going out on the trails today when she went big E. But watching her I am delighted to realize she let off steam went way outside her comfort zone and came back to me! Calm sane and safe.

Had a delightful quiet swinging trail ride.

Oh and the boarder, after apologizing, said she was so surprised. Never imagined Cici could or would leap in the air like that and gallop around. I said that is why I play on the ground with her before I get on. Duh! She is good because we work at it. And I never make assumptions.

A Doe

Out trail riding today with Rebekah and her horse Patrick. We passed a young doe standing in the woods about 5 feet off the trail. She stood still and watched with interest as we walked by. I don't think either Cici or Patrick noticed her as she didn't move.

The bugs were out in force, the little ones, and Cici was getting annoyed at them. I noticed that she will walk faster when she is annoyed. I swished her a lot and she seemed to forget about them.

Then on the way back Patrick walked right by our doe again. She had moved up the trail and was now standing in the middle of the blueberry bushes. We walked by her and seems she decided at that point to bound up the hill. The sound of her, maybe her movement, caught Cici by surprise and she, yup she took off. Boy was I caught off guard. But stayed on and got her to stop. Fortunately Patrick was ahead of us and since he had totally missed the deer he was just quietly waiting. Once we caught up with him, Cici relaxed and I went back to casual rein. Hmmm how interesting! My emotional fitness is growing.