Whoo hoo!! I put the new gullet plate in Fun's saddle... I think after we measured her, she lost weight, sprouted withers, and grew an inch. So when her new saddle came, it looked great but after a few rides, it was starting to sit a little low at the end of my rides. So I ordered one size down (a wide, vs an extra wide) and swapped it out. I think it's a good fit now! She seemed happy in it today too.
We had a great ride. She wanted to play but she was not wanting to go back in the arena. I think she's gotten a little anxiety about the left lead canter too. But we went in and had a lovely ride. We got some nice trot work. And then we picked up the left lead canter first by trotting over a tiny vertical I had set up. It worked! So then we tried picking it up just by me sitting two beats right before I asked and using my outside leg. And she got it!! Twice!! Whooo hooo! We also did the right lead and that was fine. And then we finished with some nice trot work.
She's so smart though. Too smart! I've been clicker training her and now when I click, she tries to immediately stop and get her cookie. Hee hee. Silly girl. She also knows that she gets cookies when I get on, but hey.. at least she's not bolting off. Except today she did. Ha! Well, after she got her cookies. I think something in Jean's pasture scared her because she tucked her bum and bolted! I caught her pretty quick luckily but she was keen on looking that way. I never saw anything but she was convinced. But we were able to work through it quickly. And then she decided she was done earlier than I was and marched over to the gate and stood there. No ma'am.. you don't get to dictate! So we went to the other gate when we were done and she already knows how to "open it" and "close it". Just like big brother Dan. :)
We hacked down the driveway and she wanted to go back to the trailers. She's being a bit pushy today so I insisted we walk towards the lake. I decided if she was good, we could just go to the one neighbors mailbox before the lake and then turn around. And she was, so that's what we did. Good pony! But... definitely testing me a good bit today. Even walking up from the pasture to the arena she kept stopping. But she never tested me harder than stopping or trying to stop. She never reared or bolted. So I was persistent but fair. I didn't over react. So... hopefully she finds that fair too.
My plan is to take her to Ashland for a long hack and no arena work on Thursday but hopefully the rain won't ruin that plan. I can always try Friday morning too. Then she'll get Saturday off because Lyric and I will be at the show.
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