Self-Torture & Random Pictures :)

First I found the cat in a hay rack...

So having discovered that I have never really had a proper stirrup-less lesson at all three gaits, I decided to invent one for myself.  I headed out to the barn today with the goal of working with Rhapsody a bit and making myself sore. 

And I succeeded!  I also got a whole bunch of random pictures for your entertainment!

Played a different "game" with Rhapsody today, one I pretty much pulled out of the air, though it has some resemblance to the Parelli Catch-Me game and some resemblance to clicker training.  Pretty much I would walk away from her (not very far, 5-10 steps maybe) and if she would follow or come up to me afterwards, then she'd get a treat.  We couldn't have done this before, but after her coming up to me when I went to get Lass for my lesson on Monday, I thought maybe it would work.

It actually kind of did work, I think.

Rhapsody looking grouchy

Okay, you have treats.  Maybe you aren't so bad after all.

Pretty eye

Looking not so sure

We had our moments where she just walked off, when I would follow a little and usually get this face...

Yes, I have decided.  You are evil.  Go away.

 But at the end she seemed to catch on and was following me quite devotedly albeit sometimes with a grouchy face (don't ask me why).  She always put on her nice face to ask for her treats, so I gave them to her.

Then she followed me all the way to the gate without my asking her to at all, and stood there watching me leave.  Everybody say it---AWWWW!

Okay thank you.  That's what I said anyway. 

For as long as I could see her...

It was really kind of sweet though I have no idea what caused it.  Perhaps she likes treats more than I thought she did.  Or maybe, once-in-a-blue-moon maybe, she actually enjoyed our time together.

Then I found le cat again, in another impossible place!

So then I went and caught the Fringe and gave myself my promised no-stirrups ride.  I did start with stirrups just till I figured out what sort of a mood she was going to be in, but dropped them for most of it.  It's good for her training as a kids' horse, anyway; and she was very un-phased by the whole thing.  Proud of her.  :)  Rode walk, posting and sitting trot, and canter with the stirrups crossed over the saddle, and it popped my legs right back to where they were supposed to be and effectively eliminated my bracing on the stirrups.  I think I'm going to ride all my lesson warm-ups without stirrups for a while, till I get my position strengthened up a bit.  I'm quite sure Coach won't mind. 

Sore now.  But happy for it.  Sore is good.  :)