Lots of riding

Today I rode 3 horses! I had morning class then headed to the barn (I have like a 3 hour break between my morning class and my  afternoon horse training class). I didnt go out Monday as I was super tired and freezing after work. I had all the intentions of going out last night but I stopped by Alannas house to visit her after her first chemo treatment and we all know how that ends, 2 hours later I headed back home. I couldnt miss Hart of Dixie of course :) I just hoped on him bareback but had his bridle on and we did some work for about 30 minutes before walking down the road and calling it a day. I love this horse so much!

Then I headed into my horse class. I started a blog for her but didnt keep up on it as there really wasnt much to say for the last month we have started working on under saddle work. I think I posted about her in the very beginning but she is a 16.3 hand 12 year old Canadian Warmblood mare. We have made tons of progress on the ground and she is super sweet. Going to get on? Lets just say we have spent the last 3 weeks (we only meet M/W/F) or more getting her to relax for me to get on and just sit on her. Mean while the other 12 horses (2 others were in my boat) have been cantering their horses for 2 weeks. A light bulb FINALLY went off in Roses head this week and we have our first 2 rides all by ourselves under our belt, we even trot! Today was our first day walking outside of the round pen and with a group of other horses. She settled in really well and we called it a day. Im so happy we are finally able to make progress under saddle. She is really nice and responsive. She turns, whoas, and goes all with relatively easy cues given its our 2nd real ride. On Friday we got the go ahead to do some trot work outside the round pen with the group! How exciting.

After I finished with her and had put her away and done her chores I went up and was watching the second group of horses in the arena. One Quarter Horse mare (who had dumped one of her people on Monday) was acting up and being naughty again today. Throwing her shoulder and running sideways and just ignoring her rider. With about 30 minutes left in class I hear my teacher screaming "Tarra! Where is Tarra? Get your helmet and get in the arena!" So I grab my helmet and head into the arena. My teacher told the mares person to get off and wanted me to get on her. So on I hoped and boy oh boy has this horse gotten away with murder undersaddle! She totally just throws her shoulder and shoots sideways. Into other horses, people, walls, etc. She had no respect for the riders before, clearly. She wanted to do what she wanted and how she wanted and was not pleased that I was not letting her do it! I worked for her awhile having to take my foot out of the stirrup (was riding western) and hard core kick her to get responses from her. She was not the quickest learner but after a couple times of her you know what hitting the fan when she tried pulling something she did get a lot better. I guess she had just started refusing to go forward with her trainer person also. She tried a couple times but it wasnt a big issue. She knew that I meant business and I was so not putting up with her crap! I mean my horse that had 2 rides went around 1000000 time better then she did and she has been being ridden for weeks! I did really get after her several times pretty good because otherwise she does her horsey flip off and would go where she wanted (what she did with the other people). It was actually really funny, we had our own little cheering section of classmates watching as I tried to not take out the other 6 super green horses cantering around the arena both of us not trying to run into eachother and both of our horses heading straight for eachother! I just hope I dont get switched horses!