A little is better than none

I've had some good horse time in , but it's been a different kind of horse time than normal. A family member just recently asked me to work with her 8 year old paint gelding, Sonny. He is an incredibly intelligent, sensitive RBE who honestly just needs miles on him. His owner is over 70 years old, and the people who trained and bred him are all in their 60's. He has never been cantered and he has bucked several people off. I've done some ground work with him and two trail rides, and he does great! He is confident and curious on the trail and has no problem leaving his full older brother, Bliss, behind to explore what's around him. He is typically very herd bound to Bliss, but once we get going he doesn't seem to care. Watching Eileen, his owner, ride I think I see what the issue is. She is older, and she doesn't have much strength which means the horses have figured out they can dive their nose down and out to rip the lead rope or reins out of her hands and do what they want. She also has a "buck strap" she hangs onto with a death grip the entire time she rides, which makes her entire body tense which transfers down to the horse. Bliss is an LBI and could definitely care less what she is doing, but to a sensitive RB horse like Sonny, that is a recipe for disaster. If she isn't confident, he doesn't think he can be confident either, and things go south. She wants to be able to pony Sonny and pack in the mountains, and I think once he gets some experience he will be a fabulous horse for her!

The adorable mister Sonny :) Look at the 7 on his chest!

Sonny enjoying the fabulous fall colors.

Sonny's full brother, Bliss.

This weekend I was able to visit my parent's house and have some time with my own horses. Saturday I saddled up Cheyenne and I was excited when my sister said she would come ride with me! Growing up we tore up the pasture together all the time playing horse tag, jumping over home made jumps, racing, and every other fun think we could think of. It's been well over eight years since she's been on a horse, and it made both of us happy to have her on horseback again! My five year old nephew is finally getting over his fear of horses, and he wanted to come ride too! I was so excited! I pulled Chey out of the pasture, did a two minute warm up, and she was ready to go! My crazy little firecracker is quickly turning into my steady-eddy, and it warms my heart :) Adonis, my nephew, sat in front of me on the saddle and off we went! He ended up squirming around a lot and it was bothering Chey because he was right on her shoulders, so I hopped off and led him around. He even wanted to trot! A lot! He was screaming (happily) and giggling and making all kinds of noises, moving his legs all over the place, and she never seemed to mind. He is the next generation horseman in the making, and that is one of the best feelings I've ever had. I really hope his love for horses continues and we have many awesome riding adventures together as he gets older!

My sister, Caitlin, and Snicker

The best kind of bonding time there is :)

The next day was Gweny's turn, which was good because even if I hadn't planned on it I don't think she would have left me alone until the halter went on her face. It's crazy how much slower I have to move when just walking with her, much less playing with her. We did some pedestal work, which she loves to find a million different ways to avoid. She is a quick learner though and once she finally got over being stubborn and found out she got left alone if she put her foot on the top we made quick progress. It's a little disappointing how much I have to work to convince her something is her idea as well, when a few months ago she was so eager to please and her expressions were getting increasingly better. However, with every visit it declines. Playing with her once a month just isn't cutting it, and it hurts to watch. My biggest fear is that my horses are going to forget me, but I'm trying really hard to not let that happen.

My mom jumped on Snicker and we rode around, and I played with Gweny on point-to-point trying to encourage her continue forward movement. Trotting takes less now though, and we even started the beginning steps of jumping! She has a talent for it, however doesn't like exerting the energy for it haha. By the end of Sunday I had her trotting over the jump, and she stopped trying to avoid it! Every time she went over an obstacle or jump she found out she got to stop and eat one of the random alfalfa plants growing in the pasture. This was a huge motivational tool for her and she started showing a little enthusiasm by the end of the ride. 

Gweny searching for alfalfa while mom and Snicker ride in the background

Even with not getting played with as often as they used to, they are still making progress. One positive thing that is coming out of this however is that when I see them I just want to enjoy riding or messing around with them, and my competitive side subsides and I just enjoy my time with them. It's kind of nice to put the levels aside and have fun for a while.  

Cheyenne's chestnut heart <3