Tuesday Update

   Had a great day out at the ranch today and was out there all morning.  It rained a lot yesterday, so a lot of the property was flooded, including Phoenix's stall.

   Phoenix was totally ready to get out of her stall and I brushed her down, picked her muddy hooves, and tacked her up in her Western saddle and jointed gag bit again.  

   The arena was all messed up due to the rain, so I rode Phoenix out in the riding pad out back for the first time.  I was a little nervous that Phoenix would be a but in the open space but even though she kept pulling at the bit, she listened pretty well and didn't buck or anything.  I worked her in both directions in all of the gaits and continuously checked her until she slowed down and listened to me.  

   I even worked on neck reining with Phoenix because it's more comfortable to ride one handed, but I always feel like I need the control and security of riding with two hands.  She wasn't perfect, but she is definitely getting better at moving off of the rein and my legs.  

   Due to still struggling with sitting back on my pockets and needing to build up my legs, I felt confident enough to take off her saddle and do some work on my girl bareback.  I hopped on and we got to work.  

   Phoenix still pulled at the bit, but it was easier to get her to move off of my leg and pick up her left lead without the saddle on.  I wobbled a few times and almost lost my balance, but overall I did pretty good and I didn't fall off.  It always feels so good to run a horse bareback and I could actually stop my girl when I needed to haha.  

   After working bareback for a little bit, I really wanted to work on jumping but we don't have any jumps at the ranch, so I found some big sticks and made a makeshift pole out of it.  The first time we walked over it Phoenix hesitated, but after that she trotted and cantered no problem.  

   Then we headed over to the logs by the horse stalls (I rolled it out so it wasn't too close to the stalls) and we jumped over that a few times and then I dismounted and hosed Phoenix off.  

   I want to be a barrel racer, not a jumper and higher jumps (over 2ft) make me nervous but I really like jumping for fun and Phoenix totally jumps, just not very well at shows (it might be me but idk) and we both prefer solid jumps over poles. 

   I really want to learn how to work the cows sometime and maybe Robin will let me and Phoenix mess around with them sometime.

   When I finished up, Robin arrived back at the ranch from an interview and I let Phoenix out into the paddock and chatted with Robin while she cleaned and I refilled water buckets.  Robin also dug little "canals" to help the stalls drain.  Then I took out Oakie and Robin showed me what tack to use on him and I brushed him down, tacked him up, and headed back out to the riding pad.  

   It took awhile to get Oakie to stand still while mounting (he was a little fresh from not being ridden for awhile) but eventually I got him to listen and I hopped up.  Then I had trouble keeping him at a walk while I got used to him due to him continuously breaking into a jog.  

   Robin came over and told me to not let him get away with stuff because he knows better and is just testing me and she showed me how to tell him to knock it off.  I got Oakie to listen better and then we trotted and loped around a bit.  I got our left lead wrong the first time (it's definitely me and not just Phoenix if a super broke horse has a left lead problem with only me) but we fixed it and he picked it up just fine the rest of the time.  Though Oakie wasn't taking off with me and still went where I wanted him to, he was not slowing down when I asked him and was trying to pull into a gallop.  

   Robin hopped on him for a few minutes until he was listening and then I rode him some more (spurs off this time; had them on originally but he was so fresh he didn't need them).  I learned that I use my calf to get him to move over and my heel for speed.  I had always used my heel for both, which probably confused Phoenix, and now I realize that it would help us a great deal if she learned to move off of my leg and I used my cues properly.  Oakie still kept getting worked up at the lope and Robin ended up standing in the middle of the riding pad while I had him circling around her and she would tell me to yoga breath and put pressure on the bit and release till he settled down and listened.  

   After he was listening I worked on stopping him (took a little while for him to respond the first time) and this time, when I sat back and said "whoa" Oakie stopped on a dime and I fell onto his neck haha.  I think I need to work on that.  

   Robin came over and switched out Oakie's headstall and bit to his "I'm being a brat bit" just so I had more control.  She said that he is totally and arena horse and he gets more worked up outside of fences.  I rode him for a little while longer and worked on my legs and leads and stops until my dad came to pick me up.  

   I untacked and hosed off Oakie and then put him back into his stall.  Robin gave us the number for the farrier (which I have been trying to get my dad to call for weeks) and then we headed out.  Robin let Phoenix stay out in the paddock all night and I'm sure she loved being free to roam around.

Barrel Day

   I got to wear my awesome new Fallon Taylor pants today!  They fit great and are super comfy.  Plus they are really colorful.  Anyways, I rode Phoenix Western today with her competition bit (jointed gag bit).  I was originally going to ride in her snaffle, but Robin said that I actually needed to use a bit with more control because I needed to be able to control Phoenix at home as well as at competitions.  I lengthened her purple leather reins as far as the would go and worked on the flat first.

When your horse tried to run you over during a pic

   Phoenix was good at the walk and I rode her one handed but I used to hands for the trot and lope due to how excited she gets.  She was definitely easier to control and work with but Phoenix still tried to pull into a faster gait and I had to work her mouth to get her to give and slow down, keeping a consistent pace.  Robin gave me some tips on working her to bend and I tried them out and doing the pressure then back to normal instead of total release seemed to work well.
   I walked the barrel pattern a few times and then took it at a trot.  Phoenix listens pretty well at the trot and I got her to turn well by running straight until she passed the barrel and then going into a tight turn.  I tried to keep my balance good for her and to sit the turns.  I had to go over the second barrel and try to fix our turn when we loped though.  Phoenix is good at the left turn, but she keeps hunting the second barrel and trying to turn too soon to the right, forcing her to either turn really wide and out before heading to the third (adding a lot of time) or making her break into a trot for a few strides.
   We worked on this a few times and I had her to excersises around the barrels until she seemed to do better at that right turn.  She had it pretty good during one run and then of course when I had Robin record a video of us, she took the turn too early again.  I could feel her trying to pull into the barrel early and I tried to pull her outwards and hold her straight longer, but I didn't do a good enough job at it.  Robin actually said that I need to push Phoenix out with my inside rein and leg instead of pull when she does that.  Anyways, here's the video.  I need to work on not leaning and sitting the turns, but we tried and are improving and will get there one day.

   When we were done, I walked Phoenix out, untacked her, and hosed my baby girl off.  She's getting a lot more comfortable being sprayed in the face.    

This is my fav water pic of the day

   I let Phoenix start to dry out when my dad arrived, so of course I made him take pics of us due to the earlier pics being on a timer taken by me and I wanted better ones.  

   I put Phoenix away and secured her fly mask before putting her halter up.  Robin offered to let me ride one of her well broke geldings whenever if I wanted to learn from him to help my riding improve and learn what to feel and how to ask Phoenix how to do stuff.  I think I'll take her up on that tomorrow.  I could always use a chance to improve.