Yesterday - -

Well, guess what??? We didn't get to go to the Team Sorting on Thursday night. Which, there was no one there anyways. We had to babysit my nephew, and then we had to go into town unexpectedly (sorry, spelling error), and then we decided that we would just wait around in town until my sister got off. Well, she got off late, so we didn't get back to the house until 6. That's when we usually leave for the Team Sortings. The horses weren't fed yet, so we didn't get to go. We fed the horses, and then decided to go ahead and go to the arena to watch. We got there, and no one was even there, well, there was a guy exercising his horses, so, we just turned around and came back here. I was a little boomed, but the team sorting pens weren't even set up or anything, so we would've just rode if we had gone, but hey, it would have still been fun and good experience!

So then yesterday (Friday), I went out and played with Brizzee. That was really neat! At first, I went into the corral. Ute and Storm were out with Brizzee. Brizzee was way at the other end of the corral, with them. "Hey Girl," I hollered. She is usually up by the gate, so she is all ready there, and stands there and waits until I get into the corral, then she just kinda, slowly comes up to me, and I halter her. So, I didn't know if she would run up to me, or just look at me, or what she would do. Well, she was looking for soemthing to eat, so her head was down, and after I hollered. Her head came up, her ears pricked forward, and she took three long strides towards me like she was anxious, and then Storm moved, and she stopped like. I sighed, and just stood by the gate. Of course, Storm and Ute were no coming up to me. Brizzee stepped took a few more strides forward, then stopped, and just stared at me, her ears pricked forward. I sighed, and stepped forward. Brizzee still looked at me. Then, someone went by on the road, and Brizzee turned, looking at the vehicle. I hunched down, glared at her rump, and went running up to her. Brizzee turned around and then came plodding up to me. I was happy! She doesn't run up to me and meet me at the gate yet, but it's a lot better then turning her zone 5 to me when she sees me!

So, that started the day off good. Then, I tied her to the horse trailer and groomed her. She didnot move around, in fact, she even lowered her head, and half closed her eyes. She wasn't catatonic! I was grooming her, picked up her feet, and then I started grooming her tail. She turned her head, look at me, sighed, and put her head down again. I'm staring to groom her tail in zone 5, so I'm straight behind her, and can see the back of her hind legs. Her tail was still kinda tight, but it always is. I started grooming her tail, took my time. I bet you I was grooming her tail for at least 30 minutes. Then, after I got threw grooming her tail. I let is slide out of my hands, put the brush in my back pants pocket, reached out, and slowly lifted her tail. It was RELAXED! It felt like I was lifting up a peice of paper, it was so light! I slowly massaged it for a few seconds, then let it down, and then saddled her.

Then we went into the Play pen! As soon as we got in there, I walked her between two large cones, and then between two poles. Over a tarp, that had four cones on each corners, so it was like a squeeze game between the cones and over the tarp. Then, there was this little ball out there. We don't have the Green ball yet, so I bought a small ball. I slowly started bouncing that around. Brizzee became unconfident a little bit. I was bouncing that around a little bit, and she followed me, fairly close. I then turned to her, and bounced it by my leg. She looked at it, but the whites of her eyes weren't showing, and she wasn't stary eyed, she was watching the ball. She then started licking her lips, and put her head donw. Then I felt really bad. The ball bounced wrong, rolled, and hit her two back legs! Man, her ear tipped out to the side, and shied away from it. She didn't buck or anything, but I felt really bad.

So, then we did the figure eight, stick to me, and we trotted over a pole that was laying on two tires. We then went into the round pen, and I took off her halter. She wandered off, put her head to the ground, looking for food. Which I guess/hope that it is a typical LBI. I then hung the halter up on the fence, grabbed the Carrot Stick, and glared at her rump. There wasn't any food in the round pen, so her head was up. She looked behind her, sighed, licked her lips, turned and came up to me! I then played some friendly game, lowered her head, and then jumped up and down by her neck, friendly game. Then, we played the Circling Game. She slowly walked off, her head low, long strides. She was confident and relaxed. After a few laps, I slowly asked for the trot. She did that really good! She didn't go Right Brain like she usually does when I ask her for a higher gate then a walk at Liberty. SHe's been lounged a lot before I got her, so she's been "programmed" to do that.

She trotted really well, relaxed, calm, confident, etc. And, her ear was tipped to me!! We then switched directions, and she did the same that direction. I then asked for a canter... I was wondering if she would become unconfident with that, and if she did, I would have her come into me, and we'd play something else. I don't want to push her, but after how relaxed, calm, and confident she was, I felt that cantering her would be okay. And it was! Her head was low, it was like a "panic" run, it was a calm and confident run! And best of all, when I asked her to come into me, she stopped right then, and came up to me. I was so happy. I then sat down, she stood over me, and wouldn't leave. I'm trying to figure out a way where when I sit down, I can have her go away from me, and then do the circling game. When she's out on her circle, and I sit down, she's fine. But then after she comes into me, I can't her to yo yo away from me. I guess we'll just have to practice with it more online and in the round pen.

So, that went really well. I then put the halter on her, and mounted her. It was okay, except she kept going to the same spot. She goes to the side of the panel that is closest to the other horses pen where they are. Everytime we leave that place at a walk, she turns suddenly, goes back to it, and stands there. I got it where she went around the pen, and then when she felt relaxed, I asked for the trot with my body. She did it, but instantly turned and went back to that spot. The last few times I've ridden her, outside of the Round pen, she always goes to the gate, to be near the other horses, but yesterday was the first time she did it in the round pen. I was a passenger at first, but I kept having to ask her to go, because she just stood in that place. Then, after several times of this, I thought; Okay, you want to be here, then we will just stay in this area". We sat there for it seemed like an enternity. Her back leg was cocked, her head was down. She was just going to stand in that spot all day. So then we went back and forth in straight lines near that area. Then, Brizzee offered to turn away from that area, and I allowed it. Well, we almost reached the other side of the round pen, when she turned suddenly and went back to that spot...ugh!

I then dismounted, unsaddled, and played more on the ground. It's funny, when I play with her on the ground, she doesn't even pay attention to that spot. I then, lead her up to the fence, crawled up on the fence, and laid acros her. She was confident, so then I swung my leg over, and rode her bareback for a little while, still with the halter and one rein. Again, she kept going over to that same place. I just sat on her back, hand on her withers. After standing there for a little while, I brought my life up, asked her to go, she went, turned around, and went back to that spot. I kept my energy up, but she still STOPPED! Then my mom came out, and asked me to trot her. We slowly started walking around the pen, and she kept going to that same spot. I then, asked for a trot, knowing that she would turn and go back to that spot, so I was ready for it. Boy, it was fun for like 2.5 seconds, riding her bareback while she was trotting.

By this time the sun was setting, and it was near feed time, so I dismounted, saddled her back up, lead her out of the play pen. Then I put everything away, and turned her out with the other horses, and then we fed them. I didn't get into an argument with her, because I didn't keep trying to keep her away from that spot, because I didn'tw ant to get into an argument. When we are playing on the ground though, she is fine, and confident. She doesn't even pay attention to the gate or the other horses in the other pen. But as soon as I get on her back, she wants to go to the gate or that certain spot in the round pen. I wonder if she's just not confident with me riding her yet, or if she's just confused because I don't man handle her like her previous owner did. One thing that crossed my mind is on the ground, we are usually doing something will the barrels, poles, or just something fun and obstacle like that, but when I ride her, we don't play with any of that stuff. So I wonder if maybe she's bored, and thinks the horses are more interesting? Any ideas?

I just wish I could figure out what I'm doing wrong, if I am doing something wrong in the saddle, so then I can fix it. Because we have come so far, and our relationship has gotten better, and I don't want to ruin anything by doing somethign wrong in the saddle. She doesn't act up or anything when I ride her, she justs is more interested in the other horses. But she's not interested in the horses when we play on the ground, so what am I doing differently when I'm riding her, from when I'm playing on the ground with her? Any ideas?

It was a pretty good day though! Tomorrow, I'm hoping to play wiht her a little more, and start doing Transitions on line, change of direction, etc! Plus I'm hoping to play with Storm, and lay across Simmer-On, our Mustang. So, hopefully tomorrow will be a horse filled fun day, but it wouldn't surprise me if something comes up and I won't be able to play with the horses at all, but hopefully not. I'll post more when I can. Any ideas, or suggestions in the "comment" section will be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Savvy On,
~Randa~ & ~Brizzee~
"Horses don't care how much you know, until they know how much you CARE!" - - Pat Parelli.