I know it has been a long time. I spent the entire summer on Mackinac Island working full time as a tour driver. Yes, I got to drive a horse-drawn carriage and give tours of the island all summer. Talk about a cool job! I got to bond with a lot of the horses too. What a great experience! I plan on going back next year.
Anyway, I'm back now and ready to get started up with Gunny and my courses again. Because I made some money this summer, I found a different facility to move Gunny to. It has a much larger outdoor arena, a small indoor arena, and acres upon acres of trails. I hope to have riding buddies there too. I am so happy with it so far, and I think the indoor arena will come in handy once the snow falls..and that way I don't have excuses to not go to the barn!
She's been there for two days now, and unfortunately I've been busy with unpacking and chores around the house, so I haven't seen her since the day she moved. I did, however, ride her once we got there. She was really nervous (got really sweaty in the trailer) and I put her in her new pen with an older gelding. It's about 5 acres for the two of them.
I figured once she settled down a little, I could see how she'd react to the indoor arena. Meanwhile, she's whinnying and upset and nervous. So I lunged her. Naturally she wanted to go fast. I just stopped her and had her relax. She eventually was going slowly and collected and I decided it was time to ride. I hadn't ridden her all summer so I just wanted to check and see what it is she remembered, and what I had to touch on with her.
I mounted up and tipped her nose in both directions. She was good there. I rode her around in a small circle at the walk...good there. It took her a bit to settle down but I tried to remain relaxed and to carry myself well..and she started to relax her head and carry it level. She did excellent! She remembered everything and I felt so accomplished. She stopped verbally very well. Just where i left off. I was so proud.
Now, in the arena there was a tarp hung from the ceiling cut into strips...so it was an obstacle to walk through. I thought she would FREAK OUT, so I walked her up to it (on the ground) and lead her through it. The first time she jogged through it. The second time (after she realized it wasn't going to EAT her) she walked calmly through it. I was so proud! Then, after riding her around the circle, I tried riding her through the tarp. SHE DIDN'T EVEN FLINCH -- IN EITHER DIRECTION! I was so incredibly proud. I knew when I got there that I could remain calm and help her get into a relaxed frame of mind..and she trusted me enough -- even in a new environment -- to go through that tarp.
All in all, it was a successful day. I plan on going out there more frequently to ride and eventually jog her on a nice, loose rein. That's the goal ultimately.
My new barn owner has "Extreme Cowboy Race" type competitions every year...and I have a goal to go to one eventually with Gunny. I want to work up to that :)
Anyway, more updates soon!
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