Wow, this has been an intensive "horse learning" week.
The things I learned at the group lesson about communication...that was great. Even the 2 hours in the saddle was tremendous! The stuff with Harley yesterday....wow. Amazing. Then, yesterday afternoon, I went on a ride with Breezy. I decided that the two of us needed a bareback pad since I don't quite have the padding I once did (last count was down 60 and almost done! YAY!) and Breezy definitely doesn't have padding. So, yesterday, on our way back from seeing Harley with Melissa, we bought a royal blue fleece bareback pad. I was so pleased that he seemed happy with it. He is very expressive when he doesn't like something. I put it on him while he was eating in the upper paddock and he didn't inflate or anything like he has in the past for girths.
We loaded up and drove the 5 minutes and headed out. He was such a good boy. He dove for the grass a few times and I surprised him with a response he wasn't used to (a tap with the popper on the end of the lead rope...not my usual style) and that ended that. It can be dangerous for me when he gets a jog going and then suddenly throws his head down to grab a bite. He about goes tail over head when he does that, so since it is a safety thing for me, I won't allow that while I ride him. Afterward, I like to take 10 minutes or so to lay in the tall grass and let him munch.
We had one difficult moment while we were out. Several people were trotting back to the parking lot by the time we got out there and Breezy and I got off the trail to let them pass each time. Then, up comes a bay horse...spitting image of Harley. I could tell right away that Breezy's thought had gone to that bay and he thought the bay was Harley, his friend, like as not. When I asked Breezy to pull off the trail, he wasn't half so keen to do that because he wanted to meet up...then as the bay went by, he decided he wanted to follow. My request to continue down the trail was met with the greatest resistance that Breezy is likely to ever make and it surprised me quite a bit. Rather than plan ahead for this the moment I could tell Breezy was responding to the bay horse when it was coming, I allowed my fear responses from my *other* experiences kick in. I had time to think things like "Great, if I get thrown from THIS horse, I am QUITTING horses for GOOD." "Will I get stepped on this time and have to be life-flighted out?" 
He spun before he was willing to give me his thought again to head down the trail the direction I asked. It was probably a good thing for me to discover just how close to the surface my fears are *even* when I ride Breezy. He is quite forgiving, but if those fears are *that* close to the surface when I ride *him* then I know that somehow I want to benefit any way I should from them first, and then release the fears (and instantly!). If they affect me by making me braced and rigid, I am likely communicating something to my horses (any of my horses) that I don't want to. Breezy won't tend to react to that in a big way, but Harley might and Dodger might, too.
So I see I have more work cut out for myself.
That is what I learned last night on that ride. Other than that, it was wonderful. I could tell Breezy was happy with the bareback pad. He offered a nice little jog and then a trot a few times...which was do-able! Yay! That was sort of fun.
Today I had a private lesson again with J at RHRanch. We used Ricki again and I got to lope him...that was the highlight. If I could say what I learned today about that other than the sheer confidence building that this was for me, it would be that I had NO idea that leg cues had SO many things they say before! One cue (or what seems to be one cue to me) can mean three different things on Ricky.
And I will say this. I LIKE that J wants me to learn to ride with my legs and seat and the reins last of all. That is a benefit to this that I hadn't expected. I hope I don't end up more confused...today I felt like I was on tilt with so much input, but hopefully I can process it and it will become a part of my understanding practically.
When I loped Ricki, he did seem to get upset for some reason. J felt it was at her. I don't know about that. I wondered if he would buck or kick out or crow hop. It was a bit upsetting for me to think "It would be something to be bucked off during lessons that are supposed to build my confidence from being bucked off." But all was well in the end and we ended on a good note. I got to ride Ricki bareback back to the pasture before I turned him out. That was cool.
I may go on a ride with Breezy now.
Unsure...I am really tired, but I want to.
Tomorrow, I get up early to audit a Ross Jacobs clinic! Whew!
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I've missed you and haven't heard from you in awhile. I just wanted to pop in and say hi. 
. Have a good one! 
..was just blog hopping and came across yours..very nice journal you have...take care...have a nice day. 
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