Round and round . . .

Mocachee has been most epic lately. Given filming some Level 3 stuff a couple tries but . . .more friendly game with the camera is in order.

Been playing a lot with flexibility and softness with our freestyle and trying to “clean stuff up” so to speak. Same sort of thing online but we’ve also thrown in sideways towards me (which he is doing great with). Also been playing with laps at the canter (so much effort for my little LBI, lol) and flying changes. I’ve really been trying to let him “find his feet” on the flying change and they’re getting much cleaner and the awkward gaits that we were getting instead of the change are starting to disappear the more he gets to play with it on his own. Not “over doing it” with those seems to be working in our favor. We shall have our big field back in the next week or so hopefully and that means more time with my 45. Been playing a little bit with finesse, actually got a pretty nice figure eight at the walk/trot the other night with contact. Still kind of feel like I don’t know what I’m doing half the time, but just making myself watch as much information and read as much information as I can. Trying to clean up our figure eight at liberty, but once again trying not to overdo it. He’s had a busy week with Polo camp and me trying to get stuff together for filming, but I managed to catch my own pattern tonight and interrupt it. Just took him out for some grazing time and a fun little bareback ride around the front yard. We played with some chickens which we both thoroughly enjoyed and I think he was a happy pony. We had some pretty big extreme friendly break-throughs with bags, strings and kazoos this past week. I’m really just feeling a focus on filming with him, a better awareness on my part and that whole having fun thing.

Miss Lucy has been throwing me for a spin the past few sessions. Fell off last Friday due to a spook and she’s been jumping all over the chart horsenality wise. Just got to dig a little deeper, I guess. She’s a lot more complicated than Mocachee is, but we’re going to get it. Little things with her have gotten better, oddly enough. She’s gotten really good at flyspray (that used to be super hard for her) and I’m finally getting some “yes” answers when it comes to putting on sunscreen. She also did a great job getting wormed the other night, another pretty big thing for her.

I could really use a wish right now . . .

Well Mr. Mocacheeman was most excellent. Coming out at 9:30 made things quite interesting for him, I think. Brushed him and played online in the round pen. He got a little right brain initially, but we just played through it and he came back to his Left Brain side. Once he felt good I bridled and hopped on. Lateral flexion and indirect/direct rein were all nice and soft. Impulsion was there, equal “whoa” and “go”. We pushed the balls and the barrels (he kept trying to take out Charlie & Lauren for some odd reason) and played with some transitions and snakey bends. His canter felt really nice again, as did his trot. He was stretching out really nice. More nine step back up and soft feel at the halt. Already much improved since last night, I’m getting the feel of really holding the porcupine until he quits being jerky and bracy. Also getting the timing of my release better, I think that’s really helping too. Set the barrels up and he knocked them with his hind end the first time, but the second time he totally cleared it with room to spare. It was an EPIC jump and Lauren is my witness, lol. Ended the ride there and just walked around with Lauren & Charlie and cooled down.

I don’t know if his “try” has increased lately or I’ve just noticed it more. Probably the latter. Even when he was a little more on the Right Brain side of things, he was trying for me. I think I’m starting to see that “horses run faster and jump higher with heart and desire”. Even Left Brain Introverts, lol. Kristi was right, he’s trying his heart out for me. And how unhappy with him can I be? I asked him to jump double barrels bareback on a loose rein at 11:00 at night and he did it. Not only did he do it, he put effort into it for me.

We’re one, but we’re not the same, we get to, carry each other

Loooong overdue for blogging. My apologizes

Lucy

Loads of great stuff from Kristi to help me with this little lady. Really have to try and not make her feel “wrong” because that seems to frustrate her more than anything else. At the same time, however, her circling game really needs to get going. Kristi suggested asking for way less at the canter and focusing on walk/trot laps and getting those really good. We played with her respect (neutral lateral flexion/indirect/direct rein) and how to make that more interesting for her in the Saturday workshops. The more we play with that, the more I can’t wait to ride her spin one day. It is going to be epic. Then the Wednesday group lesson was impulsion. She really swings, no “go” one minute and then way too much “go” the second you bring her life up. But, I got good techniques for that. Also played with snakey bends with her. She was really getting it Wednesday afternoon and finally actually felt with me. We had a good ride this past Wednesday. I got a bit boring so she decided to jump a single barrel. Then we rode out with Tai & Elise and played with the tire some more. Ended up going into the pond area and she went in with me on her. Her pendulum swings a lot like mine . . .but Kristi said she’d seen a huge improvement in her since January. She & I are going to get it, eventually.

Mocachee

Variety . . .less, way less . . .less pressure, on him and myself . . .oh, and film ASAP. Lol. Workshops with this boy were good. He was great, put up with all of my Right Brain crap. Overall, good friendly game  good exposure. And lots of good little things to put into practice with my buddy. Really refined his indirect/direct rein, played a little with his impulsion, snakey bends for him as well and he did great with the trail ride. I also realized he gives me a lot more “yes” answers than I give him credit for. I think the scariest part is that when (not if, I’m not allowing myself to say if anymore in regards to my upcoming audition) we pass . . .that means we need to start playing with Level 4 stuff . . .which is a little scary for the RBE. Lucky for me, my horse seemed thrilled to play with Follow the Rail with my arms folded last Wednesday. And he was quite awesome-tastic at it.Need to start spending some time on the 45 foot line and still have to work on watching my massive amount of energy with him and making sure my phase one isn’t too much.He’s enjoying his two days off I think and yesterday when I rode out to open the back gate on him he didn’t got straight for the grass. Instead he came with me all the way back up to the barn at liberty. I was quite sad that I had to go to class.

Totally took him swimming today due to the extreme heat. Then we hung out til this evening and I just hopped on him bareback for a bit. Had a fair amount of “go” tonight, which was really nice. He also had ideas of his own, which was pretty cool. We played with some circles, follow the rail and figure eights that were his idea. He was also in to walk/canter/halt/back up. Played with the the back up tonight, trying to get the “feel” of a really engaged back up. That had him licking and chewing at every release. I just waited until I felt him engage, lift his back and tip his nose. Just another porcupine game, lol. His canters were really nice tonight, his head was down, he wasn’t on the forehand and I kind of felt like I was riding a reining pony, lol. So, I guess it’s time to get outside of my Level 3 comfort zone with this boy.

^Short, I know, but I am very sleepy, lol.

Magnificent . . .

So this evening with my horse is totally blog worthy. I hadn’t intended on staying late and riding but I’m really glad I did. Had some people from Southeastern Virginia Training Center (where my Mom works, actually) come out to see the horses. Linus, Ish & Mocachee were all great with that and I did a little liberty/bareback & bridle less demo with Mocachee. He was great, jumped the barrels and sidewaysed over them like a champ, chased the ball around and cantered on to the tire again and let me stand on him while he had all four feet up there.

Decided to play with some online & finesse this evening since we’d already done liberty and freestyle. Did some circling, playing with his connection and rhythm. He did great, I actually sent him out at liberty and got one lap at the trot with him connected, relaxed and doing a relatively small circle. The played with asking him to go forward at the trot and then partially disengage and go sideways to kind of free up his zone three. Hopped on and played with some follow the rail, then did some stretching. He was totally eager and ready to stretch, I was barely having to put feel down my reins. Then once I felt him coming up we played with soft feel at the walk/trot and then walk/trot transitions with contact. He felt beautiful. He was actually getting round tonight, on the vertical and I could feel him coming up from behind through his back. The coolest thing was when I let him out to stretch, he was lifting up his back,really thrusting off his hind end and tracking up. He was putting so much effort in for me. Go to a good spot in our transitions and did some figure eights/circles which are starting to feel a ton better. He still has an easier time on a straight line, but I’m not getting discouraged or frustrated. It’s just going to take him some time, he’ll figure it out. And quite frankly, he’s really good at finesse. And not only good at it, he seems to love it. I haven’t had him follow me back in out of the field or heard some much blowing out at the end of a ride in a while.

Elise was riding Tai with us and she managed to see one of his really nice trots and she gave me the best compliment. She said she thought he looked better than Remmer. He certainly felt wonderful. I’m starting to kind of get a feel for how my body is supposed to be as well, I think. I’m just playing with it still, but the more fluid I get for finesse the better I feel. I honestly like doing finesse bareback. I still do it in his saddle, don’t get me wrong, but I feel a little . . .freer with my body when we’re just bareback. I don’t have to worry about anything getting in my way when I’m playing around with getting engaged with him. I also remembered to keep the “schwung” going in my body tonight and that seemed to help it go in his. I wish I’d remembered my camera and gotten pictures . . .but some moments are meant to just be between you and your horse. I think tonight was one of those nights. They’ll be plenty of other opportunities to get pictures of him being fancy.

I have dreamed about riding my horse like that. I have dreamed of him being that pretty and collected. To feel him putting his heart into it for me. And to think, it will only get better the more both of us learn.

I was asked today if I had “taught my horse all that stuff”. Really, I didn’t teach him much of anything. He taught me.

So, look out world. Because here comes the naturally trained gaited dressage pony.

Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams . . .

Yep, I fail as a blogger, been like a month since I blogged on here. Had Open House the end of last month and prepping for Kristi the end of this month. Plan on giving the website a bit of an overhaul and “spring/summer cleaning” of sorts. Went to Loni’s last week and spent the day with her and her horses and it was a great learning experience. Got to step outside of my comfort zone and really learn some good lessons in being effective and light, as well as what that feels like.

Lucy

I don’t even think this is the same horse from a couple months ago, lol. This little lady has been doing FANTASTIC! Been riding and playing behind the round pen as well as the arena. We can walk, trot, canter in round pen while riding and are playing with walk/trot in the arena. Discovering her play drive I think has helped me discover my own . . .and boy, does she ever have a big play drive! We’ve been having a blast online together and I’m starting to figure out how to get that “fun” to transfer to freestyle. She can jump anything and everything (single barrels, cones, mounting blocks . . .you name it Lucy can probably clear it with room to spare). I rode her bareback today and we walk, trot, cantered in the round pen before opening the gate (which she acted like she’d done a million times) and meandering around back before she got all four feet on the tire. She wants to be with me and is already ready for some play time when I go out to the field. She’ll follow me out to her herd at liberty and the other night she wanted me to walk her to her hay. I <3 this girl, she’s a wonderful, smart, talented little partner.

Mocachee

Ah, this boy. I think he gets more awesome every day, lol. He’s really challenging me to be lighter, softer, more provocative, treat him like a “big boy”, give him more slack in the line . . .and remember that his needs need to become my needs at this point. Be it grass, a nap in his stall, standing with him and rubbing him or scratching him in his itchy spots. Little things that mean a lot to him. And it’s gotten me a horse that comes a lot more willingly to me out of the field and is so much softer when we’re playing together. Finesse is starting to make some sense to us. He’s trying his heart out for me, that’s for sure. I feel like I refine my phase one every day, but he’d good for me in that respect. And play . . .remembering to play with my Left Brain Introvert. He’s just been lovely the past few weeks. He was epic for Open House and totally had my back. He’s been jumping single and double barrels online and freestyle. Everything’s just gotten nicer, softer, lighter. I had a really lovely bareback and bridle less ride today in the round pen and in the space behind it. He was light, responsive . . .and just . . .with me. I got lighter and more fluid as well. There’s just a really nice feeling when you’re trotting along on your horse bareback and bridle less, he’s got his head down pushing peanuts, going where you’re focused and you just feel . . .together. I couldn’t ask for a more wonderful horse.

Rhapsody

Ah, my current puzzle. We’re better, but he still knows how to throw me. He’s a greater teacher in timing, lightness and effectiveness . . .I just haven’t quite completely grasped the lesson yet. He loves the arena and especially loves the clover leaf pattern. Our ride Wednesday wasn’t horrible and it was an improvement. I just don’t feel like I’ve gotten through to him quite yet. I’ll just keep trying and licking and chewing.

And I feel a little better than I did before . . .

Loni came out again and helped me with the ponies today. I always feel so much savvier after she comes, lol. My ‘phrase of the day” was definitely, “That’s too hard, Hannah!”.

Lucy

Played with/saddled the girl prior to Loni getting there. Played in her bridle and did a little bit in the round pen before venturing behind the round pen. Today was the first day we’ve gone back there, just her and I, and we didn’t have any spooky/right brain moments. Played on the tire and then went back and played with the jumps. Lots of squeeze game/sideways game with the jumps. Came back and let her get a drink in her bridle, then got a walk/trot/canter in the round pen. Played with the figure eight at the walk/trot then saddled her. Went through walk/trot/canter/over a jump and felt like she wanted me to get on.

Warmed up with some follow the rail, transitions and figure eights at the walk and trot. Then did a little canter before Loni asked if I’d jumped her. We talked about that for a minute, the Loni set up the barrels for a “squeeze”. Did that at the walk and trot, then when Lucy made an attempt at actually jumping the squeeze, Loni put the barrels together. Miss Lucy & I jumped them at the trot in both directions and she was awesome. I’ve never jumped a horse that actually felt like she loved jumping that like. She was drawn to the jump like a magnet and I just went along for the ride, tried to stay with her and tried to stay out of her way. All I had to do was point her at it and she had my back, lol. She felt so light and awesome!

Ended it there and Loni said to start jumping her when I ride and just start trusting her and staying out of her way. She said she can’t wait to see her on a course and I’m feeling the same way. I think jumping is definitely in her future. There’s still a lot to play with her with, but Loni said I’m on the right track with her. She’s learning so fast, she’s going to be an amazing little pony!!

Rhapsody

Really super informative session with him that’s going to help me with a lot horses. Played with his sensitivity and my own sensitivity. And did a lot of fixing up on my phases. Especially my phase one and my phase four. Phase one was too much/not long enough and my four tends to be too “hard”. Too much emotion behind it. I felt like at the end of the day I was starting to understand phase four a little bit better. It’s not hard, it’s not emotional . . .period . . .it just . . .is. Got him “snappy” online and then transferred that to riding. This is also where I learned all my awesome porcupine game in Zone 1 stuff.

Feel like I have somewhere to “go” with him now and lots of techniques to play with him with. He felt a ton lighter by the time we were done, especially riding. It was a great lesson in using my energy. Can’t wait to see him progressing!

Mocacheeman

Asked Loni to watch our online and it turns out all three ponies have the same Zone 1/sensitivity issue. Played the cool new porcupine games with Mocachee, really focusing on his back up and his “send” online. Had him sending out from a halt to a canter at a phase one. And I wasn’t getting the “blah, blah, blah” face. I was getting the “You’re fascinating and awesome!” face. And our extreme friendly game stayed in tact. Then we played with his driving game some (once again, lots of backing up, lol). Loni played with him on the falling leaf and apparently his jumping up in the air as he changes direction is not a bad thing. She showed me how to “wake him up” and totally get him playing. I think she was having a blast with him, I know I sure did when it was my turn to give it a shot. His falling leaf/change of direction was epic and he got to where I could just look behind me and focus my energy on him and he would come forward at a canter or a trot. Also got him trotting sideways!! The thing I loved it that I felt like he was playing and having a blast. I was also not aware he can move and be that athletic. It was like a totally different Mocachee, he looked like a little Spanish bull fighting pony jumping up and leaping around, lol.

Hopped on him bareback and my bareback fluidity is going to have to get a lot better for my new snappy, athletic pony, lol.He was so with me and exuberant, it was awesome. And Loni helped with his back up riding too, that was feeling a lot better after we played with that.

Felt like a super duper productive day and can’t wait to play with the goobers some more! I am so excited to get to try all my new stuff tomorrow, lol.

And that makes me smile . . .

Mocachee

This boy was awesome-tastic Wednesday night, so sad I have no pictures or video. Went to the barn after class and got him out and groomed and saddled him up. Played with traveling circling in the arena and did some squeeze game fallen down purple martin house. Bridled him, hopped on and rode with two sticks, something I haven’t done in a while. Decided to play with the question box and my horse was PERFECT. I used my sticks a grand total of three times, and even then they may not have been necessary. He was totally going off my body, his circles were great. I could pick the size I wanted with my focus and his transitions were awesome. Even if he’d break into a canter when I’d really want to trot, all I’d have to do was a soft exhale and he’d come right down to a nice little trot. He was picking up his leads great at the canter and we got in some canter/walk transitions. He’s still having a harder time going from the walk to the canter to the right, but it felt a lot better last night. More playing online to free up those ribs and that stifle will help that. I can not believe how awesome his circles have gotten. He had one little spook by the mare next door’s field, don’t know what that was about. But it was an introverted spook and after we retreated a little he seemed fine. I think a ton more pattern play is in order for us . . .focusing on how light can I be, not just can I “do it”. If our filming for our Level 3 goes as awesome and light as our ride last night, I will be thrilled to send it in.

Took a break and watched the sunset, then played with a little finesse while I had a little light left. Focused on my release, like Fran suggested and the result was really, really nice. Got a lovely couple strides at the trot where it felt like he was trying to come up and he wasn’t bracy, so we ended on that. Cooled him out and that actually just felt really nice. I didn’t have to touch me reins and we both just felt really relaxed. Walked him back to the barn and he stood in the isle way, not tied or anything, and let me un-saddle him. Walked him out and he tried to follow me back in, lol. He is pretty much the most awesomest thing ever!

Lucy

Miss Right Brain today. Something’s going on either next door or in that general direction because everyone was spooky today, even Linus a bit. Anyway, I have to say today was much better than her last Right Brain day. Played with the same type of pattern Linda had the woman in her lesson at Lexington do and got Miss Lucy Left Brain again. Got a walk, trot canter and over a jump then saddled her. Rinsed and repeated with the saddle on and got on. She was back to Right Brain on the “spooky” side of the round pen, but it wasn’t to the point where I felt like I needed to get off.

An hour and fifty million figure eights/partial disengagements later we could walk and trot with relaxation around the whole round pen. Well, I’m probably exaggerating a little there, but honestly I think it was good for both of us. Got a couple canters in both directions. Still a little bucky (pretty sure part of that is my focus), but an improvement from our last ride on that. Unsaddled her and played some friendly game with the horse. Got about a third more of her hosed off than I did Tuesday. And she was being a goober and trying to eat the water as it came out of the hose, lol. There was also something  tragic that happened after hosing as I was talking to Kathy that made Lucy, Linus & Ish spook. Lucy did pretty good though, only one rear and she didn’t get away. A couple of back ups and sideways later she was back to her normal self. It’s making me feel better that even on her Right Brain days I’m starting to really get some strategies to help her out. Can’t wait to get more feedback from Loni though on how to improve my relationship with her.

Linus

Oh my goodness, he was a GOOBER. In a fun way, lol. Cleaned his sheath, brushed him and saddled him up. Decided to use my blingy headstall on him and he actually did really nice bridling. Played online with his bridle on. He was actually full of energy and spunk. All snakey ears and playful stuff from this boy today, lol. Played with transitions and change of direction on the circle, trying to get him to get some “connection” with me online. Jumped a couple jumps and then I hopped on him.

Played with a question box, he was actually quite light and asking questions. Played with transitions on follow the rail next and discovered he was avoiding corners at all costs. So, the corners game was next. He thought that was just the coolest pattern ever and when we went back to a little follow the rail he was using his corners a lot better. Jumped a little then just chilled on him/cooled him out for a bit. Walked him back to the barn (with Miss Ish in tow, lol) and had a little yawn fest while we unsaddled. Lauren got some pictures of the goober, lol.

Linus

Serpentines

Go Linus!

Yawning Sesh, lol

the feeling of 2 becoming 1

to recap Staurday =WOW!!   ok ill start at the begining we started on line and we where all timered and we had to ask our horses to back in through the round pen gate then do a sidways over a cone that was inbettewn two polls, then we did the figger 8 at a walk and trot, then ask them to put their foot on the mounting block for 3 pat parellis oldly enough Charlie didn’t want to take his off lol. then lastly we’d jump the barels   charlie did epicly awesome and i think we had the best time not that it matters.  then hannah ask me if i wanted to try it at libirty? i said yea and it was awesome we went in did the sidways and then over to the mounting block and then did stick to me on the rail and over the Jump it felt like we were one :D:D:D:D:D then we all got on and we did the slowest walk, fastest walk, slowest trot. fastest trot, (and by the way Hannah cheated because she collected monkey for the slowest stuff haha then we did the canter i’ve really been working on my self for Charlie’s cater because its really big and the first time it didn’t work to well but i didn’t get fustreted i just went back to the center and watched hannah then Hannah asked if i wanted to try again and i said yes and my atituid about it was i don’t really know i wasn’t really thinking a bout it and charlie went into the canter when i asked and he went all the way around the round pen !!!!!!!!! and it was sooooo fulid :D:D it felt sooo good and when i looked back to the center he just went on that i didn’t even use my reins it was just amazing because i was able to keep my seat for the whole thing andy way it was AWESOMENESS!!!!!!!!!    then we ate luncgh

then we went out to the arena and Hannah taught us how to do parelli barrel raceing Charlie Loved it,  and so did i we were timed and we had the bast time of i think it was eather 1.45 or 2.45 i can’t remimber if it was 1 or 2 minets. iwas fun thank u Hannah we ended it there they we unsaddled and Jaimy and her horse arived they stayed for a bought an hour and hung out and grazed on some grass i actully think lucy was they one who was right brain lol Deonta was great and he enjoyed the round pen and all the stuff in it i hink he had fun i hope they come out some time again

~Juliana

Slower, softer . . .until it’s only a whisper

Rhapsody was fun again. Lots of transitions online to set up for riding. Got my basic walk/trot/canter/over a jump and saddled him up (with him trying to help, he and Lucy seem to think the girth goes on first). Got on and ran through lateral flexion/direct rein/indirect rein. He’s still not as light as I’m used to, but he’s lighter than he was. Played with transition on the rail . . .a TON lighter since Thursday. Brought him “up” at the trot, then brought him back down before cantering and he was going off my energy. ‘Twas epic . Then some cantering, more transitions and a little bit of barrel jumping. Got to play with my focus some more on that and that was fun. I was doing a better job of staying out of his way and I felt more fluid and with him. Going to contemplate more fun things for us to do on Friday and also planning on a trip out to the big grassy field

Rhapsody!

"Surfer Dude"

Huuuuuge jump, lol

Wanted to try something different with Mocahee today. He’s been . . .compliant the past few weeks . . .but that’s really it. Just compliant, not really exuberant or “in” to what we’re doing. I also haven’t felt very fluid and I’ve felt like I’ve had to “drive” him, even with just my energy.

So, I took him out with a halter and a 12 foot line. I played a very tiny bit online, just got some “yes” answers then made his 12 foot line into reins and hopped on bareback. Ran through my pre-flight check and then just asked my horse what he’d like to do. We had a blast! He totally, completely surprised me. He started out freestyle with a question box and lots of transitions. Some figure eights, circles and lots of little “mini-patterns” with transitions thrown in. From there we moved into some stretching and he decided he wanted to “come up” and do some soft feel. More circles, a weave and figure eights at the walk, trot and canter. He wasn’t completely “collected” the whole time, but he wasn’t bracy and he wasn’t throwing his head around. And there was lots of blowing out. From there he was trying to throw out flying changes so we did a canter figure eight and the canter/walk serpentine and I tried some of the stuff I saw Pat doing last weekend, trying to get my body right so it’d be easier for him. That was fun and he was starting to engage his back end more. Went back to a little freestyle then cooled down at the walk. Lots of circles, figure eights and mini serpentines with no reins necessary!

Spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with him. I had him tied at the hitching post earlier in the afternoon and I’d walked down to get my stuff from the round pen and when I was walking back he saw he and started nickering like crazy

Talked to Fran about it and she gave me good advice with him. As long as he’s Left Brain and acting like a partner, really try to do what I did today. I know he likes doing stuff and I know he wants to try for me. I just need to take him out and ask him what he wants to do. Let him kind of come up with a plan, like he did today and just . . .go with it. I think what’s been happening is he’s having all these ideas and when he offers them to me, I don’t want to give any of the leadership or let him have any of the ideas. Because I already have my “plan” for the day. Then take his ideas and flow from one idea to the next. Passing the leadership back and forth, I guess is what you’d call it.

I felt really fluid(well, minus a few small mishaps on a couple of transitions, but he saved me from falling off, per usual), he felt super light and it just felt really nice.

<3

Free fallin’ . . .

Mocachee has been quite epic, but let me re-cap with the weekend.

Lexington Celebration this weekend was AWESOME! I am totally volunteering again if they come back, soooo much fun! Got so much knowledge wise out of the weekend and it was great to see people I knew and meet new ones! Had a good talk with Meggie Allen (she is awesome, seriously) about the externship and got some good horsemanship advice from Dancin’ Pete (a crazier RBE than me, lol). I also got chased around Sunday night by Pete . . .it’s my new exercise to help with my constant need to move/fidget . . .and it works, lol. I loved working the Savvy Club booth with Suzie leading us. She was super nice, super friendly and just made you feel like you fit right in. She never got frustrated when we had technical difficulties . . .and trust me, there were quite a few. We also had Luke from the Corporate Office back there helping us out and asking me for gum, lol.  The whole Parelli Team is just amazing, so positive and progressive and you feel right at home. I never knew how much went into putting on a Parelli Event . . .and I am even more impressed by them now having worked behind the scenes. Pretty much amazingness, despite getting lost multiple times, being up ridiculously early in the morning, insane weather and a delayed dinner Sunday night. Suzie did do a good job distracting us with stories of the Swiss Flu & Swiss Knives . . .and “Chop-Chop!!”

Played with Rhapsody today just for the heck of it and we had a blast. Had to play the catching game as he decided he wanted to trot off. I informed him that I love running and I was perfectly happy to run behind him. That worked like a charm and he decided perhaps the crazy little person running around could be cool. Walk, trotted, cantered and went over a jump online. Once I informed him that I love cantering and jumping and he could do it all day long, this boy loves cantering, lol. Did the same at liberty, his bring back was great.

Brushed him really quick, saddled him up and hopped on. Played a the walk and the trot a bit, tried tagging his nose with my savvy string like I’d seen Loni do, but my arm just wasn’t quite long enough and my aim wasn’t very good. Finally settled for tagging him on the ear if he didn’t go when I “thought” it. His “go” button was working great, so I decided to give a canter a shot. Couple of ear tags later we cantered in both directions and he decided he wanted to try jumping the barrels. This boy can JUMP! He actually jumped me out of the saddle the first time his jump was so huge. Was much better prepared and pushing a lot harder after that and we had a great time cantering and jumping the barrels. I’d screw up my balance or focus (or both, lol) every so often, but he’d just refuse and give me a few moments to get myself together again. That was fine with me, lol. Got a really nice jump where I actually felt really with him, followed by transitions down to a walk and back up. It felt super nice so I quit on that.

Took him back to the barn and did a more thorough grooming (exactly what I have to do with Lucy, lol) then turned him out. He rolled when I let him off line. So much energy and athleticism. And crazy epic jumping ability. I have never jumped a horse with that huge of a jump. He didn’t touch a thing. The extrovert in me had a lot of fun, lol.

Mocacheeman has been very, very awesome. Played online/liberty on Wednesday. Jumped the barrels with two 12 foot lines and that was epic (figured I’d try with two 12′s before two 22′s). Did our little walk/trot circles some more too. Then onto liberty. Really made myself “think” everything and that worked wonders. I send my horse off super string without even realizing it. Draw was epic. I got him to come back with one canter stride and the rest of the way a gorgeous little extended trot with his ears forward!! He also walked the figure eight pattern ad jumped the barrels and liberty.

Today we played online a bit, more “thinking” less stick from me makes for a very happy Mocachee. Little more liberty, with jumping barrels and such. Also, our little driving trot circles work at liberty if I can keep my focus and be cautious of my energy. I have to be so incredibly aware with him, it’s ridiculous. Got on and played with our spin, trying to make it tighter and smaller . . .which requires me doing that in my body (which was interesting) and a being really aware of my focus. We “separated, isolated and recombined” and it we got some tight little spins. Then onto transitions, especially playing with my shoulders and out walk/canter transitions. Though by the end of the session with that I was feeling a little, “Yeah, great, got that. Softer, please.” from him. Jumped the barrels and had an interesting little “aha!” on that. My horse jumps more . . .elegant and slower that a crazy extrovert like myself. He clears it, but there’s a bit of a  . . .calculatedness to it, for lack of a better word. That’s why I’m always ahead of him and through us off, I have to slow way down and jump a lot more “refined” with my introvert.

Took a break and sat around, then moved into some finesse. Stretching went great, he was all loose, supple and I added the right amount of drag. Played with soft feel and some lateral stuff at the walk and then soft feel at the trot. Tried really getting “engaged” in my body and seeing if he would come up and get “engaged” as well. Once again more thinking, less doing makes for a happy Mocachee. He’s trying to figure it out. Time to throw in more patterns at the walk too. He’s getting more comfortable with the trot though, a lot less bracy and starting to offer a little suspension. We’re getting there, my new stage of unconscious incompetence. He was really with me freestyle after that too. Opened gates, checked out the tire and hung out back for a little bit. It must have been a good day because he wanted to hang with me instead of go out tonight. I <3 my pony, lol.