Taking care of the little things...

Oh, I had such a good play with Ruby today!!!!

I wasn't quite sure what to do, but thought I better shim my saddle etc for my lesson with Kaye Thomas tomorow.

I saddled her straight away when I got her, I didn't play with her first. Ruby is an 'old faithful' now. I can get her out of the paddock, throw the saddle on, and virtually ride off. BUT, I always do my pre-flight checks as I move her around as I saddle her.

Linda Parelli is always saying she starts off really slowly with Remmer, her introverted horse, and I have also watched Anne do this with Rowley, so I had that in mind when I was moving her around, and right from when I went to get her out of her yard. I let her approach me at Ruby speed (about the speed of a stoned turtle) and while saddling I asked her to put her nose on a tree, with me in zone five, then I asked her on to the float, again with me staying in zone 5. I didn't ask her to go any faster than she was offering, and I found her offering more than I asked! With a positive attitude.

As she backed out of the float she felt her rear cinch 'grab' her, and she came flying out backward, and kept going backward, and eventually came to a stop, almost sitting on her haunches!! WOW! It was impressive backing up, but I was pretty glad I don't make assumptions, and assume that just because Ruby has been ridden in that saddle, with the same cinches, for the last five years, that there may be a day when It just doesn't feel right! It re-inforced to me why I back my horses up after I girth them, and before I get on them, EVERY TIME I SADDLE THEM!! I could have got on, rode her off down the track for an hour, and then asked her to back through a gate and have her flip over on me.

I remedied the problem by asking her back in to the float, relax, gently come out, still a bit quick, in again, relax, out, a big sigh... that's what I wanted!

We then went off and had the best ride ever!!! Ruby was really on her toes and we had fun and played with high speed yoyo games! We would canter off, slide in to a backup, and canter, or even gallop, out! Boy that girl has some power when she get's on her hindquarters!!! I can't wait to learn how to harness it properly!! I'm just playing around with how to get her attention. It seemed to do that, and I thought it was great fun!

Since she was offering so much, I kept it short, and then played with something that has been too long over looked. When I get on Ruby, she gives one little tail swish. It used to be a really sour face and a wringing tail, but it had got down to a little swish with her ears back, not pinned, but not happy. So I thought it was finally the day to tackle this! I stood on a chair in the round yard and she obediently came straight over and sidepassed up for me to get on. But instead of getting on I just stood there on the chair and rubbed her, and found an itchy spot in her mane. Eventually I put one foot in the stirrup, and when she flicked her tail, I just kept rubbing the itchy spot and up and down her neck until she relaxed, then I took it out again. I kept playing with this, then standing in the stirrup and getting down, then sitting on her and getting back off, until I was able to get on her and sit quietly and she kept her ears forward the whole time!!!

Isn't it amazing how we keep going forward and don't put the time into addressing the 'little' things!

Ruby and my relationship took huge leaps forward today! I haven't ever seen her with her ears forward so much!

Still plenty to work on with Kaye though...so stay tuned tomorow!!