Big Girl doing Big Girl Things

 Funny was a star today. And sassy. ;) 

We headed to Rana's for lessons and baby girl loaded first on the trailer! Granted, I had Dan standing there, but still! She walked in on her own. When we got to Rana's I turned her out first and she ran a bit, but she wasn't crazy and didn't call much when Dan and I were riding. 

Her turn! She got to wear her new amaranth saddle pad which looks so good on her! We saddled her up and put the cavesson on and worked on some lunging. She was very good, although at one point she side eyed me and looked like she really was thinking about throwing her haunches in at me and kicking. But she didn't. She intimated that she COULD have.... but she didn't. Good girl! She also did a few head sasses and side eyes in general, but.. no rearing, no getting loose and no bucking. Yay! Good girl. But she is crooked so we had to fix that. She started VERY crooked but she settled fairly quickly into a more straight line up. 

• Tracking right:
• She falls in onto her right shoulder and twists/drops her withers. 
• To correct that I have to pull her nose in, which pushes her withers back up. Yes it is kind of ugly looking and no, it won't stay that way. I won't ride that way. But for now, to get her in balance we have to over bend her nose to the right. But don't hold... pull and release. And as soon as she softens and straightens, I can let her nose out more and let her travel as long as she can hold it straight. 
• Push her shoulder out. Aim my intensity (whip and shoulders) at her withers/shoulders. 
• Use my body posture to help. Step out towards her to push her back and keep her from falling in. 
• Tracking Left:
• She flings her right shoulder out, which then centrifugally pushes her haunches out. This way she's flinging herself around the circle because she isn't bending. 
• Hold her in, but don't hold her... pull and release. And when she twists her head, use the cavesson line to help straighten her out. But again, releasing quickly. 
• Aim my intensity for her rib cage. Push her barrel out into a bend and push at the same time I half halt my lunge line. 
• Get a hair in front of her to slow her down/half halt her because when she gets faster, she gets more out of balance. 

Overall though she did great. It took us a few circles, but we finished with a very balanced and happy girl! And then, because she was so good, she got to wear the back on track sheet on the way home.