Friday, April 10, 2009

Soft and quick with Z

I'm just not getting much time in lately and it's super frustrating. My job is kicking my butt and my parenting guilt is hard core. I'm trying to exercise daily and that takes time, too. Just a challenging period in my life.

Anyway, I'm getting such a nice, softer eye from Z and the time off is obviously good for us. I'm much less intense and she's appreciating it. We played with driving from Z3 and transitions - amazingly nice trot/walk transitions!! She's so watching me and doing what I do! Then, a little hindquarters disengagement, a little loading into the 2 horse - she's nearly in and not emotional! She didn't poop once in the trailer loading session. She tried to brace against me a couple times and I managed to go with her and ask her to move her hind so we never braced against each other. I'm really, really getting much better about managing the brace!

Then, I hopped on bareback with the 12' and tied the string around her neck for some neck rope riding. We worked on 1 step over, 1 back, 1 over, 1 back - moving the fore. She doesn't do too many of those before she needs to go forward, pawing the ground. As soon as I sense that, we move forward and do something else. Our down transition and backup bridleless are really coming along nicely. I'm very pleased!!

I hopped off, asked her into the trailer a few more times, stood in there with her and scratched and rubbed, watched her get even more relaxed, then took her back to the barn. It was a nice, relaxing and calm session. I loved it.

Oh, and I'm always backing her out of the barn now. It's a good thing.

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