Sidepasses!! :)

Today was on AWESOME day with Brizzee. We took her, Ute, and Sugar up to the Arena today. We took 4 barrels, a tarp, a ball, 4 cones, and we drilled holes in old Milk and pop bottle jogs, and stringed them on twine! That's kinda neat. It makes a bunch of racket and looks neat. So, we took all those things to the Arena today. Brizzee did very well before we even left. Mom loaded Ute in the stock trailer first. I squeezed Brizzee between myself and the trailer a bunch of times and then she just loaded right up. I was happy with her.

So then we got to the Arena, put everything out, and then unloaded the horses. Sugar went a little Right Brain Extrovert at first. Luckily the Team Sorting pens were still up from yesterday, so my mom just put her in the pen and let her calm down. I brought Brizzee inside. She was really calm, confident, and paying attention to me. The white's of her eyes were showing a little, but not bad.

We did the Figure 8 Pattern, she walked across the tarp, stood calmly and confidently while I moved the tarp around and do all sorts of things with it. She stood on it calmly, and was fine. And then I moved to the ball (not the green Parelli ball. It's just a little orange ball I got at the dollar store). She was a little unconfident about that, but she was blinking and watching it, I was happy. Then she backed again with me just moving the carrot stick. I have gotten a lot more Savvy with moving the stick around. I'll be out on the end of the 12 foot line, and Brizzee was going to things, over things, around things, all kinds of fun stuff! =))) I was extremely happy!

We played Stick to me and she was okay with that. She was a little sluggish at the trot, but that's okay. Mom played with Ute and he did really well also. He stood on the tarp and played with it. hehe. He's so curious. Then I groomed Brizzee. I just looped the lead rope over the fence pannel and started grooming her. Mom let Ute loose, and so he was running around, showing off. Well, he had calmed down, Brizzee was relaxed, so I groomed her tail. She relaxed it for a few seconds off and on, but it was mainly tight, but that's okay.

So, I was just getting done grooming her tail when Ute went balistic and ran over to Brizzee. Ugh! They ran into each other and he was trying to go between her and the fence, and under her lead rope. Ugh!! How INTERESTING!! I'm really surprised that neither of them were hurt. So, we played a little bit more and then I took her out to saddle her. Once we were out of the gate, she started whinnying, prancing around, couldn't keep her feet still, etc. I thought, Oh boy! So, I saddled her (which was hard because she was going around all over the place). But I saddled her and as soon as we got back into the Arena, she calmed down.

I played all Seven Games with her, stick to me, and a few other things. Then, I got on her. Immediately, she went to the gate and just stood there. And whenever I suggested turning her or something, she would fight against it. I felt so helpless. I'm starting to feel like I know a little bit about what I'm doing on the ground, but when I get on her I just go blank. And I've watched the Fluidity DVD in the Success Series a million times, but I still feel like I don't have a clue of what I'm doing.

So, I would suggest going over here, and she would fight against me. My mom moved the tarp, the ball, and a barrel into a line. We started doing a figure eight then. We went around the barrel, over the tarp, around the ball, over the tarp, and around the barrel again. So it was a pattern! It didn't take long before Brizzee was really tuned into that. Then we did it at the trot. At first it was a bit of a challenge because she kept wanting to go to the gate, but then she got more relaxed and it was much better.

Then, hehe, my mom lifted the tarp, and dragged it around. I was totally focused on that, and so was Brizzee. We were following her all around the arena. hehe. Then Brizzee stepped onto the tarp. Boy, her head shot up, but she didn't jump or anything. My mom was funny. Here she was, walking along pulling this tarp and all the suddenly her arm was being yanked out of her socket. lol. It was quite funny to see. Then she grabbed the bottles and was pulling the bottles and the tarp around. It was really fun. OH. We've been having a bit of a challenge doing Sideways ont he ground, but it's gradually improving. Well, while riding her my mom suggested sidepassing. I laughed, shaking my head. I didn't even know what to do, she kept insisting (just like she keeps insisting that I learn the canter...I feel like I'm not ready for that, but she thinks I am). So, we went over to the fence, I leaned, and my mom pretended to have the Carrot Stick. And the darnest thing happened, can anyone guess what happened? SHE SIDEPASSED!! It was a really great/AMAZING feeling! I would have never thought she would have done it with me ON HER!! I was very, very, very HAPPY!!! So, we ended on a good note.

Loading didn't go to well. I stepped up into the trailer with Brizzee, and then something happened. I'm not sure what but she just liked exploded all of the sudden. She was spinning around, whinnying really loudly. I was crammed between her and the wall, couldn't move or do anything, except really push against her with my elbow, and she darn near went right over the top of me. And then when I could finally move, Brizzee was standing right where she was supposed to be, except she wasn't facing forwards, she was backwards. My mom said to just shut the gate and we'll haul her that way. It was getting dark, and the arena has no lights outside. So, she hauled that way. When we got back she kinda exploded out of the trailer, and I sprained my ankle, but it was okay.

So, the next time we have a play session we are going to play with the Trailer. That's going to be fun! So all in all, today was a very good day, except for loading, but, I just have to get more SAVVY with that! It's me that's doing something wrong with it. I know I get a little nervous when it comes time to loading, so that was probably what set her off. It's me, not her, and I just have to get CONFIDENT!! "Oh Boy!!" Sounds like a fun journey!

Savvy On,
~Randa~ & ~Brizzee~