Poor Sophie!

Sophie had her little legs worked off of her today. We started out just fine with the longeing, she was doing great, I was doing great. Then Kim stopped by to watch and suggested that we raise the side reins to simulate hands more so because Sophie is progressing so quickly. So we moved the side reins and didn't get the results we were looking for. Then Kim pulled out the sliding side reins which had Sophie in more of a Training Level/First Level frame than just Intro/Training. Then we ran into the problem of getting her to extend her trot. Everytime she was clucked at she started cantering, after all, it's much easier to canter than it is to extend the trot. So after some persistence we convinced Sophie to extend when clucked at, not canter. We also worked on whoa on the longe and a little on kissing to mean canter.

Overall it was a great session and Kim's input helped a lot. I just hope I can figure out how to attach the sliding side reins tomorrow. Sophie was soaked by the time we were done, it was 85 degrees, so warmer than the last couple of days, but we were also asking her to do a lot more. I could just envision her under saddle while watching her today. She has a gorgeous trot, especially when she has a lot of impulsion to move her along. Kim said that she's progressing faster than she thought she would, and asked if I'd heard about my saddle recently. I was going to call when I got home, but forgot, I'll try to do it tomorrow instead.

Today was just a further lesson in how I need to expect more and expect perfection when I ask for something. I'm sure Sophie prefers it when it's just me and her, with no "help" from Kim, but this is what's going to make us good. I console myself with thoughts of her apple/carrot water that she gets after the workout is over. Today I tried throwing some treats in the bucket as well, to see if she will eat them when wet. She did, fortunately, so now I have a back up for if I forget vegetables or we don't have any. Especially since they float, so she needs to bob for them, and they absorb a lot of water. She really enjoyed bobbing for her food though, it was fun to watch her.

Anyway, I got some of the pictures from the other day uploaded. Where I was playing with Sophie like she was a Barbie horse, or a My Little Pony. So enjoy!

Pretty Pony Hair School Pictures

A nice picture of my shiny horse from her hairless side. This was after I decided to braid her mane. When we show seriously her mane will most likely be pulled short and braided in regular dressage braids. But for this summer I'm letting her mane grow out so that I can get some pictures of her with a long, pretty mane to keep. I figure there's plenty of time to cut it next year, when I start showing.

This was my first attempt at a running braid on Sophie. The first I've done in a very long time to boot. It was fun, and started off as just a lark. She was hanging out in her stall and I was brushing her and decided to give it a try. So I went to work and it was tight and wonderful looking, but I had no rubberband! And Sophie didn't even have a halter on. So I finished the braid and pulled the rubberband from my own hair and wrapped it 30 times around her little tail while I got a horse rubberband. Unfortunately the braid looks crinkly when she lifts her head higher than it was when I was braiding. She stood still the whole time I braided as well, which I was happy about. I think she's flexing her neck in this picture.

Stretching out, showing off the running braid at its best. It looks equally good if her neck is exactly level as well (which is where it was when I was braiding it).

Continental braid...my first attempt. Haley walked by as I was nearing the end of it and said "looking good". Then when she walked by the next time I was pulling the rubberbands out and she said "you did all of that work for nothing?" I told her I took pictures, but she didn't seem to think that was worth the time, lol. But it didn't take that long, especially since Sophie's mane isn't very long right now.

I told her she looked like a fairy horse with her mane crimpy. She just rolled her eyes at me and looked scared.

Eyeball picture.

Showing off her tail (and shiny rump).