Day 21 ...and we're off!

We cantered today!!! Both ways, both leads and not even a "hump" in our back!!! We started w/ our normal process...ground driving first, sacking out, flexing..then up I went and after some practicing turning at the trot I thought I'd see if she was ready for a canter. At first she just kind of ran off her feet a bit, but she did not get tense like yesterday..so I egged her on a little more, swinging my body to the rhythm of the canter I hoped to get and off we went! She stepped into it beautifully. We cantered ~3 times each way and she grabbed her correct lead (front and back :) each time. I was sooo excited that there was not even a little hump in her back at all. Most green horses at this stage resist going forward at some point, but she has remained to be super responsive to my leg no matter what.

Well after our canter, I was thrilled, but felt like she was ready for more. However.."More" in the round pen was pushing it..there is only so much I can do in 40 foot diameter without asking for her to get bored and inevitably start answering questions with the wrong answer...even questions she had right before...ask them to many times and she's gonna answer differently to try and figure out what I want..so I hoped off and led her out of the round pen for the first time!

I wasn't sure if she'd be overly nervous or what, but honestly she seemed thrilled. She walked more forward beside me as we made our way to our small arena. It is the size of a small Dressage Show Arena, so bigger than the round pen, but not huge. I led her around it a few times and she seemed quite content..she didn't even spook at things on the rail that I thought she would. So up aboard I went. I rode her the same as I did in the round pen..lots of circles and stopping and backing to be sure I had her attention. She certainly was a bit preoccupied w/ her new surroundings and quite a few times wanted to go her way instead of mine. But each and every time she still let me help her and followed ended up following her nose where I pointed it. We even trotted a few 20 meter circles both ways. We then rode out of the small ring into our large, open arena. This is where my barrels are set and it's a show ring size pen w/ great footing (thanks to my husband!) But no fence at all surrounding it..totally open. We walked around out there a bit and Lindsay even walked over to a barrel on her own free will and sniffed it!! That was huge, she really had not taken interest in much of anything in the round pen on her own free will..I was Thrilled to see her have some curiosity to her. We walked a bit more until she felt like she was thinking of rolling in that good dirt LOL..I figured I better get out or put her to work..seeing as she'd really worked enough, getting out was next option.

I walked her out of the arena and through some tall grass. I remember thinking how interesting it was that she did not even flinch at the weeds rattling against her legs. Every green horse I've sat on at ride #4 would have been a bit startled. But she really seemed to take comfort in it. It just made me think about all of the previous experiences she has had and things she knows that I don't. She really is such an intelligent being with a spirit and mind all to herself.

I then hoped off and let her hand graze for quite a while admiring her serenity. She is gradually allowing me in this world of hers and it is simply amazing....these moments I get to share with her in her world.