Day 19-21: Bits and Pieces

The last three days have been a bit of a whirlwind. Work has been busy, building to a major proposal submission today. Just when I thought I had the whole thing ready there is a potential last minute change and I'm in a holding pattern. Ugh!

Friday, day 19, I was at work until around 8pm. I needed to go out to the barn to feed but I was just too worn out to do anything. After I fed everyone, I opened Cricket's stall door, put up her stall chain and pulled in a step-stool to just sit with her. I gave her a pile of her sweet orchard/timothy hay and just enjoyed my pretty girl.

Day 20 doesn't exactly count. A friend and I decided to go audit a L2/3 camp at Carol Coppinger's place in Mt. Juliet. I went out in the morning to give Cricket her "dewormer cookies." I loved on her, petted her and gave her some hay.

As much as I wanted to be home playing with her, I'm so glad I went to audit. Watching Carol play with Legend was so instructional. Legend was not connecting with Carol and it was a treat to watch her work through his druthers. Not just in what she did but also in what she said, I brought home a lot of gems for my time with Cricket.

Day 21 - I had every intention to play and ride, really I did. But when I met my friend Becky out at the barn, we ended up in a "tack room organization" marathon. It was good to get some things back in order and sort through the stuff she brought over. We turned both horses out in the little paddock and allowed them to graze while we worked. Then it was time to turn all the horses out to meet the new horse (Becky's second horse she just moved to the barn). At first Cricket didn't want to leave. It was important to me that she meet Bolder in the light so they could sort everything out so I drove her out. After they went tearing around the field, she came right back to me. She even nudged the halter. How could I refuse?

I took her into the arena and worked on draw on-line. Then I decided to take advantage of the daylight and we headed to the round corral. As good as our connection is, something happens with circling in the round corral and she won't come to me. If she circles close, our draw and redirect is good but not if she's out on the rail.

So we played and when she ignored me, I ramped up the game. She was doing some lovely stuff in the corral. She started drawing to me with some high energy. I need to figure out how to cause that and then how to reward that so it becomes solid rather than "accidental." All in all, I had a fine time with her and I cannot wait to go out this evening.