Catching Pixie

Having just returned from San Diego, I shocked my system with a 55 degree change in temperature and spend the day at the barn.  That’s right, yesterday, as I drove to the barn the temperature on the bank sign read 15 degrees!  But it was absolutely worth it.  

Pixie and I spent some time on groundwork in the indoor arena.  I lunged her, sent her over the bridge and did the circle game with her.  And I started working with her on flexing.  I can’t remember if I’ve explained this before, but flexing is the process of bringing the horses head around to the side (this can be done on the horse or from the ground) and holding her head in the stretched position until she “gives” or relaxes, then you instantly release.  It’s kind of like yoga.  It’s an important part of ensuring that you have a soft horse and plays a huge role in the one-rein-stop.

I guess at the beginning a lot of horses don’t really dig flexing.  Pixie is definitely one of those horses.  She did pretty well on her left side, but her right side was a whole different ball o’ wax.  I’d bring her head around in a baby flex and she would twist and thrash her head, anything to get out of the flex.  Well I surprised myself by  knowing immediately what to do.  if she started to whip her head around, I would MOVE HER FEET.  I backed her up “Paulette style” as Ted called it.  I would run towards her aggressively and get her to back up about 30 feet and then walk away like nothing happened.  Then I’d start over.  It worked like a charm.  The most surprising thing is that I reacted without instruction from anyone.  I was by myself and I knew what to do!  It’s a baby step for me, kind of like a baby flex.  We’re learning so much together!

It’s been four days, and I sure do miss Pixie and Ted and Paulette and the poodles and all of the horses.  I can’t wait to see Pixie in the snow this weekend, I hope to get some good pictures!

It’s getting chilly out at the farm.  Chilly and snowy.  But I kind of like it.  Horses are beautiful anyway, but they are especially beautiful in the snow.  Just look at the snow on Pixie’s two front hooves.  It’s too much!  My goal is to get some really nice pictures of Pixie in the snow this weekend.  Hopefully it sticks around.  The contrast in color is stunning – black horse on white snow.  I hope I successfully  capture it on camera.  

I’ve been the subject of much horse envy around the barn.  I mean I usually am…I envy how Paulette works with Misty at liberty (no rope), I envy how Emma rides Drifter bareback, I envy Judy’s TWO horses, I envy Ted’s confidence and peacefulness with the horses.  I’m always jealous of someone, something or some horse.  But this horse envy is different.  I’m on the receiving end this time.  Since Pixie has come down from her pasture and has been hanging out in front of the barn, she’s had many admirers.  People ask if she is for sale or lease, who owns her, what her story is, etc.  She’s probably the most beautiful horse out there, and I’m not just saying that because she’s… mine.

Justice will be two next spring.  She’s my greatest personal/mental challenge at Harmony Horsemanship. Simply put, she freaks me out.  She’s young and full of energy and I’m really scared around her (…I’m really trying work on it).  Of course, when she’s with “super horse woman” Paulette, she’s the sweetest thing.  And in this picture you can see her performing as the “Bean Bag Baby!”  She’s been gently trained (without pressure or force) to sit in the bean bag chair since she was a wee one.  It’s pretty cool to watch.