This is the Rhu I know and love!

31 minutes - 0.75 miles - Rhulain

I put a water trough in between Rhu and Wasabi ... they immediately set to playing in the water ... spitting water at each other, splashing water, stepping in it ... everything BUT drinking it.

After the chores were done, I decided to saddle up Rhulain.  We did some groundwork, some snuggling, some grooming, and some standing around flexing her neck while standing still.  She was so good, I set off to work the petal pattern again.  We did five nice patterns in both directions and then started wandering the yard.  She was so fabulous I seriously contemplated opening the gate and heading outside.  I think all this ground work and quiet time is really paying off ... a few more sessions and we'll be ready to ride off property again.

Rhulain Hates Soccer Balls. Morgan is Serenity.

60 minutes - 0.39 miles - Rhulain (groundwork)
33 minutes - 1.67 miles - Morgan

Worked with Rhulain and the ball.  She's still having trouble with it rolling towards or under her legs.  Tried working for 20 minutes in the stall, but we weren't getting anywhere.

I wish I had a round pen, but we made it work with a lead rope and open desert.  I walked ahead of her kicking the ball. As long as it was stopped or in front of her, she was wary but fine.  We'll need more work for her to be safe riding again.

Still enough light left to catch a ride, so I asked Morgan if she'd like to leave the property for a while.  We ambled about for a half hour just enjoying the solitude.  I'm so, so grateful for Morgie ... this was the ride I desperately needed.

Sweat and Tears - All the Joys of Horsemanship

30 minutes ground work
36 minutes - 1.15 miles - Rhulain
15 minutes - 0.41 miles - Morgan

 Since Rhu had an issue with the branch touching her leg last night, I decided to work with her legs today. I rolled a ball in her stall over and over until she seemed to accept that it wasn't going to eat her.  After 30 minutes she let me touch her all over with the ball and kick it right to her while she stood still.  She was drenched in sweat, but finally calm.

I let her rest for a bit before saddling her up. We rode around the yard, then out the gate to step over brush and trash, then back to the yard for a lap ... rinse and repeat the pattern. She got a good grooming since she was still drenched, lots of praise, but no snacks.

About an hour later, I saddled up Morgan for the kid and worked on releasing the "reins" when stopping.  We worked on sitting the trot, and he got a bit ahead of me ... then the doberman got excited and snapped at Morgie's butt ... she took off running.  

I caught up with them a minute later, and found him in the saddle crying.  I asked him why there were tears and he said he was afraid of falling.  I told him tears were allowed only after falling!  Then we talked about why she ran off, how well she took care of him, and praised him for staying in the saddle without grabbing on to the horn.  Not a bad lesson.

Rhu Teaches Me Another Lesson

29 minutes - 1.15 miles - Rhulain

Rhulain and I walked about half a mile before I hopped in the saddle and asked her take me home.  

Had an issue with her racing towards home.  Anytime she went faster than asked, I had her do circles until we were at a pace I liked. Then we moved forward.  Took three or four circles, but we settled on a pace that we both liked. 

I fed her as soon as she was untacked. It dawned on me that the hustle home issue was me, not Rhu.  If I feed immediately upon returning home, of course she's going to hurry.  Sigh.

Thanks for the lesson Rhu.  I appreciate her willingness to be patient with my stupidity.

Mondays with Morgan ... and Sundance

23 minutes - 0.53 miles - Morgan & Kid, Sundance

 Bill asked me to pick the kid up today because he needed to purchase a new water heater.  No worries.  I picked him up and he asked if he could go for a horse ride.  Wait, what?! Of course we can go for a ride!  I decided to take Sundance since we wouldn't be going off property and she needed to stretch her legs a bit.

Morgan has the patience of a saint, I swear.  Look at him brings those reins all the way to his chin although she had already stopped.  I will give him credit, he dropped those reins like they were on fire when I asked him to put them down.  We worked on turning right and left with rein aids and he was able to keep Morgan from dropping her muzzle in the feed bins as we passed by.  Not bad!

After untacking everyone, I hopped on Morgan and had her walk me to the mare motel because, yes, I am that lazy.  Plus it's nice to see where her brain is after he rides.  She's in heat and partially grouchy, but quick to listen to leg aids.  Good girl Morgie.

I fed everyone and then headed to the goat pen to check on Lips' wound.  She came right over for snuggles.  She's funny ... I held the camera and said "who's a pretty goat?" ... she promptly mugged for a picture.  Cleaned out her wound and gave her some raspberries with her dinner.  She's going to be ok, but she's certainly nervous about the dogs now, which is sad.

Three For Me!

40 minutes - 0.58 miles - Rhulain
16 minutes - 0.63 miles - Majesty
21 minutes - 0.28 miles - Wasabi

 We had all the brush removed and the front yard leveled.  Which means, it's a blank slate just waiting for hoof prints.  Lots of hoof prints.

 I grabbed Rhulain and took a few passes through the yard.  The wind was blowing and since there was no brush, the dirt kept blowing into our eyes.  After I was sure she was comfortable with the new area, I saddled her up and took another pass or two through the new yard.

Rhu was fine, but bored.  I handed the kid my phone and he had a great time taking pictures.  I didn't include the pictures of the horse poop.

I put Sundance and Morgan in the turn out.  Sundance started to roll, but half way through she fell asleep.  Adorable.

 Later in the afternoon, I decided I needed more horse time.  I ran outside and grabbed Majesty.  I let him choose his path and pace and once we left the front gate he ambled around the block.  He fully believes in slow and steady.  I was really glad to spend time with the old guy.  He's pretty spry for 33.

I figured I still had a half hour before I couldn't see anymore, so I grabbed Wasabi.  Gave her a quick refresher on the bitless bridle, saddled her up, and wandered around the front yard for a bit.  She definitely needs more saddle time ... she is rusty, but willing.  She got confused when I asked for turns with leg aids, she kept changing speed. I added rein aids and we were able to communicate and work through it with a little patience.  After I hopped off, she gave me a snuggle.  I like this horse, she's got spunk!

Three in one day!

17 minutes - 1.00 mile - Morgan
25 minutes - 1.00 mile - Rhulain
20 minutes - 0.50 mile - Wasabi

 Morgan and I took a quick one mile ride and then we rode back home to find Bill had a fire going.  We strode up to it and she seemed bored.  No need for desensitizing.  Two carrots for you my darling.

 Hey Rhu, want to go for a walk?  Walk? Yes!

 We walked for a mile and she seemed happy about being out.  Guess yard work isn't for her after all.

Say cheese Rhu ... CHEESE!

 Then Rhu and I walked by the fire.  She wouldn't get as close, but she didn't back away either.  Good girl Rhu.

I thought I was done for the day but when I returned Rhu to the turn out, Wasabi shoved her face into the halter.  Well, ok.  She and I did some ground work ... she's rusty but not bad.  I walked her by the fire, but she could care less.

 Fed everyone, gave carrots, and collected snuggles from all my favorite horses.  Good day indeed.

Dreamy. Simply Dreamy.

65 minutes - 1.34 miles - Rhulain

Cleaned Morgan's eye wound and the applied the medicine.  I was only able to take a blurry picture because she didn't want to hold still ... she wanted to eat and I was bugging her, obviously.

Rhulain and I went for a half mile walk to check where her brain was.  She was right there with me, which was fabulous.

We headed back to the yard and did some ground work and trailer loading in the fading light.  She was solidly locked on.  I saddled her up and we rode around the yard in the pitch black dark.

 

We nailed our circles and transitions ... it was almost magical.  She and I were teaching and listening to each other. I made note of what cue worked and when, then repeated it twice to ensure I got the same response ... then used it on the other side.  YES!  

We got beautiful, even circles on both sides and lovely downward transitions by melding the way she was trained and the way I ride. 
We came to a dead stop by me thinking it, then breathing out loudly, and sitting deeply.

*dreamy sigh*

Love.This.Horse.

Eye Injury & Night Work

61 minutes - 0.42 miles - Morgie & Rhulain

There's sunshine when I get home now ... only 15-20 minutes left, but just enough time to spend it with Morgan!  I grabbed a halter and ran outside, only to find Morgie had a cut above her left eye.  I removed her from the turn out and cleaned her forehead so I could get a better look.  Looks like a small gash that stops right before her eyelid.  WHEW!  

Cleaned off the dried blood and debris ... it must have been tender because she kept lifting her head away.  I put her in the large stall and will check it in the morning.  Wish I knew what happened, but I feel absolutely fortunate it didn't need stitches or injure her eye.

The sun had dropped below the mountains while I worked on Morgie's injury, so riding was out of the question.  I haltered Rhu and we did some ground work.  Then we worked on trailer loading for a while.  She wouldn't step in until there was some pressure on her face ... but then, the trailer was very dark.  Once I opened the "escape hatch" she stepped right in and stood still until I asked her to back out.  I was impressed with her effort.

Decided to do some trust building, so I saddled her up next to the trailer.  By now it was fully dark, Ryver kept running around her hind legs, and our foster boy was stomping around the yard in his shoes that light up.  Rhu looked worried.  

I tossed on the treeless and the bitless, while giving her lots of rubs and praise.  Two trips down the driveway, then circles on each side, and back to the step stool.  

I dismounted, rubbed her and stepped back in the saddle, flexed her neck to both sides, sat for a bit, then repeated the process three times.  I just wanted to sit in the saddle and breathe with her, no pressure, no work, nothing but being right there in the moment, together.

This is how mornings should start

41 minutes - 2.11 miles - Rhulain

Started out the morning spending some quality time with Rhulain. She was totally with me today ... ears forward, eyes focused, body right where she should be.

First we had to check out what interlopers were using our trail.  Rhu decided they were no threat, so off we went.

   

I hopped in the saddle and let her have her head.  She chose this beautiful trot for the next 0.75 miles. Floaty. Gorgeous. Amazing.  There's a 15 mile introductory ride in the next county on April 2 and 3, 2016.  After today's performance, I'm positive that she will be ready.

I'm in love.

Round and Round the House We Go

31 minutes - 1.07 miles - Rhulain

So, the plan was to go out the gate on a walk for 0.8 miles, then ride back.  Only the horse in my head wasn't the horse I had in front of me.  She was wild-eyed and downright nutters.  Back up plan?  Ride in the yard, work on figure 8s and downward transitions.

Glad I went with the back up plan.  We walked the first circuit around the yard and through the cones. Then I asked her to stand for mounting.  She had difficulty standing still, so we worked through it by flexing her neck to both sides until she calmed.  Once mounted, we walk/trotted the pattern twice with no issues.  

Our next pass by the front gate found the neighbor and two dogs taking the trash out.  The combination of rattling black bags and two barking dogs sent Rhu's head straight up and elevated her breathing.  I ignored the distractions and asked her go around bushes until I felt her breathing return to normal.  We completed the circuit and did four laps around the cones.  By that time she was calm and collected.

I untacked then asked her to load into the trailer, closed the door, and then exit the trailer.  Then I had her stand next to the trailer and I slid onto her back and asked her to walk around the trailer.  Great ending to a lesson!

Rhulain's Trailer Loading Session, Day 3

24 minutes - 0.85 miles - Rhulain
10 minutes - Trailer loading

We tried a different trailer loading method today and it worked out well.  I attached a long line to her halter, ran it through the feed bin, then out the emergency door.  That way I could stand next to her and lend encouragement from beside her and give a bit of pressure on her face.  She figured it out in no time at all.  Love.This.Mare.

We headed out the front gate and wandered off for a ride.  Temperatures were falling, so we kept it short and sweet.

Love Wasabi's face ... she looks irritated that she's having to wait for food.  Silly mare.

Ryver (the doberman) has taken to Rhulain in an odd way.  Ryver runs to the gate to meet us upon our return and "guards" Rhu until I put her back in the turn out area.  He takes his job seriously.  I may have to start including him on our rides.  It's an option.

Rhulain's Trailer Loading Session, Day 2

22 minutes - 1.18 miles - Rhulain
20 minutes - Trailer loading

Bit more trailer loading training before we headed out.  I walked in the back door, then climbed out the "emergency" door and gently tugged on the lead line.  No pull backs, just a bit of nerves about bringing more than her front hooves in.  I got three hooves in and called it a success.  

We saddled up, and headed out for a quick jaunt around the desert.  Plenty of open areas to traverse and no destination in mind.  One quick side step when  a rabbit popped out of the underbrush, but otherwise uneventful.  Just they way I like my rides!

Still Working Things Out

51 minutes - 2.28 miles - Rhulain
20 minutes - ground work

I love Rhulain.  She might not feel the same thing about me after today's session though.  

First was trying saddles on for fit.  I realized the new saddle fits perfectly with no pad, but the fleece backed pad was too thick causing pinching in Rhu's shoulders.  I switched it for Morgie's 1/2" felt backed pad and it worked like a charm.

Tossed on her bitless and out the gate we went.  Cotton tail rabbit hopped out from a bush about 30 feet away and Rhu jumped sideways.  We tried going up a sand dune. She lifted her head, started breathing quickly, and planted her front hooves.  I swung out of the saddle and lead her up and around the dune.  Then I got back in the saddle and asked her to follow the exact same path.  Hesitant, but she did.

* Saw a rattlesnake going in to it's hole on another dune nearby.  2nd time I've seen a snake using that hole, so I've made note not to go near that area/dune.

Rhu's brain wasn't with me today, at all.  She was jumpy and headstrong, so I turned her towards home after 10 minutes.  We fought the whole way home because I wanted a walk and she wanted a panicked lope.  We settled for a slightly rushed trot.

Once we got home, we worked on walk-trot-walk-stop in the circular driveway for 20 minutes until I thought we had our cues down.  Then I added a lope component and we fell apart.  

She was trying hard, but she started getting irritated.  I was trying hard, but I started getting irritated.  So we stopped, took deep breaths, and did absolutely nothing for 2 minutes ... a time out for both of us changed our perspective.  She stopped wringing her tail and I remembered the problem was my lack of ability to communicate in a language she understood.  We worked on it for another 15 minutes until I felt we had a good stopping point.  Did we nail it? Nope, but we got better.

  

After almost an hour, she was pretty sweaty.  I pulled out the hose and she made it clear she did NOT like the hose.  So we spent another 20 minutes approaching and retreating with the hose, gently misting her, then waiting until she relaxed.  Got both sides of her torso and all four legs so I called it quits.  Scraped off the extra water and told her our next outing would be fun again.  We'll back burner the downward transition cue for at least two sessions. 

She promptly rolled in the sand and shook it all over me.  Have I mentioned I love that horse?  I truly do.  I laughed and hugged her hard.

All About The Snacks. Seriously.

30 minutes - 1.0 miles - Rhulain

I don't wanna go.  Food is in here.

Come on Rhu, there's food out here too.

 Snacking, snacking ...

and more snacking.

Seriously, did you stop in the middle and grab a snack?

Yep.

 Got the camera ready?  Here it comes ....

You just stepped over it after all that set up? No jump?

Not enough food to fuel a jump. I'm starving.

 Let's get home. Home is where the food is.

Rhu, you're adorable, but life isn't always about food.

We were working on eating and moving cue this morning.  Simple "Grab and Go" techniques so we can make sure she doesn't need to come to a complete stop to eat.

She's a natural ... didn't take her long to pick up the cue.

A Bit of Ground Work

28 minutes - 0.60 miles - Rhulain

Oh Rhu, you're so adorable, from any angle!

We worked on standing still until asked to move today.  Had to try it three times before she would stand still for me to get completely in the saddle.  My fault, I didn't have her either step back or flex her neck once I got in the saddle the last few times. Quick fix and we were off!

We only walked half way around the block ... lots of calling out today.  Probably because the herd could see her and Majesty was whining about not being fed yet.  She still listened well to my instructions, so I didn't chide her for calling back.

I had let Morgan out to wander around the yard while Rhu and I worked.  Morgan decided our lesson was over and she led us to the feed buckets. She wanted breakfast. Now.

When we got home we worked on stopping from a walk and a trot.  If she didn't stop within 3 steps she had to go back a few steps or trot in a circle until I asked her to whoa.  

I was thinking about competing in a local ACTHA ride on Sept. 5th and wanted to make sure she'd stop when requested.  Lots of ear pinning today, but she tried really hard.  I know she's not fond of the lessons ... she'd much rather be out exploring.  Me too Rhu, me too.