Today was fantastic.  The day started with me actually getting to sleep in a bit.  I wanted to ride my horses this morning but didn’t quite get up early enough to feed before the ride.  When I peeked out the window, the horses were already eating and things perked up for me.  I went in Drew’s room and begged him to get up and go out on a ride with me.  After a huge application of mommy-son-guilt and a promise to make him some coffee, he sat up.  Success!  Now, to just keep him moving.  As he woke up, and wandered into the shower, I wandered out to groom a Mare and her 1.5yr old colt.

After a brief training lesson with Leah and Frosty, the three of us mounted up and headed down the road for the wash. Jacki was on Sassie, Drew was on Charmer and I on Elli ponying a reluctant Doodle. I left slightly sooner than Jacki and Drew and my mare was dragging feet. As soon as they caught up, Elli perked up and Doodle started walking along with us. As we neared the wash I got a little nervous but I wasn’t scared. I was more concerned on HOW to achieve getting in then actually being afraid of what would happen. This is a huge win for me. Elli is giving me the confidence to start looking to what can be done, not what should be avoided. When she spooks she just kind of tucks her hind end, looks frightened but comes out of it pretty quickly. She doesn’t fall, she doesn’t run off and most important she recovers and goes on.

Elli & Doodle and me entered the wash carefully.  Doodle stalled, worrying about the change in terrain but after about a minute and a half, he came in.  Once he was in he moved right along with us.  We walked for about a mile and a half down and Doodle got kind of tired.  He started slowing up.  We made it to the Warren curve and turned around headed back.  Doodle was getting tired and didn’t want to work hard to keep up most of the time.  At this point he really started dragging and Elli wanted to speed up into a Foxtrot.  It was the first time she ever wanted to move quickly on her own while we rode.  I felt bad holding her back but Doodle wasn’t going to keep up and I wasn’t going to be able to keep a solid balance while twisted & pulling a Doodle.  So we, Elli and I, mostly pulled Doodle along at a nice walk.  Sometimes he kept up but most of the time he was a a dawdlin’ Doodle. Jacki & Sassie would occasionally scoot up behind us and encourage him and it worked.

About 2/3 of the way home we came to the small water crossing.   Doodle plunged right along and then suddenly stopped.  Elli, now used to pulling on Doodle to drag him along, didn’t stop quickly and the rope began to slip.  I got her stop just as my pinky started to burn.  I thought about gloves momentarily this morning but promptly forgot.  In that moment I wish I’d had remembered to bring them.  So, we waited. We waited for Doodle to sniff, to think and slowly move forward with Mom one side of the water and me slightly pulling the lead rope he came across the four steps left.

After the water crossing it took Jacki & Sassie tailing Doodle the rest of the way home.  It helped Sassie I think to calm down a little having a job and she didn’t resent too much doing it.  Doodle wasn’t rude to her, she got to “boss” the baby a little and then we were home.  The day went great all in all.  Elli learned to bring the baby along anyway, I learned to trust the mare more in her quiet ability, Doodle got another pony lesson, this time with good exercise.  I’m super pleased because we’re right on track to where I want to be on vacation in two weeks, us going on a long ride out in the desert.

So this morning I retrieved her from her stall and spent a long time gently grooming her. Talking to her. She’s starting to get a winter coat so her chest is ultra velvety and was pure bliss petting it. The saddle wasn’t fitting like it normally does and so I thought she was poofing out on purpose. I tightened the cinch and she bit the corral bars and scraped her teeth along them. Its funny she does this to reject my cinching so I’ve gone easier and easier on her . I watch carefully for when she starts to object and wait for a little, maybe go in the house and pee, or put her bridle on, etc. then tighten one last time. This time I didn’t get even close to where I believe the cinch is at a good compromise until I become a better ride and she more calm on the trail. So, I walked her, asked her to move, etc, hoping she’d breath out. Then, with a big duh, Jacki reminded me about the psyllium! Gah, of course, psyllium makes bloat whether she wanted to or not. I loosened the cinch, climbed up and off we went.

We went down to the wash with a little hesitance but I took her in the place we have been trying to get in. She did it this time! *woot* She went right in. I had to use th cantle so I didn’t fall forward but we did! Then we went down a little ways, then turned around. Sniffed the stream of water in the wash but crossed it. After worrying more about all the wet spots but getting to the green grass everything was good again. We came up through the wash, I lost my hat but that happens, I’ll go get it later. I lost it because a tree stole it, nothing else. We had a great ride on Saturday. It was very rewarding for us both.

After 2.5 hours of riding we were finally done, sweaty and ready for a break.  I put her in the big turnout, moved the stallion back over to the smaller side.  When Leah was done with Frosty we let all the horses out into their respective turnouts except the stallions, of course.   I came in, did a little Farmville and then there’s a banging on the windows.  Out the door to find 3 of the 7 mares escaped and weren’t keen on being caught.

After racing and catching was over I tried to retrieve Elli from the boys turnout and check her back legs. She’d stumbled through a wood pile and I wanted to make sure she was ok.  She ran from me – the stinker.  So I ran her, and ran her – apparently she didn’t get ridden long enough and even with the escape had plenty of gusto to race off.

Eventually I caught her, and Doodle wanted to be up her butt while I led her out.  I kept shooing him until he wouldn’t let it go and forced Elli to escape.  With a kick at me they were all running again.  Why do they have to make it hard?  Another successful capture and help keeping Doodle off the mare long enough to get her to the other side and it was time for a standing lesson given the disrespect.  And, since Doodle wanted to be by mommy so very much, he stood there too.  Three hours.  I feel mean but they need to learn to leave and to stay and to come, not when they want, but when we need them to.  Three hours standing in the shade – oh poor babies!

Doodle went back to his corral and Elli gave my mom a ride around the turnout.  Shortly after that she was back in her corral.  Dinner and a drink and a good night’s rest for her.  We had work to do in the morning.

This morning I got up about 6:30 and headed out of the driveway on Elli at about 7am.  She was fine walking down the street, and down the next street but down the third street we got a little scared, timid and weavy.  We didn’t head for the wash where we normally do but went all the way down Jean across an abandoned lot and into the wash at Warren.  She was a little shaky a couple times down Jean.  We made one small turn around and then back to calm her nerves.  Then we headed home.  The wash is very sloggy and Elli sunk in and had a harder time than Comanche ever did even when he was weak.  I think because she weighs more, the wash is softer, and she doesn’t walk as “high” she gets into the sand.  Comanche used to just kind of stay on top of it.   No biggie, maybe this means she won’t fall and if she does she’s dug in she’s got better footing.

On the way home she was a little ‘sore’ it seemed, every now and then taking a short stride.  She had a small wedge of bark in her hoof the wrong way but not so bad.  Probably more like a rock in our shoe.  Elli did fantastic.  40 minute trip to get down and into the wash, and 20 minutes to make it home even slogging it.   As we were headed back down Glyde home, I heard the dirt bikes & quads hit the wash right where we were.  Though I know she’s probably fine with them, though I’d rather get several rides through the wash under us so she’s not so frightened of the wash itself and all the quail butts fluttering around in the bushes.

Two days off for us both, and Wednesday morning I’ll take her back out.

Things Elli and I need to work on:

• my confidence
• side passing
• yielding to leg pressure and not wandering left or right in an arched motion

In the end it was my insecurity that did it, I got scared. I truly believe that a better horseperson could have made it into the wash and done this. However, we’re working on three things 1) Elli 2) Doodle 3) Chelli and I have to remember that.

I am still very very proud of all of us.