Add two, minus one and bowing to forces beyond your control.

I'm playing with two new horses now, and no longer playing with Indy. Why? The awful Florida Summer has finally shown is eternally-boiling face. Its too hot to play with the poor drafts. All that muscle and strength that makes them magnificent has to take its toll somewhere. That somewhere is their endurance during hot weather. Fortunately Susan has another horse, a TWH named Kip who I can play with, and one of Susan's friends is letting me play with her cross-bred 3 year old gelding. Although I am dissapointed I no longer have a chance to play with one of my favorite breeds, I am thankful I had the short experience I did, and I am VERY happy that Susan didn't toss me out to the cold(er- heat as it were) because I could no longer work with Indy. I am really loveing Kip, the TWH mare. She is ten years old, an estimated 16.2 and a LBI that switches to RBE even quicker than Indy. I think she is exactly fifty fifty-half LBI, half RBE. Whereas Indy was more three quarters LBI, one quarter RBE. She was very insensitive and dominant our first session, but on the second session she was so angelic...it was like she had thought over our last session in her mind and really understood. The little gelding is named Blue. He is a LBE, high spirited, frisky, and immature as befits his age. He is one of the CUTEST horses I have ever come across. I believe he is a blue dun, and he is around 13-14 hands. Its such a joy working with these horses. It gives me a sense of fufillment that I am helping somebody-no matter if that somebody is human or horse. I like to think that Susan is happy I am "training" her horses, but in reality she is doing me a favor as currently most of her horses are pets and pasture ornaments.

Now with Diamond...well, our last couple play sessions have left something to be desired. Lets just say there were a lot of Right Brain moments, a lot of argument on tasks and other less-than-pleasant things. I'm hoping tomorrows play session will be better. Everyone has their bad days, and as discourage as it is, I have to face the fact that EVERYONE wakes up on the wrong side of the bed(pasture) every once in a while. Including myself and my horse.

WHOOOOOO!!!

Today Diamond and I did circling at LIBERTY. They were small, about 6-10 feet between Diamond and I, and at a slow walk, but WE DID THEM. I did turn around in the middle of the circle so I could really keep the connection between Diamond and myself-I think if he'd gone around my back he either would have come to me or walked off to nibble grass :P At first I only had him do one lap then brought him in, but at the end of our session he circled three laps and came right to me when I asked! I am just so excited. I didn't really expect it-we were just playing a little stick-to-me at a walk/trot and I randomly pointed to a pole on the ground and trotted right over it, turned around and came back. So I thought "if he'll do that, maybe he'll circle" so I just held my arm out and wiggled my stick like I do when asking for a circle on line, and 'round he went! He got LOTS of treats, and I am so proud of him! I could tell he was really focusing on me which is hard for him-normally he gets so easily distracted by little bits of hay that have fallen, or nibblets of grass. Its funny, I find that he normally shows me the greatest things he has learned/is ready for when I'm not really expecting it/asking it. A lot of times I really think he looks at what I ask him to do and says, "You want me to do THAT boring old thing again? I'll do it for a treat of course, but look at THIS, isn't THIS so much better than the thing we have done a million times before?"

Whew...and yeah!

Well I've worked with Indy more and I am fairly certain he is innately LBI, but very easily slips into RBE when he feels unconfident or trapped. I learned that the hard way. Well, they don't call it the "learn burn" for nothing! I've certainly learned something! Our last session I wasn't feeling well, and couldn't sum up enough energy in my body for myself, let alone a horse! So we spent a lot of undemanding time, just with me sitting on a barrel and Indy standing by me. I really started to feel that relationship budding, though. Indy yawned a LOT during our session, and got this safe, contented look on his face. At least he is feeling comfortable enough to release the tension that builds up. He is going to be a challenge for me-but I knew that, and I wanted that. I just have to keep reminding myself of all the savvy information I need to follow!

With Diamond, yesterdays play session on line sucked( he wasn't motivated at all for some reason, which I couldn't figure out...so I got frustrated and decided to skip most of the on line we ususally do), but freestyle...wow, he was AMAZING. So much energy and forward movement! Positive expression, willing, up for anything... And then today I did a lot at liberty with him, and that went wonderfully. We had our best Stick To Me ever, and I actually got him to go in a sort of half circle/loopy shape around me before he stopped with an "Okay I tried, don't ask me for more" look on his face. I let him come back to me for treat, treat, treat TREAT! Sending him out has always been really difficult, as once he gets out there, with no ropes connecting, he loses interest and decides to go nibble on grass, or wander over to the gate. Our liberty session took up most of our time, so online we just practiced the Figure Eight pattern some. He is getting better at it, slowly but surely. I still don't understand how at one time we were trotting/cantering through it, and now we have trouble walking through it...but I'm learning more every day, so hopefully it won't happen again!