In Which Gwyn is not Forgotten

 With all of the excitement of Leche, Gwyn has not been abandoned in the slightest. 

I signed up for a paint and sip class and brought Gwyn's Sweet Sixteen Photo shoot picture with me to use. I'm SO pleased with the result. I took a few progress photos while I painted. I want to go again! My coworker was supposed to go with me but she bailed due to a migraine so I went solo. Highly recommend if they have them in your area.

The kids have been joining me quite frequently on my barn trips. Hazel comes to play with Riley, and will really only into the barn if Riley isn't available. Kaylee will come too and usually wants to ride when she does.

Gwyn is always sweet to them. She gets pampered when they are around.

Though this is the face of a horse who KNOWS I have cookies in my pocket.

One night I went out and she was just COVERED in shavings. Girlfriend had been napping in her stall right before I got there.

She got prettified before I got on. 

I didn't need another dressage whip, but I needed THIS dressage whip, IYKYK

Here we are sharing an apple.

Kaylee is grooming. She did get on and Gwyn proceeded to be NAUGHTY (for Gwyn) and ignore Kaylee on board.  We quickly revised the plan and I got on. This was right before my lesson and it was good to have her in the 'naughty' frame of mind to work with that with Chriss.

She's been wearing reindeer antlers all month because I am Like That.

This night she decided that she was a harlot and despite squealing at Finn, backed her butt up right into his face and let him lick her.

This gelding is sweet as can be and just wanted to lick her. Nothing more.

This was my solstice ride on the 21st. I wore my light up skirt and we had a lovely ride.

And lesson on Christmas Eve Eve. Gwyn was great. I'm really focusing now on fixing me so that I don't mess up baby when the time comes to back her. So we're really focusing on my straightness, which, to no one's surprise, still helps Gwyn. I've gotten so much better and just remembering to keep my left hand forward fixes a lot of things. I'm starting to focus on some subtle changes and Gwyn is responding so well to them. I feel like I've become a much better rider in the past year and and a half and it's a great mindset to be in when you're in a reflections kind of mood at year end.

Even though we only walked during the lesson, Gwyn needed a sun nap. She looks so blissful here.

Obstacles for Leche

 Dulcinea got to model her new halter, and looks stunning in teal. She also understands that the point of cell phone pictures is to put your nose as close as possible. This bodes well. 

 

 

She worked in the round pen with the pole again, the goal being that she's doing slightly challenging things with a smile on her face, so to speak. 

 

She's also doing well with "hippie natural horsemanship stuff" to quote K.

She also got to visit the obstacle course. I love her thinking face.

After California experienced some precipitation, she was also introduced to puddles and had to think her way through those as well. She's going to have to get used to them if she's coming to live with me. Western Washington is a whole new climate!

Leche goes Back to School

Pictures courtesy of K.

Leche is getting outfitted with her own gear so she doesn't have to borrow things at WSS.  I found a local shop that makes and customizes rope halters and ordered two, one in a more clinton anderson style and one with a custom noseband.  I also tossed an extra leadrope in my SmartPak order when purchasing her supplements. 

The rope halters and lead arrived the other day and they look so pretty! Leche was spicy. It seems now that we've resolved her tummy issues her personality is showing through more and more. 

In this session, the goal was to calmly go over a pole on the ground which did eventually occur! Reports are:
She's spicy and has Questions About the Way Things Are. But she's very smart and inherently kind. She likes going to the left more than the right but did hop over the pole in both directions. 

K met with the trainer who works with all her babies, Robin. Robin and K are in agreement on goals to achieve before I pick Leche up. Namely: get around their obstacle course, lunge, wear a bareback pad. Robin additionally wants control of body quadrants. Both agree that the progress so far is encouraging. Most of the attitude seems to be from a young filly who may have been allowed to get away with shit, but nothing that can't be resolved with consistency.