Pride Goeth Before a Fall

I have spent several hours thinking about what went wrong yesterday, trying to find some perspective on the issue that Ashke and I seem to have revisited yesterday, and the only conclusion I could come to was that I got cocky. I was so pleased with our progress and being able to ride outside the arena that I completely overlooked the fundamental understanding of my plan. Remember my plan? That and the success we both had at the gymkhana the stable held on the first of June. He did so well that I lost sight of what I was dealing with and what has worked for the two of us, over and over.

I NEED TO SLOW DOWN.

I need to remember there is a reason you work the horse consistently in the arena until there are no hiccups. You school and school and school until execution is flawless. Even if it means riding in circles over and over again. In both directions. At the gait the rider chooses. Until the rider decides to stop.

I should have known, because he was nippy yesterday. I should have worked him in the arena. I will, going forward, work him in the arena until there is no issue with a walk, slow jog, extended trot and canter. We will work on transitions and deliberate gaits. We will continue at this until it is engrained and I no longer need to worry. Over and over again. Because that is what works. Ashke responds best to routine. He enjoys new things, but he learns and retains best what is done the same way, every day. We will work the arena until there is no head flipping, no tail wringing, no nipping and no protest.

I had forgotten how much time I spent riding Queenie in circles my first year with her. How consistently I schooled her because I was planning on showing her in 4H and wanted to do well. My first year we won four blue ribbons and two rosettes, and tied for best in class in the Trail Ride event. It took hours of schooling to achieve that success. That is what I need to apply to Ashke's training now. We can ride for four miles every day, we'll just be doing it in the arena, until it becomes second nature for the boy.

So, about yesterday . . .

 

Here is Ashke tacked up and ready to go.

I've been off work this week, so I have spent a bunch of time riding. Yesterday was no different. I ran errands early and then tacked up. Our workout in the round pen was minimal. I headed to the big arena.

Ashke in the big arena watching the manure spreader empty into the manure bin.

Ashke was very hyper yesterday. He was nippy and not interested in working in the arena. I disregarded my plan. I should have worked him longer, but I was drunk on our success. I was excited about trying a new trail. I felt invincible. HA!

Sorry about the finger. Taking pics on horseback is challenging. This is the real start to the trail.

It was a really beautiful ride. Although Ashke was a lot more assertive than when we rode out the day before.

Nice big shoulder along 144th headed for McKay Lake Open Space.

It really was a beautiful trail!

Lot's of willow.

And a lake.

Which he wanted nothing to do with.

The trees were something to snort at . . . maybe because they don't have many in Texas?

Quiet and peaceful. No dogs. No strollers. Lulled me into a false relaxation.

It's kind of hard to see, but there is a monster storm drain hidden under that tree. Ashke spooked pretty good when we walked around that corner. He wasn't real excited about standing within attack range (500 hundred feet for storm drains) while I took the picture.

The whole loop was gorgeous. And very nice to ride. Still need to get used to whipping brances.

The last obstacle of the day. I hand walked him across it with no problems. When I remounted he knew where he was and was fighting me to go home. We trotted up to the pedestrian crosswalk, where we had crossed before and I hand walked him back across the street.

When I got back on, we were on the verge along 144th and he began fighting me for real. It took a great deal of work to keep him at a walk, since he was dancing sideways with his head toward the fence. He kept rearing up and curvetting, trying to take off for home. I finally got him settled, but we were walking faster than normal to get us back to the barn. Every time the footing changed, Ashke tried to move back into a trot. I didn't feel like I couldn't handle it and with a little work he would settle back down. When we reached the end of the path there was a nice, wide patch of grass along the road. We had cantered along it on the way out, so I decided to let him out a little to canter again. Two steps and he threw me.

The toss happened right before the left turn onto 149th.

Why the hell can't I stay on any longer? I know, age and time and distance. That would have been nothing as a kid. More of a joke than anything else. Maybe that is where the cockiness is coming from - my mind is still eighteen and hasn't recognized my body is almost 50. Damn body. It wasn't even a real hard buck, but it still threw me over his head and onto the ground. I landed flat on my back. Head hit the ground. Thank god for helmet's! Never ride without one. Most of the impact, however, was across the back of my pelvic girdle. I felt like I had been drop kicked.

Ashke jerked away from me and started to trot away. I pushed myself up through the pain and called to him. He stopped and turned around, kind of like he was wondering why I was down there. I called him again and he came right over to me. I finally stood up, released his reins and started home. He seemed sober enough now that we were both walking.

I can't describe how much pain I was in. I kept telling myself it was just pain and to keep moving through it. I was terrified I had wrecked something in my back again. Although, the pain was across the back of my pelvis and not really in my spine. I walked Ashke back to the round pen and made him canter around in both directions for several times. I then untacked him, led him to the wash area and rinsed him off. He was very docile and in retrospect, probably wondering why I was acting funny. He didn't even fight the bath. (This is how I know that my new plan will bring success. Consistency has produced results in working with him.)

By the time I got him put away and my tack stored, I was in tears. I got in the car, busted open a gatorade and called J. I sobbed on the phone. She was concerned and reassuring. I drove home and called J to come get me and take me to the ER. I was stupid the last time I was thrown from a horse and this time I wanted to be smart. Not to mention, I do have health insurance, so I should use it.

T was a bit freaked out and worried, but he pushed the wheelchair like a trooper. Here I am, waiting in one of the rooms in the ER at Saint Anthony's North.

They did a CT scan to check for fractures in my pelvis and for internal bleeding. The IV was inserted so they could shoot iodine into my bloodstream. I guess it rushes through the body pretty fast and allows contrasting pictures of the abdomen.

 And this is the CT scanner, which showed bad bruising but no broken bones. Or internal bleeding.

Me, after a shot for pain. I was out of it.

Finally leaving the hospital,

Things to Remember about today:

1. When that little voice in your head tells you to get off and walk, do so.

2. Cantering toward home is never a good idea.

3. Schooling, schooling, schooling.

4. Sometimes bruises hurt worse than broke things.

5. Slow Down!

This Perfect Day

This perfect week, more like.

I have had quite the adventure. On Monday, I went to Down Under Saddlery, where I got my saddle, and took the saddle back for them to check to make sure the fit is good. I had a wither tracing from Sunday and I took that with me. A wither tracing is made with a metal hanger, which is unwrapped and straightened out. Then you mold it over the horse's withers. Once the metal hanger is fitted fairly snug over the withers, you lift it off and trace it onto a piece of paper.  We did this the first time when we first saw Ashke, but I wanted to make sure the saddle fit, now that he has put on weight.

It did. So, any issues are not a result of poorly fitted tack. I spent about an hour talking to one of the employee's about how it should fit, where I should place it, some of the things I thought I had issues with that are really my not knowing about Australian saddles. Come to find out, I was doing everything right, I just didn't know it. I did upgrade the cinch to a polyurethane one, which is much thicker, but won't slide sideways and let the saddle turn. It's a bitch to cinch up, however. Especially when Ponyboy blows out his stomach. I also purchased a running martigale add on for my breast plate. Its pretty nifty. I buckle it to the center ring and it works perfectly. Not too long or too short. And it matches and it only cost me $4. Whoo-hoo! My final last purchase was a cell phone bag you can attach to the saddle. Nifty, huh. Got that too! Except that then I realized that if I get thrown and Ashke takes off the last thing I want is my cell phone attached to the saddle. I am wearing it at my waist.

So, Sunday, I went riding with Chris. It was not too warm. Chris rode her Fjord horse (think pony-sized in height, draft horse sized in width, dun with a white and black mane and tail). We rode about a mile, I guess, and really enjoyed it. A lot. Going to try to go again on Thursday.

Monday, after the saddle fitting, I rode with Susan. We rode about two miles. Ashke was pretty tired by the end of that ride. That was due, in part, with the fact that he was under saddle for about four hours. We were going to meet at noon, which got pushed to one. I got out there about 11:15 to give myself time to warm up before noon. Ashke worked the round pen for a short amount of time, then the big arena. I walked him down the road a bit and back again, waiting for one o'closk to roll around. It was just about two when we left. Ashke did great but he was pretty tired on our way home.

Today, I had no one to ride with, so I rode out by myself. Ashke did wonderful! He listened and trusted me. We walked past a bobcat with a front scoop, an active set of sprinklers, crossed a couple of roads, rode over a flowing creek and did just about four miles. I was so comfortable riding that I was able to take some pictures along the way.

A picture of the route I rode

Coming up on the most challenging obstacle of the day: pitch black road.

I'm pretty sure Ashke thought it was water. Took a really good long sniff before he would step on it.

Ashke did pretty good going up this hill. We went up at a trot and he figured out how to keep his hindquarters under him. I leaned forward and helped him keep his balance.

He seemed to be alright with it.

Do you see the double white fences going up the hill? That was where we were for the previous two photos. This was on our way home.

Headed home and still happy.

We only had one misstep, when we were moving from the shoulder to the pavement and there was a slight lip. I had my phone in one hand and the reins in the other and still managed to help him save his footing. There was one other incident when we were almost home. A motorcycle went past us and Ashke flipped his head and jigged a bit. I was surprised, because there was no attitude at all, all day. I think its because Steve and his kids would chase the horses around the field with their ATV's. Something to note: Ashke doesn't like them.

Drying off in the sun after being rinsed at the wash station.

Ashke walks right into the washing station, without any hesitation. Today he gave a big sigh when the water hit his neck. 

You can see from the above photo that the saddle is distributing the weight evenly across his back.

Today I rode relaxed and easy. There were a couple of times that I tensed up. but I was aware of it and made myself relax. I rode with long stirrups and a fairly loose rein. We mostly walked, with a bit of a trot on several occassions. We will work up to the trot as his stamina grows and as we become more familiar with the terrain. It has been a very good three days.

Too Hot

Yesterday in Denver, my car was saying it was 91 by 9 am. That is way too hot to ride, so instead J and I spent the day driving around. Sound like fun? Not really. I was having a hard time finding a running martingale for Ashke and we were having issues finding trombone music requested by T's instructor. I finally found a martingale at Brighton feed. It is basically white rope and a couple of rings. I think I could have made something like this, but didn't really want to drive to the hardware store. Cost wise, it would have been a wash, so I got it.

Pretty fancy, huh? It will give me some lateral movement, which Chris' martingale would not. I really wanted a tiedown, but nothing I saw would have worked. A tie down is like a simple halter with a rope leading to the cinch. It keeps the horse from throwing their nose in the air, which the martingale also does, but offers the rider a bit more control. The tiedowns that I found were incredibly heavy and very large. My boy's head is very refined. There is no way they would have fit. Anyway, I will try this today and if it is effective, I can always upgrade later to one that matches my gear. At least it would be easy to carry with me if I elected to go without.

We finally made it to the stable at 7 pm. It was still close to 90 outside.

Ashke was warm and sweating lightly when I pulled him out of the stall. I had decided before leaving the house that we weren't riding, so I was dressed in shorts, which were so much cooler than Levis. I lead Ashke over to the washing area. Even though he got snorty and took his time, he walked right up onto the concrete. We are making progress, Folks!

He sighed and dropped his head when I turned the water on, seeming to really enjoy the coolness on his neck and shoulders. That's a good thing. I really like the ability to cool him off with water, something that is imperative he be cooperative with if we are going to do endurance. I have started rinsing him off after our rides, because who doesn't want to take a shower and wash off the sweat. Hopefully it will make him less itchy and less likely to rub himself raw on the ball he has in his stall.

He did better with his haunches being washed. I've given up on trying to hold him still. He shifts back and forth on his hind legs when I am running water over his haunches or tail. I think last night was the first time we were able to fully wash, rinse and condition his tail. J said it was finally clean and silky to the touch. He did look pretty. He also let me wash behind his ears and the sides of his face. It's interesting that he has no problem with me doing that from the left side, but freaks out if I want to mess with his right ear. I can't find a reason for that - no swelling or heat - and once he figures out I'm not going to hurt him, he will drop his head. He'll let me play with that ear if I am on his back, or if I am rubbing it from the left side of his head, but he'll fight me if I am standing at his right shoulder. I wonder who, in his past, grabbed that ear in an attempt to hold him still.

After the bath we turned him out into the field. It did not take him long to get dry. It also didn't take long for the boy to decide he needed to liven things up. I apologize in advance for the quality of the video. It was shot as the sun was going down. Not great pictures, but I wanted to share anyway.

He really was having a great time.

As you can see the shadows were getting long.

Sorry for the little bit of finger in the upper left quadrant. iPhone video is challenging.

At some point the boy managed to clip just above the hoof on his back left leg. I have no idea how he managed that.

Will he figure out how to not hurt himself with his own feet as we go along?

After his little turn out romp, we sat in the shade and let him graze. It was close to dark by the time we took him back in. T walked to the fence and whistled to Ashke. Ashke ambled over to see what was going on.

They really are sweet with each other.

When we pulled Ashke inside I sprayed him all over with fly spray. He is finally beginning to figure out that I just don't do things to do them, that there is method to my madness. The flies were especially bad and I think he realized about half way through that the spray was helping. I even used the swat cream around his eyes, on and in his ears, and under his jaw. It was a bit of a struggle to convince him to let me get it on his right ear, but again, with patience and persistence, I got the fly wipe inside and out. Then we went back to the stall. He was much cooler when we tucked him in.

The only bad thing that happened yesterday was J finding that Ashke's right front hoof is starting to crack from the nail down to the shoe on the middle nail set. I am going to get a picture of it today, after rinsing off his hooves and message it to Dan to see if it is something that needs to be addressed. It is, of course, on his front right foot. All the rest of his hooves look fine. I hope that I can take a picture that shows how ripply and damaged his hooves were by the poor nutrition he was given, versus how nice the new hoof growth looks now. I have a Macro function on my camera, so I should be able to get a great picture of the beginning crack.

Talk Me Off the Ledge

When I first started working Ashke, he favored his left front, just slightly and only at the trot.

In early April, when the vet first examined him he noted some trauma to the point of his left shoulder, probably due to being kicked. The knot the vet noted has since disappeared and Ashke seems to be using the shoulder just fine. There is no soreness or reaction from Ashke in that area and he enjoys being groomed with no pain reaction.

I noted when I got him that his feet were in better shape than should be expected based on his condition, and that they had been recently trimmed. I didn't, however, realize that the trim that was done was a hack job which left his feet unbalanced and sore until I got him back to Colorado. I had the farrier come in a do a trim within the first weeks I had him.

Even after the trim, Ashke was a bit sore on his front left at the trot. He is also dragging his front toes when he walks and trots and stumbles when being worked. Part of his stumbling I have to contribute to his skygazing, head tossing and general disregard for where he is putting his feet. Sometimes he is so focused on protesting any thing I ask of him that he forgets where he is. We've had a couple of close calls in the round pen where he has been watching me with his nose in the air and almost crashed a panel. All of that said, I think there is an underlying issue I haven't addressed that is causing his toe dragging and slight limp. We tried leg wraps, but that seemed to aggravate the toe dragging, possibly due to lack of flex in the pastern, but who knows.

In doing research into toe dragging on the front feet (the thing that concerns me the most) is that symptom can be an indicator of the pre-conditions for navicular disease (a chronic inflammation of the navicular bone in the horse's heel and the tendon that run across it). Ashke is not showing the symptoms of navicular disease, just the precondition symptoms that can lead to navicular if not treated. Primarily, he was trimmed with short heels and a long toe. This causes the heel to flex too low when being worked at the trot and aggravates the tendon, causing inflammation and pain.

The farrier has started trimming and now shoeing to address the issues with his feet, however, Rome was not built in a day and you can't fix hoof issues like this with a single trim. I am worried that the trimming/shoeing will not happen fast enough and damage will be done that can't be corrected.

The research I found said that allowing him to stand in a stall all day and not be worked was the worse thing you can do for his feet. He needs the exercise to keep blood flow up and reduce the inflammation. Regular, consistent work on a daily basis will actually help reduce symptoms and I may have to shorten the time between farrier visits, especially considering how quickly his feet are growing out.

Additionally, I am going to check the fit of the saddle. I don't think that is the underlying cause, but I do want to make sure it isn't a contributing factor. Finally, I am going to work Ashke outside of the arena. I think we are both incredibly bored with riding in circles. Even working him outside of the arena in a big circle last night was better than being inside. Ashke was more interested in what was going on and much more engaged in our activities.

After our work out last night, I treated his legs and the saddle area of his back with horse liniment. I just want to make sure there is no stone unturned in assuring his comfort. He is being asked to do things he hasn't been asked to do prior to 10 weeks ago and I know my muscles are sore, I can just guess at his. I really hope that the steps I've taken take care of the issue and that he doesn't develop navicular.

Riding to Ride . . .

. . . rather than riding to not fall off.

This is a very important distinction for a rider to make, especially one who is attempting to get back what she had when she was younger. I used to ride better bareback then most people ride with a saddle. I could hang off the side of my horse. I could mount behind another rider at a gallop. I could stand up and step from one horse's back to another while moving. There was nothing I could think to do on the back of a horse that I didn't do when I was younger.

It's like a line from the Steven King book, It: You can't be careful on a skateboard. You can't be careful on a horse, you have to relax and let things happen. Who would have thought I would be such a control freak at this point in my life.

I recognized last night that I am very tense and anticipatory when I am riding. I need to relax my legs, hips and butt and let my body remember riding. You can't simultaniously relax and tense against anticipated behavior. I can't relax and enjoy the canter, while tensing every muscle to try and stay on. At the very least, I am overcueing my horse. At the most, I am overcueing my horse and tensed against the motion, which means I am fighting what we are trying to do.

I think this is what my sister was trying to tell me several weeks ago. I need to trust.

Driving home last night, I was talking with J and realized that I need to trust myself, my poor beaten up body, and my innate ability to stay on anything that has four feet. I need to trust that I can ride without holding on, that I can come off the horse without hurting myself, that I can relax and begin to trust that Ashke is enjoying our time together and that he really wants to please me. He has completely relaxed when I am grooming him and seems to enjoy the feel of the brush over his skin. He is still blowing up a bit and I plan on getting the saddle adjusted next week when I have time off. I think it is too wide at the withers and I am having to cinch it really tight to keep it on, even with the new pad (which is awesome, by the way). I think with that adjustment the saddle should be much easier on his back, since it will stay positioned over his withers, instead of moving down his back.

We rode in the indoor arena last night. I was real hesitant to ask him to canter, since there are spots in the arena where the ground is really wet and slick. (Leaking sprinkler heads that need to be replaced). One of the kids doing a lesson last night had her horse slip and go down with her onto his side. She was fine, the horse was fine and the horse decided that while he was on the ground he would try to roll the saddle off. Scarey, but comical. Based on that event, Ashke and I played it safe and mostly trotted. I lunged him first for about fifteen minutes at the trot and canter, then we moved inside and I worked him at the walk and trot. We got to work with the kids doing the lesson, which he seems to really enjoy. He likes being in the arena with the other horses and there was only one time when he got his nose up and tried to take off with me. Otherwise, he did great.

After that ride, our cooling off period and putting him away, I was trying to put together why I was so tense with him. Since I started lunging him, Ashke hasn't tried to buck or throw me. He is williing to listen to what I am asking of him and is learning the verbal commands that I am using. He is still a bit tense and spooky, but not nearly as bad as he was when he first started. I don't believe there is a mean bone in his body. I have to start recognizing that he wants to please me, seems to enjoy the exercise, and is trying to create from his side of things the type of relationship I am working toward.

Ashke seems to have the type of personality where he wants to try new stuff, to learn new things, and doesn't seem to be real excited about doing the same thing over and over. Although, I have to say, having a plan has helped me evalute his progression, has provided consistency in expectations, and given him a great foundation to help him learn from.

 Last night, we were all taking a break and he just stood there with the other horses. He's getting it. He snorts and drops his head when I pat his neck and tell him what a good job he is doing. He turns his head to me after working around the rail in the round pen and I've asked him to stop. He has stopped nipping. He isn't scared or timid or hesitant. He whinnies whenever he hears my footsteps in the barn. He likes people. He is getting enough to eat. His body is getting stronger and more able to move on a daily basis. He has the softest eye in a horse that I have ever seen.

Look of Eagles, I swear.

Nine Weeks and Counting

We spent a couple of hours this weekend riding in circles. I can't wait to get him out of the arena. Hopefully, sometime in the next week or so I will find someone to ride out with me on the trails. I can't wait. In the meantime, here are the videos from our time spent in the arena this weekend.

He is going very well at the canter. His transitions are coming along. My confidence is growing daily.

He has such a beautiful canter, and he is picking up his leads correctly. Makes me wonder if he was ridden before.

It was fairly warm and we worked until I could tell he was getting tired. One of the nice things about riding out on the trails is that it would mostly be at the walk.

After riding we went back to the barn and untacked him. Then we went to wash him. I ended up having to put him in crossties. He doesn't mind the water on his face, he loves it on his neck and shoulders, tolerates it on his back and barrel but then goes absolutely apeshit if its on his haunches.

He was pretty filthy. More green than white. I swear he knows when its Sunday because he is completely covered in poo when we get there. He looks much better clean.

I decided it would be good to compare the first clean pictures we had of him in comparison with the pictures today.

And then a couple that I thought were especially good from today.

 

We loves each other!

 At the canter in the round pen, which he is mightly bored with.

Since I only ever see him from the front, its always good to see pictures of his butt.

There are No Words

I can not begin to tell you how happy I am. . . .

The stables held a non-judging event tonight. They started with halter classes, then English, then Western Pleasure, Western Reining, barrels and poles. Ashke and I rode in everything from Western Pleasure on. He did fabulous!

We got there late and the Halter and English classes had already finished. I did a very brief groom (basically brushed the dust off), got him saddled and headed for the round pen. I wanted to do the Walk-Trot Western Pleasure class, but wasn't too excited about riding it without warming Ashke up first. Ashke was very excited to see the other horses and was very interested in what was going on. There was much head shaking and nose flipping as we worked in the round pen, however he did maintain his focus (pretty much) and walked, trotted and cantered for me. After a few circles in each direction in the round pen, I put the stirrups on the saddle and headed for the arena.

I have to tell you that since the night he threw me off I have felt scared on a very deep level. Cantering in the round pen has helped with that, but my underlying hesitation has been that he will suddenly explode on me and I won't see it coming. I want to be able to trust him to do what I ask, but have really been afraid to. The plan from this week has helped, because it has been safe and mostly calm and gave us both something to focus on. And I didn't feel the need to push it.

Tonight was an opportunity to push it for both of us. Ashke has never been ridden around seven other horses at one time. And I haven't had the pleasure of riding in front of so many other horse people in 40 years. To the outside eye it may have seemed like a low pressure environment but to me at least, it was anything but. And, my biggest fear was that Ashke would suddenly rediscover his bronc-atude.

We started with the walk-trot Western Pleasure. Ashke did very well with everything except backing. We still need to work on backing with me on his back. He does great from the ground, but tenses up and fights the request when I'm riding him. He picked up the walk and trot on command and stopped quickly when asked.

The next class was the regular Western Pleasure. I was very hesitant to ride it, and Chris came over to tell me that I could do just the walk and trot part of the class. I finally grabbed my fear in both hands and rode Ashke into the ring. There were eight of us. The other seven were doing a slow jog and a slow canter. Ashke and I weren't slow. Although the second time around at the canter, Ashke was on the right lead and in an easy lope. Grace (who was calling the class) said later that when we first took off it didn't look like I had control, but there was only one time (barrels) where I didn't feel like I had control of either speed or direction. Ashke just hasn't learned to settle into the stride and allow me to rate his speed when we are moving at the canter. He does that at the trot and I know he will learn it at the canter, we just need a little more time to work on it.

Grace broke the WP class into two groups and let us do it again, since there were so many horses. It gave each rider the opportunity to spread out and gain some ground. Ashke didn't pick up his right lead, but that's not surprising, since that is the direction he hates to work when we are in the round pen. It will be something for us to focus on in the next couple of weeks.  Overall, I was very pleased in his focus, his willingness to listen to me, and how he did performing in front of the other horses.

After that class, we stood outside the arena and Ashke played with the lawn chairs that were set up by the fence. He kept picking at it with his mouth and managed to tip it over several times. He was also interested in trying to figure out what was in the empty cans of soda sitting around and what was inside the pizza boxes. He's so darn curious!

The next class was a Western Reining class. He only backed a couple of steps, but I was pretty happy with that. We trotted to the first pylon, which was directly in front of us. Stopped. Turned on the forehand (which is where the hindquarters move by the front hooves stay in the same spot) which he executed very well for something we'd never done before. He does understand moving his hindquarters away from heel pressure and he did that while standing still. We then cantered in a quarter circle to the next pylon, where he slid to a stop when asked. That turn was supposed to be on the haunches, which we kind of did, (eventually I would love for him to have a rolling spin on the haunches- but again, something to work for) and then we moved in a half circle at the canter. I knew he was on the wrong lead, but was more interested in him doing the pattern than trying to correct the lead. At the final pylon he slowed to a walk and walked out of the arena. I had such a huge grin on my face, it hurt.

The next event was barrel racing. I decided we were going to do everything, since it was all good experience for my boy. I was pretty impressed he was willing to walk the pattern around the barrels, since he has acted like the barrels, which are bright blue, are horse-eating monsters in disguise. We walked the pattern and I gave him an opportunity to sniff and shy at the barrels prior to trying to run them. He watched the other horses intently when it was their turn. When it was our turn he took to the gallop right away, but ran completely past the first barrel. His nose was up and it was the only time I didn't have control of his direction or speed. He calmed pretty quickly when I asked him to go easy (easy is my verbal cue to slow down without stopping) and turned back to the barrel. I was laughing breathlessly while we did the first two barrels at a trot, then an extended trot to the third and then a gallop back to the starting line. Our time was 49 seconds, which isn't bad considering we went through Siberia to complete it. Grace said later she was wondering if we knew the pattern when he first took off.

Finally, we did the poles. We had actually walked and trotted the poles one evening in the indoor arena so they were somewhat familiar. By this time there were only four of us competing. Ashke watched the other horses do the pattern and he was pretty excited to get out and gallop. The pole bending part occurred at a trot, since we are still working at our control at a canter. He did great! At the end of the pattern, I slipped off and loosened the cinch, then walked him out of the ring.

Ashke handled everything last night with poise (except one shy, when J picked up the pizza boxes and the other horses had all disappeared around the edge of the barn) and a willingness to listen to me. We attempted things we hadn't even considered in training and not once did he balk or refuse to try. J said she was watching him and his ears were up, he was engaged and interested in what was going on and even though he wasn't sure of what I wanted, he was willing to give everything a go.

Everyone congratulated him and me on how well he had performed. Most of the people there saw him when he first arrived nine weeks ago and can't believe he is the same horse. I fall in love with him a little more each day and marvel that an animal that was neglected so badly could turn around and grow into this relationship with me. I love his eye and his incredible intelligence. And I have to give a shout out to Arabians Ltd, who bred him, for giving him an optimistic view of life and an innate trust in humans.

New plan for this week: work the round pen for fifteen minutes and then move to the big arena for the rest of his work. Hopefully, Chris and I will get to do a trail ride later this week!