Learning lessons

Sunday was a day of learning... I had all sorts of plans but the day really fell apart. Lesson #1, don't assume!

I planned to head down for coffee with Lana and a friend. I had driven by the cafe several times and knew where it was, so set out 10 minutes before I was to meet them with Josie on a leash. It only really takes 5 minutes to walk down.
We got to town and I couldn't for the life of me find the place. I tried to ring Lana (she must have been driving as didn't answer) so walked around for a bit hoping I'd stumble across the cafe... No such luck. 25 mins after I left home I decided to leave town. About 3 minutes from home, Lana replied to my "done something wrong, can't find the place" text to say it was on the far side of town. About 100 metres from where I'd been just minutes before.

By that stage, Josie was starting to get restless on the leash so I opted to keep going home. I left Josie in the front yard while I went inside to get changed and put my pre-made lunch in the cooler. Time to get in the car and poodle-head is bouncing around in that way only puppies can do... everywhere EXCEPT close to me. Food didn't matter, toy didn't matter, I didn't matter, C.O.M.E. didn't work (it's not reliable, yet, as she's only 8 months old)... 15 minutes later after I threatened to go inside, I managed to get her and bundled her into the car.


All the horses were waiting patiently at the barn. Usually, Sundays are very quiet. Yesterday, the hay guy arrived with a trailer load of hay (I'd guess a ton?). So it was all go for horses to be moved out of the stalls in the large barn (the tidy-up must have happened the day before). It took me 15 minutes to groom and tack Fon, then I started groundwork out in the bottom field. She was quite good: a little sticky in her left shoulder but worked out of it and was responsive to the quiet work I did. She stood well for mounting though was a little rushy through all of her ridden work. She wouldn't quite give me her eye in either direction and although she was trying, I kept getting the feeling that she was merely 90% there, as opposed to 100%. Given the way this week has been, I couldn't really understand why she wasn't giving me that little smidge more... And of course, I started wondering what on earth I was (or wasn't!) doing that was causing it. Taking that feeling a little too personally, I was totally overwhelmed which stressed me out more, so sent Susan an S.O.S. text: "Having a tough day, feel like I've lost something and I can't get what I want from the horses." Peggy called me straight back. She pointed out that it might not be ME who was "not there" today: maybe Fon needed a day off, some more processing time. She also suggested *I* might need a day off (though I felt like I'd had a great balance of barn days and non-barn days this week, I hadn't actually taken a day for myself) and that if I wasn't getting the feeling I wanted under saddle, it was OK for me to get off and find it on the ground.

Of course, nothing I didn't know, but I'd forgotten to remember it. I did 2 mins on the ground with Fon then put her away, said goodbye to Sully and went home for lunch and a cold shower.

Susan called to check in on me (lovely). Gave me a pat on the back for telling them I was having a tough day, so that they could support me. She also sympathised with me about puppy antics and my assumptions of how the day would go. She is a life coach (when she's not organising Connected things) so a very good person to talk to when you're 'stuck' in some way. Lesson #2, don't take it personally; lesson #3, it is OK to have a bad day; lesson #4 it is OK to take a day off!

In the afternoon, Barbara (mum's cousin Robert's wife) picked me up and we drove around the Bainbridge Island Studio Tour. It's basically several studios of various types of art, each with several artists exhibiting. I thought it was sort of like a very spread-out farmers' market without the produce. The heat was INSANE and I felt like I was melting all afternoon.

Following that, Barbara and Robert took me to their favourite Mexican place for dinner. I had a steak enchilada which was served with melted cheese, tomatoes, rice, beans and a delicious pureed avocado sauce. On the way home we picked up some vanilla ice cream from Mora's (the most amazing "Iced Creamery" - there's one in Poulsbo, too) to serve with my blackberry pie. I needn't have worried about the pie, it was DELICIOUS! I also collected my parcel of Skip Bo cards and cast iron Dutch oven (I've been so excited about this pot since I ordered it!) before they took me home. I let Josie out to say hello before they left. It was nice to see her responding well to complete strangers.

I pretty much threw on some washing, did a little tidying and fell into bed at 9.30pm.

Today was better from the get go. I slept in a little, checked email, make coffee, cooked eggs for breakfast, fixed lunch (yoghurt and fresh blackberries, a peach, some crackers and cheese), fed Josie and got to the barn two minutes before I was due to hold Gruella for the farrier. Phew... I'd forgotten!!!

I decided to work and ride Fonteyn first. She is turning into a lovely mannered horse: I think all the input she's received is finally pulling together and she's feeling a lot better than she has before. She was great to groundwork (halter + roller bit). I practised various equal and opposing presses with her on a short line (cheek press, 1,2,3,4, shoulder press, hip press), also out/in and wand energy directed at different parts of her (mostly shoulder and inside hind leg) and walking in connection. She was softer and her head lower with the roller bit.

Under saddle I reminded myself to start simple. I asked her for a bunch of changes of direction and circles, gradually asking for more and more push from behind. I dropped the rein and rode off the rope - and, voila! I found the softness and rhythm I was missing yesterday. So we cruised, doing Ss and circles around the rough ground and trees at the far end of the field. All in all, a very nice ride.

Karen came down to watch me work Sully. I put the halter and roller bit on him. He was OK to start but then started twisting his head and crab-walking sideways rather than on the circle I was asking for. Karen stepped in to give some support to his inside shoulder and hind leg while I played with presses on his neck and cheek. After a bit she moved to the outside, which helped him immensely. I took off the roller bit and we continued. He settled well so his bridle went on, as did I. He was better than the other day: softer in his mouth, not "stabby" with the left front leg, more bendy and listing well. He occasionally fell out through his outside shoulder but could cope with my rotation (both true and counter) much better. I also asked for one step of turn on the forehand in each direction before I got off.

In about an hour, I have dog school with Josie then I am collecting Peggy and Susan from the ferry. There is pie for dessert when we all get back to the house. I guess that means it's time for me to make something for dinner!