it really doesn't matter

I just messed around with her for the last two days, not enough time to ride. And I realized that she has come a long long way and she is keeping me sane right now, so the rest doesn't really matter. We will get there, or not, who cares?

so discouraged....

Apparently every single new thing that Nina is introduced to is going to be the same battle.
She is walking around fairly cheerfully, totally unfazed by other horses, and stuff going on around the barn. She did spook at the mounting block the other day but it took a long time to decide to do that and she was telling me that she was bored.

But ask her to pick up a trot and the battle is on. The exact same stuck, sucked back, head slinging, threatening behavior that went on for a month over walking. *sigh*

I tried laying out poles to trot over, just to give her something to think about....it made no difference. She did trot a few steps following another horse so we may do that for a while.

With all the stuff going on at home, I just don't have the patience for this. I can see how people resorted to bashing her.....she makes it tempting. I need to be able to ride to relieve stress, not create it. I was so discouraged a few days ago I was ready to quit. Now I am willing to give it a little more time, keep working at it and see what happens.
Somebody taught her this behavior, I hope karma has caught up to them.

cross country!! not really...

I went out to Spring Gulch xc to teach a lesson today and hauled Nina along just to see how it would go. Also she hasn't been anywhere for over a year and I think that she may not have ever gotten on a trailer without going to a new home. Might as well get over that.

She was reluctant to load as the ramp was unstable, but she got over it and got on in a short time. Unloaded a little excited at the wide open spaces and horses visible in the distance. But Scotty unloaded like a fire breathing dragon his whole life, so I am used to that.

Lunged her a little, just trot around and then dragged her around with me like a big black dog while I taught the lesson. She got over being a little timid very quickly and started trying to drag me around. I was glad to see her more interested in a likely looking clump of grass and not the lions and tigers and bears in the shrubs, but I think she needs a ground manners tune up.

She hopped right on the trailer to go home. Rode well both ways. This was very nice. I am looking forward to actually riding her out there. She hopped over some logs and popped off a good size bank without any looks at all. She is going to be fun!

very layed back...

Spent a while this afternoon just walking in circles and loops around the arena. No one else was there. Stepped over some poles, got nice and straight before and after. She is turning off of my leg, walking out in a big relaxed stride. Every once in a while she has one ear forward and one back...I like that. Two ears back makes me a little nervous...Watch where you are going!

Early in the week I free jumped her a little in a big round pen. Started at 2 ft and just kept cranking it up. Her spot at the canter kept getting farther and farther away so she fixed it herself and trotted it a few times to a tight spot and then cantered again to a better spot. Cranked it up for one jump to 4ft, same as at 2ft except tighter knees, not excited at all. From one direction she clouted it at 4ft and scared herself, I lowered it to 3 ft and she popped over it.
Only jumped about 10 jumps. No chute, no big deal, never tried to run out. Stopped when she scared herself and then just trotted and popped over.
Either she has had some jump schooling with someone with great skills and soft hands or she is just very layed back about things until they are screwed up for her by some two legged twit.