Wednesday

Lots going on at the barn. New horses, Try's new pasture, round pen set up in the ring, watching first ride in a long time on new horse etc.

Try and I played with sticking together on the way in from her pasture--she was cranky when I saw her but quickly settled into more precision in following at my shoulder. We did a good grooming session and tacked up in western saddle.

In the round pen--opportunity for some intensity--asked for figure 8 as I figured that would be a good lead into some circling. Try didn't seem to need to burn off much energy or emotion and had a lot of desire to not move with much intensity and quite a bit of draw to go with it. Played with some games taking advantage of the round pen until BA came out with the youngster. Try and I watched as the youngster got acquainted with the big green ball for the first time. Fun--he and BA rolled the ball back and forth to each other.

Next Try and I rode (after usual warmup) bridleless (reins over the saddle horn) for ??20 minutes walk, trot, canter, reverse, circles. I rarely needed stick and not much leg--thinking more eyes/belly button/matching shoulders, etc. Then went on to laterals and I know if I had gone back to bridleless by then the concentration/connection I would have needed would not have been there. I did the exercise of shaping on the circle at a trot then canter then off the circle in a straight line--changed my body and got a lovely flying change on the front. Who knows what I got on the back--perhaps that should be something to study now. Watched at the end BA riding the youngster hanging out with Try so he would be confident having another horse around. Then we went into the barn and Try and I babysat some more while the new horse got clipping and sprayed in the wash stall. I am thinking he is LBE--big play drive, curious, mischievous and let BA know when he was tired of the wash stall.

Then Try got her shower. She balked a little about her face--zero tolerance--so we stayed with it until she relaxed. Then off for a nice long graze on line in all the good places. Back to her pasture and she rolled close to me--that was the most thrilling part of the day as Try has a history of not trusting any humans any where near her when she rolls.