Been a while

I skipped an entry a little while ago; shortly after our last ride, rode bareback again. After the previous session, Kat was a little touchy about opening.closing circle to the right; we'd worked on that right shoulder in just before I got off the last time, and she thought that was what I wanted and was having trouble with it. So I didn't ask for any more of that, just got her responding to open/close circle.

After a little ride 'round, I just couldn't stand it anymore: I pointed her at our tiny jump, a 24" diameter barrel sawn in half to make a rolltop--so it's a 12" rolltop. I've been so quiet and slow with my body for a while, and she's been trying pretty hard to match me. I guess she was still stuck in that kind of mode, because she flubbed it big time. She tried not to jump it, and stepped ON it instead--shod hooves slip on smooth rounded plastic. No fall or anything, just no jump, either.

We went around & pointed at it again, me thinking "oh boy, she's gonna catleap and this is bareback..." Nope. She popped over it, giving it just the respect it deserved, and slowed right back down again :)

So, on to today: pretty much exactly the same, except that 1) riding around earlier, I asked her for a little trot (bareback still) and 2) when I pointed her at the jump, she popped over it just right.

Such a sweetie. She's really very safe bareback, it's funny. When I first got her she got excited and wanted to RUN any time I got tack out, so I rode her bareback in a halter until I managed to wedge a bit of "riding doesn't always mean racing" into her mindset. She's still "go-go-go" under saddle, but she's remarkably relaxed bareback.

(Added on Friday, April 09, 2004 @ 08:30:48 PM)