I RODE ELLIE!!!
Ok, that may not have been necessary, but I really felt that it was. I can't even begin to put into words my excitement with this giant leap forward, and I have to convey it somehow.
Yesterday we went out to view the farm we really like (again) so both Ellie and Tiger got the day off. I had hoped to get Ellie backed this week, so when I arrived at the barn this morning and I was greeted by two very calm mares who came right to me (they are now paddock buddies) I was hopeful it would be a good day. On Thursday when I did the desensitizing, I could not have asked Ellie to have been any better. She did not spook, she did not run away, she barely even moved when I was smacking the saddle with my hands.
Friday, we (with the help of Laura) had a foray into long lining. Now, I am not always the biggest fan of long lining for nervous horses. For some horses the combination of a person at their head, the lines on their back, the new commands, etc. can all be too much to take in and learn effectively. With Ellie especially, where she is so nervous when it comes to new situations, and unsure of other people, I am wary of using another person for any training for her. She has to tell me through her body language that she is open to something a little more... trying, if you will. On a day where she is being nervous and a bit flighty (such as last Tuesday) I stick to familiar work so not to stress her out any more than is necessary. On a day where she seems relaxed and trusting, I throw her something new and take it one baby step at a time to see how she takes it. Today she told me she was in one of her moods to learn something new.
For Christmas my father and his family sent me a lovely $150 gift card to Dover Saddlery. Thanks Dad!!! As badly as I need a new pair of boots (Ariat Volant Lace H2O Tall Boot are a great suggestion for anyone who has giant or mismatched calves like I do, and damn do I want a pair), I only had $150 to work with, not $500+, so I decided to buy training equipment instead. A pair of Vienna lunge reins, a chambon, and a few other small things, and I had spent my Christmas gift.
My plan for Ellie today was to lunge her in my new Vienna reins, but as she was being so quiet... I decided to throw something new at her. Andrea asked me if I wanted help long lining her, and instead, I asked her if she would help me back her. Gulp. Exciting, but also somewhat scary. This is a giant step for my Ellie Mae.
Andrea and I head out to the round pen, and we line Ellie up with the mounting block. Bless her big grey heart, she was an absolute statue. I lean over her, putting some weight on the saddle. Nothing. I put my foot up in the stirrup. Still a statue. I slowly, ever so slowly, put my weight in the stirrup (I have a grip strap on my saddle specifically for this sort of work). Ellie at this point takes half a step away, more so she can turn and look at what's going on than anything else, so I back down and step back to the block while leaving my foot in the stirrup. Once she's standing still again (takes about half a second and a quick pat from me and Andrea) I stand back up in the stirrup. This time she stands still, so I lean myself over her back, stroking her other side with my hands and arms. Still no reaction. Again, very slowly, I pull my right leg up, over, and back down the other side of her body.
I'm sitting astride Ellie. Holy. Crap.
Andrea and I kept it fairly brief after that, starting with single steps in a small circle. From there we moved to taking a few steps. Any time Ellie would stop we would praise her, and give her both the verbal and leg cue to move forward. After no more than five minutes she was walking around the round pen in a fairly relaxed manner. Every so often she would stop, and both Andrea and I would give her a soft cluck and I would apply some slight leg pressure. After a few rounds, we swapped direction. From there it was much of the same. We walked around the round pen until she was relaxed, and called it quits. I wanted a picture in the worst way, but as it was just Andrea and I, I didn't want to risk being at the end of the lead rope while Andrea took a picture and risk Ellie spooking. Not something I want her to remember ending our first ride with.
The dismount was a bit harder than the mount up. Ellie was rather unsure of my leg coming up her flank. She started a little bit, taking a few steps towards sideways, but with some praise and reassurance, she allowed me to pull my leg over her hindquarters, lever my body over her back, and slide to the ground. I am such a proud Momma right now, I can't even put it into words. I praise her, hug her, scritch her, and in general shower her with love. We head back to the barn, and after a good brush down, I throw her in her stall and retrieve Tiger.
Pretty girl! She looks awesome in that purple.
Tiger was fantastic, yet again. Today we went through the same paces as Friday, with far far less head flipping. Little Red is starting to understand that I'm not going to haul off and smack her mouth with my hands. Being that we were just getting to know each other I hadn't asked for flying changes from her yet. I'm a decent rider, I am confident in my abilities as they are, and do my best to be realistic. Flying changes have always been a bit of a challenge for me. I have a history riding primarily Thoroughbreds off the track, and they have a hard enough time taking up both leads, let alone swapping from one to the other. I am not going to lay all, or even a majority of, the blame on the horses I've ridden. Riding challenging horses has made me the rider I am today, and I wouldn't change anything. However, challenges for the mount teaching you (and vice versa the rider teaching the mount) can translate through to you, and they have with me. I was worried about asking Tiger for the swap, as I did not know if she even knew them.
We warmed up, trotting nicely on the bit in both directions, Tiger flipping her head only once when I asked her to come on the bit, then settling into a beautiful frame. We continued from there into the canter, circling and cantering nicely around the arena. Tiger is a fun fun ride, but the poor girl has not been asked to use herself properly, and she is fairly out of shape. That's ok, I am too. I give us both a walk break before picking up the right lead once again. I circle once and point her across the diagonal. Boom. Didn't even have to ask. Auto swap. SA-WEET! I try in the other direction. I circle Tiger twice, letting her get the balance of the left lead, and then point her across the diagonal again. Bam. There it is. Auto swap. Big grin for me, lots of pets and loves for Miss Tiger, and nice cool bath (for us both... stupid unseasonable Florida weather). Fantastic way to end a fantastic morning at the barn.
My mares are awesome.
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