Winter Music

  Sigh. Maybe I'm not cut out for chestnut mares. Especially sensitive chestnut mares.  I hate how I get sometimes. I even prayed for God to help me NOT go there. But I did anyways. Sigh... And our day started so good! My friend, who lives at the end of the neighborhood, finally got to come ride with me. She wasn't sure how well her horse would ride to get here though as he can be squirrely on the road. So, she messaged me when she was heading this way and I grabbed Lyric and got her groomed and tacked up. I guess maybe I was a little rushed because I wasn't sure how long it would take Brooke. Add that to the fact that the horses were in the middle pasture because of Brooke coming over and Lyric was a little stressed. Not bad, but a little stressed. When she was tacked up we headed out in the driveway to see if Brooke was here yet. She wasn't, so while we waited we did our pillar walk around the turn around. She was pretty good, although a little on edge. But she settle...

  Ugh... I shouldn't have bothered today. Like, really. I was a bad, bad, bad momma. And I hate it now and feel awful but I just couldn't make myself be better.  I was in a great mood this morning. I pulled Lyric out and we went to the trailer with her lunch. She got on and was eating and I touched her butt and she was good. I then tried to put the butt bar up and she panicked and came flying out at me. Obviously I wasn't able to get the butt bar up and I'm lucky she didn't smash my hand. Sigh. So then I tried to get her back on and she wouldn't go. So then I gave her some ace, to take the edge off. We did our cookie stretches and a tiny bit of pillar walking and then we tried to load again. And she wouldn't. Like, wouldn't even go near the trailer ramp anymore. And, my hormones are about to hit the 24-48 hrs of supreme sadness and depression, so I got upset. I got frustrated and annoyed and angry. Because for the love of all... why is this so hard?! It...

Add videos (pivo x 3 and trail ride)  loaded.. no butt bar today but better again rode. practiced riddling and follow the nose "trail rode" but got farther

  Today was a big day for Lyric! We had lots of victories.   We started off with lunch in the trailer. She got right on and was doing well. She was letting me touch her butt and went in with the butt bar up on the right side. So, today... I got greedy and put her butt bar up. Sigh. It was a little scary. She sat back and was leaning hard into it. She's soooo leggy and tall I was afraid she was going to slip and flip over it, but... she didn't. It was probably only 25 seconds but it felt like forever before I could get her to step forward and take her weight off the bar. I managed to drop it and she came flying out. I let her have a minute and then I tried to get her back on. It took a bit, but she did manage to get on and eat. As soon as I touched her butt, she came off. And then she got so upset that she wouldn't even get on. I did acquiesce and drop the other butt bar and slide over the divider. Then she went on and ate the last two bites and then got off. So we quit with...

 Today was a beautiful day! I grabbed Lyric and brought her to the trailer with her lunch. She walked right on and ate a good bit before she came off. I closed the divider closer to her and we got on and off a few times, while eating a good bit. She let me pat her butt, although that did seem to mostly make her come off, but not towards the end. Then I was even able to walk to the other side of the ramp... walk to the back of the ramp... drop the leadrope.. and she kept eating. We even got the butt bar up AND she loaded! Repeatedly! So yay. We're now loading into the trailer with the chest and butt bar up and only the tack room door open. Although I'm not sure that would matter. So we'll see if we can now get her butt bar up as the next step.  After that I turned her out for a bit while I lunged Funny. Of course they had wandered off to the far corner so I had to go fetch her, but.. she came all the way back with me. And no one came with us. I didn't even really have to...

 Trailer practice: not as good. Went in but took a few tries and wouldn't really stay in. Couldn't do it with right side butt bar up. but was able to slide the divider over a little bit. Got back on twice (all 4 feet in, but not all the way in) when the food was gone too. then worked dan. then got her again. Lunged right... much more braced tracking right. starts to go soft and stretchy on one part of the circle and then falls in and braces on the other part. Then went left... zoomed into the canter and was madly cantering and zooming. not pulling on the lunge, just zooming in the circle. tore up my footing. ugh. finally trotted and was quite nice and soft the whole way around. Went back to the right and same thing but maybe a little better than initially.

  Hee hee.. Poor Lyric! The things she has to put up with! This weekend was the Jessica Bortner-Harris clinic. She teaches biomechanics of the rider to help make the horses go better. Basically, she fixes the crookedness to help us be straight, so then we aren't blocking the horses. And it was fascinating. And so educational! I was supposed to ride Saturday but decided that it would not be fair (or in my best interest) to take Lyric. I just don't want to rush her on the trailer loading. So I took Dan for a long lining lesson. It was great! Then today, she offered to come by my house when she was done if the weather cooperated. And it did! But brrrrr was it cold! I was a little under dressed. In the beginning. Once Jessica got there, I was working hard! I didn't know how long it would take so I got ready and got Lyric up to the arena. We did our pillar walks and then I got on. And we walked. And walked. And she kept stopping to sniff the water puddles. Every one. Every time....