Rocking 45 Ranch

  I moved Phoenix out to Rocking 45 Ranch on January 2nd and so far it has been going great!  I still can't ride, but I head out almost everyday to spend time with my girl and everything is run very well over there. She is back in a western style stall (instead of her previous box stall) and gets turned out every day by the ranch (into the round pen until it is determined if she gets along with the pasture horses).  I have been lunging her in the round pen to exercise her since I can't ride yet and I have been very pleased with her behavior.
  Phoenix has been calm and listening to cues (mostly body, but getting better at voice cues) and she loves following me around.  I have also worked on her with rubbing the lunge whip all over her to ensure her it is a tool not a weapon (she barely glanced at it) and after a little reassurance, she was desensitized from plastic grocery bags.  I tied 2 bags to the end of a dressage crop and stroked, waved, and moved it on and around her.  She got nervous a few times, but the biggest scare she had was a little jump and she didn't buck or rear. I was pleased to see she seemed calm with it flapping around her face, butt, legs, and stomach.
  While lunging Phoenix earlier I noticed she kept jumping over or running around a giant puddle in the round pen (she ran through it once or twice), so next we worked on puddles.  I stood in the freezing water (with a cast boot on my right foot) and encouraged her through it and after a few times I figured out how to avoid her tricks of side stepping and stopping.  I took it from both directions and didn't glance twice at the puddle and if she side stepped around it I turned her right back around and encouraged her to take it by standing on the side with the only way around the puddle.
  She didn't like the water really at first, but I stopped her and rewarded her a few times in the middle of the puddle and walked her through it several times and I think she is more comfortable with it now.  After our little lesson was over I led her back to her stall with a lead rope looped around her neck and then I brushed Phoenix in her stall.  She has been doing great with grooming and now allows me to fully groom her (curry, brush, comb mane/tail, and pick hooves) without tying her up or putting on a halter.  She just chills in her stall while I mess with her.
  I am so proud at my girl's progress and I can't wait to heal up and be able to ride.  This ranch has cows and invited us to go cutting (I've never been, but Phoenix was bred for cutting).  Also, there are a few kids of my age to ride (and trail ride!) with and the owners are super nice.