Hum De Dum De Dum

Another awesome day today. I'm finding I'm having huge BFO's all over the place this week. One today, one yesterday, and one on Monday. Man, a thinking week! I already feel like a changed person, just because I'm more self-aware.

So, today I went out and did the same plan as I was doing all this week. I don't believe I shared that plan with you in the last post in my excitement, so here is what I've been working towards every day, in this order so far this week.

My goal: Be able to trot Moose bareback and steer without resistance

1. Pick up all 4 feet off Phase 1
2. Get 360 degrees of FH yields off phase 1 driving game
3. Yield to lateral flexion on the ground (may be skipped, monotonous)
4. Yield to lateral flexion on Moose's back (may be skipped, monotonous)
5. Then, a) Do a PPL, or b) Play Touch It from 22' away

 Well, today I got stuck at Step 1! It was incredible! Moose had been doing pretty well with picking up his feet, but today he was just not having it. Even for his back feet, which are usually easier than pie, it took me at least 3-4 times of asking before he would shift his weight. And his usual hard foot to pick up, his right front, was impossible today. I got to where I was going through all 4 phases and he was ignoring me. So, here's what I did. I went through all 4 phases + tap with my boot and if I got a response, good, I rubbed him and asked for his foot again. If he did this 3 times, I'd back him up. Then, if I got no answer when I went through my phases, he also got backed up. But if I had to back him up twice in a row, he got to do circles :D and boy did we have fun today!! I was on the 22', and he every time he had to circle, that was 6 laps of trotting for him! So he ended up doing at least 18 laps, possibly 24. And he was breathing pretty hard too :) what an out of shape pony. He started cantering a few times, too, and was bucking and kicking, and that was good to see. I really think he was just being playful, which is quite an eye opener to me, as before I would've read that as "no I don't WANT to!" But anyways, he finally allowed me to pick up his foot, after what I'm guessing was around 20 mins of this.

Then, we did our FH yields. As before, he was better to the left than to the right. Then we skipped lateral flexion and went right to Touch It. I was having trouble directing Moose for this, as I tended to want to send myself to the obstacle, but when Moose is (eventually) 22' away, that clearly won't work. But I got one time, that we ended on, where it worked out. He was at a tree, and there was another tree I saw, and I had him do a big half circle to go touch it and that worked wonderfully, because this time I wouldn't let him invade my space. He tried coming closer to me but I flicked him to say get out there and he did maintain his space and touch the tree. It was excellent.

Then, we did some Zone 3/4 driving over to our bridge, so I could mount. Only reason I bring this up is because I noticed a) Moose doesn't walk straight, he arcs his body to the left and ends up actually walking to the left, instead of straight, and I was on his left side. "How interesting!" and b) There was a point where he diverged off our path for a second and went to turn left when I asked him straight, and I went and bopped him right in the nose, and he licked his lips. I really am stepping up in my leadership.

Of course, from here I mounted up. I also came to the conclusion that I should try to mount him faster, because it gives him too much time to think when I'm slow. Not that I need to rush, but he can't be bothered by me when I'm giving him something else to think about. I think beforehand I took too long, so no wonder he disliked me getting on him. And my theory must've had some truth to  it, because even when I had to kind of flop over him he didn't mind. What a nice change.

And so off we were doing a PPL. My goal was to do this for about 20 mins. I had prepared us this time, too, by shutting the stall doors so I didn't have to argue with him. And my goodness, it was so harmonious! He just walked all over, exploring and staring at things, doing 'stuff' I guess. But at one point, he got too close to a tree branch, so I had to stop and ask him to back up. He backed, and then I turned him to the left, and he responded very nicely. Then I directed him over to an area, and he actually went, and stopped right inside it. I was amazed, but then decided to see if I could get a HQ yield, something which many times he had just plain ignored in the past, and he tried to do it! No unhappy face or anything, just him trying, and he finally did give me a step. I thought that was excellent, and dismounted right there.

He was still perfectly LBE, even on the ground, and I think it was awesome. I did get a little irritated at one point with him not picking up his foot, but then I went, "wait, what am I taking about it? This is an opportunity of a lifetime to gain respect! And so it'll be interesting to see how it goes tomorrow, if it'll take less time or even more. And also, when I was doing the PPL on Moose, there was a point where I felt unsafe. My neighbor was riding a snowmobile very loudly around our neighborhood, so there was a little commotion, and 2 people were walking down the road, and Moose got very fixated on them. And it was at this point I didn't feel safe, because his attention had wandered. I considered getting off, but stayed on instead, and I wonder what I should've done in this situation. I think next time, I should've gotten his attention back instead, but ah well. Lovely day :)