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.

New womanhandleable pedestal

I had ordered a shorter smaller one that looked like I would be able to womanhandle. It finally came yesterday via the postman's truck. A round pizza tray thing that had the other postal workers wagering what the hell it was. I rolled it down the driveway and into the house. Sat on the floor in the kitchen with tool bag and scissors. Cut off the plastic covering and saw circular wood pieces wired together. Was the wire for packing or was it an intragel part of the pedestal? Decided for packing so got out the wire cutters and snipped away.

Now I have four pieces of wood and 12 bolts and an allen wrench. No instructions. Can't be that difficult. Lets see top - check, bottom ring - check, two pieces that must be the base - check. As I turn the top over and around I notice a yellow dot. Ah ha!!!! Line that up with matching yellow dot on one of base pieces and away we go. Fully assembled! And I can indeed womanhandle it.

Can't wait to see Cici's thoughts of this new pedestal. So in the morning I load it into the trunk of my car and off to the barn. Even though its vacation week when I get there this morning it is quiet and peaceful. I load the pedestal and stuff into a wheelbarrel and roll it up to the indoor. I putter around, set up the ring with NEW pedestal, barrels, cones. And invite Cici to join me.

Of course first I have to remove the snow balls from her hooves. This is turning out to be a perfect reason for asking her to lift her feet. I've struggled with it and have had lots of excuses why not to bother. But now I have a reason to! And she is soft and understanding and willing. Amazing the effect attitude, my attitude, makes. Hmm how interesting!

Then "Look at what is in the middle of the ring!" and she walks to it. Looks at it, looks at me So? "Its a lower pedestal, that you can easily step up onto!" So? Hmm, of course I had been envisioning her seeing the new pedestal and putting all the pieces together and walking right up to it and stepping on it. She quickly paws at the top of the pedestal. She also steps right up to it and stands on the lower ring base. Since the footing is soft the pedestal shifts, rocks up. Guess if it was on hard ground this would not happen. But....She doesn't seem concerned and paws some more. I hold her leg still on the top and stroke it. She paws some more.

Right now she is not as fixated on this pedestal as she is on the big huge high step one in the corner. When play with circling she spies it and tries to make a beeline for it. Sigh. New exciting toy is new exciting toy for ME apparently. Not her. Well maybe not yet.

I take my time playing the games. We are working on 360 turns. Get 180s and building on those. More sideways. More backing with me being more particular. More particular at circling. Still thinking provocative. Or trying.

Today we are going to move onto freestyle. I saddle her up and two kids show up in the ring. Lesson kids. Oh No! Not again. Its been so quiet and I'm enjoying not feeling any pressure and doing what I do. So I tell them that the lesson is not on the board and I want the ring - alone - for another half hour. They say they won't be mounting for at least that time.

But when they get their horses they leave the one who hates to be left. He is left in a stall along the indoor's wall and now he is screaming, spinning and rearing. What happened to my quiet morning. Trainer finally shows up and puts him outside where he can run and rear and scream. She also tells the kids they are going to start their lesson in the outside ring. Thank the heavens.

I mount. Finally. I think its been 2 weeks since the last time in the saddle. And I just sit there, waiting for Cici to chew. And I sit there waiting for Cici to chew. And I sit there waiting for Cici to chew.She finally does. So we walk a couple of steps and she stops. Thanks can we walk on? Couple of steps and stops.

By now another rider is trotting around and cantering around on the track. So we are in the middle of the ring. Backing. Walk a couple of steps and stop. Sigh. Neither one of us is focused. I am just happy to feel comfortable on her. Then I notice snow sliding off the roof. Just little pieces. Just to be safe I dismount since the other day when I was playing on the ground and the snow slide off the roof Cici leapt in the air.

I land and then the entire roof full of snow showers down. And boom boom boom. Cici startles and runs forward but I'm holding onto the reins. Her nose is long and she is worried. I walk her around the ring for a bit. Show her the wall where the snow fell - high windows. And she lowers her head and licks and chews.

Remount and she is fine. I am fine. We walk in a large circle while other rider is still cantering around on the track. I notice more snow sliding past the windows and dismount again. Another large chunk of snow falls and this time Cici doesn't appear to be as concerned. I play a little stick to me and walk and trot the ring with Cici and know that more snow is coming down. So I call it a day for riding.

When I get her back in her paddock yet another chunk of snow dislodges and crashes to the ground. She just stands in her paddock and watches.

Freestyle? ever?

I'll admit I've been struggling with my emotional fitness while riding in the ring freestyle. Oh I'm fine out on the trails, ride with a casual rein, and keep my hips flowing. Most of the time. But spending time "just" riding in the ring has me worrying, doubting myself, trusting Cici.

Winter has definitely arrived, with a few inches of wet snow now on the ground. This is the stuff that compacts in the horse's hooves and creates snowballs or high heels. Not a good thing while riding on uneven ground, up and down hills. So its time for face the indoor demons.

Yesterday I was all set to play with stick to the rail, question box, circles, figure eights. Watched a piece with Linda working with a LBE and cones along the track. Thought of doing point to point with Cici at the trot.

Got to the barn and there were two people cleaning the stalls along the walls of the indoor. Not just cleaning, but stripping them. So lots of trips with full muck buckets from the stalls to outside the ring to dump them. Okay we can deal with this, playing on the ground.

When Cici is listening and partnering with me I tack her up. Now one of them asks if she can drive her truck into the ring to unload the bedding. Asks if I am going out on the trails. I said no, going to do ring work. And sure drive in, thinking she will unload and then drive out. But oh no. Unloads, sweeps the truck bed out, starts to spread bedding and do other things with the truck still parked in the ring.

And now they start to bring in their horses to check out winter blankets. And their horses do not trust the blankets so there is lots of spinning and snorting now going on.

I only had so much time to play and ride. Time is running out. My patience is gone. Not a good place to be even considering getting on my horse. So I untack her and leave. I'm whining again.

Today with all the snow and gusty winds sheets of snow are falling off the indoor roof. Cici is fine about the wind. But the unexpected sliding snow is too much for her. She will be trotting nicely online and then boom goes the snow and she spooks. The snow falls at very irregular times, spaced apart quite a time. So never know when they are going to happen. Have three different events and Cici reacts to each of them in a manner that is fine online, but not under saddle.

Decide that today is not the day to get on and ride. And of course today there is no one else around and I have the ring to myself. Sigh.

I am trying to figure out if I am psyching myself out and making excuses or if I am adhering to safety first. As they say in Brooklyn, "it is what it is." But this is not a satisfying thought right now. I am feeling that I am not progressing. Worry if I'm being provocative enough for Cici. Wondering where I am on my journey. Feeling alone and adrift. Whine whine whine.

Pedestal

I've been watching some Level 2 and 3 online assessments, as well as watching Level 3 online with Pat and its slowing getting through to me that I am further along, online that is, than I thought. I am playing Level 3 online. That awareness is kind of mind bending. Or to put it more succinctly, Oh Boy!

Been working diligently at being more provocative with Cici and thought hmmm a pedestal would be great. M has this huge one she used with her Standardbred when she was trick training him. Its tucked in the corner of the arena. It weighs a ton and the step up is maybe 18 or 20". Its taller than Cici's knee, that is for sure. But I know we have walked over logs on the trail that are as high.

I've also been noticing that Cici has been offering to step on things. Like a cone and mounting block when we play touch it. The other day she had her front foot almost on the mounting block! And that is when the light bulb went off, pedestal.

M offered to move her pedestal into the ring. She "rolled" it ass over tea kettle. I had Cici online as M was moving it and she was fascinated with it. Had to move her out of the way so the pedestal would not land on her.

I didn't have to do anything to get Cici to the pedestal. Talk about curiosity! Cici had her nose all over the top. First the nose, then the neck, maybe the feet. She sure had her nose and neck reaching along the top. And she was standing with her toes right against the angled base.

I asked her to walk forward and she kicked the base a couple of times. So we walked away and did other things in the ring before going back. I played with leading her leg with a rope and then asked her to lift her foot to the top of the pedestal. Remember its 18-20" tall and she is a 14 hand girl.

She rested her tip toe on the pedestal. Treat. Treat. Rubbed her leg. Told her she was soooo smart. Quietly removed her foot and we went and did other things. Figured that was enough for day one.

I got Casey and dare I admit this? I stood on the pedestal while he ran around. It was a defensive position as he was trying to "get" me. Worked fantastically! Then I asked him to come to the pedestal and since he was still "trying to get me" I stood at the back corner and he leaned way over the top. First the nose, then the neck, maybe the feet.

Well it was not long before young master Casey (mini extraordinaire) was striking the top of the pedestal with his feet!

Day 2. The chiropractor was at the barn this morning and adjusted Cici. Okay he adjusted me as well. I had noticed yesterday when I asked Cici to trot on the circle she would do this my neck is stiff head toss in both directions. Since I knew the chiropractor was coming I just added her to the list.

Well she felt soooo good that when I asked for a trot I got a great rounding of her body as she launched off in a gallop. On the circle. Airs above ground. Both directions!

She will do this for two maybe three circles before she comes trotting in to me. Save me! She comes in and licks and chews fast and hard. I sent her out and she just could not hold a trot. More galloping, slowing to a nice canter around and around and then back to me. Save me. I could see she was winding herself up and even though when she came in she would lick and chew I needed to engage her mind.

Sideways along the wall was great. I could stand still and send her to the end of the 22. Lots of licking and chewing. Half circles, change of direction, more licking and chewing. She was just delighted to be focusing on something.

Pedestal? First touch it with a treat when she did. She then nosed all over the top checking the dirt to see if there were other treats. She checked the edges, taking the wood in her teeth - I've noticed this biting things recently. She's done that with the round ground poles. I asked her to put her foot on the top. She moved her leg forward and hit the side of the pedestal. Great.

We walked away and played stick to me for a bit then back to the pedestal. I again led her with the rope on her leg. After what felt like very little time she lifted her leg and pawed at the top. Striking it a couple of times and then leg back down to the ground. I didn't have the rope on her leg. This was her idea! Treat. Rubbed her leg and quietly told her I she was a super star!

Walked away again and came back. She now put her foot right on top of the pedestal! And left it there. Resting on the toe. Stood quietly. Treat treat. Rubbed leg. Wow girl friend you are awesome. End on a great note.