A nice day out

Getting outside in the sun was exactly what I needed. Throwing my leg over a horse and going for a long trot on Freeley with maggie and my student Emily really hit the spot. I now wonder if it's more a seasonal disorder that I experience b/c being outside in the warm sun makes me so much happier than being stuck in the house when it's grey outside.

I had a fantastic ride on Liberty today. I worked him in hand first and he took up all charged up, but I kept up a low key and he calmed down very quickly. I was very proud of him. I got on him in the round pen in the bit...he hates the bit. He steered ok, but he fought it every step of the way. Bridling him in the bit is just awful! He puts his head up and down and around and I always manage to get it in, but he hates it. I put him in the round pen first with the bridle under the stirrups so he could get used to going in the bit and he just never really liked it. The good news was that I worked him in the round pen loose with the bit and he responded great at liberty. I worked him free hand just like I do on the lunge so he responded to me just like he does on the longe.

I put the bosal back on him and he was really great. I think that taking him last weekend really made a difference to his confidence. He was so quiet and responsive. I worked on mounting (not so good still, he's still walking off) and backing. He finally started to get the backing and I was very pleased with him! I tried the way of backing my friend Kate used on her horse. I raised up my butt adn asked him to back through the open door. It wasn't good, but finally he did it without fighting. I was able to walk and trot and turn and stop and transition all without a fight. He was a new horse today. I was decisive and he responded well to me. I was beaming after my 20 minute ride. If this keeps up, he'll be ready to do the trail challenge in 4 weeks easy.

I continue to be the bad guy with my mom...I just found out today that the angel Maggie sent her was broken. I had no idea until today, but it sounds like she thinks I did it on purpose...or that her disappointment just really depressed her. I hate that she is so upset by me, but I don't think there is much I can do to fix it. I try to talk to her and it's all my fault and I blog about how I feel so she can possibly understand and that makes her mad too b/c she reads it and thinks I'm badmouthing her. I just don't see any way to improve things. I will have to see about sending her a new gift. Maggie is so sad that the angel broke. She shopped carefully for that present and I thought I had packed it well, but we were wrong in this case.