Daisys Show Days

Well, not a true title, actually. Since we've only been to one show! But days sounds better then, dayyy ;).

Anyway, thought I'd do a 'background' story on my girl!

Thats my mom and her to the left. Look how proud she looks, like, "yes, I know I am great" lol!

Anyway! I had bought Daisy just that summer, and I was pretty close to a college friend of mine at that time, who had horses. (we rode on the college IHSA team) She talked to our old coach a lot, and found out about a local show she was hosting at her place in November. So she told me about it and said she was bringing her horse. So I was like SWEET! (I love horse shows!!)

My very crude drawing on paint of the pattern!

That summer the BIL and I had been doing a bit of trail riding and such (that was when his horse was rideable still, lol) so I had been riding, just not with a purpose. And this gave me a great purpose!

So I decided after seeing the class list, to show in the halter (always a easy class to get your feet wet in! And I personally like Daisys conformation overall) and the walk trot classes, and there was one beginner pattern class. I was SO excited!

So I would go out and practice setting up with her, and trotting in hand. All very easy for Ms Daisy (who knows, she may have been there done all that!)

Side Note: During all this Daisy was 6 months pregnant! We were CLUELESS! That next month we finally found out!)

Anyway, I wanted to get some arena time in with her before the show, so I borrowed a trailer from a guy at church and we trailered down to a local arena. She was AWESOME. I mean, I couldn't have asked for more. It was dark, she had never been there before, who knows, she may have never even been in an arena at all. She was alone, and a train kept going by pretty darn close, lol. Oh, and the mud/sand was ankle deep. Worse in the middle!!

Not a prob for her at all. It was a lot of fun! She did spook once, jumped sideways a bit, when something over in the dark woods cracked, sounded like a tree limb fell or something, of course when Lee was riding her, lol. But she recovered pretty quick.



Here is a video I compiled of us practicing our pattern (that was like the 2nd time through it, she ROCKED! Check out our square stops!!) It also has pictures (a lot that I have in this post already) and then Lee riding. She is trotting funny because of the mud, lol.

Daisy


So I was very happy with her. I mean, before this she had basically been a pasture pony for years. (I bought her as a 16 year old) With occasional trail rides. Until I bought her! haha

On to show day! The weather before show day, had been verry very mild. Notice the tank top at NIGHT!
Well! Show day was COLD. And I mean COLD. Of course. And it was even drizzling on the way over, because I remember being worried about Daisy's footing in the trailer. We almost stopped to get some shavings, but didn't. She was fine. Although she did half way slip or something because we found a small blood spot on her coronet after we unloaded her. I it might have had something to do with her hay net though. It had come untied and she went down for it I'm sure!

Anyway, it was a good 40 min or so drive to my instructors place. Daisy is a good trailer rider though. I got her unloaded, and met up with my friend. Whos horse was fidgety and hollering every few seconds. He is ancient, but sure doesnt show it sometimes! Brushed her down, got her tacked up. I had been riding her in a billy allen curb, which she did okay in, but brought her pretty grazing curb for the show. She had done okay in it before, and the father in law insisted it was the best bit. She did awesome in it. I really dont remember her chewing on it, but I might have been distracted by all that was going on.

I mounted up and headed toward the arena. We were a good ways away and Daisy was so excited to get to the arena where all the action was! But her excited is walking a bit faster and having her ears pricked, lol. I made her whoa and wait a few times, and then went on up there. As you can imagine it was pretty chaotic near there. So I grabbed a spot on the rail outside the arena (which is not big by any means) and we just watched the warm up for awhile. She was enthralled by all that was going on. I really think she has never been to anything like that before! So then I heard a HUGE trailer start coming down the driveway (which was right behind us) so I told the gate guy, uh okay let us in!! I did not want that thing behind me and a arena fence boxing us in!
So we dove in! She was so confused, it was really funny. I laughed at her the whole time. She was looking and watching the other horses, like, "what are yall doing??" But she really did great. I was proud! I still had to plow rein her, since our neck reining was not up to par yet. And after a bit I sent the husband after my spurs cause she kept breaking at the trot! I have no problem with needing spurs, lol.

At one point this older woman on a pretty bay came up RIGHT behind us, I mean basically slammed her horse into Daisys butt! I was like O MY GOSH. And the woman is laughing and saying how her horse doesn't do this or that, etc. And I'm like WOMAN! Your lucky my horse isnt in heat! Daisy looked a bit surprised but didn't get annoyed or anything, thank GOD. I mean, I was not happy, lol.

So! I rode in there for quite a while until Lee told me I'd better get my butt outta there and get ready for halter! So I hustled out of there and got her saddle and bridle off, and put her pretty show halter on that I borrowed from the hubbys dad. It was a MESSSS when I got it! And I shined that baby up to perfection. It looked great. And I got my show shirt on (which matched my purple saddle pad perfectly! hehe) and hat all fixed.

So we head on down to the arena again and by this time my mom and niece had shown up. I should have given her my camera!

I was quite nervous. While I was waiting to go in I was going through all the bad things that could happen. I was afraid she wouldn't trot, set up, etc, lol. But it came our turn and she did perfect. We walked in, trotted, and lined up, bam! Great! We did get landed in the biggest, muddiest PUDDLE. Yeah. And at one point I had to fix one of Daiys front hooves and she put it down hard and SPLASH! Mud all over my leg, lol. The people in the stands thought it was funny ;). The judge when he came by to inspect us even said "wow you got a really great spot, didnt you!" He was very nice, and I could tell he liked Daisy!

I knew we had a good chance, most of the horses in there were school horses, although I had rode 2 of them at college, and they are nice animals. One is a paint I rode a lot, (and got 2 blues on at the same arena Daisy and I practiced at! He is a saint, the horse every parent wants for their kids) and another a western pleasure palomino mare.

So! We placed behind those two, a third!! I was happy! You can see just a glimmer of our yellow ribbon on her halter here, hehe. Can you tell it was cold! We are all bundled up, lol. Man I look goofy in that hat!

So, the riding classes that I was in were towards the end of the show. And it was running late of course. My husbands uncle, his moms last remaining relative, had passed away that week, and his viewing was that night. We had to be there, and it was going to be so late by the time I got to ride, we were going to have to scratch the rest of my classes. :( I was dissapointed, but not a whole lot, it was the first cold day of the season and we were pretty much ready to go HOME!

And thus, Daisys first show day ended! I am glad I got to ride her a lot in the warm up, even though I didn't get to show off our STELLAR pattern! Hopefully I will get to go to more, Tuffs appearance kind of messed that up the next year, lol. Maybe this summer we will get out and about! I love my instructors shows, they are small, fun, and I know the people there. Daisy is no fancy show horse, so I'd feel funny trying to be 'competative', you know?

Thanks for reading!!

Oh, and ps, does this guy down here remind you of anyone??

Not Daisy, right?!? Well of course! This is her grandsire, Win Or Lose. The father in law loves to tell the story about how he only lost once with a halter stallion of his, to a Win Or Lose colt, heheheh.

He is the sire of Sonny Dee Bar! Neat huh! I thought so :) I think she resembles him a lot. Her head especially.

Here are his gets achievements:

Stallion Offspring Record for Win Or Lose
World Champion Offspring
Reserve World Champion Offspring
Superior Halter Offspring
Superior Performance Offspring
AQHA Champion Offspring
ROM Performance Offspring
Race ROM Offspring
NCHA Money-earners
Race Money-earners
Halter Point Earners


Next Blog: Daisy goes ENGLISH! ;)

Finally! Tuff Ground Driving Video

Well, it only took me nearly all week, but here it is! lol, I had to finally download a whole new program to trim the video with and then it wouldn't let me put it in the format I wanted without looking like JUNK, so I finally just uploaded it!

Here it is! Be gentle with us! ;) Its kinda long, sorry, you might need to fast forward a spot where we get stuck by the lawn mower out of frame, lol.


Tuff Ground Driving


Next Blog: Daisys Show Day!

A Post...Not about Tuff, Not About Daisy!

So I know this blog is supposed to be about Daisy and her son Tuff, BUTTTT, sometimes its just about my life as well! And don't worry, this post is still about horses! Just...different ones, lol.

So enter Dixie and Cisco! (Dixie pictured at left)

They are mom's horses. She's had them for years, I rode them when I still lived at home. They are both Spotted Saddle Horses (SSH for short!) In fact, I broke Cisco out. Okay, wait, I don't like that word...I saddle trained him, there, thats better.

I actually did just about all his training. We got them both when I was about 16 or 17. Dixie was to be my mom's riding horse, and Cisco was a 4 month old colt sold with her as a bonus! She was also supposed to have been bred back. (These people popped who knows how many foals out of this poor mare. My mom says she remembers there being FOUR of her get there still at the place we bought her from!) But she didn't take apparently. She was about 15 or 16 at that time.

Anyway, I was a typical horse crazy girl that loved being out with the horses messing with them, so I was his 'trainer'. Gosh, let me see if I can dig any pictures of us up.

Here's one! This is one of the first times I sat on him, (he's 2 here) and the retard that I am, I just climbed up out in the open with no thought of it! GEEZ, idiocy of youth, lol. I got off right after that. At least I was smart enough the next times to do it in the round pen, lol. I have a neat picture of that but can't find it! Anyway, he WAS comfortable with me bouncing on his stirrup and laying on his back, so I did do some preparation, lol. (man look at those ugly jods and boots!! agh! Theres the bitless bridle again, lol, very useful little thing!)

So! Fast forward to last Saturday! The night before I talked to her about riding the next day, and she thought it was a great idea. She's always trying to get me to come over and ride since she has no one else to ride with. The niece, her granddaughter, likes to ride, but she can't handle Dixie, and is not experience enough to make Cisco do what he knows how to do, but won't if you aren't persistent about it, lol. And I also don't think I'd trust her out of the round pen on him, you know the riders that you know do fine in the arena, but you would be really nervous to see them on the trails?? Thats her. She just doesn't have enough experience.

Anyway, sorry for all the needless information! I do get carried away so easily. So early that morning I dropped the husband off with my dad at the Mcdonalds, they were going to work on a rental house of my dads. (in exchange for no more sea doo payments! We bought it off them. Its ours now, yeah!! Now we just need SUMMER.) And then I drove to the mothers! Got there and get out and I'm like, gosh, its breezy today! And it was a little cooler then I had origionally thought, lol. But I was like, oh well, it will be okay. Heh. ;)

My mom says the same thing I was thinking when she meets me at the door. "Its windy today! Yesterday would have been the day to ride!" It had been really nice Friday, but work, alas, got in the way.

So we head out to the barn to put her rabbits out in their 'play pen' (they are soo cute btw!) And I got Dixie out and started brushing her while my mom got the van and loaded the tack up. She keeps it in the car garage since the barn has no tack room walls so the dust gets on EVERYTHING. Then I had to go back to the truck and get my bitless bridle, I felt like I'd need it that day, I usually ride her in a bosal, but last time she didn't do to well in it. Thank goodness I made Lee go to the inlaws and get it that morning even though we were late, cause I was REALLY glad to have it!

I also went to get the husbands cowboy hat I had planned on wearing, but it is a little loose and with all the wind I would never have been able to keep it on my head. That picture of Dixie above is her going "what is on your HEAD??" ;) She has some really cute fuzzy ears!

So as we were brushing, la dee da...BAM! Both horses FREAK OUT. They are zeroed in on something outside the stalls, like they've just see a mountain lion! (the stalls that are right in front of them open out into the pasture)

Both my mom and I are like what?? We look and look, see nothing. But they are both snorting and jigging and still staring out the door. So my mom goes out there to figure it out and is gone forever it seems like. I untie Cisco and make him put his head down, walk him in circles make him back up. He calmed down a little bit. Finally my mom comes back with some bags of trash, like a soil bag and something else. So! Apparently the wind was blowing them around and they thought they were monsters! Who knows!Is this not one of the cutest pictures ever?? My mom is 5'6, not sure about Cisco, but he is in the 16h+ range, definitely!

Anyway, they were still antsy for another five minutes or so, and my mom and I are like, we might not get out of the round pen today, haha. I was a little dissapointed, but I knew we still would have fun so I got over it.
The horses finally calmed down and Dixie proceeded to doze while I groomed her up the rest of the way and got her tacked up. The bitless bridle fit her pretty good, had to let it out a bit though, apparently Daisys head is smaller then her's, lol. She does have a cute little head! :)

The mother and I had one little yelling fit over a misunderstanding with the saddle pads on Cisco, lol (don't ask) but other then that we got along GREAT the whole day and had a lot of fun. (I was with her from like 8 to 9 that night, go us!)

So we finally got settled and headed out to the round pen, which connects to the barn as you can see in the picture to the right. (Cisco is sporting a novell headstall in case your curious, in a really ugly glaring orange!! Not a huge fan of it, but it does the job)

So we walked them around in there for a bit getting them loosened up, mainly so we could get their cinches tight enough! Cisco especially is a chunko!! But also to get them using their brains out there before we hopped on. Man , my mom looks like an midget! lol.

Another funny picture of my mom and Cisco -->

So we finally got everyone cinched up and ready to go, I had to hunt around for something for mom to use as a mounting block, finally settled on a chair. Got her on and stirrups done, and then I got on! Now, usually Dixie is a wormy thing when you try to mount, she will back up, move sideways, etc, unless you kind of bend her head to the side and hold it while you get on. Which is what I usually do. Today, I was just very quiet and calm with her and she did back up a little but then I put my foot up there and just hopped a bit, and then she settled and I swung up. AMAZING! My mom and I were like, wow! Yeah, for Dix Dix!

There we are going around! Hehe, I set up my camera on *drum roll please* listen to this: a trash can, with a bale of hay on top, and then a cat carrier on top of that (thats what the mother totes the rabbits to their play pen in, lol) and then a cat dish on top of THAT. It worked great! Hopefully I'll be able to upload a bit of it, it really is quite funny to watch. We both get to racking in there (well, attempting to, we're probably doing more of a running walk or really nothing that has a name!) and then Cisco trips and its pretty amusing.

So anyway we had a lot of fun in there, Dixie was a bit sporadic, she likes to dive this way and that. She's NEVER heard of a straight line, lol. But I'm okay with it. She is a REALLY fun change of pace. And I never feel unsafe on her. Cisco was lazy as usual, and you can see him swishing his tail and acting annoyed when she makes him go faster, lol.
So mom got tired of that pretty quick (she's a trail girl big time) and asked me if I thought I could handle her outside. They were both acting pretty good, but Dixie wasn't real responsive to my reins, so I said she's a little heavy in my hands, or something like that. And mom said well its up to you. So I asked her how he was dong and she goes, well we'll see when we get out there! Lol.
<--one of my moms dogs, Ditzy, she is half chow half aussie and a sweet girl (although a bit ditzy ;) )

So I got down (much easier for me to get on and off then the mother! :) ) and opened the gate, walked her through the barn, and opened the other side. I got on her in the barn knowing it'd be MUCH easier, she turns into a rocket after you leave the arena. She had parked herself at the tie spot, lol, guess she was hoping we were done! So it was easy to just hop on her without her moving.

And the fun begins!! They were both pretty wired up out there. Looking this way and that. Oh whats that over there?? Oh, lets walk faster! Haha, but both did a really good job considering the wind storm etc. They haven't been on a trail in way over a year. I was really quite worried about my mom though, she really really does NOT need to fall off. Specially off that giant! So I kept asking her, are you okay? Is he okay? Lol, I wasn't worried about me at all. Dixie is fast and a bit sporadic (we went from one side of the road to the other in half a second quiet a few times, did a few spins, lol) but totally manageable. I was very thankful for the bitless bridle a good many times. She did well with it. And it doesn't tick a horse off and make things worse when you have to get up in their face.

So we went down their gravel driveway and cut across a neighbors field, went through their yard a bit and then tried to go back down the driveway a different way to go back home, but a car came out of the house we had just been at and totally wigged the both of them out. Dixie would have been fine, but Cisco was not happy and I didn't want to risk mom getting hurt so we walked back up the way the car had gone, and went back the way we came. They settled down but of course Dixie started her OH WE'RE GOING HOME routine of her fast running walk thing and "no I will not just plain walk, thank you." ;) I tried for a bit to get her to walk but then just gave up and went along for the ride. At least its smooth! I let her get away with a few things, shes so old and it doesn't hurt anyone, so whatever.

Here's a few pictures we took of each other along the way :)



And a few videos!! I warn you, if you get dizzy easily, don't watch these!! ;)

This video has a highlight of me dropping the camera (which was attatched to my belt loop for just this reason) to stop Dixie from heading home, lol.



And the highlight in this one is Cisco stopping to smell the...no not roses, poop. And me saying woah and easy a million times trying to get Dixie to walk.

From the Back of a Horse


So we made it back in one piece with no mishaps! And were very proud of ourselves! (we had so much fun watching the videos after we got inside)

I worked with Dixie a bit outside the barn making her mind and not just walking her into the barn and getting off. Once she was doing better I got off and loosed her cinch and noseband and then walked her in.

Thats Dix over there saying, "stop taking pictures and get my saddle off woman!"

So there you have it! If you made it this far HUGE CONGRATS for you! I'm so sorry I get so long winded. Have a great day everyone!

PS, I know I said I'd get the video of Tuff ground driving today, I'm working on it!!

Tuffs First Ground Driving Lesson

<--Tuff says, whatchu doin back there??

The grey fuzzy butt had his first real lesson today and it went pretty well!! I tried it last year once and it did not go as well, (he was TOTALLY confused) so I gave up until I had someone around to kind of help him at his head.

Well today I got him out early and brushed him, etc. I had brought out the surcingle (sp??) with me to see if he was big enough for it yet. Alas, no. :( But he's not far! It just won't adjust up enough around his belly. It's at the tightness of say a back cinch right now.

So I took it off (he did very well with it btw!) and we walked around the yard looking at scary stuff, lol. The inlaws have tons of stuff to look at in their yard. He's funny, if something looks scary he doesn't run away from it, he wants to go see it! Thank goodness. So we had to nose a few things, and he jumped back a few times when they moved/made sound, lol. But then decided finding something to eat on the ground was way more important. He was a bit 'up' today with the breeze and coolness. But still a good boy. We walked over a few things and even a LOG, I mean, this was a big piece of wood, and he did it like it was nothing, sucha good boy. It was really short too, but he didn't try to avoid it, yeah.

After that I tried the bitless bridle on him again. Last time I tried it his head was still too small. But today it was a-okay! The noseband still won't tighten like it should, he has a itty bitty nose. But it was doable.

So we walked around with that, yielding to the side, stopping, etc. Then we worked on some trotting in hand, pivots. I saw on a QH world show video the halter people trotting their horses at a slow jog and they would just walk beside them. For some reason I thought that was really cool, lol, so I did that a few times. It was fun! I am easily amused sorry! Then I worked on him picking up the trot faster (yes, I jogged with him this time, ;) ) and worked on setting up, etc. One time we stopped from a jog and he was square already! I watched a vid of in2paints where she did a pattern and her horse basically did that. Was neat! He's still pretty slow on setting up. But getting there! Our pivots, eh, well I'm really quite clueless on how to teach that, so we mainly worked on him crossing over his front feet. He did pretty good!

Then went over to the shed to drag out the long lines. It was a bit of a struggle to get the things going like I wanted, they were not the type of material where it is easy to coil them up, so after a little while I just let them drag behind me.

So first I rubbed him with them a bit, but I knew he would be okay with them. He was. I tried to lunge him in a circle around me with them on first, but that was a disaster. He didn't have a clue what I wanted and I couldn't get him going out onto the circle. So I finally just stepped behind him. Aha! Much better! (that was supposed to be step 2 after step 1 was good!) Anyway, he took a bit to figure out when I tap him with the reins he is supposed to move, but he got it! (that was our big prob last time) and pretty soon he was walking all over like he had been doing it at least half a dozen times.

It was so fun!! He responded pretty good to turning, not so good in the beginning, but got a lot better. And he did very well with the 'go' cue. Woah? NOT so good. Really quite bad actually. But he has plenty of time to improve! He did so good when I walk at his head, but if I get behind him and ask for it, I have to REALLY put some serious pressure on the lines to get him to stop. And then he doesn't stick there. He will try to move off again. Frustrating, but we will work on it! He did one really good one and I quit on that. Lots of pats!
Look how cute he is in this picture to the left!!


Anyway, I tied him back up to the hitching post and there he lost some 'good boy' points. I swear he was trying to try my patience. I could see it in his eyes!! lol, anyway, he has gotten on this kick where he does NOT want to stand quietly when tied if your not messing with him. And sometimes when you are! So that went on for quite a while, me trying to keep my patience, and I think I did a pretty good job! Anyway, finally he was still for a bit and I decided to not push my luck. I wish he would just realize when he's tied he is TIED. So just stand there until your UNTIED. *sigh* Yeah, he LOOKS like an angel in the picture above, but don't be fooled! ;)

Oh well, I need to remember he's still young! But he still has a long way to go on giving to preassure. At one point he stepped on the long line and kept yanking until part of the leather crown broke. Thankfully it was a part where I could just put it on a higher hole. -_- And he still tests the lead while he is tied up. One of the scariest things is to see a horse pulling back with all his might. Gives me butterflies just thinking about it. I should have worked on this more when he was younger. *sigh!*

So thats about it! I put him back in his pasture and he stood at the gate like, "well, we're done? Aw!" then walked off, lol. The whole time the other horses had been getting their breakfast and eating, so he behaved like a good boy even with that going on.

I'll keep yall updated on our next sessions! I'm not going to drive him 'naked' again though, he got his leg over the line too many times (won't keep his head up the heifer!!) so I'll have to either use the surcingle or a saddle. I also want to get his 'daddy' out to drive him after he's going pretty good :).

Check back tomarrow, I'll have a video of us ground driving up! (hopefully! windows movie maker is being a pain in the you know what as usual)

Next Blog!
My Weekend Ride With The Mother :)

Valentine Day Ride

So had a 'horsey' day this Valentines and fishy! Well, my husband and I were hoping, but they weren't biting and all we did was lose 3 lures and get stuck in the trees THREE TIMES, lol. We really aren't that bad, its just the pond in the horses pasture is a little woody for fishing. (no, thats not ALL we did on V-Day, haha ;) )

Anyway the older BIL called to see if it was all right if he rode Daisy, which he has been doing periodically. I said sure, and went out there to watch slash supervise, lol. He's a pretty good rider, I THINK able enough to handle anything Daisy wants to throw at him at least.

So I drove the little BILs four wheeler out there (stopping to get my bridle and another bit since he was using his icky tom thumb thats on his bridle)

She did pretty good. For the first hour she was not happy about being asked to do anything, was a little 'fresh', and was constantly trying her best to get back to the truck and where I was sitting on the four wheeler. That was where she made a BEELINE every time you stopped asking her to turn or do something. SO ANNOYING! Anyway, he rode her all over the pasture (he put Rusty in the other side that the colts were in this summer) and she did pretty good.

A few times, maybe three, she did that little going down the hill swish my tail hump up like Im gonna do something thing. Or just hustle myself around in a circle to the direction I want to go. Thats her version of a hissy fit I am learning. She didn't do it the time I hopped on to ride...actually I don't think shes ever done it with me, just with the 2 boys, but he had been riding her for a while before I got on.
But he dealt with her well, just kept on asking her to do what he was telling her in the first place and went on with it. He doesn't get angry or impatient with her. He's pretty even tempered like my hubby :).
Anyway, check out the pic above and to the side, see how curled over onto the bit she is?? She did that a LOT in that tom thumb, it was weird. She wasn't acting ticked off, as far as I can tell, and the BIL said she hasn't done that before. Who knows! He is making a lot of contact with the bit, I dunno if she was going too fast up/down the hills and he was trying to slow her or what. I checked the curb chain, it wasn't too tight, bit was okay height...Anyway, curious! I haven't been able to get her to do that when I'm TRYING! Lol.

So anywho, he swapped to my bridle after a bit, which I was happy about. Rode in that one awhile, and then when he came back toward me again, I told him to put the other bit in that I brought with me. Its a d-ring with copper rollers. I call it my 'english' bit, haha. I couldnt remember if I had tried it on her before.

Here's a cute vid of them and then Rusty running by, lol, he didn't like when they went over towards the gate near the woods (the pond is in there as well)


So he rode around in the d-ring awhile. HE thought she did better in that one then the other one, but I got on soon after that and she felt the same as she is in her mullen mouth. Chew Chew Chew. :Sigh: I think I just need to get her teeth done. God only knows when they've been floated last, if EVER. And she is going to be NINETEEN this year, old horses have even worse trouble with teeth. So more moola moola. :double sigh:

So anyway, she rode pretty decent, wiggled around when I first tried to get on though, guess she was tired of people getting on and off her, lol. But I was still not pleased! Got her still though, and then she wanted to walk right off. Excuse me, missy! Fixed that, then off we went. The BIL doesn't do much besides waltz around the pasture, so her woah was pretty crappy, and her neck reining as well. And she didn't want to stand after you told her to woah, UNLESS you were parked near the truck, lol. So spoiled!

I had to boot her around a bit, then tried to make myself remember how to be a good rider, and not get impatient. By telling her waht I want, not saying YOU BETTER DO IT OR ELSE. Thats how I am with everything. Its just my nature. NOT GOOD. So after I did that things went good. I just held my reins in one hand like I would if I were actually on a horse that neck reined well, and when she didn't listen, reached over with my other hand to guide her. She was pretty rubberneckey, not stepping in the direction I wanted and just turning her head. But that got better as I rode.

But of COURSE if we were turning toward the truck, MAGICAL NECK REINING HORSE!! ;) I even got some nice turn on the haunches from her doing that. I told the BIL watch this! Turned her away from the truck and then layed the reins on her neck and put a leg on her and whamo, we are facing the other way, haha. I did it the OPPOSITE way and then of course I was on a greenbroke horse that doesn't have a clue. -_- Ey yi yi.

Anway, all these issues are just because she doesn't get rode much, and overall she was a good girl. I actually trotted her around in a circle and she transitioned nicely and stayed very steady, until we started going towards the truck that is, then she sped up, haha. So, no pics of me riding. Men of course don't think about picking up the camera laying next to them, lol. And I forgot to request.

The BIL got on and rode for awhile again after I got off, and she toted him all over the pasture with her head down and very quiet. We gave her some grain afterwards as a reward and then let her go! The weather was beautiful, and it was quite fun. Not to mention nice to get out there and have the horse tacked up already, warmed up, and you just get to hop on, haha. ;)
<-- Now does that look like a nineteen year old?? Well thats all for now, here's a funny picture of Tuff and Skip to end on! (I think Skip is trying to pursuade me to come give him grain ;) )

Next on the agenda for Tuff Tuff? Long lining!