It's a favorite pastime of horse owners to anthropomorphize (attributing human characteristics) our horses. I'm certain Jessie hates it when I go to a Walkabout Tour.
Last Saturday, we hadn't ridden for about ten days, so I started off with some groundwork. If she could talk I sure she would be saying something like, "Hey, it's pretty warm out here. You sure we want to work this hard?"
Once we headed out to our usual riding area we were doing serpentines and collecting. We were changing gait and direction a lot. We got out to a big field and did the "flower power" exercise I had seen Ian Francis demonstrate. We were going to the right and I could hear Clinton saying, "The way you get your horse slow and smooth at the lope is to lope them a lot. Put some miles on them." Jessie was doing pretty well and we loped a little longer. She was really looking to stop and we loped some more.
Once she was comfortable going to the right, we stopped in the middle for a moment and then loped for awhile to left. She is a lot less balanced on this side and would try to speed up from time to time. We just kept loping and soon she was listening better and slowing down.
Sunday we rode for two hours. We found some natural obstacles (garbage) to circle and we did more loping...a lot more loping. The had cleared one of the fields nearby. It's about a quarter mile square and we did the passenger lesson.
Ranae is off to a Matt Sheridan Horsemanship Clinic in Tehachapi with her friend Susan tomorrow night. I have some maintenance work to do here at the store. We'll ride after work tonight and I'm hoping I don't have to work too late Saturday and Sunday. The moon is full so an evening ride would be perfect.
2 comments:
I just saw the pictures from the Matt Sheridan clinic on FB. I didn't realize you'd gotten so pretty. ;) Hope Ranae had a good time.
Yes, she had a great time. She got bit by some mosquitoes or flys or something. Plus it was hot, like in the nineties. I got to ride alone.
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