big step...no big deal

Not only had I accomplished most of what I could expect to do in a round pen...I was bored out of my skull. Nina ditto.
So today we went out in the big arena, me with a game plan for a buck & bolt. Nina with a great big yawn.
Total non issue.

She does have a big spook in her and was eyeballing ONE fence post in a line of identical fence posts...so I want to make sure that we don't do anything exciting for a while.
But kindergarten is over and now we can get down to business with training...and showing her that this can be fun...or at least pleasant.

weather problems

The weather has been swinging from hot to cool, wet to dry, changing every hour.
Nina was slightly colicky today. After I got her comfortable I loaded her up on magnesium and wet mushy food. I think I will give her a couple of days off and lots of wet food.

this was different

Yesterday while I was tacking Nina up, she tried to lay down. Several times, girth was not tighter than normal and she had been acting fine. I got the tack back off of her quick and turned her loose in the roundpen. My first thought was colic so I grabbed a stethoscope and listened for gut sounds, everything sounded fine. Turned loose she wandered around, rolled once, nibbled on weeds and acted perfectly normal.
It could have been
1. a gas bubble that made her stomach hurt just as I was tightening the girth
2. she was holding her breath
3. this is another trick she has learned to get out of being ridden

Tacked her back up and then she was wild, running and bucking.
But when I got on her I get the best ride so far, just walking. Happy, forward, big even strides, no resistance of any kind, ever. I was very pleased with her.

sidereins...off

I was so anxious I was holding my breath. Today was the day to take the sidereins off of Nina.

I don't like riding in them, they are dangerous and they are too restrictive.
I believe they did their job and made it easy for me to correct her for rearing and harder for her to rear as she got a correction from the sidereins before she was really committed to go all the way up.
But I needed to know.....if she can only be ridden with her head tied down, then she can't really be ridden. I was a little nervous about getting tossed but mostly I was scared to find out that she has only been being good because of the reins and not because she is starting to get it.

She was FINE. More relaxed than usual, probably because of the lack of restriction. And was great, even though her rider was as tense as a piano wire.

Onward and upward!

TBs and TBs

Every TB I have ever had, no matter how quiet and layed back, has on occasion reminded me that they are the definition of 'hot blood.'

Nina picked today. Nearly ran over me twice, pulled back while being tacked up, but miraculously stopped before throwing my saddle (not yet girthed up) in the mud.
Zoomed around the round pen. I decided that this was too much pent up energy for a round pen and turned her out. She ran as fast as the space would allow (she has not yet hit her stride when it is time to slow down and turn), bucked HARD, spooked at every whisper of sound, every movement.
Tried to be 18h tall.

Having a party in her mind. Meanwhile the rest of us were slogging around in slow motion in the heat.

She is a TB, and becoming a fit one!

a good test

Today was a good landmark. Every time that I have had to skip even one day it has been a setback. The setbacks have gotten smaller and smaller but still, two steps forward and one step back.
This week I did not ride Nina at all. Work, doctor's appointments for my mother, weather....got rained out big time one day...could have drowned! They all conspired to keep me off the horse.

Today I lunged her for a few minutes, got on and finally got the feeling that she would walk all day if I wanted her to. No time clock at 2 minutes, or 5 minutes or 10 minutes.

Didn't trot, a hard rain yesterday left the ground super slippery. I know the battles aren't over yet and I prefer dry ground and better traction.

Just happy with what I got today.

pocket pony

A year ago Nina was spooking and running from me at the least unexpected movement on my part. Today I was standing in her run talking to a friend, hold a bucket about half full of water and sort of swinging it back and forth. Nina came over, grabbed the bucket, stuck her head in, drank it dry, dribbled a little water on me and sniffed at my jeans pocket and cocked a foot and listened to the conversation.
I don't think I intimidate her anymore.
I did suggest to her that there is a range of behavior between loco and obnoxious pocket pony...she declined to comment.

trot, trotting, trotted

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walking

I think we have done as much as we can at the walk. She alternates a nice big stride, head nodding, relaxed...with a tight stuck stride, very light in the front end, ears pinned. Seems to be random. She will move sideways to light leg pressure, strong leg gets her stuck, but ANY leg got a bad reaction a week ago. She totally forgot herself and showed me that she neck reins yesterday.
I would like to just walk her until she feels like she would just walk forever, but I think we would both die of boredom or old age before that happens.
Time to start mixing it up and work on some walk/trot transitions.

break through

Breathing....breathing is always good. Nina has been holding her breath, breathing very shallowly. Big breaths today, blowing down her nose, BIG sighs. First voluntary release of tension. All good signs.