Shoot ... Try Again?

Ok I admit it ...

I'm a big fat 

chicken

Yes I'm a big one ...

I got a new horse.

I've never been a quitter ... nor will I admit defeat just yet!

I will still work with cowboy outside of class and we WILL ride eventually.

but still

Here's the thing - I was dreading class everyday I had to ride Cowboy and I let the fear get the best of me.

And that in combination of risking my grade was one bad recipe to make Bailey miserable.

I think more than anything I wanted a different horse so that I feel confident enough to actually work on the concepts we are learning in class and become a better rider - I'm too chicken to do that with Cowboy just yet - but I would for sure love to overcome all of that and get there with him in the end!

So we'll see how this one goes.

still have to do laps tomorrow or friday.

Goals:

1. make friends with my new partner!

2. those laps!

Here Comes Another Test

Ok so here comes another test!

5 laps around the arena at a trot ... 

sounds easy enough right?? Not so much.

... every time you direct your horse you get docked

Cowboy doesn't listen well enough for that just yet. Nor do I feel confident enough to run around an open arena on him yet.

Well that confidence will have to come quickly 

... cuz it's next 

FRIDAY!

Looks like I'm going to have to do some serious courage finding and we're going to have to leave that round pen tomorrow and take a step out of comfort!

But that is how we learn, after all.

Wish me luck ... and some sanity :)

Goals:

1. those laps!

And We DID IT!

Ok so we made it out of the round pen!

Barely ... but we did it!

Definitely built a lot of confidence yesterday and also realized how scared I really was.

Brother Twitchell wants me to talk about that fear, so here you go Brother Twitchell:

Through this whole semester I have been so excited to learn and better my relationship with a type of horse I have never worked with before.

But because I have never worked with such a young energetic horse it also scares me and makes me very weary in everything I do around him. I have not been able to learn as well as I would like or progress as I would have liked to because I am sometimes scared to get hurt by him.

That, I think, is my main hurtle - me.

I have to say I have made lots of progress and every time I do I feel a little bit better! I think it's just the fear of "stepping into the dark" that keeps me from doing it.

And the hard part is I don't feel like I can explain my fears. I can't logically think of why this is freaking me out so much.

I have realized that that fear is handicapping both me and Cowboy. When I find some confidence and decide to lead him things become so much better and his focus becomes better for the both of us.

Moving out of the round pen was scary and did not go perfectly smooth either, but it helped me learn a lot and also build my confidence. I am still a little weary, but things are getting a lot better - again. We're definately growing.

And I can say that I am excited for what's going to come next.

Goals:

1. Spend more time out of the roundpen.

2. Not be such a scaredy cat!

And We Ride!

Ok so this last week consisted of me fighting with myself to stay calm.

It could be going better.

On thursday Brother Twitchell helped me better understand Cowboy and how I should ride him.

Cowboy is a dominant little guy who doesn't like being told what to do.

In the round pen, with Brother Twitchell's help, I was able to build my confidence and get on. 

Once I better understood my horse it became a little bit better for me - but it's still going to be a whole lot of work to show Cowboy that I am in charge and to follow through with it.

We're definitely going to need a lot of work.

Goals:

1. Build confidence/work on communicating

2. Leave the round pen

Step Out of My Comfort Zone

So this week is more moving forward and trying new things.

New thing for this week — riding bareback, one rein.

I've been more excited for other things ... 

At the beginning of the week I was nothing but scared to get on Mr. Cowboy by myself and I am good at procrastinating!

But I could only do it for so long.

So after preflight checks and a runaround with Brother Twitchell, I gave in.

Granted he was a more high energy than I would've liked him to be but I came out in one piece and learned a lot. 

Now that we've taken the step I just need to build on it and become more confident.

GOALS:

1. More bareback, one rein riding.