Following the rail, learning to follow the patterns

Seeing as how Rocky’s feet are finally getting less sore, I decided to resume my Freestyle journey with our third Level 1 Follow the Rail session. I tucked the patterns book into my pocket and then forgot to consult it the entire time. It was going well in that I was settling into my seat [...]

He chose me in the pasture

In which Rocky totally makes my day.

Exercising the catching game

In which I attempt the catching game, officially.

Feet update and new herd

In which I discover that “oh boy” is replacing “oh no,” that our remedial Driving Game lesson is working, and that it’s time to prep for Level 3 On-Line.

Learning to be provocative, progressive, and passively persistent

In which I apply what I studied within 15 hours of studying it, with stunning results.

‘Focus develops Feel, and Feel develops Timing. Focus, Feel and Timing develop Balance.’

In which I ramble about lack of fitness – of more than one kind.

Footsore and fancy free

In which I try a few activities not exactly per the program, but that fits exactly in with the principles.

Was that Liberty? Plus, shoeing update

I don’t know what got into me, but I ended up taking off his halter in the arena and grabbing a flag and encouraging him to walk next to me, for his hand-walking therapy to help his body incorporate the arthritis injections. And he did. We played Touch-It all over the arena, mostly out of [...]

Rocky diagnosis: ‘just’ arthritis in coffin joint

It’s not that I’m glad Rocky has arthritis in his coffin joint, especially at only 9 years old. It’s that I understand arthritis, I’ve been dealing with it for years in Jedi, and I feel confident in my ability to monitor and manage it for Rocky too. Navicular, ringbone (my biggest worry, given that ringbone [...]

Our best non-demanding time since the move

I can’t afford to keep Rocky shod, the way he loses shoes to the sucking mud in the Back 40 (which has taken off my rainboot more than once; it’s a menace). So we accelerated the plan to move him to the front and put him in the smaller front pen by himself, where he’ll [...]

The view from Level 2

This past fortnight I find that I have finally accepted, with a combination of wonder and chagrin (“well, DUH”), that I am solidly Level 2. Not just safe, but confident. I am working to shed the habit of seeing all other horse people as experts and me as a wannabe, and have had some success [...]