Learning to Listen and Learn: An interesting day... hopefully not the last!

Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a good day and that the rain is starting to give up!

It was another learning day here in Colorado and I can’t believe that I only have 6 more days of school left! Today we were out at a Ranch that is out on the east side of Colorado and a bit north as well.

The class met at McDonalds at 7 am this morning and then we headed off into the depths of Eastern Colorado!!! We arrived at the Ranch just before 9 am and got to work promptly gathering horses. The first horse I had was seriously a LOT of horse!! He was a very large Draft and he was like a puppy! He wanted to follow me around and didn’t have half a mind or idea about standing still! I was actually pleasantly surprised when he began to stand and soak up the attention, he was really cute! One of my classmates said that I looked like I was taming the “Gentle Giant!”

The second horse this morning, after a short break involving cinnamon rolls… mmmmmmmm!... was an older chestnut ge

lding, he was very gentle and really needed to be reassured about what was going on and his role in it all. I felt kind of bad because I was getting agitated by his lack of attention and then realized he was completely and utterly confused, all he wanted to do was please and once I said good job to him he began to soften his body and relax!

For lunch we were fed another amazing meal by the staff of the Ranch and I even bought myself a down filled vest with the Ranch logo on it, imagine… it is baby pink!!!! I decided I am totally worth it!

After lunch we worked on one more horse… remember that horse from 2 weeks ago that I was totally smitten for… well, I got to play with her again today! I was very excited not only because I love her and want to take her home, but because she remembered me and was very well behaved! All of the things I worked on with her 2 weeks ago were still there and I was able to get even farther than before with my work today J yay! The kicker about the whole thing is that I really think she belongs at home… my home… Get this… She is a papered AQH, had a lighter body and darker mane and tail, has a sassy but kind attitude, oh… and her name is “Apple Cider”… I know… she could be my Brown Sugar’s twin… literally! Imagine that, Brown Sugar and Apple Cider entering the ring! They are even about the same size! I just don’t know what I’m goona do… Daddy, bring on the trailer!!!

Today was a very good day for me, I felt that I learned a lot and that I made a difference… even though I spent much of the day working on the lead rope to quiet the horses I was working on, I really made changes! I love my NEW job!!! The amazing part in all of it was that all day the people on the ranch were branding cattle and moving livestock from pen to pen and all of the class was able to keep some attention of their horses and we all did a really good job! I was impressed... now I can walk into a herd of 30, pick one and massage and work with many distractions, loud noises and curious horses!

Tomorrow we have Business and then we get to go to the fancy Dressage barn again for a movement class!! Exciting! Then I will take a little detour to go and see Pixie, the little baby I was talking about last week!!!