Jan 22, 2012

First off, let me just exclaim I LOVE MY LITTLE LADIES!! <3 <3 <3. Today was the first time I've ridden Chey in months since we've been focusing on OL/Liberty tasks, and she was a rockstar! We did all the L2 Freestyle tasks that didn't involve the trot/canter (due to the ice layer still laying on about 3-4" of snow). She stayed LB the whole time except for a few seconds during the weave pattern when she was checking out what the neighbors were up to. Today was the first time I've really ridden with my savvy string on her neck, and she already backs up like a champ off its pressure :) We also did mounted sideways against a fence for the first time, and I was really excited to see how well she transferred all her knowledge from the ground into the saddle. She is a smart cookie for sure. Now when I'm on the ground I throw the lead rope over her neck and just pretend like it isn't there, and we do this for pretty much everything... once we pass L2 I'm really excited to jump into L3 liberty!! I think it's quickly becoming my favorite savvy of ALL TIME! haha.

Afterwards I jumped on my Gwenasaurus Rex and took her for a passenger lesson in the snow. Put the bareback pad on her before the halter for the first time, and this gal chilled like a pro letting me make all the adjustments on the pad to fit 16h Gwen from 14.3h Cheyenne. Last time I rode Gwen we ended up getting close to a few arguments, and she is so strongly LBI I really want to avoid all that. So passenger lesson it was! I let her roam around and eat in the melted patches by the fence, and asked her little things here and there (head up, walk to the next patch, let's maybe wander in somewhat this direction). While she ate I went back to being 10 year old Megan and started swinging my legs, messing around with her, and just started desensitizing her. Nothing bothered her, so I decided to lay down on her back. Well, about 20 seconds into that, it was apparently time to move to the next bit of grass!! I tried to stay laying down, but she felt like she might transition into a trot, so I crawled like a monkey on her back to get back on the saddle pad lol. It must have looked REALLY odd haha, but it didn't throw her off at all, and eventually started eating at a new patch of grass. SO impressed! I messed around with her a little more, then slid off her butt for the first time. Gwen acted like it was a daily occurance, ears up and munching away. I LOVE THIS MARE! Less than 10 rides under her, and she feels pretty bomb proof in the pasture <3 Once we get a solid foundation, sometime this summer I'll attempt a trail ride with just her, see what I can get away with ;) LOVE LOVE LOVE MY GIRLS!!