Day #17 - “Horsenality Tuesday,” September 15

“Long reins are harsh reins.”  ~ Walter Zettl 

Today we began in the lodge with a review of yesterday.  We went outside early and did some simulations of weaving patterns and other riding patterns in Arena Grande.  Then we got our horse out this morning and worked on these patterns until about noon.  HotShot was, of course, excellent at all of this.  We ended up helping a couple of riders with their horses who didn’t like having other horses nearby - HotShot is SUCH a trooper - he just goes along when the horse next to him is crabby - so used to training “rookies,” I guess.  Belinda (the other cop in the class, from Oregon) said “he is just so darned confident - he doesn’t worry about anything or anyone.”  That’s my Hotty!

So, after this, Kathy took us outside and had us prepare for an exercise ball simulation.  It started to rain, so we all bounced our balls up to the Big Top -wish I would have gotten a photo of that!  Pete was helping us with this simulation as well (photo).  So, we sat on the balls with a partner behind us - they had their hands on our shoulders.  We found our balance point and alternated between our “stacked” seat (which is balanced and strong, a la Linda’s core exercises), a “Raggedy Ann/Andy” floppy seat, and a tensed/stiff seat.  Our partners bounced us on the balls and were to give us feedback about our seat.  Cynthia was my partner and it seems that my “stacked” seat is pretty solid and straight, so that was good.  It was interesting when you got into a good rhythm and a helpful simulation for riding with feel and balance.

After lunch, we were supposed to go back to Arena Grande for more formation/pattern riding.  As HotShot and I approached the arena, I swear I heard him say as clear as day “Oh, PLEASE, Mom - not the dreaded ARENA again - I can’t take it any more!”  So - in an effort to honor my LB horse, we went into the grassy meadow and I let him graze for awhile at liberty, which made him VERY happy.  Actually, I was happier too - been there, done that formation stuff ad nauseum!  The weather looked good, so I thought we would go up to the playground and do some more practice videos for our on-line audition.  We worked on this for about an hour and just towards the end, Hotty was getting pretty distracted - he obviously knew that it was “hay time.”  Always the piglet at heart!  So, I was getting our stuff together near the buck fence to go back down to the pens.  I let him graze with the 22′ rope still attached and suddenly, he started walking along the fence away from me.  I couldn’t BELIEVE he was going to leave me, so I kissed to him, but I already knew . . .  Sure enough, he gave me a VERY left-brained look and TOOK OFF down the hill, through the gate, and all the way up to the pens (about 1/2 mile walk from where I was).  His tail was straight up in the air and he was thoroughly enjoying his freedom!

So, off I walked down towards the pens.  Alicia came around the small coverall with Hotty in tow and said “Did you lose someone?”  So, instead of dinner, he got to return to “the scene of the crime” with me, wait for me to put the green ball back in the Big Top, the cam-corder back in the truck, etc. etc., then I mounted up and he carried me and all the ropes, etc. back to the pens, where he got to stand tied while I cleaned his pen!  After that, I did let him in the 75′ round pen to roll and eat his grain, then got him a big drink of molasses water - then he got put to bed in his pen - naughties!  This was the first time in almost a month here that he has left me like that - just goes to show - we’re not perfect yet!

Edie

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